Social Needs Assessment
Overview
We are conducting a Social Needs Assessment in 2025 and 2026 to deepen our understanding of our community’s social issues, priorities, and opportunities.
Context
Canmore is home to people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and needs. As our town grows and changes, creating a livable, inclusive community for everyone is a top priority.
The Community Social Development department, including Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and Family Connection Centre, works to provide and coordinate essential social programs and services for individuals, families, and the community.
These programs are designed to be preventative, responsive, and community-driven — meaning they rely on current, local input to be effective.
That’s why we're looking to deepen our understanding of our community’s social issues, priorities, and opportunities through this Social Needs Assessment.
This assessment will help us:
- Understand the most pressing social issues facing residents today.
- Find gaps in services and programs and emerging challenges.
- Plan services and programs that are relevant, timely, and serving those who need them most.
- Provide a reliable data-informed reference to guide other Town of Canmore departments and social-serving organizations in the Bow Valley.
This is our chance to come together as a community and local government to talk about the important social issues that affect us all in different ways. Together, we can understand the social needs of our community and create supports that help each other thrive.
How We Will Use Your Input
The Social Needs Assessment will help us understand what our community needs most.
Your input, gathered through a survey, focus groups, and community conversations, will provide an important foundation for the creation of a new Community Social Development Strategic Plan. This plan will help to inform our Community Social Development department’s work for the next five years or more.
The Social Needs Assessment will also offer a reliable information source for other Town of Canmore departments and local social organizations and groups as they plan work that impacts the community.
Get Informed
- Learn about community supports and services offered by the Town of Canmore.
Read our existing Community Social Development Strategy.
Get Involved
Online survey
The Social Needs Assessment survey is now closed. Thank you to all who took the time to participate and share their perspectives! We will be reviewing the results in early 2026 and will inform you once the next phase of engagement begins.
Contact
To learn more, please contact our Community Social Development Department at fcssadmin@canmore.ca.
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Thank you for participating!
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Your voice matters!
We're grateful to the hundreds of folks around Canmore who took the time to share their perspective in our Social Needs Assessment survey.
While the survey is closed as of Dec. 19, 2025, we look forward to the chance to engage with and hear from you again in the new year.
What's next?
Our Community Social Development will thoroughly review the survey results in early 2026. This data will be important in informing guides for the next phase of engagement: focus groups and community conversations.
We will be in touch with those who expressed interest in participating in focus groups and community conversations. We will let the public know once this next phase of engagement is open.
Thank you again. If you have any questions, please contact our Community Social Development Department at fcssadmin@canmore.ca.