The Fernie Heritage Cemetery Restoration Society News
Fernie Heritage Cemetery - St. Margaret's Cemetery .
2019: Our GPS photo mapping project is completed for Sections A,B,C & D, provides families of cemetery internees a hires photo of the marker and the GPS location displayed with google maps to guide them to the marker location. To see the photo they simply click on the internee name. If they wish to locate the marker they click on the LAT/Long location for that internee. Marker locations have a accuracy of 8 - 10 feet.

Note: Headstone photos and GPS map locations for all stone in Section A, B, C & D) completed.
GPS Headstone Photo and mapping explained

  • Proposed - News Paper Obituary project

  • 2022: Covid 19: a chance to breath. Work on stone verification section C and drone video for Section A, B, C, D.
  • 2021: Covid 19: locked down but back to work on cemetery. Work on website and database.
  • 2020: Covid 19: locked down.
  • 2019: Clean stones Section A.
  • Section D - Section D - *New* 2018 (Note only existing Headstones GPS photos and locations posted)
    Section D - *New* 2018 (Note only existing Headstones GPS photos and locations posted)

  • Section C 2016 (Note only existing Headstones GPS photos and locations posted )
    Section C - FHCRS listing of internees GPS Headstone Photos & Google Map location

  • Section A&B - 2015 (Note only existing Headstones GPS photos and locations posted)
    Section A & B - FHCRS listing of internees GPS Headstone Photos & Google Map location

  • FHCRS listing of internees verified A to D completed July 2014 sorded by Lastname & Firstname.

  • FHCRS listing of internees verified A to D completed July 2014 sorted by Section & Row.

  • 2014: Completed data verification of Section D. Now listed on website Section A to D with completed verification.
  • 2014: Work continues on cleaning and straightening stones and trimming trees for better access to internee markers.
  • 2013: Completed data verification of Section C.
  • 2013: Work continues on cleaning and straightening stones and trimming trees for better access to internee markers.
  • Dec 8, 2012: President of the Fernie Heritage Cemetery Restoration Society passed away. We are committed to finishing his work.
  • 2012: Work continues on cleaning and straightening stones and trimming trees for better access to internee markers.
  • 2012: Completed data verification of Section B.
  • 2011: Work continues on cleaning and straightening stones and verifying the internee data.
  • Sept 2010: Newly added Morrissey Cemetery Section
  • Sept 2010: Newly added Donate by VISA/MC/AMEX, so people can add their support to the project.
  • August 2010: Initial cleaning and repairing headstones by FHCS was completed in August 2010. FHCS was also involved in the cleanup and restoration of the grave-sites of WW1 veterans in the Legion portion of the FHC.
  • July 2010: Jerry Gregr helped explain the abbreviations of the personal military data of war veterans. This allows us to correct many records in the Legion part of the Cemetery.
  • June 2010: The FHCS continues working with the Last Post Fund to obtain military markers from the DVA (Department Veteran Affairs) for WW1, WW2 and other veterans.
  • April 2010: FHCS AGM - Progress reports were presented and RFP for 2010 website development and cemetery work cost estimates were presented. Although FHCS did not receive as much grants as previous years, work continues with a hope that the community will get involved and donations will help the project continue.
  • March 2010: The Fernie Heritage Cemetery Restoration Society would like to announce that we now have 29 applications for markers for veterans now being considered for DVA (Department Veteran Affairs) military markers. This is 29 of the 75 that the DVA is currently considering all across Canada or 38% off all applications being currently considered.
  • All data information is being checked against BC Archives Death Registrations. The data on file in the Archives will be deemed correct if located. Viewers should realize the data on this site sometimes contains the Date of Death or Date of Internment which are most likely not the same. Viewers should also note that people have death registrations outside the city of Fernie but are interned in the Fernie Heritage Cemetery.
  • A meeting of the Society is being planned for. A date has not been set as yet.
  • Membership fees and membership cards formats are being investigated.
  • At present our funds for continuing the project are quite limited and need your contributions no matter how small.
  • We would like to thank the Fernie Free Press for providing the public with information updates on the restoration project in the newspaper.
  • We have had numerous inquiries and congratulatory emails from people thanks the society for helping them find information on their family residing in the Fernie Heritage Cemetery.
  • Fund raiser such as the Rotary bingos and dinners will be organized. Two rotary bingos scheduled for 2009 and 2010 for fundraisers.
  • At least 16 of the substandard headstones in the Legion Cemetery have been approved by the Last Post fund, therefore the Department of Veteran Affairs will engrave, provide and install these headstones at their cost. In mid-October/2009 16 head stones were laid to replace substandard stones. Special thanks to John Garwyluk of Cherished Memories who laid the 16 head stones and straightened out a large of existing headstones in the Legion Cemetery in 2009.
  • Additional evidence has been sent to the Last Post to help qualify World War I veterans for proper D.V.A. standard headstones.
  • Plans to construct a walkway and steps up to the legion monument have been put on hold. Fernie Garden Center has sketched plans and given an estimate 2009.
  • A letter has been submitted to the Fernie Free Press to inform the public of the activities of the Fernie Heritage Cemetery Society's activities in 2009.
  • An interview with a Fernie Free Press reporter is being considered in order to have a major news item developed and printed in 2009.

We thank you for your support for the Heritage Cemetery Restoration project.