Fernie & Elk Valley Culture Guide Issue 3 Winter 2016 | Page 12

A HISTORY OF SKIING IN FERNIE The early years, pioneers, and passions When the first ski tourers ventured deep into the Cedar Valley below the sawtooth peaks of the Lizard Range, they could only have imagined how Fernie would be shaped by the sport that had already captivated Europe and the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. but was mostly still the domain of elite mountaineers in the Rockies. It was the 1940s and those intrepid explorers from the Fernie Ski Club had found their way to Liverwurst Bowl, now part of the terrain at Island Lake Catskiing. A major boost to organized skiing came in April 1955 when the Fernie Board of Trade supported the club’s plan to build a ski hill on Mt. Proctor. The hill would feature a rope tow, chalet, and 1,000ft access road. The Chamber of Comm erce backed a bid for the 1968 Olympics during these hopeful early years. To facilitate the application, the infrastructure on Mt Proctor was relocated to Liverwurst Bowl, with plans for further development. The Olympic event was eventually awarded to Lillehammer but the process set the tone for ski developments in Fernie. “Much benefit should come from the publicity received during the Olympic campaign and in the near future we may see a development on our ski site that could mean a much needed secondary industry in this area.” - Telfer Dicks, Chairman of the committee and local garage owner 12 tourismfernie.com/events