Roads

As of 2021, the City of Fernie maintains approximately 73.1 km of roadway, 30 km of sidewalks, and 22.8 km of pathways and trails throughout the community. 

The City is responsible for most roads throughout town but does not govern or provide maintenance to private roads, highways, or roads on strata properties.

Information about the Snow & Ice Management Program can be found on the Snow Clearing Page.

Spring & Summer Programs:

When the snow melts, our Operations Department works on annual maintenance programs including street sweeping, grading, boulevard repair, and dust control.

Street Sweeping

Sweeper trucks target each neighborhood removing gravel deposited on roads during winter. Residents can expect to receive a first pass followed by a final pass as per the street sweeping schedule each spring, with additional tidying around town as needed during the summer months.

The City of Fernie’s Street Sweeping Schedule for 2025 is as follows but is subject to change on short notice due to weather, breakdowns, and unforeseen events:

Area

First Pass

Second Pass

Annex

April 28, 29, 30

May 15

Maintown

May 1, 2, 5

May 16

Mountview

May 6, 7

May 20

Parkland/Alpine/Ghostrider

May 7, 8

May 21

Castle/Montane/Coal Creek

May 8, 9

May 22

Ridgemont

May 9, 12

May 23

West Fernie

May 12, 13

May 26

Riverside/Cedars

May 13, 14

May 27

 Residents out doing their own spring cleaning of boulevards can gather winter sand and place it at the curb for pick up by the sweeper. For collection sand must be evenly distributed at the roadside, large piles of sand or piles containing mixed materials that could clog the sweeper will be bypassed. Please refrain from distributing sand onto a swept road and avoid putting winter sand in catch basins as this can lead to serious drainage issues. On your scheduled sweeping dates please help our crews by parking off-street where possible.

Occasionally, snow and ice removal activities can result in damage to boulevards. Once the snow has melted, the City’s street team performs spring repairs by applying topsoil and grass seed to affected areas.

Damage may occur when large equipment is used to clear snow, as operators may not be able to see all features within the boulevard or driveway area, especially when covered by snow. The City is not responsible for damage to sprinkler systems, landscaping components (such as trees, shrubs, asphalt, concrete, or pavers), or any other raised features located within the boulevard area of City property.

If grass in the boulevard is damaged, City crews may return in the spring to restore the area using soil and seed. However, this is not guaranteed, and there is no obligation for the City to perform these restorations. Grading of gravel roads is performed periodically throughout the year, prioritizing main access roads over secondary egress roads. Dust control is applied once annually, usually in June, weather permitting. After dust control is applied, gravel road grading is reduced to maintain its effectiveness.

In spring and summer, the streets team also focuses on the Annual Spring Cleanup Program, line painting, pothole repairs, traffic signage, and the maintenance of boulevards and sidewalks.

Sections of roads that were temporarily reduced to a gravel base due to utility repairs in the fall and winter are repaved in the spring as soon as contractor schedules permit.

Annual Spring Cleanup Program

The City of Fernie is once again offering free curbside pickup of lawn and garden waste for residential households. Please note: household garbage will not be accepted—only grass clippings, brush, weeds, and small tree branches (up to  1 inch in diameter and 2 feet long can be placed in your organics cart or a paper bag; branches larger than 1 inch can be bundled for collection).

Pickup Guidelines:

  • Place your garden waste at the curb by 7:00 AM on your designated pickup day.
  • Use your regular garbage pickup location, except in the Annex and Maintown, where waste should be placed in the alley.
  • No registration is required.

Preparation Requirements:

  • Please bag your garden waste in 100% paper bags for collection.
  • Tree branches and brush must be bundled, tied securely, and stacked so they can be easily picked up by a loader if they are greater than 1 inch.
  • Do not leave loose leaves or materials — you are responsible for cleaning up any windblown debris.

 

The City of Fernie’s Annual Spring Cleanup Program Schedule for 2025 is as follows but is subject to change:

Area

Date

Annex/Riverside/Cedars

May 16

Mountview/Park Ave./Park Cres./Park Lane

May 20

Parkland Terrace/Alpine Trails

May 21

Ridgemont/Coal Creek/Montane/Castle

May 22

Maintown

May 23

West Fernie

May 26

 

Attention Seniors: Free Pickup of Household Refuse & Reusable/Recyclable Items

  • If you're 65 or older and have large household items you'd like to get rid of—such as old furniture or appliances (with Freon removed)—the City offers free curbside pickup as part of the Annual Spring Cleanup.

Please sort your items into two groups:

  • Household refuse
  • Reusable or recyclable items

To take advantage of this free service, you must register in advance by calling City Hall at 250-423-6817.

Make sure all items are placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled day for your area. This program is only available to seniors aged 65 and over.

Reporting an Issue

The Request for Service tool is available for residents to report non-emergency maintenance issues such as potholes, broken street lights or other street related issues.

Service requests are reviewed daily and assigned accordingly.

Road Closure Requests

Contractors and members of the public requesting a road closure should submit to their request to the City at least 4 weeks in advance of the proposed road closure.

Road Closure Application

To apply for a road closure, email: operations@fernie.ca

Full Road Rehabilitation Projects

The City complete full road rehabilitation projects every 1-2 years to fully rehabilitate roads that are at the end of their lifecycle.  The following two documents provide some guiding information used for the selection of new projects.

Active Transportation Master Plan

This City of Fernie Active Transportation Master Plan (ATMP) identifies transportation facilities that builds on existing infrastructure to accommodate and benefit all Fernie residents and visitors regardless of travel mode. It will be used as a basis for new projects and guidelines that align with wider planning objectives and growth targets. It is designed to be phased in over twenty-five years, and is dependent upon internal and external funding.

Integrated Infrastructure Capital Plan (IICP)

The City’s decisions on which roads to rehabilitate are guided in part by the IICP. It provides a framework that guides decision makers with a prioritized system of infrastructure replacement planning by assessing asset condition, capacity and risk. Conditions are determined through inspections and/or age, and risk through the assets’ location and classification including its capacity that is determined through hydraulic modeling. Using the framework, the report highlights a short-term capital-planning list along with estimated capital costs.