Fernie is located in beautiful British Columbia in the Canadian Rockies, east of Vancouver, north of Montana, U.S.A., and south west of the Calgary International Airport.

Fernie's roots were, and still are, planted in the coal mining industry which developed in 1898 when the railroad came through this region. The local topography of mountains and valleys gives Fernie its own microclimate. The Rocky Mountain range that gives the area its beauty, also protects it from extreme temperatures often experienced by nearby Alberta. Wind is a rare commodity in Fernie, which means in the winter, the snow stays put and stays soft, instead of becoming a wind blown crust.

No matter what time of year, Fernie is a well-situated mountain paradise for all seasons.

In winter, you can tackle more than 2,000 acres of some of the finest skiing and snowboarding in the Rockies at Fernie Alpine Resort. Fernie Alpine Resort is now considered as one of the premier powder ski resorts and ski destinations in Canada. Fernie’s winter trail network is perfect for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, dog-sled tours and cat-skiing.

In the summer, Fernie offers world renowned fly-fishing, championship golf, river rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking trails and horseback riding.

The Glacier National Park is about 2.5 hours drive away which is part of the International Peace Park joining Waterton National Park in Alberta. This park preserves over 1,000,000 acres of forests, alpine meadows, and lakes and its diverse habitats are home to over 70 species of mammals and over 260 species of birds. The spectacular glaciated landscape is a hikers paradise containing 700 miles of maintained trails that lead deep into one of the largest intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states.

There is much to see in nearby Montana, U.S.A., such as the "Going-to-the-Sun Road",which splits the northern and southern halves of Glacier National Park and crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. The town of Whitefish, Montana, near the ski resort of Big Mountain, and Kalispell, the largest city in the Flathead Valley are also worth a visit.

Photo credit: Dave Hawrys