Crows Nest Industries Limited - 75 Years - Prentice Park, Fernie BC
Posted by: 
Bon Echo
N 49° 30.746 W 115° 03.175
11U E 640943 N 5486245
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of possibly the most important company in the Elk Valley's history
Waymark Code: WMZGV6
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 11/10/2018
Views: 1
Many cities and towns have one or two "founding fathers" in the form of large companies - companies that settled in an area for some reason or other, and by doing so gave birth to the area as it is known today.
In the alpine resort town of Fernie BC, the two companies that played the biggest role in the settling of the town would have to be the Crow’s Nest Coal and Mineral Company (incorporated in 1887), and the Canadian Pacific Railway which reached Fernie about 10 years later. It was only then, in 1897, that coal mining in the area around Fernie got underway.
While other underground coal mining ventures in the Elk Valley vicinity came and went, it was the ones operated by Crow’s Nest Coal and Mineral Company (later Crows Nest Industries Ltd) that withstood market fluctuations and multiple disasters.
In 1968 a large portion of the Crows Nest Pass Coal Company properties and mines were acquired by Kaiser Resources Ltd. It was around that time that strip mining began to replace underground coal mining in the region. By then, most of the mines near Fernie had already been closed (Mossisey, Coal creek, and Hosmer), and coal mining activities were focused on the area around Sparwood and Elkford.
In 1978, just 6 years after the posting of the plaque at Prentice Park, what remaining of Crowsnest Industries was acquired by Shell Canada.
Apparently the land which is now Prentice Park was once owned by the Crowsnest Coal Company, and it seems that the area was operated as a park while under their ownership. The plaque strongly suggest that the park land was transfered to the City of Fernie on May 1st, 1972. However, I could not find any information online to confirm this.
Text from the plaque:
PRENTICE PARK
Presented to the City of Fernie May 1st 1972
In Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Crows Nest Industries Limited
Anniversary Year: 1972
Year of Event, Organization or Occurance: 1897
Address:
1571 2 Ave
Fernie, BC Canada
V0B 1M0
Website: Not listed
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