The National Western Regional Mine Rescue Competition - 12th Biennial was held in Fernie on September 11th and 12th with a great turnout from competitors, their families and supporters including sponsorship from approximately 80 different businesses, companies and organizations.

Elkview Coal came out on top in the surface rescue competition with the best smoke and search, best Practical skills and best overall.
This event is the largest international mine rescue competition of its kind in the country and was made up of 18 teams all required to show different skill sets and their ability to perform in simulated disaster scenarios.

The teams take part in different tasks including first aid, extraction, fire and smoke simulation, rope task, practical skills and a written exam. Competitors from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Northwest Territories/Nunavut and Northwestern United States make up the event. Sept 11th was the underground competition, held at the Fernie Memorial Arena and on Saturday the 13th the surface competition was held at the public works yard where many people in Fernie may have seen smoke billowing periodically through-out the day.

The simulated scenarios were impressive to watch as the teams had to use coordination, training, teamwork and years of knowledge to come together to perform under the clock and learn from each other under stressful emergency situations.

People saw the need for mine rescue as early as 1909 after a series of gas outbursts in the Carbonado Colliery at Morrissey.

In the fall of 1910 the Elk Valley station was established at Hosmer between the mines at Coal Creek and Michel and after the famous Hillcrest Mine Disaster this team was called into action as the Crowsnest area did not have mine rescue team of its own.

The first to National Western Mine Rescue Competition to occur in Fernie was in 1993 and continued every other September since then.

Competition winners In 2013, were Teck Coal of Coal Mountain the overall winners for the surface competition and Diavik Diamond mines Inc. from the Northwest Territories took the crown for the underground portion.

Those looking to support and sponsor the 2017 competition can contact Fernie city hall at 250-423-6817 or e-mail at cityhall@fernie.ca