City of Fernie Launches New Outdoor Dining Area
May 21, 2021
The City of Fernie is pleased to support our local food-service providers by promoting pop-up COVID-safe dining options throughout the city. Picnic tables will be installed on 6th Street, the Station Square parking lot, on City Hall grounds starting on May 21st in time for the May long weekend.
Mayor Ange Qualizza notes, “This pandemic has been extremely hard on our business community, and on our ability to socially gather downtown. Extending and supporting an expansion of outdoor seating options is one small way we can support a fun, ‘al fresco’, socially distant outdoor dining opportunity and enjoy everything that makes our historic downtown fabulous.”
The socially distant environment at Station Square will be a dedicated pedestrian area with 6th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue and a portion of the parking lot closed to vehicle traffic. Fernie’s great mobile venders will continue to operate in this area. To capture a splash of our arts and culture community, the Fernie Youth Art Collective and the Youth Action Network gathered this week to showcase their work on concrete barriers that will be used to delineate spaces.
Chamber Executive Director Brad Parsell notes, “The Fernie Chamber of Commerce is grateful to the City of Fernie and the province of BC’s Resort Municipality Initiative for the additional picnic tables that will be available to the public around downtown Fernie. We continue to urge locals to support our food & beverage industry and having these extra tables to eat take-out safely outdoors is going to really help our summer season.”
“The more we can encourage local shopping and dining the better,” exclaimed Jikke Gyorki, Executive Officer for Tourism Fernie. “This initiative supports that while boosting a more accessible outdoor atmosphere in our downtown. As restrictions ease and tourism returns this summer, we are all exciting about returning to social gatherings and business.”
Additional bike parking will be made available in the area, the downtown public washrooms will be open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily, and City staff will enhance cleaning and waste management in the area to maintain the vibrant space.
Please note that 1st Avenue northbound between 5th and 6th Street and southbound between 7th street and 6th street will be signed as no through roads, while 1st Avenue laneway access will be maintained with installation of physical barriers on 6th Street to separate pedestrians from vehicles.
This initiative is the first step in multiple outdoor animations funded by the Province of BC’s Resort Municipality Initiative. For more information about Resort Municipality Funding, click here.
