Mayor's Musings for October 2025: By Steve Fairbairn, Mayor for the District of Elkford
Mayor's Musings for October 2025
by Steve Fairbairn, Mayor for the District of Elkford
I’m sure most of us have our winter tires on by now. This early winter could bring heavy snowfall, or to put it another way, “large precipitation events.” That would be good news for the ski hill!
Speaking of Wapiti: kudos to the team for the new ideas and events that are drawing people out to the slopes. It’s true, the Fernie Freestyle Club is partnering with us to develop an off-season training facility at Wapiti. Here’s hoping the 2025/26 ski season is a great one in Elkford.
SPOTLIGHT FROM COLUMBIA BASIN TRUST
The District of Elkford received a positive mention in the 2025 edition of Our Trust magazine (published by Columbia Basin Trust, or CBT) for our long-standing water conservation efforts. See page 29, “From Sprinklers to Stewardship.”
For those who may not know, CBT has had a tremendous impact on Elkford. They fund our Youth Action Network (SYS.tem) and have supported many community assets, from renovating the old municipal office and seniors’ apartments to helping fund recreation equipment and site development such as the bike park, trails and playgrounds, as well as the annual ReDi grants.
This funding, distributed across the Basin, comes from revenue generated by hydroelectric dams in the B.C. portion of the Columbia River basin. It is not tax money. Learn more at Basin Stories: Remarkable People and Places of the Columbia Basin.
THE BUZZ JOINS THE FLEET
Speaking of ‘not being tax money’—at least not Elkford property tax money—the new Volkswagen ID. Buzz was purchased with provincial grant funding. That grant, sourced from general revenue, is provided to municipalities specifically to help reduce their carbon footprints.
In the past, Elkford has used these funds for upgrades to heating systems in our buildings such as the arena and ice plant, for solar panels on the municipal office (in part), and for insulation and window retrofits.
The Buzz has already made its first long trip to Cranbrook and back for RDEK meetings, a 340-kilometre round trip, and the cost of a fast charge at the Cranbrook mall to get home was just $9. We can charge it on the Level 2 charger at the Community Conference Centre, though that takes a painfully long time for an 80-per-cent top-up. We’re planning to install a 32-amp service at the District Office so that, at least in the snow-free months, the Buzz can get a significant charge from the sun through our solar panels.
This vehicle is a welcome addition to the fleet. It will take on the duties the Patriot primarily performed and shift much of our staff travel out of large pickups and into the Buzz. That means long-term cost savings for our fleet operations.
NCC EXPANDS ITS CONSERVATION FOOTPRINT
In other news, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has finalized its purchase of a large portion of land previously owned by Doman Building Materials Group (formerly CanWel). You may also recognize these lands from their earlier owners, Jemi Fibre and Tembec.
The acquisition covers roughly 37,000 hectares (about 91,500 acres) between Elkford and Morrissey and forms part of a broader multi-phase plan that could eventually protect up to 45,000 hectares (about 111,000 acres) across the Elk Valley.
This area includes familiar spots such as the route to Josephine Falls and zones with established mountain bike trails. Over the coming years, NCC is expected to work with communities and user groups throughout the valley to discuss land stewardship and recreational access, which may include both motorized and non-motorized use depending on environmental considerations.
UBCM UPDATES FROM THE CAPITAL
We met with provincial representatives to discuss Conservation Officer presence north of Elkford. Topics included squatting on Crown land, illegal dumping of solid and liquid waste, and conflicts with residents, along with some raised eyebrows. It’s a tangled web of overlapping responsibilities, but we raised important points that may not have been considered before, such as wildfire evacuations and the unknown number of people camping north of town. We’re hoping for better information-sharing between the agencies that manage those lands, since the District has no jurisdiction there.
In another meeting, we met with the minister and staff from ICBC to discuss improving reimbursements for Elkford Fire Rescue and our First Responders so that full costs of every response to motor-vehicle incidents on Highway 43 are covered. Currently, reimbursement levels across B.C. fall short, leaving municipalities and taxpayers to make up the difference. We also brought this issue to the UBCM floor, where it passed and is now an actionable item for future discussions with the Province.
UBCM was also an opportunity to highlight Elkford’s successes in outdoor recreation and our continued development of community assets. It’s easy to take these for granted, but for a small town, we’re batting well above our league. Volunteers rock.
POWER, PROGRESS AND PREPAREDNESS
We also met with BC Hydro representatives about the high frequency of power outages in Elkford. We presented real examples showing that much of the underground infrastructure has reached end of life and needs replacement rather than repair. Hydro staff were surprised by the number of failures and our detailed records identifying specific problem areas.
In the “timing is everything” category, the tree that fell on the power line north of Sparwood was a vivid reminder of how fragile our system can be. Had it happened during a hot, dry spell, the resulting fire could have cut off Highway 43 and the Lower Elk Valley Road, effectively trapping us or forcing a last-minute evacuation.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2026 CENSUS
Finally, a heads-up that 2026 is a census year. The Government of Canada (Statistics Canada) is already posting job opportunities, with start dates ranging from September 2025 to April 2026. Check out canada.ca/GCJobs if you’re interested in applying.
