Refreshed & Renewed
Spa 901 in Fernie is finding success through partnership, purpose and growth.
Fernie residentIsabelle Randell has been visiting the renovated 1908 schoolhouse in the heart of downtown, home to Spa 901, for nearly 15 years. With original brick walls, expansive windows that flood the space with natural light, and calming scents and sounds, it is a place designed for relaxation. Outside, a hot pool tucked into a private patio completes the experience.
“It’s very warm and inviting,” Randell says. “It’s a calm, quiet space that almost feels like my second home. Actually, I joke that I might love it more than my first. I would move in if they let me.”
Spa 901 offers everything from Japanese head spa treatments to “Old School” pedicures, a favourite of Randell’s 82-year-old mother.
Beyond its tranquil atmosphere, the spa is also a thriving business and a testament to resilience, friendship and growth.
Opportunity Knocks
Jessica Riley and Laura Frost met after each was drawn to Fernie for different reasons. Riley arrived for the skiing and stayed for the community, while Frost, originally from the Crowsnest Pass, returned home after living and working in Toronto.
“I missed the mountains,” Frost says. “And then the opportunity at the spa came up.”
After joining Spa 901 as employees in 2013, the pair took a leap just two years later and purchased the business together. For more than a decade, they have worked side by side as co-owners, but the journey has not always been easy.
“We had four kids between us in four years while running the business,” Riley says. “Then COVID hit, and we were trying to do everything ourselves. We were completely burnt out.”
Without a clear direction, they faced a difficult choice: sell the business or find a way to move forward. That turning point led them to Columbia Basin Trust’s Basin Business Advisors (BBA) program, which provides entrepreneurs with mentorship, resources and expert guidance to strengthen and grow their businesses.
Setting a Clear Path Forward
In 2024, Riley and Frost entered the program and found the support they needed.
“The advisors pushed us to look at everything from a data-driven perspective,” Frost says. “Quantifying our goals was huge.”
With guidance from BBA, they built an organizational chart, clarified roles and responsibilities, and learned to delegate more effectively. Instead of reacting to every issue, they began making strategic decisions grounded in data and long-term planning.
Just as important, their advisors recognized the strength behind the partnership itself.
“They helped us see our own potential,” Frost says. “They really made us believe in what we’re capable of.”
Building a Future Together
Today, Spa 901 is both a beloved local retreat and a destination for visitors to Fernie. The business continues to evolve with the addition of a clinical aesthetics division offering medical-grade skin care and treatments.
A year after joining the BBA program, Riley and Frost say their workplace and their lives have transformed.
“Our team morale is higher than ever,” Frost says. “We’re happy, healthy and growing.”
While their business success is clear, it is their partnership that stands out most.
“We’ve been in business together 11 years,” Riley says. “We’ve grown the business, but we’ve also grown as partners. Our friendship is truly special.”
Long-term customer Randell agrees, pointing to the atmosphere the pair has cultivated.
“They’ve excelled in every way,” she says. “The staff are incredible, the services are top-notch, but, most importantly, it’s how they make people feel. When locals want to connect, we meet there. It has become that kind of place.”
