As editor, it’s always surprising which issues that come up cause the most uproar within the community.
Banning the train whistle is certainly one which has ruffled a lot of feathers, and now our website is full of people voicing their opinions on the District of Sparwood’s plans to not let the town’s murals fade away.
Obviously, both issues are sensitive, as any are when they evoke a lot of nostalgia in people. To some people the murals and whistle are sentimental reminders of their childhoods, while to others they are ugly eyesores and loud annoyances.
I think we as a community need to hold on to our history, all the trials and tribulations that make the Elk Valley what it is. But at the same time we can’t let the past hold us back. Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Try to keep sentimentality in check and look at the bigger picture. Do we really need to spend a huge amount of money preserving murals or hold on to loud train whistles to keep our history? Or can we still celebrate our heritage while allowing the towns to move with the times and not be left behind. Just because the train doesn’t blow its whistle any more, it doesn’t mean the trains will stop running coal through Fernie. Just because the mural has faded, it doesn’t mean anybody has forgotten our history.
I think there are better ways of preserving the past – the Fernie Heritage Museum educates tourists and locals on our history as does the Michel-Natal-Sparwood Heritage Society in Sparwood. When the trains first blew their whistles in town, they were a sign of the time, softer and more endearing. When the murals were first made, they were a person’s impression of the town at that time. Hold them in your memory, but don’t let our communities become stuck in the past.
