BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY

100 Women Who Care Fernie

100wwcfernie.ca

Vince Mo Photo

Elk Valley Suicide Task Force

evstf.ca

As a healthy, green lawn is supported by strong roots, a community is healthier when supported by grassroot causes. 100 Women Who Care Fernie (100WWCFernie) is in its third year of supporting such causes through its bi-annual Giving Events that benefit the Elk Valley and South Country. The past three events, all delivered virtually, raised a total of $27,600 and helped seven organizations meet their communitybased objectives – see the smiling faces of past recipients on our Facebook page, @100WWCFernie.

The next Giving Event will take place the evening of May 5, 2022, membership is open to all women living in the Elk Valley. To learn more about 100WWCFernie, how it works, how causes are selected and how you can become a member, go to their website or email info@wwcfernie.ca.

Let’s work together to keep the communities of Elk Valley and South Country healthy through the continued support of grassroots organizations. Last year, the inaugural Fernie Dragathon raised over $10,000 for the Elk Valley Suicide Task Force with the support of Fernie Alpine Resort to create a Grief Support group for friends and families dealing with grief in the wake of suicide.

This March, the Dragathon returned with a week of events and festivities leading up to the Mighty Moose Dragathon, raising over $13,000 and creating extensive awareness around mental health and supportive opportunities to talk about suicide.

“It was amazing to see how different people came together to raise the spotlight. Throughout the week there were so many different ways to talk about mental health. While the theme was Drag, it was really about opening up the conversation with safe and comfortable spaces,” said Ev Eijsermans with EVSTF.

Thank you to all who supported and attended throughout the week, and special thanks to Isabella Giavulva who inspired and is dedicated to the Dragathon and mental health awareness. #itsokaytonotbeokay

Jon Canning Photo Fernie Alpine Resort

skifernie.com

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Fernie Alpine Resort has extended its winter season an additional week to close on Sunday, April 17.

“As March is usually our snowiest month, we invite you to keep your powder skis ready, your sunblock handy, spring carving skis set to go and most importantly enjoy our spring weekend events. Celebrate our ski and ride community, and 60 years of snow loving fun!” says Matt Mosteller.

FAR ended spring break with the Mountain Pop Up Tour with Shred Kelly, and hosts its popular Fernival festival April 9 and 10 in the Plaza at the centre of the base.

Sustainable Tourism

by BRAD PARSELL

As I write this month’s column, I am in Richmond for the 2022 BC Tourism and Hospitality Conference. It has been amazing to be back in-person with colleagues from the Kootenays and across the province. The theme of the conference was ‘Kickstarting the Comeback,’ and there was a lot of thoughtfulness and optimism as the BC visitor economy looks to the future beyond recovery from the pandemic. While many aspects of the industry were discussed this week, the hot topic was undoubtedly how to ensure tourism remains sustainable – specifically in terms of destination management and land stewardship.

A panel on the ‘State of Transportation and the Way Forward to Support BC’s Visitor Economy’ discussed at length the need to transition to more sustainable fuel sources for the province’s air, road, and marine transportation networks. Representatives from Destination BC discussed their ongoing work around Destination Management to ensure that the impacts of tourism are minimized and managed for the benefit of all British Columbians – including Indigenous people.

Here in Fernie and the broader Kootenay region, there is a ton of work already underway to ensure that the economic benefits of tourism are around for generations to come. This means ensuring social license with local residents and our First Nations by being proactive as an industry in managing the environmental impacts of visitors flocking to our beautiful natural spaces. I was recently elected to the board of directors for Kootenay Rockies Tourism, and I’m so proud that through their work the Kootenay Rockies region recently became the first sustainable tourism destination in Canada to be certified by GreenStep Sustainable Tourism. Of course, here in town we have the Fernie Tourism Master Plan that was formally adopted in late 2020. One of the four focus areas of that plan is Sustainable Management which incorporates important aspects like managing capacity limits and reducing impacts on the natural environment. There are multiple projects already underway in this area including a collaborative effort led by Tourism Fernie to improve put-in and take-out infrastructure along the Elk Valley to manage impacts to this critical waterway. The Fernie Chamber and Tourism Fernie also recently supported the successful lobbying efforts of local resident Sylvia Ayers to have the City of Fernie council prioritize the adoption of a plastic bag ban to further protect the local environment. This is a great example of how businesses can be part of a green solution without dramatic increases in costs.

There is certainly much more work to do to carefully balance the preservation of our environment while offering a world-class destination for visitors that maximizes benefits for local residents. And it is imperative that we get this right as a business community and tourism industry so that we don’t end up killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Brad Parsell Photo

“There is certainly much more work to do to carefully balance the preservation of our environment while offering a world-class destination for visitors that maximizes benefits for local residents.”