Our Big Stories

We are making Canmore a better place to call home.

Our mountain town moves fast. We are keeping you in the loop with the Big Stories unfolding in our community with a new storytelling approach to help you connect the dots.

Every year, we will feature six major themes that reflect our key projects, so you can understand the ‘why’ behind the work you see around town. Each theme has a unique icon that you can watch for as we roll-out initiatives that relate to each one.

Explore our 2024/5 stories below and follow our Big Stories blog at the bottom of this page to stay informed about the major work to increase the quality of life in Canmore in alignment with your Council's priorities.

We are making our community safer for people and wildlife.

Living and playing in the Bow Valley means we need to take extra care to live alongside wildlife. We are doing our part as a municipality by taking leadership to help people and wildlife thrive.

Some of our major work in 2024 and 2025 includes:

Filter our blog at the bottom of this page using the"Living with Wildlife" category for updates about this story.

We are planning for a vibrant Town Centre.

We are developing an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) for the Town Centre through a planning process called Connect Downtown.

Connect Downtown will provide a long-term plan for downtown, guiding the continued evolution and change of the area to the year 2050.

Some of our major work in 2024 and 2025 includes:

  • Conducting public engagement on our proposed strategies to shape the future of downtown in summer 2024.
  • Developing a draft plan for your input in early 2025.
  • Presenting the final plan for Council approval in spring 2025.

Filter our blog at the bottom of this page using the "Connect Downtown" category for updates about this story.

Learn more

We are taking action to address the housing crisis.

We are in a housing crisis. There are no easy fixes, however, we are working towards making housing more accessible for Canmore residents.

Some of our major work in 2024 and 2025 includes:

  • Advancing recommendations from the Livability Task Force.
  • Limiting the growth of tourist homes.
  • Incentivizing full-time, long-term occupancy of homes.
  • Encouraging purpose-built rentals.
  • Supporting more affordable housing options.

Filter our blog at the bottom of this page using the "Housing Action" category for updates about this story.

Learn more

We are protecting our community from hazards.

We are monitoring, hazards like flood and fire, mitigating risk, and preparing to respond to emergencies that may impact our community.

Some of our major work in 2024 and 2025 includes:

Filter our blog at the bottom of this page using the "We Are Prepared"category for updates about this story.

Learn more

We are making it easier to get around Canmore over the long-term.

We are focused on moving people safely and efficiently in our community by taking action to apply the bold vision of our Integrated Transportation Plan. We are also making the shift to more sustainable transportation options more accessible.

Some of our major work in 2024 and 2025 includes:

Filter our blog at the bottom of this page using the "Moving People"category for updates about this story.

Learn more

We are making Canmore a home for all.

We want everyone to feel seen and reflected in the programs and services that we offer. By adapting to community needs and trends, we are working hard to make sure that everyone feels like they are at home in Canmore.

Some of our major work in 2024 and 2025 includes:

Filter our blog at the bottom of this page using the "Home for All" category for updates about this story.

The Big Stories Blog

Explore our blog below for updates about the major work rolling out in the community related to our yearly Big Stories. 

Back to all news

What do you think about the draft plan for downtown?

Date posted:
Don't miss the return of The Warm Up festival on Feb. 27!
Don't miss the return of The Warm Up festival on Feb. 27!

Since October 2023, we have been crafting an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) to serve as a roadmap to guide the evolution of downtown Canmore as a community-centric space to the year 2050.

Following our largest and most innovative engagement efforts to date, which has garnered over 4,000 responses from a cross-section of our community, we have prepared a draft of the ARP.

In the earlier phases of engagement, your input helped us understand what matters to you downtown, what you hope for its future, and what you thought about ways to get there. Now, we want to know what you think about the draft plan as a pulse check to gauge community sentiment before it goes before Council this spring where you will have another opportunity to share your thoughts directly with Council as part of the public hearing process.

What You Need to Know

  • The draft ARP aligns with council-approved bylaws, plans, and strategies and is grounded in extensive public engagement. Through one of our largest and most innovative engagement processes ever, we heard from a broad cross-section of residents, businesses, and community organizations via events, workshops, and online tools. Since the project’s launch, we’ve received over 4,000 responses from the community!
  • This visionary 25-year plan charts a pathway to a vibrant downtown. While it guides growth and change, it does so in a way that ensures that we continue to recognize the heart of our downtown by aligning with our community values, reflecting and respecting our culture and environment, and honouring our storied past. At its heart, this plan is about people—creating a place where residents and visitors alike want to live, work, play, and connect. By reflecting what we heard is important to the community and anticipating the future needs of our residents, the ARP envisions a downtown that is built to thrive for generations to come.

Get Involved

  • Take the draft ARP survey: Share your feedback between Feb. 10 and March 2 for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a downtown business.
  • Tune into our virtual information session: Learn about the draft ARP and ask questions during our live webinar on Feb. 24 at noon (details coming soon). Can’t make it? We will share the recording afterwards.
  • Attend The Warm Up: On Feb. 27, starting at 6 p.m., The Warm Up festival returns for its second year. This crowd-favourite event features live music in unexpected venues, cultural storytelling, and an opportunity to explore the Connect Downtown plan at the Civic Centre. Learn more and get your ticket! 

Learn More

Explore the draft ARP and engagement results: Visit mycanmore.ca/connectdowntown to view the draft plan and the What We Heard reports summarizing input from earlier phases.

Announcements

Big Stories

Connect Downtown

Public Engagement

Back to all news