Fernie British Columbia - Fernie's Legion has been given new life with the addition of a colourful art mural, on what was once a blank canvas.
 
Local artist Erich Stoffels has created a mural called "All Aboard", a steam train with poppies cascading out of the smoke stack, to commemorate the soldiers that defended their country and never returned home in the First and Second World Wars.
 
The mural overlooks Station Square, where people would have disembarked when passenger train travel was still the primary mode of transportation, and where soldiers started their journey overseas to fight.
 
The mural's grand opening was held at the Legion on 15 Aug 2024 with a barbecue and speeches from the Legion, Arts Station, and the Mayor.
 
Legion president Jennifer Cronin said the mural's symbolic significance is important to them.
 
"This building's been here for 98 years now. It was built after the First World War to accommodate the veterans. It means a lot to us," she said.
 
Stoffels created the mural from spray paint, drawing inspiration from old photos of historic steam trains that passed through Fernie prior to the switch to diesel engines in 1951.
 
"I have always loved trains, and have always loved painting, so when I heard there was a mural going in at The Station Square, my eyes lit up," Stoffels remarked.
 
He was one of seven people who submitted a design for the building after seeing the application online.
 
His vision reflects many unique aspects of Fernie's railway history, including its connection to the local mining industry and Station Square's role as a community gathering space.
 
"The train itself is, to me, a symbol of this community and all of British Columbia. Without those first steam engines, Fernie would not have been able to grow into the community it is today. They brought people, they brought supplies, and they brought community. They were used to move coal and lumber out of the valley, just like the diesel engines do today," he stated.
 
The mural wouldn't have been a success if it wasn't for donations from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance and the Resort Municipality Initiative, who each contributed $15,000 towards the project.
 
 
Gillian Francis.