Located on Treaty 7 Territory, Canmore is nestled in the heart of the Bow River Valley in the Canadian Rockies.
Framed by iconic peaks like the Three Sisters and bisected by the Bow River, Canmore’s environment is a blend of rugged mountains, forests, and glacial-fed waters that draw both residents and visitors to explore our extraordinary natural surroundings.
Living and playing in this special place comes with special responsibilities to reduce our impact on the environment to ensure that it can be enjoyed for generations to come.
Visiting Canmore? Learn more about experiencing Canmore like a local
Canmore's Wildlife
Canmore is part of a vital wildlife corridor, home to a rich diversity of species that thrive in the surrounding habitat, including bears, elk, and cougars. Although living in such close proximity to wildlife contributes to the magic of Canmore, wildlife is unpredictable and may injure or kill your or your pets.
We need to do our part to ensure that we can coexist with our wild neighbours for our safety and theirs.
Natural Hazards
Our mountain town faces several natural hazards, including flooding, wildfire risk, and drought. Canada is warming at an accelerated rate, increasing the likelihood of severe weather and natural hazards.
Learn more about preparing for local hazards and how you can stay safe.
Take Action
We all have a role to play as stewards of this special place. Learn more about the actions you can take to reduce our impact on the environment.
Use Sustainable Transportation
Canmore’s roads can get busy, especially in the summer. With limited road space, we’re transforming our transportation network to make walking, biking, and public transit safer and more convenient.
- Check the Roam Transit schedule—it’s free for everyone!
- Learn more about our plan to make it easier to get around Canmore
Canmore is a year-round outdoor playground with a network of trails that are open to everyone, no matter their ability or how they choose to get around.
Our trail network invites both residents and visitors to leave their cars at home or the hotel and enjoy over 80 km of local trails and pathways. These paths allow for all kinds of human-powered travel, including walking, cycling, roller skiing, skateboarding, rollerblading, push scooters, families with strollers, people with mobility aids, and even cross-country skiing in the winter.
Find a Trail
Alberta Parks manages many of trails in the Canmore area, including the Canmore Nordic Centre. Visit their website for up-to-date trail information, closures, and advisories. Discover more outdoor adventures in Canmore from our friends at Tourism Canmore Kananaskis.
Be Bear Aware
Canmore is home to wildlife, including elk and bears. Be wildlife-aware: keep an earbud out, carry bear spray, give animals plenty of space, and keep dogs on a leash.
Take the Pledge to the Peaks
Canmore is a very special place surrounded by the protected lands of Kananaskis and Banff National Park. We invite you to follow the Pledge to the Peaks to care for the land, animals, and people of Canmore and Kananaskis for generations to come.
Take the Pledge to the Peaks to commit to traveling lightly and respectfully in the mountains.
Use Water Wisely
While Canmore has ample sources of drinking water, we are not immune to drought conditions. At times, mandatory water restrictions may be in place to conserve our resources. Whether you’re here for a day or a lifetime, please use water responsibly to help ensure long-term water security—and reduce your utility bill too!
- Fix any leaks promptly
- Use water-efficient appliances and fixtures
- Water outdoor plants during early morning or late evening
- Landscape with native plants
- Install a rain barrel to capture rainwater
- Learn more about water conservation in Canmore
Keep anything that isn't garbage out of our landfill.
Garbage that winds up in a landfill is a signifcant source of emissions; we need your help to make sure waste ends up in the right place.
We are still seeing a significant amount of food waste ending up in the garbage, but food isn't garbage! Drop food scraps in our organics bins located throughout our community. Material collected in these bins becomes high-quality compost. We also offer a commercial waste pick up program for businesses.
We are proud to offer a no charge large item pick up service for residential addresses. Book a time, leave your bulky item outside your home, and we take care of the rest. We accept select appliances, furniture, mattresses, and other select items. Learn more about which types of things we pick up, and book your large item pick up time online.
We collect recycling in the community through the blue recycling bins located in your neighborhood (beside the brown garbage bins). They are set up for three streams of recycling: mixed paper (all paper and cardboard), glass, plastic and metal.
We also accept a range of items including electronics at our Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot is located at 115 Boulder Crescent. The facility is open seven days per week from 8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.