Things to Do In Fernie, BC
CONTACT US
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Located in a valley hugged
by the peaks of the southern
BC Rocky Mountains, Fernie
has its roots in the coal
mining industry. Today,
the area is renowned for
pristine wilderness, upscale
resorts and bountiful outdoor
activities. During winter
months, Fernie Alpine Resort
draws skiers and boarders
to some of the most lustrous
powder in North America,
averaging 8.8 m (29 ft)
a year. In summer, mountain
bikers take on the hills
with fiery determination,
re-using the same thrilling
slopes skiers careened down
months before. More sedately,
golfers in the valley enjoy
a spectacular panorama as
they try to drive and putt
their way to par at the
Fernie Golf & Country Club.
On the region's rivers and
streams, fishers too find
an idyllic getaway. Clear
streams and cool rivers
are ideal for trout, drawing
fly rods to river banks
throughout the region.
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Fernie Events
and Attractions
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Downhill Riders
Downhill Riders
Ski & Travel Co.
Ltd. is one of Western
Canada's largest
adventure travel
wholesalers. They
host thousands of
tourists each year,
offering several
different packages
to customize ski
vacations. Whether
you take advantage
of our weekend bus
tours or our U-Drive-U-Save
program there is
something for everyone
at Downhill Riders.
TransRockies
Challenge
The TransRockies
Challenge is an
epic mountain bike
race through the
heart of the wild
and rugged Canadian
Rocky Mountains.
The Fernie Stanford
Resort is an official
sponsor of the TransRockies
Challenge.
Fernie Alpine
Resort
Legendary for its
powder skiing, Fernie
has expanded its
terrain to 2504
acres of glades,
alpine bowls for
skiing and riding.
Skiers and riders
can enjoy the uncrowded
resort with an
ideal mix of
expert,
intermediate and
novice terrain.
Open during the
summer for
mountain
Fernie Winter
Dogsled Tours
Enjoy the unforgettable
experience of dog
sledding with Adventure
Source Tours. A
variety of interactive
and unique dogsled
tours are available
including passenger
rides or half day
and full day mushing
introductions. Explore
the Rocky Mountains
as you learn how
to drive your own
dogsled team of
huskies. This is
one adventure the
whole family won’t
want to miss!
Fernie Ghost
Riders
Local Hockey at
its best! Bring
the whole family
and cheer on the
Fernie Ghost Riders
as they battle their
way to the top!
All home games start
at 7:30pm:
Fernie Golf &
Country Club
The course is
laid out to
create a
challenge for
both the
beginner and
avid golfer. One
of the biggest
challenges is
lowering the
eyes from the
spectacular
mountain view to
focus on the
ball. Enjoy the
many amenities
of this course,
including a
fully licensed
restaurant,
lounge, driving
range and
banquet
facilities.
Mountain High
River Adventures
Half day, full day
and overnight raft
and inflatable kayak
trips. Choose from
gentle floats, moderate
whitewater rafting
and extremely exciting
kayak trips. Certified
guides, wetsuits,
life jackets, helmets
and lunch are all
included. Guided
hiking trips are
also available,
ranging from a half
day to five days.
Fernie Snowmobile
Association
Fernie Snowmobile
Tours
College of the
Rockies Fernie Campus
Looking to try something
new? Come out to
the College of the
Rockies in Fernie
and experience the
exciting sport of
indoor wall climbing!
Drop by and join
us for a few trial
climbs or take a
fun introductory
course that will
teach you all the
basics you need
to climb on your
own.
Click here for
detailed information
on hours and prices
for ‘Climbing At
The Wall’.
Located only a few
minutes from the
Stanford Resort
Fernie Hotel, the
College of the Rockies
is a great place
to bring friends
and family for an
enjoyable and unique
group event that
is sure to add additional
adventure to your
time in Fernie,
BC.
Fly fishing
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Fernie in the
News
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Awards & Accolades
Fernie is highly
acclaimed by the
people that live
and play here year
round. This acclamation
has also been recognized
with many distinctive
awards from around
the world. |
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Here are but a few of
the awards and accolades
received:
- One of the Top 6
Powder Destinations
on the Planet (Fall
Line Skiing Magazine,
2007)
- ‘Best Powder’ (Ski
Canada Magazine, 2007)
- ‘Best New On-Mountain
Restaurant’ – Lost Boys
Café (Ski Canada Magazine,
2007)
- ‘Best Thank You
to the Locals’ (Ski
Canada Magazine, 2007)
- ‘Best Places to
Powder Your Nose’ -
Fernie’s White Room
Sessions (Ski Canada
Magazine, 2007)
- Ranked 8th out of
the Top 25 Resorts in
North America (Skiing
Magazine, 2006)
- ‘Best Deck Party
in Canada’, ‘Best Ski
Town’, ‘Best Powder’
(Ski Canada Magazine,
2006)
- "Best Ski Town,
Best Powder, and Best
Deck Party in Canada!"
Ski Canada Magazine
(2006)
- "Four-Sport Playground
in Canada" New York
Times says of Fernie,
B.C. (2006)
- "Best Little Town
in BC" 2 years running!"
British Columbia Recreation
and Parks Association
- "Resort of the Year"
in North America Good
Skiing and Snowboarding
Guide (2004)
- Ranked as one of
the Top Ten Resorts
in North America Skiing
Magazine (2004)
- "Top 20 Dream Towns"
Outside Magazine (2004)
- Best Ski Town across
Canada Ski Canada Magazine's
Best of Canadian Skiing
Awards (2003)
- Ranked #3 in CNN.com's
Best Ski Destinations
(2002)
- #8 for Terrain &
Value Ski Magazine Top
Ten (2005)
- "Coolest Town in
North America
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Fernie Alpine
Resort Named one
of the Top 5 Best
Ski Resorts in North
America for 2007
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Fernie Alpine Resort
took the Number
5 spot in Skiing
Magazine’s “Top
25 Resorts in North
America”. The Resort
was one of only
two Canadian resorts
in the Top 10. The
magazine compiled
the results after
readers submitted
their favourite
resort picks based
on quality of snow,
terrain, affordability
and nightlife.
Fernie Alpine Resort
has gained a reputation
for its powder,
but is now becoming
famous for so much
more. With a fun
and friendly ski
town atmosphere,
great dining, adventure
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activities, a mountain village
and a number of new real
estate developments, Fernie
caters to a variety of skiers
and riders from around the
globe.
Says Matt Mosteller, Senior
Director of Business Development
for the Resort, “We’re thrilled
that Fernie Alpine Resort
continues to join the ranks
of some of the top resorts
in North America. With over
29 feet of powder each season,
111 runs, 5 alpine bowls,
a cool ski town atmosphere
and the never-ending events
and festivals, it’s no wonder
Fernie continues to be one
of the best places to visit
and ski in Canada.”
The Resort has also received
a number of other accolades
in the past year, as outlined
in the “Awards & Accolades”
section above.
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Refreshing Fernie
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The condos are coming!
The condos are coming!
One of Canada's
original ski-bum
towns is sprucing
itself up with hipster
hangouts and award-winning
restaurants. TRALEE
PEARCE and GRANT
ELLIS savour what
hasn't changed:
awesome snow.
FERNIE, B.C. --
From a perch atop
Lizard Bowl we can
see both the old
mining town of Fernie,
its small grid drawn
on the flat-bottomed
Elk River valley
as if etched on
a sheet of ice,
and the sprawling,
barrack-like condos
at the base of the
Rocky Mountain ski
resort that share
the town's name.
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Both are growing and thriving
with new housing developments,
shops and restaurants, and
it's all because of snow:
light, airy, deep, blinding-white
snow. In this age of fickle
snowfalls, with resorts
across North America and
Europe experiencing particularly
erratic conditions this
season, Fernie has been
a model of consistency.
Nearly eight metres of snow
has blanketed the resort
so far this year, just a
ski-length short of the
seasonal average. And with
Cranbrook Airport undergoing
an expansion that will see
direct international flights
arrive by next season, even
more skiers and snowboarders
are likely to choose Fernie
for what they crave most:
deep snow.
Twenty-five centimetres
of the stuff has swaddled
the hill overnight. This
would seem exceptional by
the standards of most ski
hills, but as the Fernie
Alpine Resort website says,
both plainly and smugly
this morning, it's "just
one of those days." Just
one of those days when you
laugh after a 30-kilometre-an-hour
face plant because it didn't
hurt. Just one of those
days when you can imagine
a surfer being jealous of
a skier's or a snowboarder's
ability to truly fly across
the surface of the Earth.
Fernie is in the sweet spot
of ski destinations. It's
minutes away from a town
with an active nightlife
that has yet to be overrun
by the Aspen set; it has
varied-enough terrain for
almost any gravity-sport
enthusiast; and it has more
snow than almost anywhere
else in Canada. Physically,
it's closer to Montana than
it is to the nearest CFL
franchise, but Cranbrook
Airport, an hour east by
car, "is something we've
been working on for five
or six years," says Fernie
Mayor Randal Macnair, who
has been in office since
2002.
"There's a buzz around the
East Kootenay [region] and
the airport. All of a sudden
people's ears are perking
up. It creates a heightened
awareness which creates
a heightened momentum."
Much like Banff before it,
Fernie is feeling the pressure
of its long transition from
a small town, in this case
known for coal mining and
a rail line, to a tourist
playground. The growth has
been steady since the hill
opened in 1963, but over
the past 10 years it has
accelerated like an out-of-control
five-year-old skier who's
revelling in giving up the
snow plow. Everywhere we
go in Fernie, we note a
British, Australian or German
accent as often as we hear
Canadian patter.
One of our British chair-lift
companions is in town for
two months to ski his heart
out as part of Nonstop Skiing,
a U.K. ski instructor's
program that has brought
more than 100 Brits to the
mountain. He has nothing
against the Alps, but with
their spotty snow, he says,
"there's no guarantee."
At Fernie, it's a no-brainer
for those who desire the
steep and deep and don't
want to shell out a few
grand just to look at a
grassy mountain.
Judging by the advertising
in area publications, condo
developers are only too
happy to meet the burgeoning
demand. But Macnair says
he has no plans to let the
growth spurt turn into a
real-estate explosion.
"There's a lot of capacity
here," says the Mayor, reached
by phone after we returned
home. "If you look at the
infrastructure that's been
built here, we're probably
only at over-85 per cent
capacity 15 days a year.
So there's lots of growth
opportunity to bring in
more visitors and more economic
opportunities, without increasing
the number of beds substantially."
And that means boosting
summer recreation: mountain
biking (Fernie is now a
top destination, and riders
can take their bikes up
the mountain on specially
adjusted lifts); golfing
(a course designed by Greg
Norman is one of two top-notch
facilities); hiking; river
rafting (riding the Elk
and Bull rivers is not unlike
riding the animals of the
same name); and tubing.
Macnair says no one wants
to see Fernie become a ghost
town, so infill housing
and development of existing
buildings are priorities.
One project, known as 901
Fernie, is a city-style
condo conversion of the
almost-century-old high
school. "This [kind of development]
contributes to a walkable,
sustainable community,"
says Macnail.
"I went to high school there,"
Fernieite Krista Turcasso
tells us. "In the '70s they
stuccoed the school. . .it's
actually really beautiful
brick. Fernie residents
want the historic downtown
to remain the same."
The same -- but with an
upgrade. One that gives
Fernie, the town, the charm
that is a big attraction
for visitors. In addition
to projects like 901, new
stores and restaurants are
also fuelling the transition.
Take the Brickhouse, on
the downtown strip, a restaurant
set in an old bank building
that opened recently. Hungry
skiers line up for its gastro-pub
fare, whether it's a Sunday
or a Wednesday. If you're
looking for a fine-dining
experience, there's the
Old Elevator, winner of
a Wine Spectator Award of
Excellence last year. Of
course, if you never want
to leave the mountain, you
can get your duck confit
at The Wood, which you can
ski to from the bunny hill.
And for a night cap? Old
hotel bars that would have
served the Canadian Pacific
crowd have been replaced
by hangouts catering to
youthful hipsters. Around
the main drag, The Central
Bar, and the bar at the
Royal Hotel, are cool with
a touch of shamble chic.
Indeed, they wouldn't seem
out of place in trendy spots
like Toronto's Queen Street
West or Montreal's Plateau.
Turcasso, 27, says she was
drawn back to her hometown
after studying English literature
at the University of Victoria
because of this sense of
excitement -- and her love
of the outdoors, not surprisingly.
Last November, she started
a snappy local monthly magazine
called Fernie Fix, which
gleefully chronicles the
area's happenings and dining
scene.
"Fernie is a community with
a ski hill, not vice versa,"
she explains.
Macnair agrees, adding that
the plan is to keep it that
way. "I hear over and over
that Fernie is a real community.
It's not a fabricated resort
town," he says. "In Whistler,
it's Disneyland."
And we don't want Disneyland,
so that suits us just fine.
After an exhilarating week
of boarding down the powdery
bowls of Fernie, our skills
improve. We're no longer
scraping the snow off the
mountain, but riding on
top of it.
With a day left in our vacation,
a friend who was with us
earlier in the trip calls
from Whistler. He's having
a fine enough time, but
the snow at the coastal
giant has been heavy and
mushy. I describe our bounty.
He knows he never should
have left; we don't want
to either.
Pack your skis
GETTING THERE
It's one hour by road from
Cranbrook Airport, and just
under four hours from Calgary
if you drive south on Highway
22 (through the areas made
famous by movies like Brokeback
Mountain and Legends of
the Fall), then tilt in
through the Crowsnest Pass
on Highway 3.
GETTING AROUND
The town of Fernie is five
minutes from the hill. If
you're not staying on the
hill, there are daily shuttles
serviced by Kootenay Taxi
(250-423-4409) Prices: $3
for a single one-way ride,
$10 for four.
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
The Wood: 5369 Ski
Hill Rd.; 250-423-4597.
On the hill, for both après
ski and fine dining.
The Brickhouse: 401
2nd Ave.; 250-423-0009.
Solid pub grub. There's
also a club downstairs,
The Eldorado, featuring
jazz and DJs.
The Old Elevator:
291 1st Ave.; 250-423-7115;
http://www.oldelevator.com.
Upscale dining.
Yamagoya Japanese Cuisine:
741 7th Ave.; 250-430-0090.
Best sushi in town.
The Blue Toque Diner:
601 1st Ave. 250-423-4637.
Great for breakfast, lunch
and tea.
The Curry Bowl: 931
7th Ave.; 250-423-2695.
Named for the Curry Bowl,
one of the ski bowls on
Fernie, it offers hearty
curries.
MEMORABLE MOMENT
Last Thursday morning, a
sunny day atop the mountain
with 25 centimetres of fresh
snow. Need we say more?
STRESS FACTOR
Factoring in the two-hour
jet lag after flying from
Toronto and still making
it on the hill for the 9
a.m. opening lift in the
first few days was tough.
After that, factoring in
the fatigued muscles. Our
recommendation: Ski or snowboard
for a half day (starts at
12:30 p.m.) one day during
the week and don't feel
guilty about it.
MORE INFORMATION
Fernie Alpine Resort: 1-866-633-7643;
http://www.skifernie.com.
Regular season tickets full
day/half day: adults $69/$55;
holiday season: $74/$60.
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Fernie awarded
"Best Little Town
in B.C." for 2nd
year in a row
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Fernie, BC -- Fernie Tourism Association is proud to announce that the
British Columbia
Recreation and Parks
Association (BCRPA)
crowned Fernie as
the "Best Little
Town in B.C." for
the second year
in a row. The title
was awarded at the
BCRPA's annual convention
held last Spring
in Victoria, B.C.
All municipalities
in the province
were invited by
the BCRPA to participate
in "The Best Little
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Town in B.C." contest. Contestants
were required to create
and submit weekend get-away
packages illustrating activities
and amenities available
in their area. All weekend
packages were reviewed and
bid-on in a silent auction,
and Fernie - having received
the most interest and highest
bid - was nominated "The
Best Little Town in B.C.".
More than 300 people attended
the convention and bid on
the packages, raising $11,000
for BCRPA.
Fernie competed against
such notable B.C. towns
as Surrey, Delta, Gibsons,
Richmond, Kelowna, Kamloops,
Prince George, and Vancouver
Big Air and Snow at Fernie
Legendary for its powder
skiing, Fernie has expanded
its terrain to 2504 acres
of glades, alpine bowls
for skiing and riding. Skiers
and riders can enjoy the
uncrowded resort with an
ideal mix of expert, intermediate
and novice terrain. Open
during the summer for mountain
biking.
By BARB MARTOWSKI, Edmonton
Sun
It’s a bit hard this week
for Sarah Hope-Johnston,
Fernie’s events coordinator,
to keep her mind on the
job at hand – getting ready
for this weekend’s Big Air
and Snow Jam. Mother Nature
just keeps hitting Fernie
with more snow and Hope-Johnston
can’t resist the chance
to get out and play in it.
“What can I say ... Winter’s
returned and my feet just
keep taking me towards the
lift lines,” she said when
I reached her on Tuesday.
“Over the last seven days,
we’ve received about 80
cms of fresh snow. The bowls
and high alpine are in great
shape for those who are
planning on visiting this
weekend.”
And there’s plenty of fun
as well, as Fernie moves
into the final few weeks
of this season.
“We’ve got the Big Air and
Snow Jam taking place both
Saturday and Sunday in the
Telus Terrain Park and it’s
going to be an interesting
event. “There’s various
categories of course, but
on Saturday, nobody will
be judged. Instead everyone’s
expected to bring their
A-game and the judges will
then pick the people who
will be competing on Sunday.
That’s when the judging
will take place.”
You can register online
at
www.skircr.com/compete
or take your chances on
securing a spot at the Daylodge
on Saturday from 9 a.m.
to 10 a.m.
Categories this year will
include Novice ski and snowboard
(13 years and under), Junior
ski and snowboard (14-16
years), Senior ski and snowboard
(17 years and up), and Women
ski and snowboard (all ages).
The Big Air is sponsored
by Helly Hansen, Scott,
Old Dutch Foods, Fresh Sports,
TELUS, Volkswagen, Husky
and Coca Cola.
In the village, the Kokanee
Free Ride crew will be on
hand as well as the band,
Five Star Affair.
“These guys are from Calgary
and we’ve been trying to
book them all season, so
I’m really happy we have
them playing. They’ll be
doing an apres set in the
Griz Pub and then playing
in the evening starting
at 9 p.m.”
Outside in the beer gardens,
Rick Voisey will be entertaining
the masses from Noon until
4 p.m. For the youngsters
in the crowd, the Easter
Bunny will be making an
appearance on Sunday.
There’s plenty of accommodation
onhill and in Fernie that
range from the luxurious
to the economical. Check
out ourfernie.com or
http://www.skifernie.com/
Both sites provide plenty
of information.
One of my favourites is
the Fernie Stanford Resort.
It’s only a short five minute
drive from the ski hill,
yet close enough that you
can enjoy the many amenities
available in the Town of
Fernie. The Standford offers
a wide variety of options
including hotel rooms and
multi-bedroom condos. With
a restaurant, waterslide,
lounge, fitness room and
an onsite spa, it’s the
perfect family choice.
Fernie Alpine Resort
Named North American Resort
of the Year
 The
Good Skiing & Snowboarding
Guide 2004 has voted Fernie
Alpine Resort the North
American "Resort of the
Year" in the annual Golden
Ski Awards for 2004.
The largest selling English-language
ski guide in the world,
the Good Skiing & Snowboarding
Guide is an annual 'warts
and all' guide to 700 resorts
worldwide. The book, now
in its eleventh year, is
published by Which? Books
of the U.K. and is regarded
as the 'bible' of the ski
industry in Britain and
Europe.
These annual awards are
highly prestigious and are
known in the U.K. as the
'white Oscars' of skiing.
These Golden Ski Awards
are given in twelve categories
including resorts, hotels,
restaurants, etc. After
nominating a Top 100, the
readers vote and the finalists
are judged by a small jury
of ski industry experts.
"Fernie has joined the ranks
of the top ski destinations
in the world with this award,"
says Melody Kultgen, sales
& public relations manager
for the resort. She adds,
"last year this award was
given to Aspen and our European
counterpart this year is
St. Anton."
Fernie Alpine Resort has
grown from a local ski hill
to a year round, international
destination resort since
its purchase by Resorts
of the Canadian Rockies
in 1997. The resort has
undergone many changes in
the past 6 years and is
continually striving to
provide its guests with
the best vacation and recreational
experience possible.
Fernie Alpine Resort is
located in southeastern
British Columbia and is
a division of Resorts of
the Canadian Rockies Inc.,
owners and operators of
Lake Louise Ski Area, Kimberley
Alpine Resort/Trickle Creek
Golf Resort, Nakiska, Fortress,
Mont Saint-Anne and Stoneham
Award for Most Improved
Resort
 The
Good Skiing & Snowboarding
Guide 2003 has voted Fernie
Alpine Resort the "Most
Improved Resort" award for
2003. The largest selling
English-language ski guide
in the world, the Good Skiing
& Snowboarding Guide is
an annual 'warts and all'
guide to 700
resorts worldwide. The book,
now in its tenth year, is
published by Which? Books
of the U.K. and is regarded
as the 'bible' of the ski
industry in Britain and
Europe.
"This is a great feather
in our cap," says Melody
Kultgen, Sales & Public
Relations Manager for Fernie
Alpine Resort. "The award
is decided by a committee
who have a very big list
to choose from." "There
is no place like Fernie
in the world!" says Matt
Mosteller, Senior Director
of Business Development
for Resorts of the Canadian
Rockies.
Fernie Alpine Resort also
recently received recognition
as the #1 Rated Resort in
Canada (Explore Magazine
Nov/Dec 2001), and was rated
#3 in the Top 10 Guide to
the Best Ski Destinations
(CNN.com)
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