City in British Columbia, Canada
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 western 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
[1]
with an additional 2,000
[2]
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.
Geography
[
edit
]
Fernie is the only city-class municipality in
Canada
that is fully encircled by the
Rocky Mountains
. The townsite was laid out in the crook of a doglegged
glacial valley
that today is drained by the
Elk River
. Three tributaries of the Elk?
Coal
,
Lizard
, and Fairy Creeks?rise in its
side valleys
and join the Elk either within or in close proximity to the townsite.
To the north of the city lie
Mount Fernie
, Mount Klauer,
The Three Sisters
and
Mount Proctor
. To the northeast is
Mount Hosmer
, to the east is Fernie Ridge, to the southeast is
Morrissey Ridge
(and its notable outcropping,
Castle Mountain
) and to the southwest are the various peaks of the
Lizard Range
. Fernie gives the name to the
Jurassic
-Age
Fernie Formation
. The Lizard Range is home to
Fernie Alpine Resort
, one of the largest
ski resorts
in Canada, and
Island Lake Catskiing
, a resort.
History
[
edit
]
While the slopes of the mountains are the present focus of economic activity, until comparatively recently residents of the area were more interested in the mountains' innards. The vast Crowsnest Coal Field lies just to the east of the city, and Fernie owes its origins to nineteenth-century prospector William Fernie, who established the
coal
industry that continues to exist to this day. Acting on pioneer Michael Phillips' twin discoveries of coal and the
Crowsnest Pass
a few years earlier, Fernie founded the Crows Nest Pass Coal Company in 1897 and established a temporary encampment near
Coal Creek
. The
Canadian Pacific Railway
arrived in the valley the following year, and a townsite emerged parallel to the railway line slightly north of the initial encampment, or "Old Town."
[3]
: 80
On May 23, 1902, a coal mine explosion killed 109 miners at the Crow's Nest Coal Mining Company.
[4]
The disaster, one of the worst mining accidents in Canadian history, is largely forgotten in Fernie and overlooked by local historians after more than a century. During World War One, an
internment camp
for prisoners of war was set up at rented premises in Fernie from June 1915 to October 1918.
[5]
Underground coal
mines
were dug 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) away from the townsite in the narrow
Coal Creek
valley and until 1960 a small satellite community was known as
Coal Creek
stood adjacent to them. A variety of other mines were sunk into the coal fields in a fifty-kilometre radius in the following two decades. No mining was ever carried out in Fernie proper;
coking
of Coal Creek coal was carried out at the townsite, but otherwise, the town developed into an administrative and commercial centre for the burgeoning industry.
Forestry
played a smaller role in the local economy and a local
brewery
produced
Fernie Beer
from Brewery Creek (mountain spring water).
Like most single-industry towns, Fernie endured several boom-and-bust cycles throughout the twentieth century, generally tied to the global price of coal. The mines at
Coal Creek
closed permanently by 1960 and the focus of mining activity shifted to Michel and
Natal
about twenty-five kilometres (16 miles) upriver, which sat on a more productive portion of the Crowsnest Coal Field. Kaiser Resources opened immense
open-pit mines
there in the 1970s to meet new
metallurgical coal
contracts for the Asian industrial market, predominantly for use in
blast furnaces
. Fernie would remain an important residential base for mine labour, along with the new communities of
Sparwood
and
Elkford
that sprang up much closer to these new mines. Today,
Teck Resources
operates four open-pit mines, shipping out unit trains (often with more than 100 cars) along the
Canadian Pacific Railway
through Fernie to the Pacific Coast, where the coal is loaded onto freighters at
Roberts Bank Superport
in
Delta
.
Flathead Valley avalanches
[
edit
]
The Flathead Valley avalanches were two
avalanches
that buried 11
snowmobilers
near Fernie on December 28, 2008. The avalanches ultimately claimed the lives of eight of the riders.
[6]
Architectural heritage
[
edit
]
After a disastrous fire levelled much of the downtown core in 1904, the fledgling municipal government passed an ordinance requiring all buildings in the area to be built of 'fireproof' materials like brick and stone. Consequently, a new city centre rose from the ashes sporting brick buildings along broad avenues that would have looked more at home in a sedate and refined Victorian city than a rough-and-tumble frontier
coal town
. They were short-lived, however, as a second, larger inferno swept through the city on August 1, 1908. Whipped up by sudden winds, a nearby
forest fire
burnt its way into a
lumber
yard on the edge of the community and sparked a
Dresden-style firestorm
that melted brick and mortar and essentially erased the entire city in an afternoon. There were few casualties however and for a second time, a stately brick downtown core rose from the ashes. Today, these historic buildings, most of which still stand, are a treasured and distinctive feature of the community.
Sports
[
edit
]
Summer in Fernie is generally far quieter than the winter months, though
mountain biking
,
fly fishing
and
golf
are increasingly important tourist draws.
Fernie Memorial Arena disaster
[
edit
]
On October 17, 2017, there was an
ammonia
leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena which killed three workers (two City of Fernie employees and one CIMCO refrigeration employee from Calgary) during the
Ghostriders
' regular season. Because of this tragedy, the City of Fernie declared a state of emergency and people had to evacuate the area for days. The 'Riders were relocated because of this to the Elk Valley Leisure Centre in
Sparwood, British Columbia
during the 2017?18 KIJHL season until the City of Fernie decided what to do.
[7]
[8]
The City of Fernie decided to replace ammonia for a synthetic refrigerant prior to the 2018?19 KIJHL season and moved the team back to the Fernie Memorial Arena.
[9]
Notable people
[
edit
]
The following people were born, raised in or reside in Fernie:
- Angie Abdou
, Canadian fiction writer
- Emily Brydon
, retired Olympic alpine skier
- Shane Churla
,
Stanley Cup
finalist
- James Gladstone
, the first Status Indian to be appointed to the
Senate of Canada
- Ivy Granstrom
, blind Canadian
Masters athlete
- George Wayne Haddad
, Canadian politician and Fernie's past
MLA
- Cal Hockley
, retired
gold medal winning
hockey player
- Frank Hughes
, retired
NHL
and
WHA
hockey player
- Craig Kelly
, professional snowboarder
- Jason Krog
,
Stanley Cup
finalist
- Florence Lassandro
, Italian-Canadian bootlegger
- David LeNeveu
, Stanley Cup finalist
- Alex Lifeson
, guitarist of
Rush
- Bill Lindsay
, Stanley Cup finalist
- Eric Munn
, sixth
Bishop of Caledonia
- Emilio Picariello
, Italian-Canadian bootlegger
- Danielle Poleschuk
, Canadian freestyle skier
- Garth Rizzuto
, retired NHL and WHA hockey player
- William Roderick Ross
, Canadian politician and Fernie's
MLA
- Darren Servatius
, retired
AAHL
and
ECHL
defencemen
- Dan Smith
, retired NHL hockey player
- Stanford Smith
, Stanley Cup champion
- Alfred Stork
, Canadian politician and Fernie's past mayor and
MLA
- Tom Uphill
, Canadian politician and Fernie's past mayor and
MLA
Local media
[
edit
]
Newspapers
[
edit
]
- e-know
-
East Kootenay news online weekly
- Fernie Fix
-
monthly glossy magazine
- The Free Press
-
weekly paper
Radio stations
[
edit
]
Cable television
[
edit
]
Rogers Communications
operates a cable system serving Fernie. The cable system offers most major channels from
Vancouver
and
Calgary
, as well as local programming on
Rogers TV
channel 10.
Schools and colleges
[
edit
]
School District 5 Southeast Kootenay
operates the following public schools in Fernie:
The
Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
operates one Francophone school:
ecole Sophie-Morigeau
primary school.
[10]
[11]
Private schools:
- The Fernie Academy (Grades K-12)
Post-secondary:
Demographics
[
edit
]
In the
2021 Census of Population
conducted by
Statistics Canada
, Fernie had a population of 6,320 living in 2,597 of its 3,256 total private dwellings, a change of
17.1% from its 2016 population of 5,396. With a land area of 15.11 km
2
(5.83 sq mi), it had a population density of
418.3/km
2
(1,083.3/sq mi) in 2021.
[12]
Ethnicity
[
edit
]
Panethnic
groups in the City of Fernie (1986?2021)
Panethnic
group
|
2021
[13]
|
2016
[14]
|
2011
[15]
|
2006
[16]
|
2001
[17]
|
1996
[18]
|
1991
[19]
[20]
|
1986
[21]
[22]
[23]
: 97
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
European
[a]
|
5,465
|
88.43%
|
4,680
|
90.79%
|
4,030
|
92.43%
|
3,900
|
94.09%
|
4,265
|
93.74%
|
4,710
|
97.82%
|
4,660
|
94.24%
|
4,845
|
94.44%
|
Indigenous
|
270
|
4.37%
|
300
|
5.82%
|
200
|
4.59%
|
165
|
3.98%
|
145
|
3.19%
|
55
|
1.14%
|
220
|
4.45%
|
120
|
2.34%
|
East Asian
[b]
|
175
|
2.83%
|
55
|
1.07%
|
20
|
0.46%
|
65
|
1.57%
|
110
|
2.42%
|
40
|
0.83%
|
35
|
0.71%
|
55
|
1.07%
|
South Asian
|
115
|
1.86%
|
25
|
0.48%
|
0
|
0%
|
10
|
0.24%
|
25
|
0.55%
|
0
|
0%
|
30
|
0.61%
|
100
|
1.95%
|
Southeast Asian
[c]
|
95
|
1.54%
|
60
|
1.16%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
Latin American
|
30
|
0.49%
|
25
|
0.48%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
10
|
0.22%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
10
|
0.19%
|
African
|
20
|
0.32%
|
0
|
0%
|
50
|
1.15%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
Middle Eastern
[d]
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
10
|
0.21%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
Other/
Multiracial
[e]
|
0
|
0%
|
10
|
0.19%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
0
|
0%
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Total responses
|
6,180
|
97.78%
|
5,155
|
95.53%
|
4,360
|
98.02%
|
4,145
|
98.29%
|
4,550
|
98.68%
|
4,815
|
98.31%
|
4,945
|
98.66%
|
5,130
|
98.88%
|
Total population
|
6,320
|
100%
|
5,396
|
100%
|
4,448
|
100%
|
4,217
|
100%
|
4,611
|
100%
|
4,898
|
100%
|
5,012
|
100%
|
5,188
|
100%
|
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses
|
Religion
[
edit
]
According to the
2021 census
, religious groups in Fernie included:
[13]
Climate
[
edit
]
Fernie has a cool and wet
humid continental climate
(
Koppen
Dfb
) with warm summer days, cool summer nights along with cold and snowy winters. Influenced by
chinook winds
and being to the west of the continent, Fernie's winters are mild for its latitude in
North America
, although the climate is notably more continental than coastal British Columbia.
Climate data for Fernie
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
15.0
(59.0)
|
15.5
(59.9)
|
21.0
(69.8)
|
28.9
(84.0)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
36.1
(97.0)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
28.0
(82.4)
|
18.3
(64.9)
|
12.5
(54.5)
|
36.1
(97.0)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
?0.7
(30.7)
|
1.6
(34.9)
|
6.5
(43.7)
|
11.9
(53.4)
|
16.9
(62.4)
|
20.6
(69.1)
|
25.1
(77.2)
|
25.1
(77.2)
|
19.3
(66.7)
|
11.6
(52.9)
|
2.9
(37.2)
|
?1.9
(28.6)
|
11.6
(52.9)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
?5.2
(22.6)
|
?3.8
(25.2)
|
0.8
(33.4)
|
5.4
(41.7)
|
9.9
(49.8)
|
13.6
(56.5)
|
16.8
(62.2)
|
16.3
(61.3)
|
11.3
(52.3)
|
5.5
(41.9)
|
?1.1
(30.0)
|
?6.1
(21.0)
|
5.3
(41.5)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?9.6
(14.7)
|
?9.2
(15.4)
|
?4.9
(23.2)
|
?1.1
(30.0)
|
2.8
(37.0)
|
6.6
(43.9)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
7.4
(45.3)
|
3.3
(37.9)
|
?0.7
(30.7)
|
?5.0
(23.0)
|
?10.1
(13.8)
|
?1.0
(30.2)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?39.4
(?38.9)
|
?40.0
(?40.0)
|
?32.8
(?27.0)
|
?20.0
(?4.0)
|
?11.0
(12.2)
|
?2.2
(28.0)
|
0.0
(32.0)
|
?2.0
(28.4)
|
?18.3
(?0.9)
|
?24.4
(?11.9)
|
?32.2
(?26.0)
|
?41.7
(?43.1)
|
?41.7
(?43.1)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
139.3
(5.48)
|
88.0
(3.46)
|
97.8
(3.85)
|
92.8
(3.65)
|
91.8
(3.61)
|
110.0
(4.33)
|
67.0
(2.64)
|
51.9
(2.04)
|
75.8
(2.98)
|
115.7
(4.56)
|
179.1
(7.05)
|
117.7
(4.63)
|
1,227.1
(48.31)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
55.8
(2.20)
|
41.5
(1.63)
|
60.6
(2.39)
|
80.0
(3.15)
|
88.8
(3.50)
|
109.8
(4.32)
|
67.0
(2.64)
|
51.9
(2.04)
|
75.4
(2.97)
|
109.4
(4.31)
|
123.0
(4.84)
|
39.0
(1.54)
|
902.2
(35.52)
|
Average snowfall cm (inches)
|
83.5
(32.9)
|
46.4
(18.3)
|
37.2
(14.6)
|
12.9
(5.1)
|
3.1
(1.2)
|
0.2
(0.1)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.4
(0.2)
|
6.4
(2.5)
|
56.2
(22.1)
|
78.7
(31.0)
|
324.9
(127.9)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
15.0
|
11.0
|
12.8
|
12.5
|
14.5
|
16.1
|
10.0
|
9.2
|
9.2
|
12.5
|
15.0
|
13.3
|
151.0
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
4.9
|
4.4
|
8.6
|
11.2
|
14.2
|
16.1
|
10.0
|
9.2
|
9.2
|
11.7
|
9.2
|
3.6
|
112.1
|
Average snowy days
(≥ 0.2 cm)
|
12.0
|
8.2
|
6.4
|
2.7
|
0.7
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.1
|
1.6
|
7.7
|
11.4
|
50.7
|
Source:
[24]
|
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority,
n.i.e.
" and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Census Profile, 2016 Census - Fernie, City [Census subdivision], British Columbia and Alberta [Province]"
. 8 February 2017.
- ^
"Census Profile, 2016 Census - East Kootenay A, Regional district electoral area [Census subdivision], British Columbia and British Columbia [Province]"
. 8 February 2017.
- ^
Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986),
British Columbia Place Names
(3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press,
ISBN
0-7748-0636-2
- ^
"
"Fernie BC Coal Mine Explosion May 1902"
"
. Archived from
the original
on 2019-12-26
. Retrieved
2019-12-26
.
- ^
"Internment Camps in Canada during the First and Second World Wars, Library and Archives Canada"
. 11 June 2014.
- ^
"7 Bodies Found after Canadian Avalanches"
.
CNN
. 2008-12-30
. Retrieved
2008-12-30
.
- ^
"B.C. ice rink where 3 people died remains closed due to safety concerns | CBC News"
.
- ^
"Fernie rink still closed as RCMP investigation continues into deaths of three men"
.
- ^
"Calgary company chosen to replace refrigeration plant at Fernie arena"
.
Calgary
. 2018-03-30
. Retrieved
2018-07-21
.
- ^
"
Carte des ecoles
Archived
2015-08-17 at the
Wayback Machine
."
Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
. Retrieved on 22 January 2015.
- ^
Home page
. L’ecole Sophie-Morigeau.
- ^
"Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia"
.
Statistics Canada
. February 9, 2022
. Retrieved
February 20,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-10-26).
"Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2022-11-11
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2021-10-27).
"Census Profile, 2016 Census"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2015-11-27).
"NHS Profile"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-08-20).
"2006 Community Profiles"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-07-02).
"2001 Community Profiles"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-06-04).
"Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1996 Census"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-03-29).
"1991 Census Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions - Part B"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-03-29).
"Data tables, 1991 Census Population by Ethnic Origin (24), Showing Single and Multiple Origins (2) - Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-06-27).
"Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part A"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-06-27).
"Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part B"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2013-04-03).
"Canada's aboriginal population by census subdivisions from the 1986 Census of Canada"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
2023-03-12
.
- ^
"Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data"
. Environment Canada. 25 September 2013
. Retrieved
January 15,
2016
.
External links
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