Longtime Columbia Falls optometrist Dr. Troy Ypma and staff have a new spacious facility on Third Avenue East.

Ypma also recently welcomed associate optometrist Dr. Mark Fischer who joined the Columbia Falls Eyecare staff Sept. 8.

Fischer was practicing in Arizona when he and his fiancee Meagan Helton were vacationing here, visiting Glacier National Park. The couple missed the seasonal changes as Fischer grew up in Iowa, so they were looking for a change. They just happened to see the opening advertised in a trade publication, and Fischer applied and was hired.

“It almost felt like fate,” he said.

Fischer has a doctorate in optometry from Pacific University, graduating in 2023. Ypma grew up in Bozeman, has an undergraduate degree from Montana State University and his doctorate from the Southern California College of Optometry.

Ypma had been practicing at an office on Seventh Street.

But the practice needed more space, so he decided to build a new facility, which they moved into in December 2025. Ypma has been practicing in Columbia Falls for 22 years.

The building, which includes signature stonework done by his father-in-law Mick Diede and exposed timbers celebrates Columbia Falls’ aesthetic. It was designed by architect Mark Johnson and built by contractor Hammerquist and Casalegno.

In addition to the optometry offices, it has two apartments upstairs, a nod to the need for housing in the city. Columbia Falls designer Cali Spencer designed the offices logo and signage.

The spacious office also has a much wider selection of frames, more than 700 different designs to choose from.

The office offers a host of eye care options, including primary care, eye exams, glasses and contacts, as well as emergency treatment for ailments such as if you accidentally get something in your eye.

Learn more at www.visionsource-cfalls.com