Upon touring the town of Fernie one will find that each and every church of any age in the town was built between 1908 and 1910. This was not a coincidence. On August 1, 1908 Fernie suffered a
devastating fire which burned the entire town, save for the present town hall, the Western Canada Wholesale warehouse and the Catholic priest’s residence (all concrete structures which managed to withstand the blaze). 100 businesses, 700 residences and all the churches and public buildings burned to the ground. Beginning almost immediately the Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Salvation Army and Lutheran congregations began to rebuild. All their buildings were of brick and/or stone, at least in part because immediately following the fire the town passed an ordinance requiring all buildings in a ten block area to be built of fireproof material.
Bearing a cornerstone laid in the fall of 1911, this may have been the last of the post fire churches to be completed, other known completion dates being before 1911. Dedication of the church did not come about until November 10, 1912. While the post fire architecture of downtown Fernie has been described as Italianate, no building is more so than Holy Family Church. With its arched corbelling throughout and low hipped roof atop an open octagonal belfry, one might reasonably feel they had been transported to the Italian countryside upon viewing the building. The Roman arched windows with corbelled arched hoods further add to the effect, as does a second, much smaller octagonal tower further back on the peak of the sanctuary's gabled roof, this one having a domed roof with a finial and an ornate cross atop. As best we can determine, a single large bell hangs in the belfry.
In front of the church, one on each side of the entrance, are a pair of sculptures, the Holy Family on the left and The Madonna on the right.
Holy Family Parish History
The beginning of Holy Family can be traced to 1896 when Fr. John Welsh, OMI attached to St. Eugene’s mission of Cranbrook was sent to the Fernie area to administer to the spiritual needs of the railway and the mineworkers, a large proportion of whom were Catholic.
Construction of a church began in the same year, to be completed the following June. While the building was in progress, Fr. Welsh shared a tent with the Levasseur family. Mass was held in the dining room of a half finished Hotel. The church was dedicated to the Holy Family because of the devotedness of the Cape Breton families who arrived in the spring of 1897. They pledged a day’s pay per month.
Fr. Welch’s church, located at the corner of 3rd Ave. and 5th St, survived the first fire of 1904 but was destroyed in the conflagration of 1908, during the tenure of Fr. Tavernier. A provisional frame building located at the site of the present Family Center, served as the church between 1908 and 1912.
A football field purchased as a hospital site in 1902 by Fr. Meleux and his assistant, Fr. McKinnon was chosen as the location of the present Holy Family Church. Plans for the new church were developed by Fr. Travernier (1905-1910) and his church committees.
The church was built during the tenure of Fr. Michels (1910-1919). His appeal for volunteers during a lengthy strike in 1911, met with a generous response. The cornerstone was laid in the fall of 1911, and the church was dedicated on November 10, 1912, with Fr. Ruaux celebrating the first Mass. Mr. R. Kerr, a local builder, was the contractor. Local church groups and individuals throughout B.C. provided funds for construction.
Romanesque in style, the church has a total seating capacity of 500. The ash pews came from Ontario, the original organ from Germany, and the stained glass windows, installed at a cost of $200 each, from France. The donors reflect the cosmopolitan composition of the congregation. The stained glass window in the tower depicts the institution of the Eucharist. The rose window above the entrance displays the coat of arms of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate whose members served this parish from its beginnings until 1930 when the diocesan clergy assumed charge.
A special tribute is due to the sisters of St Joseph who arrived in 1922 from Newark, New Jersey, to take charge of the Holy Family School. They served the parish in this capacity until 1956, when the Parish school was closed. Subsequent to its closure, the school was used as a parish center until the Fernie Family Centre was built in 1988.
From Holy Family Church