History

1950s

• The Fernie Ski Club installed and operated a handle tow lift on the south face of Mt Proctor, which is behind the present location of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Centre.

1960-61

• A handle tow was operated in Liverwurst Bowl for one season in the present location of Island Lake Catskiing.
  Fernie Chamber of Commerce started the process of bidding for the 1968 Winter Olympics. They were unsuccessful in the end but it laid the foundation for skiing in Fernie.

Summer 1961

• An A-frame lodge was under construction at the present day lodge location of Fernie Alpine Resort
• Rabbit Ridge Rope Tow & Elk T-Bar were installed.

1962

• With the donation of all the land by Galloway Lumber and many countless volunteer hours, Fernie Snow Valley Ski Resort officially opened January 10th.
• The Day Lodge construction was completed.
• Two lifts operated: Rabbit Ridge Rope Tow was located between the Griz Inn and the bottom of the present Cornerstone Lodge. Elk T-Bar was located at the present location of the Deer Chair and went up to where the top of the current Elk Chair.

1968

• Ski school was started on weekends by Mr Heiko Socher’s wife, Mrs Linda Socher.
• Rabbit Ridge Rope Tow moved.
• A-Frame ski shop opened offering ski school, lift tickets and rentals.

1969

• Lizard Bowl and part of Cedar Bowl opened.
• Bear T-Bar opened at the present Bear Express Quad Chair location.

1970

• 2-Season Motel (20 units) opened. It was the first on-hill accommodation at the present Griz Inn location. It was one of the first ski-in ski-out lodging properties in the Rockies.

1973

• Mr & Mrs Heiko & Linda Socher became co-owner shareholders, owning 30% of the ski resort.

1974

• 2-Season Motel burned down.
• The first of five expansions of the Day Lodge (North Side) occurred.

1975

• Deer T-Bar opened on the present Deer run.

1976

• Weasel Handle Tow opened at the south side of Lizard Bowl.

1977

• Construction started on the Tamarack Building.
• Griz Chair opened at the present Lizard Lower run location.
• Avalauncher was introduced.

1978

• The Tamarack building was completed and opened.
• Griz Chair Towers 12 & 13 were wiped out by an avalanche (Feb 13).
• First Griz Competition was held on the Griz Weekend in March.
• Griz Chair Towers 12 & 13 were cast in concrete and Griz chair reopened in March.

1978-79

• The first snowcat was introduced.

1979

• The Weasel Handle Tow motor caught fire and burned.

1981-82

• Construction began on the Timberline Village Subdivision (52 houses).

1982

• Griz Inn built the second on-hill accommodation.
• Second expansion of the Day Lodge and Tamarack building (south side) occurred. 
• The first inaugural Powder-Pedal-Paddle Race took place.

1984-85

• 34.45 ft / 10.5 m of total snowfall was recorded.

1985

• Boomerang Triple Chair was installed.

1987

• The first Dummy Downhill Race took place.

1988-89

• 38 ft / 11,6 m of total snowfall was recorded.
• The access road from Highway 3 to the resort was reconstructed, now the current Ski Hill Road.

1989

• Elk T-Bar was moved.
• Elk Quad Chair was installed.
• A-Frame ski shop moved to present Bear’s Den location.
• Pizza Pit opened at the present location of Cornerstone Lodge.
• The first Timberline Condominium (Pine Lodge) was completed by Mr Mike Delich.

1990

• Face Lift Handle Tow was installed, replacing Weasel Handle Tow.
• Wolf’s Den Lodge opened (renamed Slopeside Lodge in 2013).
• The deck, cooking facilities, fire pit and roof were constructed at Bear’s Den.

1990-91

• 38.68 ft / 1,179 cm of total snowfall was recorded.

1991

• Rabbit Ridge Rope Tow towers were used and the site grounded for Mighty Moose Platter.
• Timberline Village construction was completed and all lots sold.

1992

• Further expansions of Day Lodge and Tamarack Building occurred.
• Stag Leap and Sky Dive runs were cut.

1993

• Deer T-bar closed. It was moved and renamed Haul Back T-bar.
• The Deer Triple Chair opened.

1994

• Further subdivision development (Highline, Timberline’s Spruce Lodge) were built.

1995

• Development of the road to Timber Bowl occurred.
• A 50-year Crown Land Plan was signed with the Province of BC based on Master Development Agreement in construction of 4 chairlifts in Currie, Timber, Siberia Bowls plus the lodge on top of Timber Express.

1996

• Italian Restaurant ‘Gabriella’s Pasta Place’ opened.
• The first runs in Timber Bowl and Siberia Bowl were cleared.

1996/1997

• Cat-skiing operation started in the new bowls.
• 36.35 ft / 1,108 cm of total snowfall was recorded.

1997

• Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc. (Skiing Louise Ltd, Owner Mr Charlie Locke) purchased Fernie Snow Valley Ski Resort, and renamed it Fernie Alpine Resort.
• Highline Village construction was completed and all lots sold.

1998

• Major expansions:
• Timber Quad Chair and White Pass Quad Chair opened.
• Timber bowl, Currie bowl and Siberia bowl opened.
• Lizard Creek Lodge, third Timberline Lodge (Aspen Lodge), 12 Polar Peak Lodges, Stone Creek Townhomes and Thunder Ridge Chalets were completed.

1998-99

• Mini Moose magic carpet opened.
• Cornerstone Lodge, Kerrin Lee-Gartener’s Snow Creek Lodge and Cedar Ridge Townhomes were completed.
• Pizza Pit moved down to the Wolf’s Den Lodge where Gabriella’s Pasta Place had moved.
• Resort Centre and Mountain Pantry were added below Gabriella’s.

2000

• Bear T-Bar was removed and replaced by Great Bear Express Quad Chair.

2001

• Lizard Creek Condominiums, Bear Paw Lodges and Snow Creek Cabins were completed.

2002

• The 4th Timberline Condominium was completed (King Fir Lodge).

2011-2012

• 50th anniversary of skiing and riding at Fernie Alpine Resort was celebrated.
• The Polar Peak Triple Chair opened, bringing the most runs and the most vertical in the Canadian Rockies to Fernie Alpine Resort!

A special thank you to Fernie Alpine Resort, Mr & Mrs Socher, and Mike Delich for the timeline history.