Community Statistics

Administration & Representation

The City of Fernie was incorporated in 1904, and is governed by a Mayor and six councilors, all elected for a three year term. The Council meets regularly (usually the 2nd and 4th Monday each month), and meetings are open to the public. City Council is responsible for issues that occur within the municipal boundaries.

Areas outside the municipal boundaries are governed and serviced by the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK). These services include land use planning, building inspections, water and sewage disposal, fire protection, and street lighting. The RDEK also provides regional-wide services such as solid waste management. The RDEK Board is comprised of representatives from the Municipal Councils and elected officials from the various rural districts. Fernie is bordered by Regional Districts A and B, who in turn appoint their representatives to the Board. Regular RDEK Board meetings are held on the first Friday of every month in the Cranbrook RDEK offices.

Population Characteristics

The last year for which detailed statistics are available is 1996., and it reported a total population of 4877. The next census is due to be carried out in spring 2001. In the meantime, BC Stats has estimated the current population of Fernie to be around 5,200 people, whose composition is broken down as follows:

AGE CATEGORIES HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION
16.69% under 35 years of age 12.79% - single person households
27.59% bet. 35 - 44 years of age 38.6% - 2 person households
26.72% bet. 45 - 54 years of age 18% - 3 person households
18% 55 years of age and older 24.14% - 4 person households
11% 65 years of age and older 6.4% - 5 people or more

In terms of households: The percentage of families with NO children under the age of 18 is 61.57%.

Population Distribution for the RDEK

Building Permit Activity

Building Permits Information

* City of Fernie 2002

Land & Building Values/Tax Rates