Off-site Levy Bylaw

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Overview

The Municipal Government Act (MGA) regulates the collection of development levies in Alberta. An offsite levy bylaw, crafted and approved in accordance with the MGA, enables the Municipality to collect funds through development levies to fund costs of facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure needed to support growth. The Town of Canmore offsite levy methodology includes:

  • Master planning to determine facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure required to support growth;
  • A method of determining the levies associated with the bylaw; and
  • A description of how costs incurred by the Town of Canmore in providing facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure are to be collected from the development community.

This is necessary because the Town of Canmore often needs to pay for large growth-related facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure projects much earlier than the development occurs. In contrast, the offsite levies are paid by developers as installments over time based on actual units developed. This creates a long term, financially binding relationship between the Town of Canmore (Town) and the development community and as such, requires a consistent, fair, and transparent approach.

Offsite levies enable the Town to:

  • Plan for growth in alignment with the Town’s statutory documents including Municipal Development Plans, Area Structure Plans, and Area Redevelopment Plans; and approved growth-related master plans.
  • Provide facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure required to support a growing community.
  • Ensure basic needs of new neighbourhoods and developments are met.
  • Build required facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure when it is needed.


The Context

Council amended the Off-Site Levy Bylaw in March 2024. The updated bylaw aimed to ensures that Town is collecting the correct amount of funds from the development industry to cover the costs of new infrastructure. Without the update, those costs fall to existing ratepayers to cover. In passing the bylaw, Council spoke to a model to ensure that new growth pays for itself, without passing those costs on to existing ratepayers

The Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association (BOWDA) and five developers challenged the bylaw with the Land and Property Rights Tribunal (LPRT). The LPRT released their decision and declared the OSL bylaw invalid, largely for failing to make publicly available during the consultation period the calculations by which it arrived at the off-site levy as well as certain data and assumptions used to complete the calculations, and information necessary to replicate them. The ruling gave the Town four months to re-pass the bylaw, while leaving the previously approved one in place. We are doing that work now.


Consultation Sessions

All information on consultation that takes place to re-pass the bylaw will be posted here, you can also access meeting dates, agendas, presentations, minutes and any other relevant information, using the right hand navigation bar.

The Town is consulting with stakeholders on:

  • Existing and future infrastructure and facility requirements.
  • The methodology on which to base an off-site levy
  • The calculation of the levy, with the stakeholders in the benefitting areas where the off-site levy will apply.

In regards to the definition of a stakeholder, it means:

  • any person that will be required to pay an off-site levy when the bylaw is passed, or
  • any other person the municipality considers is affected.


Session 1 - Aug. 8, 2025


Session 2 - Aug. 29, 2025


Session 3 - Sept. 12, 2025

Technical Documents

Questions

If you have questions please reach out to shared.communications@canmore.ca


Overview

The Municipal Government Act (MGA) regulates the collection of development levies in Alberta. An offsite levy bylaw, crafted and approved in accordance with the MGA, enables the Municipality to collect funds through development levies to fund costs of facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure needed to support growth. The Town of Canmore offsite levy methodology includes:

  • Master planning to determine facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure required to support growth;
  • A method of determining the levies associated with the bylaw; and
  • A description of how costs incurred by the Town of Canmore in providing facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure are to be collected from the development community.

This is necessary because the Town of Canmore often needs to pay for large growth-related facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure projects much earlier than the development occurs. In contrast, the offsite levies are paid by developers as installments over time based on actual units developed. This creates a long term, financially binding relationship between the Town of Canmore (Town) and the development community and as such, requires a consistent, fair, and transparent approach.

Offsite levies enable the Town to:

  • Plan for growth in alignment with the Town’s statutory documents including Municipal Development Plans, Area Structure Plans, and Area Redevelopment Plans; and approved growth-related master plans.
  • Provide facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure required to support a growing community.
  • Ensure basic needs of new neighbourhoods and developments are met.
  • Build required facilities, infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure when it is needed.


The Context

Council amended the Off-Site Levy Bylaw in March 2024. The updated bylaw aimed to ensures that Town is collecting the correct amount of funds from the development industry to cover the costs of new infrastructure. Without the update, those costs fall to existing ratepayers to cover. In passing the bylaw, Council spoke to a model to ensure that new growth pays for itself, without passing those costs on to existing ratepayers

The Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association (BOWDA) and five developers challenged the bylaw with the Land and Property Rights Tribunal (LPRT). The LPRT released their decision and declared the OSL bylaw invalid, largely for failing to make publicly available during the consultation period the calculations by which it arrived at the off-site levy as well as certain data and assumptions used to complete the calculations, and information necessary to replicate them. The ruling gave the Town four months to re-pass the bylaw, while leaving the previously approved one in place. We are doing that work now.


Consultation Sessions

All information on consultation that takes place to re-pass the bylaw will be posted here, you can also access meeting dates, agendas, presentations, minutes and any other relevant information, using the right hand navigation bar.

The Town is consulting with stakeholders on:

  • Existing and future infrastructure and facility requirements.
  • The methodology on which to base an off-site levy
  • The calculation of the levy, with the stakeholders in the benefitting areas where the off-site levy will apply.

In regards to the definition of a stakeholder, it means:

  • any person that will be required to pay an off-site levy when the bylaw is passed, or
  • any other person the municipality considers is affected.


Session 1 - Aug. 8, 2025


Session 2 - Aug. 29, 2025


Session 3 - Sept. 12, 2025

Technical Documents

Questions

If you have questions please reach out to shared.communications@canmore.ca


Page last updated: 16 Sep 2025, 01:08 PM