The Fernie housing report for November 2025 shows that Fernie leads the Region in new homes and nearly topping regional construction value. See why Fernie’s housing market is one of the strongest in the Kootenays

New data from the Regional District of East Kootenay’s Monthly Building Report shows Fernie leading the region in total new dwellings created and sitting just behind Cranbrook in overall construction value — an extraordinary performance for a small mountain town navigating significant planning-system challenges.

Year-to-date, Fernie has delivered 87 new dwellings, more than any other municipality in the Columbia Basin outside of Cranbrook’s large urban footprint. By comparison:

Cranbrook: 185

Sparwood: 40

For a community of Fernie’s size, the output is exceptional. Builders and developers are producing homes at a rate that rivals communities two to three times larger, underscoring both the strength of Fernie’s housing demand and the tenacity of its construction sector.

Fernie has recorded $58,808,594 in construction value so far this year — trailing Cranbrook by less than $700,000.
This positions Fernie as a major contributor to regional economic activity and demonstrates the continued confidence of homeowners, investors, and builders.

When a small mountain community posts construction values on par with a regional centre, it signals something important: Fernie remains a destination where people want to live, invest, build, and stay.

This momentum has occurred even as Fernie’s development approval process faces well-documented challenges. In a recent letter to City Council, the Fernie Chamber of Commerce outlined the impacts businesses and builders have endured for years:

• long and unpredictable timelines,

• a regulatory culture that has struggled to prioritize solutions.

These barriers have delayed housing, slowed commercial projects, and created uncertainty for those trying to build or operate in Fernie. Yet the numbers show that, despite these obstacles, the community’s construction sector has delivered one of the strongest housing years in the entire East Kootenay.

With the retirement of the City’s Director of Planning, the Chamber characterizes this moment as a pivotal opportunity to modernize Fernie’s planning function. The letter urges Council to recruit a leader who is solutions-focused, collaborative, and capable of implementing modern service standards that dramatically improve approval timelines.

Examples from other municipalities, such as Langford, BC, show how transformative this kind of leadership can be — with turnaround times improving, housing starts increasing, and investor confidence returning within a few short years.

Fernie, the Chamber argues, now has that same opportunity.

The RDEK numbers make one message crystal clear: Fernie is already performing at a high level. The community is delivering more homes and more construction value than almost anywhere else in the region. Builders, contractors, and developers are pushing hard to meet demand.

The challenge — and opportunity — lies in supporting that momentum with a modern, efficient approval system that encourages responsible growth rather than constraining it.

Fernie has shown it can lead the region in new homes, investment, and construction activity. Now the City faces a pivotal decision: hiring a Planning Director who can strengthen timelines, improve clarity, and support the housing and commercial projects that keep Fernie vibrant and sustainable.

Housing is one of the community’s most pressing issues — and this moment represents a chance to match Fernie’s strong performance with a planning system built for the future.