Fernie & Elk Valley Culture Guide Issue 2 Fall 2016 | Page 17
ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Fernie
City Hall
The Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company
chose Fernie as its headquarters
because of its location central to
their mining activities in Coal Creek,
Michel, and Carbonado (Morrissey).
The original wooden company office
buildings had burned twice, and this was
enough incentive for general manager
G.G.S. Lindsey to promise that an
elegant new office building would be
built following incorporation of the city.
By May, 1905, cement blocks were
on the site ready for the start of
building, and the date for laying the
cornerstone was set for June 20th. In
celebration, this date was declared a
general holiday for Crow’s Nest Pass
Coal Co. employees, and Mrs. Lindsey
laid the cornerstone marked ‘1905’
using a silver trowel. There was some
disappointment that William Fernie
was unable to attend and officiate, as
he had been instrumental in laying the
foundation for the company. As part
of the ceremonies, the Engineer H.B.
Wright deposited a time capsule under
the cornerstone containing period
currency coins, company records, the
first and current issues of the Free
Press, the 1902 souvenir issue and the
current copy of the Fernie Ledge.
‘Fire-proof’ masonry structures had
become the trend in building, and
not only did this building survive the
Great Fire of 1908, it also served the
community as a place of refuge during
and after the fire. It remained occupied
solely by the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal
Company until 1984, when the building
became Fernie’s City Hall. In 2011,
along with other iconic locations in
Fernie, City Hall was the setting for
filming of the Santa Paws 2: The Santa
Pups. The Christmas decorations that
adorn City Hall each year were a gift
from the film makers in thanks for
the town’s hospitality. City Hall is the
home of the Miner’s Walk, a tribute
to Fernie’s mining legacy featuring
municipal gardens, local sculpture, and
interpretive panels.
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