FERNIE, BC — When it comes to shopping for a recreational property, there are a number of external influences to consider including year-round recreation, location and local amenities. Fernie, British Columbia, offers all of these and more. The more is 901Fernie, a fabulous four-building condominium property that makes the most of the town’s storied history while incorporating today’s demand for less environmental impact.
What sets this resort condo apart from the rest is that it’s created from the restoration and rebuilding of the town’s original public school, and that not only appeals to my sense of historical preservation but by doing so, it also does away with the impact that newly created resort condos have on the environment.
 With a mountain backdrop, the 901Fernie condo complex is 10 minutes from Fernie Alpine Ski Resort and 10 steps from downtown Fernie. Courtesy 901FERNIE |
"It’s very exciting – it’s really a unique project. Our architect says there’s no other 100-year-old school that has been redone like this in the whole of the Rocky Mountains," said Simon Howse, general manager of Parastone Group of Companies, and the developer behind this sensational development.
The school was built in 1908 and when it finally closed in 1998, there were two other classroom structures on the property besides the original building. With the addition of a fourth building, the overall design concept that included keeping each building unique, was given to multi-award winning The Leblond Partnership - Architects and Planners from Calgary, Alberta.
"Projects like 901Fernie don’t come along every day," said Leblond’s Nick Vale. "It s a combination of circumstances – developer, property and market." And Vale should know.
The Leblond Partnership has worked on the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the Banff Springs Hotel, both located in Alberta and has won a Governor General of Canada award for its work on Alberta’s Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre.
With the 901Fernie project, it’s about salvaging as much as possible, but as Howse admits, it’s wasn’t always easy.
“Unfortunately not much of the exterior could be salvaged – bricks were crumbling and it was covered in stucco – we had to pull it all off and redo it. The exterior shape of the buildings, especially the original building, was kept as close as possible to the original design so it still looks like the old school.
 Beautifully appointed kitchens grace every condo in 901Fernie. Courtesy 901FERNIE |
The wow factor really comes into play when you walk in. The 1,913 sq.ft. showsuite featured soaring ceilings which were made all the more interesting because the roof trusses were restored and left exposed. When combined with windows that are sized to the original school house ones, one might feel a little like Jack and the Bean Stalk but that’s not the case.
Perfectly scaled solid wood cabinetry, an oversized granite island (and I do mean over-sized), and well-proportioned lighting fixtures and furniture keep the open-concept kitchen/dining/living room from being too overwhelming. Add in an impressive fireplace and the space is actually rather intimate.
There’s not one thing these developers have missed – from the stainless steel professional appliances to built-in 52-bottle wine coolers, instant hot water lines and infloor heating, large, deep cast iron soaker tubs and walk-in fully tiled showers, it’s all here.
This same attention to quality finishings was incorporated into every unit throughout the complex. And I haven’t even mentioned the underground parking, private patios, storage areas, central mineral spas or bike washing facilities.
But it’s not just the surface elements and amenities that they’ve paid attention to, it’s also the stuff you don’t see – the actual building materials and the smart energy-efficient choices that they have made.
As mentioned before, the final appeal that the 901Fernie has is its location – in the heart of Fernie. While it’s nice to be located on a ski hill during the day if you’re into skiing, boarding or biking, it’s not so much fun when the sun goes down.
Fernie offers the full gamut when it comes to outdoor activity: excellent skiing and snowboarding, challenging golf, superb fly-fishing – the list is long, but it also has a vibrant nightlife, fine dining, a dedicated arts community, plus plenty of activities to keep the kids from being bored.
And it’s all a short walk from the 901Fernie, which for my money, could easily be around for another 100 years.
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