THE LEGEND OF THE GRIZ
In the midst of the cruel and bitter winter
of 1879, a baby boy was born in a grizzly
bear's cave high in the mountains. The
child grew strong in the harsh conditions
and when the resident grizzly awoke, a
terrible battle ensued between the two;
the courageous boy fighting for his life,
the ravenous bear for his dinner.
The next day, the townspeople went
into the mountains to try to discover
the source of all the noise from the
previous night and looked high and low
for signs of a struggle. One of the men
thought he saw a little boy wearing a
bear coat and hat nimbly leaping from
rock to rock, high up on the lofty peaks.
His friends laughed at him and the
incident was soon forgotten.
Many years later, a group of intrepid ski
tourers were bootpacking on the peaks
of the Lizard Range in the midst of a
heavy snowstorm. When they stopped
for breath, one of the men glanced up
at the peak they were climbing. There
on the very summit, stood a fantastic
sight. A man with shoulders six feet
wide, carrying a musket eight feet
long. The bulk of the man's estimated
300 pounds was made to look even
more awesome by the bristly, grizzly
coat he wore. A bearskin hat was
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pulled down shadowing his eyes. As
the skiers watched, the man aimed his
giant musket into the clouds and fired,
causing blankets of snow to fall from
the sky above. This delighted the skiers
who loved that special brand of
powder snow.
The travellers quickly skied down the
mountain and excitedly told everyone
of their experience. Some of the town's
elders remembered the sighting of
a little grizzly-clad boy so long ago,
and with the discovery of massive,
barefooted tracks upon the snow-
covered peaks at a later date, the
legend slowly took shape.
In recognition and admiration of the
man who became known as GRIZ, the
townspeople held a festival all week.
Sporting events, competitions, parades,
and gatherings marked the legend.
Over the years, GRIZ continues to
be celebrated in a variety of ways. He
appears when least expect, but is most
evident during the annual Griz Days
Festival held every March. He can
sometimes be spotted skiing at Fernie
Alpine Resort or accompanying jailbirds
in the Griz Jail. He’s known to enjoy
a party or two and loves to meet and
greet visitors from far and wide.