Update: Scroll down to see “Ascent to Powder – Tale of a Ski Town” in its entirety.

On Thursday, October 13 the world will be reminded of how Fernie, British Columbia, is such a rad place with the release of “Ascent to Powder – Tale of a Ski Town.”

Shot on location at Fernie Alpine Resort, FWA Powder Catskiing and Island Lake Catskiing, the film highlights epic waist-high powder turns alongside local characters who speak of their passion for Fernie’s big mountains, its people and its history.

Fernie is located in the Elk Valley region of the East Kootenays and was founded as a mining town in 1898. Mining still plays a role in its economy but it’s the winter tourism traffic that really swells the 5000+ population every year: eager city-dwellers descend on the multiple skiing sites to take advantage of the world-famous snow.

Ascent to Powder isn’t so much about the visitors though as it is a snapshot of the people who make Fernie their home year-round. Prominent locals who are featured include Mark Gallup, Heiko Socher, Dylan Siggers, Andrea Byrne, Ross Janzen, Blair Craig, Kevin Giffin and, of course, indie band Shred Kelly. Between sick skiing and boarding footage we’re offered real stories from pioneers, freeskiers and ski bums about why and how they live in Fernie. (To quote of the film’s characters, “I do whatever I can to get by just so I can be a part of this little town in the valley.”) This is the story of Fernie through the eyes of its passionate local population and no doubt all of us ski town residents can relate.

The 22-minute film will be officially launched at 6pm EST at the Toronto Snow Show and available an hour later (10pm PST) on Tourism Fernie digital platforms.

You can also learn more about the film by visiting: AscentToPowder.com and ExploreFernie.com

October 13 Update: “Ascent to Powder” has landed and you can watch the full feature below: