FERNIE, Canada, an important town of the Kootenay district of British Columbia, on the Crow's Nest branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, at the confluence of Coal Creek and the Elk River, 300 miles east of Vancouver. It has a custom house, public and high schools, courthouse and two hospitals. Its industrial establishments comprise saw mills, railroad repair shops, foundries, machine shops and brick yards. The chief industry is coal-mining; there being extensive mines nearby. Pop. 6,000.