Visit Fernie, Canada
Situated in the Rocky Mountains, Fernie was born when a rich coal seam was discovered there. Today it's full of abandoned mines, museums and heritage sites.
Tucked away in a narrow valley in the rugged Rocky Mountains, the town of Fernie has a unique and colourful history.
Coal mining
The town was born when a prospector noticed black and shiny stones in a necklace worn by an Indian Chief’s daughter - it was coal. The chief agreed to reveal the source of these stones if the prospector agreed to marry his daughter. When the prospector reneged on his wedding proposal the angered chief put a curse of fire, flood and famine on the valley, but this didn’t stop Fernie from prospering. From coal, and through the 1920s it added to its wealth by smuggling whiskey into prohibition America.
The curse was finally lifted in 1964 and today it is an atmospheric town rich in history, with abandoned mines, museums and heritage sites letting visitors step back in time to the beautiful Elk Valley’s past.
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