Statistics Canada today released updated Population and dwelling counts that reports that the City of Fernie has grown by 924 residents in five years. This makes Fernie the fastest growing community in the Elk Valley and well above the BC and Canadian average.

Fernie: 17.1% since 2016, with a 2021 population of 6,320 (from 5,396)
Sparwood: 9.6% since 2016, with a 2021 population of 4,184 (from 3,784)
Elkford: 10% since 2016, with a 2021 population of 2,749 (from 2,499)
RDEK Area A: 11.4% since 2016, with a 2021 population of 1,875

The population of British Columbia is higher than five million for the first time ever, possibly in part due to the number of people moving in from elsewhere in Canada. Much of that growth continues to be centered in the Lower Mainland, communities on Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, Thompson-Nicola and Kootenay regions have seen rapid growth as well.

British Columbia grew by 7.7 % with a population of 5,000,879 (from 4,648,055)

Canada’s population grew at almost twice the pace of every other G7 country from 2016 to 2021. Approximately 1.8 million more people called Canada home in 2021 compared with five years earlier, with most of that growth attributable to new arrivals from around the world. However, Canada’s population growth was halted with the onset of the pandemic.

Growth in mountain towns has grown considerably during the pandemic as city dwellers are flocking to smaller towns. Fernie will see continued growth and change as Canadians lifestyle priorities change and adapt to our new reality.