Connect Downtown: Planning a Vibrant Town Centre

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Overview

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 extensive public engagement, we have drafted the ARP, and we are launching a final public input phase before bringing the draft plan to Council in the spring.

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.




The Context

Since its founding in 1883 as a rail hub, Canmore has continually reinvented itself—first as a coal mining town, then an Olympic host, and now as a thriving recreation destination.

Today, Canmore faces a tipping point as we confront new challenges, including pressure on a fixed transportation network, increased visitation, a housing crisis, and the impacts of climate change. Given these pressures, we need to rethink how we use limited land in the heart of our community for the greatest benefit.




Get Involved

We thank everyone who shared their perspective on the draft Area Redevelopment Plan. To stay informed for future opportunities, you can sign up for project updates by clicking the sidebar.




Get Informed



Learn More

Watch our Feb. 24, 2025 virtual information session about the draft plan.




How We Will Use Your Input

Your feedback throughout the process will be considered and reflected in the final plan that will be considered by Town Council in Spring 2025.



Contact
To learn more, contact our team by email at communications@canmore.ca


Overview

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 extensive public engagement, we have drafted the ARP, and we are launching a final public input phase before bringing the draft plan to Council in the spring.

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.




The Context

Since its founding in 1883 as a rail hub, Canmore has continually reinvented itself—first as a coal mining town, then an Olympic host, and now as a thriving recreation destination.

Today, Canmore faces a tipping point as we confront new challenges, including pressure on a fixed transportation network, increased visitation, a housing crisis, and the impacts of climate change. Given these pressures, we need to rethink how we use limited land in the heart of our community for the greatest benefit.




Get Involved

We thank everyone who shared their perspective on the draft Area Redevelopment Plan. To stay informed for future opportunities, you can sign up for project updates by clicking the sidebar.




Get Informed



Learn More

Watch our Feb. 24, 2025 virtual information session about the draft plan.




How We Will Use Your Input

Your feedback throughout the process will be considered and reflected in the final plan that will be considered by Town Council in Spring 2025.



Contact
To learn more, contact our team by email at communications@canmore.ca

  • Tell us what you think about the draft ARP for Downtown Canmore!

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    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 extensive public engagement, we have drafted the ARP, and we have launched a final public input phase before bringing the draft plan to Council in the spring.

    In the earlier phases of engagement, public 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.

    Take the last Connect Downtown survey by March 2 for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a downtown business of your choice, tune into our webinar on Feb. 24 at noon, or visit our pop-up engagement at The Warm Up on Feb. 27.

    You can explore the full draft of the Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) and our "What We Heard" reports that summarize the public input from earlier phasess on the right hand toolbar.

  • What We Heard Report - Options Phase

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    On the tail of our extensive first phase of engagement where we sought broad-based input about our community’s priorities for this plan, the Options phase of engagement served as a pulse check to determine if we were on the right track prior to developing a draft plan.

    In the spirit of transparency, we presented all potential strategies and concepts under consideration. Information about all the proposed strategies was available on our MyCanmore website, integrated into our pop-engagement at Elevation Place, and acted as the backbone of our online survey.

    Typically, we do not conduct engagement in the summer months; however, we wanted to provide as many engagement touchstones as possible throughout the planning process and prior to drafting the plan. And despite the summer timeline, we exceeded our past records for engagement turnout.

    We received over 2,400 comments from a diverse representation of individuals, community organizations, industry associations and businesses—including 1,759 responses to our online survey.

    Overall, the feedback confirms that the project is moving in the right direction. However, the planning team will need to carefully balance community concerns with the broader objectives of the plan, particularly regarding increases in building heights and density.

    Read the full report to learn more about what we heard from the community.

  • Close of Options Phase

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    Thank you to everyone who participated in the Options phase of the project. We received spirited input from over 2,000 people through an online survey, a three-week pop-up at Elevation Place, meetings with residents, and a stakeholder workshop.

    We are currently reviewing feedback received during the process and will release a comprehensive What We Heard Report this fall as we prepare a draft plan that we will present back to the community for input in early 2025. It is important to note that the ideas presented were preliminary concepts and may look different in the final Area Redevelopment Plan.

    Thank you to believing in the future of our community!

  • Vision Document and What We Heard Report Released

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    On May 21, 2024, we presented the final Vision Document with the supporting What We Heard Report to Council.

    Connect Downtown publicly launched in October 2023 and is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2025.The first public-facing phase of work was the “Visioning” phase, which involved broad community engagement and research to understand what people value downtown and what opportunities there are for improvement. In total, more than 1,600 direct interactions with the community and stakeholders helped improve our understanding of what is working downtown today, what people want to see changed, and what is possible in the future.

    The results from this phase of work supported the creation of a community vision for the future of downtown, which includes a vision statement, six core values, and ten big ideas. Together, these elements will be used to inform the development of draft policy in the “Options” phase of work that will happen next.

    This report articulates this community vision along with a detailed summary of what we heard through engagement.

  • Close of Visioning Phase

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    Thank you to everyone who participated in the Visioning phase of the project. Over 3000 people participated in this phase of the project, including online tools, classroom workshops, and a downtown-wide music festival. Your contributions are essential in shaping the future of our community.

    We are currently reviewing feedback received during the process and will release a comprehensive What We Heard Report alongside a Visioning Document later this spring.

    Follow this page as we prepare for the next engagement phase of the project this summer where we will seek your input on potential policy options for downtown.

  • A Wrap on the Warm Up!

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    THAT’S A WRAP!

    We are blown away, Canmore! Thank you to everyone who came out to support local music for the first-ever Warm Up! This weekend was a testament to the wonderful community we get to call home.

    We also saw over 800 people share their vision for the future of downtown as part of Connect Downtown to help shape a future that can host more great events like this one.

    A BIG thank you to our venues:


    And we couldn't have done it without our partner Canmore Folk Music Festival, volunteers, emcees, and YOU!

  • What's Your Big Idea for Downtown Canmore?

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    We are developing an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) to create a long-term plan for the Downtown’s future called, Connect Downtown: Planning for a Vibrant Town Centre.

    As we develop the plan, there is an opportunity for the public to shape the future experience downtown – how people travel, gather, and interact with the space. Throughout 2024, there will be several key milestones for the public to provide input.

    There are many ways that you can participate:

    We invite you to tell us about your current experience, share what is important to you, and imagine what you want to see in the Downtown of 2050. Until March 1, there are many ways you can share your voice:

    • Take our survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a downtown business of your choice.

    • Drop a pin or a photo on our interactive map, add a big idea for downtown on our digital sounding board, or ask our Planning Team a question about the process.

    • Attend The Warm Up, presented with the Canmore Folk Music Festival on Feb. 9. Catch fresh tracks from your favourite local artists and share your thoughts about the future of downtown in person at our pop-up engagement for another chance to win a $100 gift card to a downtown business of your choice.

    • Be part of the conversation at our online workshop on Feb. 21 from 6-8 p.m. Space is limited. Reserve your spot now at https://forms.office.com/r/Rz9Gw80KgW

  • Save the Date for: The Warm Up - Catch Fresh Tracks Downtown Canmore

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    We're teaming up with the Canmore Folk Music Festival to present The Warm Up: a micro music festival on the evening of Friday, Feb. 9 to kick off our public engagement for Connect Downtown.

    Shake the frost and cozy into an evening of local music in intimate venues at The Warm Up, presented by the Canmore Folk Music Festival and the Town of Canmore as part of the Connect Downtown project to imagine the future of our town centre.

    One night. 11 artists. Four venues—all within a snowball’s throw in downtown Canmore.

    Event Schedule:

    • 6- 9:30 p.m. The Warm Up Hub at the Civic Centre Plaza
    • 7-10 p.m. Concerts at four downtown venues: Stonewaters, Communitea, Carter-Ryan Gallery, and the ArtsPlace
    • 9:30-10:30 p.m. Stonewaters Après Party


    Line Up:

    • Amelie Patterson, Cave Arcade, Mike Tod, and more!

    Between musical sets at iconic local venues to catch all your favourite local artists, grab cocoa at the Warm Up Hub in the Civic Centre Plaza. While you’re there, share your vision for the future of downtown at our Connect Downtown engagement for a chance to win a $100 giftcard to a downtown business of your choice.

    The Warm Up is free, but space is as limited as fresh tracks on a powder day. Arrive early to lock down that first-chair feeling! If a concert is full, wander to the next venue like you would festival stages since performances are happening throughout the night at each location.

    Then don’t miss the Après Party at Stonewaters from 9:30-10:30 p.m. to close out the night.

    Learn more about Connect Downtown at mycanmore.ca/connectdowntown
    For schedule and full event details, visit: canmorefolkfestival.com/the-warm-up

Page last updated: 04 Mar 2025, 11:04 AM