A Lifetime in the Rockies: Canmore’s Age‑Friendly Path Forward
Overview
The Age-Friendly Working Group is leading A Lifetime in the Rockies: Canmore's Age-Friendly Path Forward, an initiative focused on ensuring Canmore remains a place where older adults (55+) and seniors (65+) can stay active, engaged, and connected.
The senior population is growing both globally and across Alberta. According to the 2021 Census, approximately 5,195 Canmore residents are over the age of 55, representing 32.49% of the community's population. Supported by the Town of Canmore and community partners, this initiative will help identify priorities and opportunities to support healthy aging in Canmore.
The initiative follows the Government of Alberta's Age-Friendly Community Recognition Program, which is based on eight domains identified by the World Health Organization as essential to healthy aging: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community supports and health services.
Achieving age-friendly recognition will provide a framework for evaluating how well Canmore supports older adults and seniors, while helping guide decisions about programs, services, and infrastructure that foster an inclusive community for residents of all ages.
Where Are We Now?
The first two phases of the project have been completed, including establishing the Age-Friendly Working Group and the passing of a Council resolution supporting the initiative on March 3, 2026.
During Phase 3, the Age-Friendly Working Group launched a survey to gather community feedback about aging well in Canmore. The Town of Canmore supported the initiative by hosting the survey on its website and promoting it through its digital channels.
The Preliminary What We Heard Report summarizes the feedback received through the survey and highlights key themes that will help shape the next phase of the project.
Phase 3: What We Heard and Why it Matters
From May 28 to July 6, residents shared their experiences of aging in Canmore, including what is working well today and what improvements may be needed in the future. The feedback gathered will help inform the Age-Friendly Action Plan and identify priorities for future programs, services, and infrastructure.
Several key themes emerged from the 456 responses:
Affordability and the cost of living are the greatest challenges to aging in place.
Older adults in Canmore value active, independent lifestyles and want to remain in their homes and community as they age.
Access to healthcare, support services, and information will become increasingly important.
Strong social connections and a sense of community are among Canmore's greatest strengths.
Older adults want opportunities to stay informed, involved, and engaged in community decision-making.
These insights will help shape future discussions and actions to support aging well in Canmore. To explore the survey findings in more detail, read the Preliminary What We Heard Report.
What's Happening Next?
The next phase of engagement will involve focus groups with community members who indicated their interest in participating when completing the survey.
Following the focus groups, the Age-Friendly Working Group will prepare a final engagement summary report combining feedback from both the survey and discussion sessions. These findings will help identify priorities and inform the development of future actions and recommendations for council consideration.
Contact
Please contact Family and Community Support Services at fcssadmin@canmore.ca or 403.678.3743.
