Fernie celebrated the start of festive season with the Holiday Kickoff on Nov. 29.
Shoppers perused downtown stores for holiday gifts and stocking stuffers, and warmed themselves around outdoor fires with hot chocolate.
Carolers performed Christmas classics downtown, and Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance to visit with locals, leading up to a grand display of fireworks at the end of the evening.
Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy and Salvation Army handed out hot chocolate, with profits going towards feeding hungry people and youth literacy. Cycling Without Age helped transport shoppers around town on bike chariots.
The Ghostriders hockey team lent a helping hand at the event, shovelling eight feet of snow off the stage in preparation for festivities.
Hosted by Fernie Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Fernie and Community Futures East Kootenay, the event is held annually to support local businesses during the holiday shopping season.
"Business owners don’t just sell products—they build connections. They strengthen the fabric of our community, donate to local causes, and create meaningful jobs for others who also call Fernie home. They support local suppliers, invest in our economy, and ensure that the money we spend stays here, circulating through our community," said Chamber executive director Wendy McDougall in a speech at the event.
McDougall said there was an estimated $70,000 spent at the event at 37 participating businesses. Emma Stephenson-Baker won the Spend It In Fernie Contest, collecting $1,000 to use at a participating business.
The event leads up to B.C Buy Local Week, running Dec. 2 to 8, which encourages people across the province to give back to their communities and help grow local economies. Statistics from the initiative show that $63 of every $100 spent at local businesses is recirculated into the local economy, compared to just $14 with multinational companies, but that two out of every three dollars spent online in Canada still goes to non-local companies.
