The court case proved lengthy , and a final jury deliberation that took close to 12 hours pronounced the defendants not guilty . The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence that the fire originated from the railway clearing right of way : a disappointing verdict for the lumber mills .
By December , the track was done . On December 15th 1904 , the first GNR train arrived in Fernie with significant fanfare . Fernie City Council , business leaders , train engineers and many minor officials celebrated this early Christmas present for the community . The GNR ’ s Chief Contractor , Mr . Sims , spoke to the assembled dignitaries promising not only a boon to business freight but also a regular passenger service between Fernie and Rexford , Montana , connecting to Spokane , Seattle and Vancouver .
In 1906 , a court case was heard about who was responsible for the devastating West Fernie fire of 1904 . Three sawmills brought on the damage suit against the GNR , which was heard at the Nelson Courthouse . The total damages asked for amounted to $ 128,800 .
However , the GNR would redeem itself a couple of years later . During Fernie ’ s great fire of 1908 , the GNR rescued hundreds and hundreds of lives from death by inferno . The heroic trainmen filled train cars of all sorts with fleeing citizens and then steadily piloted their motley train of between 50-60 cars through “ a hellish wall of flame .”
In the 1920s , demand for coal decreased as new fuels transformed industry . The depression in the 1930s added an extra layer of bleakness to the Elk Valley . With general economic stagnation , the demand for coal lessened even further . As a result , the Great Northern Railway exited Fernie in 1936 . A government works project for unemployed men involved turning the tracks into a new highway for cars , which we still use today . We call it Highway # 3 .
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