Fernie is a city in the Elk Valley area of the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on BC Highway 3 on the eastern approaches to the Crowsnest Pass through the Rocky Mountains. Founded in 1898 and incorporated as the City of Fernie in July 1904, the municipality has a population of over 5,000 with an additional 2,000 outside city limits in communities under the jurisdiction of the Regional District of East Kootenay. A substantial seasonal population swells the city during the winter months.
Fernie lies on the Elk River, along Canada's southernmost east-west transportation corridor through the Rockies that crosses the range via the Crowsnest Pass, 40 kilometres (25 miles) to the east. As the largest and longest-established community between Cranbrook and Lethbridge, Fernie serves as a minor regional centre, particularly for its fellow Elk Valley communities.




The area was originally inhabited by the Salish First Nation.
Fernie was founded in 1898 as a coal mining town, and named for its founder, William Fernie. In 1903 it became the location of one of Canada's first co-operatives: The Fernie Consumers' Co-operative Association Ltd., which still operates today (in 2014) under its original name.

Fernie City Map Poster

Design your own map of Fernie

About Fernie

Cities near Fernie