And they all lived happily ever after

Fernie, B.C., has its own castle now—however, princes and dragons are not included

by Kristen Mitchell — April 16, 2013

Looking up at the front of the castle. It is a light red colour, balconies and a sign that reads

1 of 7The Castle on 1st offers uniquely appealing residences. — Photo courtesy Property Guys

An open room with three domed windows, a corner kitchen and a fireplace.

2 of 7The earl suite has an airy, open kitchen and living space. — Photo courtesy Property Guys

The turret is visible, surrounded by balconies and rooms.

3 of 7The Castle on 1st offers uniquely appealing residences. — Photo courtesy Property Guys

A tall, round room inside the turret has several layers of windows, wood trim and a chandelier.

4 of 7The bedroom of the king suite is truly fit for royalty. — Photo courtesy Property Guys

The top of a turret is visible against a background of snowcapped mountains.

5 of 7The views around the Castle on 1st are everything you can expect from a Fernie location. — Photo courtesy Property Guys

A large bathrooms has all amenities such as a towel rack, roomy shower, and wide counter.

6 of 7Even the bathrooms have roomy convenience. — Photo courtesy Property Guys

A table is in the front of an open kitchen.

7 of 7The kitchen and dining area in the duke suite are light and cheerful. — Photo courtesy Property Guys

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A man’s home is his castle, or so they say, but very few people ever get the chance to literally make home and castle one and the same. Accordingly, it might seem like a childhood dream come true, but a local castle, known as the Castle on 1st, has been constructed in Fernie, B.C. Its luxury condominiums are now available and there is also commercial space on the lower floor for rent. Since not everyone can have their home be a castle, perhaps an office in a castle would be nice.

This may not be the original Fernie Castle—there is already one in Scotland—but the Castle on 1st has been constructed inside the walls of an old warehouse that was built around 1910. In fact, much of the original structure was utilized in the design. After the closing of Coal Creek Mine in 1958 the warehouse served time as a tire shop. Eventually someone named Pete Reizevort acquired the building and had the original inspiration to create a castle. It proved to be a bit too ambitious, however, and Linda and Heiko Socher ended up purchasing the site.

“I bought the castle in mid-2008,” said Heiko. “I have been working on it with architects, engineers and contractors ever since. After starting in the winter of 2008 I had to shore up the structure in many ways to comply with engineering requirements to make it structurally sound. We started building and reframing the next summer.”

From the ground up

It was still an ambitious project, but the Sochers had a background in developing Fernie properties. Heiko was originally involved in the Crowsnest lumber industry, but had been investing in Fernie by running a weekend ski school since 1967. In 1973 the Sochers decided on a change of lifestyle and took over management of Fernie Snow Valley—which would later become Fernie Alpine Resort. The Sochers expanded the area considerably, opening it throughout the week and adding chairlifts to make the ski terrain fully functional. This effective, visionary growth was an important factor in making Fernie the popular, go-to ski area that it has become. The Sochers also owned the old high school that would become 901 Fernie for a period of time before it was fully developed.

After purchasing the old warehouse, Heiko decided to keep the castle theme. However, he had Nick Vale of Leblond Partnership Architects in Calgary create a design that was functional and would also utilize the site’s ideal downtown location. Heiko had seen the clean, open-design concepts that the company does well, and decided it could add to his vision for the Castle on 1st. When it came to the actual building, Heiko was very hands-on, although he did also work with quite a number of professionals to help the castle reach completion. The result is a dramatic exterior, beautiful condominiums and lovely finishes.

A job well done

“It has a lot of amenities to it—location, views, finishes,” said Heiko of the project. “The office space has a very desirable location and finish to it with tile floor and high ceilings. The Castle on 1st is well built and soundproof—really well constructed. One of the units has a master bedroom in the turret. Each unit has extensive balconies (as well as its) own stairs. They have storage space in the basement, which is allocated to each unit. The courtyard is the length of the building and there’s ample parking with direct access immediately adjacent.”

Heiko looks forward to continuing life in Fernie. He believes strongly in the community that he’s spent so many years contributing to. He still enjoys the array of outdoor opportunities in the area and looks forward to seeing a wider range of recreational activities and a focus on the downtown. For now, he’s pleased to have completed his latest project.

“I’m glad I managed it,” said Heiko. “I’ve enjoyed creating something. There have been quite a few struggles through the four or five years that it took to create this landmark in Fernie, but now it’s almost complete. I guess it’s something to be proud of.”

After all, who doesn’t want to be king of the castle?