Business Walk Website Banner(1200 x 225 px)

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2025 Business Walk!

Your insights were invaluable in helping us gain a deeper understanding of how businesses are doing, the challenges you’re facing and ways we can support you best.

Thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time and helped capture the voices of Fernie’s business community.

This Business Walk was conducted with the help of grant funding from Community Futures East Kootenay.

 

Reach out to Kate@ferniechamber.com with any questions or for more information

Read the Business Walk Report
Presentation Recording
Business Walk Appendix

WHAT IS A BUSINESS WALK?

It’s an informal, 10–15 minute, visit to ask every Fernie business a few simple questions about how your business is doing.

The goal is to better understand your current challenges and successes so we, as your Chamber and community partners, can better support you.

These visits will help us:

  • Identify current challenges and opportunities in the business community
  • Strengthen relationships between business owners and local decision-makers
  • Share information about programs and resources
  • Track the overall health of Fernie’s business climate

No appointment needed – just a friendly drop-in with local volunteers.

Business Walk Image

How It Works

Timeline

July 10 – Mid September   Various dates from 10 AM – 4 PM 

Mid October    Special BBB to share the findings of the walk

Locations

We are planning on visiting all the different areas of Fernie. 

Stay tuned for the tentative schedule on where we will be coming where.

  • Downtown
  • Highway Frontage
  • Ghostrider
  • Annex
  • West Fernie
  • Stanford / Ski Hill

Business Participation

How to participate? 

  • Walk-in informal chat: Talk with us during our visit – If we visit your business, please take a few minutes to speak with us. No appointments needed. We are coming to you.
  • Online Survey: if you are unable to talk to us when we stop by, you can express your voice online by completing our survey
  • Home-based: Please participate through the online survey

Why participate?

  • Make your voice heard
  • Share your challenges and successes
  • Help guide future Chamber and City initiatives

🌟 🌟 🌟 YOU CAN WIN: 🌟🌟🌟

Complete the survey, online or in-person and you’ll go in the draw to win:

  • 1 Year Free Fernie Chamber Membership (Core or Connect)
  • 2 x Tickets to the 2025 Fernie Business Excellence Awards

Earn 2 more entries by posting about the business walk and tagging @ferniechamber!

Online Survey

Additional Information

Please read the below information:

  • We’ll send a reminder closer to your area’s walk date.
  • If you won’t be available or need to reschedule your in-person visit, please email kate@ferniechamber.com.
  • All responses are confidential and reported only in summary. If there’s a question, you’re uncomfortable with, just let us know and we’ll skip it.
  • This part of the Business Walk is for data collection only. We won’t be answering unrelated questions during the visit. The Fernie Chamber will follow up separately with anyone who requests it. This helps us gather as much input as possible while respecting your time.
CoWorking_26_October_2021_423 vertical

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are looking for volunteers to help us make the Business Walk a success. This is more than just data collection. Business Walks are about showing up, building relationships, and being visible in the community.

 Time and location: Various days are available across the summer.

Each day will have an AM and a PM time slot. You can choose one or both! Times are approximately AM: 9:30AM – 12:30 PM and PM: 1PM – 4:30PM

What you’ll be doing: Volunteers will be paired by two.

  • Volunteer briefing at the Fernie Chamber of Commerce
  • Visit 8–10 businesses during your timeslot.. 1 person will ask a set of survey questions, and the other will record responses.
  • Surveys to be returned to the Chamber representative that will be on-site with you that day.

We’ll provide all materials and a short orientation beforehand. No special experience required, just a passion for our community!

Who can volunteer? Anyone! Your presence sends a strong message that our businesses are supported by leaders who care.

SIGN UP NOW

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH