Connect Downtown: Planning a Vibrant Town Centre
Overview
We are developing an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) for Canmore’s downtown. An ARP lays out a comprehensive vision supported by a land use concept, a public realm plan, and a set of supporting development policies that will work in unison over the next 25 years to the year 2050.
Connect Downtown will address several interconnected topics that will shape the future of our downtown spaces, including the future look, feel, and function of Main Street, how we move through downtown, ways to integrate more housing, and reimagining downtown parks and open spaces.
As we develop the plan, there is an opportunity for the public to shape the future experience of the area – how people live, experience, and travel downtown.
Get Involved
We want to hear from you about our proposed strategies for downtown.
- Take our survey from July 15 to Aug. 6, 2024 for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a downtown business of your choice
- Visit our pop-up engagement from July 15 to Aug. 2, 2024 at Elevation Place. We will have team members on site to answer your questions on market days between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 18, July 25, and Aug. 1.
Get Informed
- Read the Vision Document and What We Heard Report from the Vision phase of the project.
- Read our information booklet that provides an overview of our proposed strategies for downtown.
- Read the existing Town Centre Enhancement Concept Plan
How We Will Use Your Input
Based on recent engagement, we developed a project vision with ten big ideas that outlines "where we want to go" for the downtown ARP. You can review the Vision Document and What We Heard Report that reflects the input we received from the community and will guide the next phases of the project.
We now want to know what you think of some potential strategies that to advance the vision. Your feedback throughout the process will be considered and reflected in the final plan that will be considered by Town Council in early 2025.
Contact
To learn more, contact our team by email at communications@canmore.ca
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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.
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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.
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
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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
