The Fernie Alpine Resort bylaw allowing limited subdivision in the Timber Landing area is moving to a public hearing, with emergency access and evacuation capacity emerging as central issues for residents.
The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Board has approved a public hearing for two bylaws that would amend the Official Community Plan and zoning to permit Phase 3A of the Timber Landing development to proceed. The decision follows Board discussion that acknowledged unresolved concerns around secondary emergency egress serving the resort area.
While the application initially contemplated broader development, the Board supported scaling approvals back to Phase 3A only, explicitly to allow time for an alternate emergency access route to be advanced before any further subdivision occurs.
Much of the Fernie Alpine Resort area continues to rely on a single primary access road. During peak winter weekends, heavy snowfall events, or wildfire season, that limitation becomes more than an inconvenience — it becomes a public safety issue.
Additional residential units increase:
• the number of people needing evacuation during emergencies
* pressure on first responders and access routes
• congestion during peak occupancy periods
Board discussion made clear that approving additional density without secured secondary access is a risk the RDEK is not prepared to take — yet Phase 3A would still move forward before that infrastructure is in place.
If adopted, the bylaws would:
• amend Fernie Alpine Resort OCP land-use designations
• rezone portions of land in the Timber Landing area
• permit subdivision consistent with Phase 3A only, not future phases
A development agreement with the applicant would be required prior to final adoption, setting conditions around infrastructure and timing.
Why Public Input Is Important
Once zoning and OCP amendments are approved, future development phases often become much harder to stop or significantly alter. Residents who have concerns about:
• wildfire evacuation capacity
• winter emergency access
• timing and enforceability of a second egress
• cumulative impacts of resort-area growth
• are being encouraged to participate now, while public input still carries formal weight.
The Bottom Line
This decision is about more than a single phase of development. It’s about whether safety infrastructure keeps pace with growth at Fernie’s ski hill — and whether future approvals hinge on real, completed emergency access rather than promises.
For residents who care about how Fernie Alpine Resort grows — and how people get out in an emergency — this public hearing is a key moment to be heard.
Date: Monday, January 26, 2026, at 6:30 pm.
Location: A public hearing will be held via Zoom webinar conference
Registration Required in Advance: The deadline to register is Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:00 pm. Click here to register.
