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EVR Summit Centre groundbreaking ceremony held
Dirt was flying Monday during a celebration to break ground on the EVR Summit Centre in Fernie.
About 50 people attended the celebration under a sunny late-summer sky. With shovels in hand representatives of the Elk Valley Fieldhouse Society and the major funders of the $4 million project officially turned soil on the much-needed project.
“We look forward to getting the big shovels in the ground and actual construction underway,” said society spokesperson Aysha Haines. “It’s hard to believe that we’ve come this far in just over two years.”
The Elk Valley Fieldhouse Society was formed in 2024, following the closure of the Fernie Community Centre, with the goal of building accessible spaces for physical activity, social interaction, and community events.
Late last year city council endorsed lease and operating agreements for the facility. The agreements, between the city and the Elk Valley Fieldhouse Society, allow for the construction and operation of a fieldhouse next to the Fernie Aquatic Centre.
Haines acknowledged the hard work of the society members with “one of the most active WhatsApp groups around.”
The EVR Summit Centre, however, wouldn’t be becoming a reality of several major funders, which were represented at the sod turning by:
- Jill Salus, Director of Community and Indigenous Affairs for Elk Valley Resources (EVR), which donated $1 million to the project.
- Mayor Nic Milligan of the City of Fernie, which okayed $525,000 through Resort Municipalities Initiative funding.
- Melanie Jeannotte – Director of Columbia Basin Trust, which donated $500,000.
- Jykki Gyorki of Tourism Fernie, which has contributed $40,000 to the project.
Yaq ̓ it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it – Nasukin Heidi Gravelle welcomed attendees to the event and was joined by Dawn Mahseelah and Mary Mahseelah for an opening prayer song.
Earlier this year the Fieldhouse Society contracted Elevate Construction, out of Lethbridge, to construct the facility. Elevate has applied for a building permit, and once that is approved the ‘big shovels’ can hit the ground.
Lead image: Elk Valley Fieldhouse Society members break ground on the new EVR Summit Centre. They are, from left, Aysha Haines, Antony McElwee, Dennis Staples, Wendy McDougall, Bill Phillips, Lucy Harris, Nadine Baker, and Jykki Gyorki. Photo submitted
Elk Valley Fieldhouse Society
