Connect Downtown: Planning a Vibrant Town Centre

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

Have your say! On April 1, 2025, Council gave first reading to the Town Centre Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2025-05 and scheduled a public hearing on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 9 a.m. in person at the Canmore Civic Centre, 902 – 7 Ave. You can attend in person or watch the hearing online at canmore.ca/webcast.

Learn more about the public hearing process and how to participate.

Get Informed

• Review the draft Area Redevelopment Plan for Downtown Canmore or read the supporting information boards for quick summaries of key chapters (located in the Key Documents manager in the right hand toolbar).
• Review the Council Report for Connect Downtown at the April 1, 2025 council meeting for plan highlights and key changes made to the draft due to public input in the Draft Plan phase of the project.
• Read the What We Heard Report from the Options phase of the project.
• Read the Vision Document and What We Heard Report from the Vision phase of the project.
  
  

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