Fernie & Elk Valley Culture Guide Issue 6 - Fall 2017 | Page 17

The Arts Station
From 1898 to 1964, the Canadian
Pacific Railway station was the
economic and social hub of the
community, bringing in merchandise,
mail, and passengers into and out of
Fernie at a time when the railway was
the only connection between the valley
and the outside world. Today, it is home
to the Fernie and District Arts Council,
operating as the Fernie Arts Station
and celebrating over 25 years as a
thriving hub for the arts.
The Fernie CPR station was completed
in the spring of 1909 after an earlier
incarnation burned down in the Great
Fire of 1908. The station served as
a thriving centre for commerce and
travel until passenger service to Fernie
was discontinued in 1964.
The CPR donated the building to the
City of Fernie in 1979, and in 1987 the
Fernie Arts Council began restoration.
This involved moving the building onto
a new foundation, followed by careful
renovation, painting, and landscaping.
It took four years, but with hard work
and the continued contributions
of dedicated staff and volunteers,
this dignified local landmark was
transformed. It re-opened in 1990 in
its new incarnation: an indispensable
base of operations for artists in the
Elk Valley.
Today, the Arts Station facility is as
multi-faceted as the community it
serves. The former waiting room hosts
an elegant gallery, the basement a
fully-equipped pottery studio, and the
old ticket office a bustling restaurant.
The train platform serves as a patio
and outdoor performance space in
the summer months; upper rooms are
used by a wide variety of community
arts groups and guilds. Baggage and
freight storage has been converted
into a 100-seat theatre, which
features homegrown talent as well as
outstanding performers from all over
Canada and around the world.
601 1st Ave  |  250-423-4842
theartsstation.com
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