The Elk Valley Thrift Shop Society is helping to spruce up a historical building in Fernie
The Fernie Heritage Trust Society received $5,000 to support their efforts to preserve the Knox United Church building and convert it into a community performing arts space.
President Gordon Sombrowski says the over 100 year old building was built with an unusual yellow brick made locally.
“Historically the architecture of the brick is a classic Edwardian Gothic style,” says Sombrowski. “It’s a very beautiful building and it’s a building that has played a significant in the community for the last hundred and some years. We wanted to ensure that the building continued to be a community space and that it’s heritage values were respected.”
Sombrowski says donations like this are critical for the project.
“We need to have community participation, both through volunteers and through sponsorships and donations,” he says. “And we’re going to be working with the community to develop a fundraising strategy over the long course to ensure that we can do the work that needs to be done and the programming that needs to happen happens.”
The group is doing a study to assess what renovations are required for the project.
– Gordon Sombrowski, Fernie Heritage Trust Society
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