Yearning for Fernie

Even when living abroad, Edwards returned to Fernie in the summertime to retain a strong connection with his hometown. (L to R) Christine Walsh, Christy Sutherland, Lance Edwards, Lucia Glasse-Davies, Sydney Salvador. — Photo courtesy Lance Edwards

Lance Edwards is the owner of Elevation Industries in Fernie. He was born and raised in the city but took detours to Colorado and Chile for a career in mining. Feeling the itch to return home to the Kootenays and the outdoor lifestyle, Edwards began Elevation Industries in 2006 and moved the business to Fernie in 2013. Elevation is a representation and distribution agency specializing in durable and innovative outerwear. The Elevation team tests out all their products in the wintry playground Fernie provides.

“Born with a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, Elevation is the perfect space for me to combine my business drive and vision with my competing love for adrenalin,” Edwards said.

Edwards is optimistic about what the next year will bring. Drawing inspiration from a certain southern leader, he said, “2017 is going to be Huuuuge!  We are building a wall between our merchandising sections, and will be kicking out some of our imported products from ‘bad hombre’ manufacturing places. Nobody loves providing great customer service as much as I do. Let's make retail shopping great again!”