Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located in the Bow Valley with a permanent population of 12,005 (2008 municipal census). The non-permanent population is about 5,567 or 31.6% (combined population of 17,572). It is located just east of the world-famous Banff National Park, about 110 kilometres (70 mi) west of Calgary and immediately north of Kananaskis Country. The town lies in the Bow Valley, named so for the Bow River that passes through it. Its mountain setting is noted for The Three Sisters. Canmore's climate is relatively mild compared to most regions of Canada, with the coldest day in January averaging only -8C (18 F), with very low humidity that makes it feel considerably warmer than the thermometer indicates. Summers are short and cool, and winters are long but usually sunny and dry. The area boasts, on average, 330 days of sunshine annually, with the short wet season occurring through mid-May to early June. The rest of the summer is considered semi-arid.

Mountains located adjacent to and visible from the townsite are Grotto Mountain (2,706 m / 8,878 ft), Mount Lady Macdonald (2,606 m / 8,550 ft), Mount Lawrence Grassi (2,685 m / 8,809 ft) and, most famously, the Three Sisters (2,936 m, 2,769 m, 2,694 m or 9,633 ft, 9,084 ft, 8,839 ft).

Canmore was officially named in 1884 by Canadian Pacific Railway employee Donald A. Smith. In 1886, Queen Victoria granted a coal mining charter to the town, and the No. 1 mine was opened in 1887.

By the 1890s, a North West Mounted Police barrack had been instated on Main Street, but it was vacated in 1927. The building was restored in 1989 and it is under the care of the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre.

The coal mining industry in Canmore boomed well into the 20th century. In 1965, with a population of 2,000, Canmore was incorporated as a town. By the 1970s the market for coal was diminished, and in 1979 Canmore Mines Ltd. ceased operations. As a result of safety and reclaimation policies instigated by the province of Alberta, all but a few mining structures were demolished in the following year; only the lamp house and a few mine entrances remain today.

Canmore's economic future seemed dismal until the announcement in the early 1980s that Calgary, Alberta would be hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics, and that Canmore would play host to the Nordic events. This resulted in an increase in tourism, and Canmore began to develop into the recreational tourist destination it is today.

The Canmore Hotel sits on the main street as it has for over 100 years. The building has changed very little in this time making it one of the most distinguishable landmarks in Canmore. The Hotel recently celebrated it's 118th aniversary in October 2008.

Canmore is among the largest towns in Alberta and is actually larger than a number of cities in the province. Concerns over its urban growth adjacent to provincial and national park land has led to many efforts to place a limit on future development. The town is expected to reach its maximum "build out" following the completion of the SilverTip and Three Sisters Mountain Village developments sometime around 2015–2020.

Most of Canmore can be traversed within an hour by foot; the town centre surrounds 8th Street, or "Main Street" (as it is known colloquially), which was originally a residential road boasting some of the oldest architecture in the town; now, however, it is lined with small shops and galleries. Much of the recent development is taking place in the Three Sisters Mountain Village, SilverTip Resort, and around the town centre. 6th Street is a particularly lovely stretch of real estate, where the residents enjoy proximity to local shops, bars, and restaurants and beautiful views of the Three Sisters and the Rundle range.

Bisected by the Trans-Canada Highway, located on the Canadian Pacific Railway and run through by the Bow River, Canmore is ideally situated on a number of major transportation routes, which has influenced its economy in terms of industry and tourism.

Much of the area to the North-East of Canmore is located in a critical wildlife corridor. This corridor allows animals such as bears, cougar, wolves, and elk to move between habitat patches. These are places where they can find food, escape predators, breed, give birth, and establish territories. A series of hiking and walking paths traverse this area, known as The Benchlands. Many of these trails, and others around the community, infringe upon the Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park. Some of these, including the new Montaine Traverse Trail near the SilverTip Resort, have been improved by the Town of Canmore, the Government of Alberta, the MD of Bighorn, and various stakeholders (Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance, the B.V. Riding Association, and local hiking groups) in order to protect the wildlife corridors and other habitat while providing high-quality recreational trails. Much of the upgrading has been accomplished by volunteers organized by the Trail Care Program of The Friends of Kananaskis Country.

Common wildlife include bears, cougars, coyotes, squirrels, elk, deer, rabbits, and a wide variety of birds.

Canmore Nordic Centre



The Canmore Nordic Centre was originally constructed for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. Cross-country skiing, biathlon, Nordic combined, and blind cross-country skiing events were held here. The Canmore Nordic Centre provides world-class trails for use by cross-country skiers, mountain bikers, and hikers. It has provincial park status and is administered by Alberta Development. The centre was recently re-developed for the 2005 Cross-country World Cup and future international events. The Nordic Centre hosts national training camps for Canada's biathlon and cross-country ski teams, in addition to providing winter and summer recreational facilities to the general public. It boasts some 60 kilometres (37 mi) of world-class cross-country and biathlon trail systems designed to meet international Nordic competitive standards. The trails are groomed and trackset to accommodate both classic and skating techniques on the same trail. A 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) track is illuminated for night skiing.

The Day Lodge at the Canmore Nordic Centre offers services such as a cafeteria, meeting rooms, maps and information, day lockers, showers, washrooms, equipment rentals, and lessons. During the summer months the Centre converts to include mountain biking facilities and plays host to several national and international mountain bike events annually. The Nordic Centre also operates an 18 "hole" disc golf course during the summer months.

Housing



Many of the new developments, time shares and vacation suites are built with sustainable development in mind, and in 2006 the Three Sisters Mountain Village development was recipient of an international award for being the best sustainable development in North America. Within town, there are also some buildings using geothermal energy, and the town's new Municipal Services Building is the first building in Alberta to achieve LEED Silver certification status.

Unfortunately, due to the local landscape being very complex, not every one can install solar or wind energy devices on their property. Bylaws are also very strict and "aesthetic alterations" are not widely accepted.

Canmore is a very difficult place to find affordable housing, and pet owners may have difficulty arranging accommodation.

Wapiti Tents, a community campground that can house up to approximately 200 people, is initial point of entry to many of Canmore's emigrating population in the summer months. It closes at the beginning of September, at which time the workforce rapidly disappears from the town. Although no business actually cease operations, many are forced to scale down and even close early due to lack of staff! 'Help Wanted' signs are seen in almost all shop & commerce or industry windows, and the lapse between summer and winter tourist seasons is a quiet time for the entire Bow Valley.

Canmore has one museum, the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre (CMAGS) located along 7th Ave in the town hall. In 2006, the Museum entered a Fee for Service agreement with the Town of Canmore to "act as the custodian of the Town's heritage, maintaining and preserving its artifacts, archives and to built heritage and to interpret this heritage through exhibitions and interpretive programming for residents and visitors on a year-round basis".

The primary newspapers for the town are the Canmore Leader and the Rocky Mountain Outlook although the Banff Crag & Canyon also circulates widely. The only radio station operating out of Canmore is CHMN-FM, an adult contemporary station run by Rogers Media. Former Much Music VJ, Bradford How was employed by the Rogers owned, Mountain FM (broadcast at 106.5 FM) before he won the MuchMusic VJ Search competition in 2000.

Many feature films have been shot in the Canmore area, including Brokeback Mountain, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Open Range, The Edge, Legends of the Fall, Shanghai Noon, Mystery Alaska, Snow Dogs, the pilot episode of Everwood, and others. The town was also popularized by the late John Morgan of the Royal Canadian Air Farce with his monosyllabic character "Mike from Canmore".

Canmore is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. Climbing is popular with trad, sport and multi-pitch climbs throughout the Bow Valley, and the area is a world destination for ice climbing. Kayakers and canoeists can enjoy guided trips with one of the many local outfitters, or independently navigate the surrounding rivers and lakes. Caving enthusiasts will enjoy the extensive Rat's Nest Cave.

The local AJHL hockey team is the Canmore Eagles. In 2001, Canmore resident and Eagles goalie "Double Blocker" Dan Blackburn, was drafted into the NHL to play for the New York Rangers. The local Bantam hockey team is the Canmore IceCats. The hockey movie Mystery, Alaska (1999) was filmed in Canmore.

On February 22, 2006, Canmore local Chandra Crawford won the Gold Medal in the women's cross-country 1.1-kilometre sprint at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Canmore United is the highly popular & successful local soccer team, participating in the summer Bow Valley Soccer League as well as tournaments in British Columbia and Alberta.