BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY

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Free Weekly Prescription Delivery Full Service Pharmacy Cosmetics • Fernie Souvenirs Back to School Supplies

441- 2nd Ave. Downtown Fernie Tel: 250.423.4511

Craft Beer • World & BC Wine Speciality Liquor

parkplacelodge.com 742 Hwy #3 | 250-423-6871

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Fernie Brewing Company

ferniebrewingco.com

With the Elk Valley Pride Festival coming up later this month, Fernie Brewing Co. (FBC), is excited to announce two amazing collaborations, with the Fernie Pride Society (FPS).

First up, be sure to watch out for a sweet FBC x FPS t’shirt. Designed by Lev Sonego @glitterburns, of Nelson, profits from this limited release t’shirt will be donated to the Fernie Pride Society. Limited stock, available online and in-store at FBC, early September.

Then, on Thursday September 22, be sure to head to FBC to kick off the Elk Valley Pride Festival in style, with a glass of the FBC x FPS Collab Brew. Brewed by FBC Brewer Kevin Symington, with the help of some FPS Board Members, this Pea Flower Cream Ale won’t be around for long! Available on tap in the FBC Tasting Room from 2pm on September 22, for a very limited time.

Follow FBC at @ferniebrewingco to ensure you don’t miss out! Submitted Photo

Fernie Museum

ferniemuseum.com

The Fernie Chautauqua (Sept 9-11) is an annual festival celebrating Fernie’s culture, heritage and community, based on the traditional Chautauquas of the 1920s. Primarily located on the lawns at Fernie’s City Hall, the event features live entertainment, children’s activities, arts and crafts and many opportunities to engage and participate.

This year’s festival is anchored by the Fernie Museum’s new fall exhibit; Women of Michel, featuring the work of four artists who grew up in the former mining community. The exhibit opens on September 9 and will be followed by a panel luncheon on Saturday with a chance for residents to record their memories. A Children’s Talent Show, Fernie Arts Guilds, new historical exhibits and tours, music from Charles Benjamin and Lord Knows, and ‘Dancing in the Dark – a Celebration of Coal Town Memories’ round out the weekend - with more to be announced! ferniechautauqua.com

Fall is a great time to list your home, so if you are considering selling, reach out to us now so we can help you prepare. Here at Fernie Homes we work diligently to ensure your home is staged and professionally photographed so that it looks its best online, where most buyers see your property for the first time.

FULL SERVICE REAL ESTATE

What does it really mean?

In the ever-changing real estate market, choosing a Realtor® who has the knowledge, experience and dedication to represent your home and community can be challenging. As your Elk Valley specialists, our services extend above and beyond traditional Realtors® in order for you to receive exceptional results on your home sale.

Strategies

Outstanding photography, staging, impressive videography, impeccable customer service & communication.

Marketing

With a marketing plan focused on ensuring your property receives personalized exposure & is presented in a superior light.

Results

Intricate marketing awareness & research, strong negotiator, business leader, professional & educated.

Contact us for a no obligation, complimentary current market analysis on your property.

An Educational Club for Horse Crazy Kids www.unicornclubfernie.ca

Commit to your fitness

Get the most out of each workout by working with a certified personal trainer and kinesiologist.

BOOK A FITNESS ASSESSMENT:

Email valkyriepersonaltrainer@gmail.com Call Body Garage at 778-745-3105 and request an appointment with Sarah-Beth today. Submitted Photo

Fernie Pride Society

ferniepride.ca

Back for its sixth year is the Elk Valley Pride Festival, September 21-25 in Fernie featuring events for everyone of any age with multiple opportunities to meet your favourite Queens at Drag Storytime, Drag Paint and Sip, Cooking with Queens, and the traditional Drag Brunch as well as learning options including Rainbow Reads, Rainbow Reels, and Kootenay Queer History.

Back on the schedule is Spectrum Queer Arts Day, a free, all-ages event with musical performances by Kimmortal, Hyaenas, and KP Smith as well as seven Queens. New this year is Wheelie Out; a queer skate jam in partnership with Ladies on Edge and Edge of the World. Allies are welcome to join in this pre-Spectrum event.

Kicking it off is the Flag Raising and Bike Parade followed by the Rainbow Connections Pride Picnic and Spirits and Songs with Anita Roloff at Fernie Distillers.

Stay up to date on all things Fernie Pride and Elk Valley Pride Festival on their socials or at ferniepride.ca. Submitted Photo

Kerri McCrady

1241 7th Ave 250-423-0870

Kerri McCrady is one of Fernie’s newest REALTORS® at RE/MAX Elk Valley Realty Ltd. With 20 years of personal experience buying and selling real estate, she has naturally turned this passion into her career.

You may recognize Kerri from her time volunteering at the Wednesday Socials and Fernie Youth Soccer Association, from IDES with her kids, or her friendly face walking down main street and dining on patios with friends and family.

Whether you’re looking to buy your first home, your retirement home, a vacation property, or a building lot, Kerri is here to help. She is eager to put her skills and knowledge to work for you as your confidant, support system, and your trusted Realtor®.

Follow Kerri on Facebook and Instagram @kerri.mccrady.remax.fernie. Contact her by email at kerrimccrady@gmail. com, on her cell 250-423-0870, or visit fernielistings.com/kerri-mccrady/

How Are Businesses Feeling?

by BRAD PARSELL

Back in the spring the Elk Valley Economic Initiative published the results of the largest business survey ever undertaken in the Elk Valley. Supported by the local governments and Chambers of Commerce in all three Elk Valley communities, the findings were presented as a rolled-up report for the entire corridor as well as broken down into results from each of the communities of Elkford, Sparwood and Fernie. This kind of business sentiment data is critical for local leaders and decisionmakers to understand as they work on policy and programming that will shape the local economy. The idea is to repeat the survey at least every two years to track how businesses are feeling about certain issues, and whether it is getting better (or worse) over time.

The results were taken from surveys with 318 unique businesses that operate in the Elk Valley, with 77% of those (245 businesses) identifying as operating in Fernie. What do businesses look like in Fernie at the moment? Well from the data, we know that 42.2% of businesses in Fernie are 51% or more owned by females. Fernie has a strong small business scene with 38.5% of businesses reporting an average gross revenue of less than $250,000, with the average Fernie business employing five full-time staff. 29.3% of businesses in Fernie have been in operation for over twenty years, compared to 31.4% of businesses that are less than five years old. Businesses that own their own buildings represented 32.2% of all Fernie businesses, while the 34.6% that leased their buildings paid an average of $12.20 per square foot (triple net).

If we look at the Fernie data, we can see that overall businesses are optimistic about the future of their operations while still acknowledging the multiple barriers that exist to growing their business. At the time of the survey, Fernie businesses were still in the grips of pandemic-related health orders and restrictions. Yet 44.2% of Fernie businesses stated they were growing, with 58.6% of businesses planning to expand in the next three years and 47.2% planning to increase the number of employees they have over the same time.

Despite the bullish outlook, 88% of businesses stated they have at least one barrier to growth. The key themes that emerged as challenges to local businesses were lack of workers, lack of workforce housing, and the cost of doing business. One in two businesses operating in Fernie reported that employee recruitment had been a problem in the last three years – with the issue more likely to be a problem the more employees a business has. For the businesses struggling with employee recruitment, 69% stated that the issue was simply a lack of applicants. Of course, workforce housing was identified as a major underlying issue for both employee recruitment and retention with 55.3% of businesses listing housing as “very to extremely important” to their business success. Tellingly, 43.3% of business listed housing as Fernie’s top weakness as a place to do business – second only to cost of living (which is clearly related).

So, what are we going to do with all this information? Great question! Next month we will dive into all the ramifications of what we heard, what the next steps are, and why it is critically important for local leaders (including those running for public office this fall!) to understand Fernie’s business sentiment as we all look to a prosperous and sustainable future. For more data insights on how Fernie businesses are feeling, check out the full ‘2022 Fernie Business Retention & Expansion Report’ on the Elk Valley Economic Initiative website (theelkvalley.ca).

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“The key themes that emerged as challenges to local businesses were lack of workers, lack of workforce housing, and the cost of doing business. ”