January
Canmore council approved the terms of reference and funding for the tourism task force to examine and analyze how tourism should look in the community in the coming years. The task force would begin virtual open houses in June to better understand what residents want the future of tourism to look like for the town.
A community fundraiser was launched to help raise $100,000 to help purchase medical equipment for local Roman Bravo Jr., a 10-year-old living with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
Canmore recorded its second confirmed COVID-19 death when a man in his 90s died in an outbreak at Origins at Spring Creek. A COVID-19 outbreak was later declared Jan. 27 in the acute care unit of the Canmore General Hospital as the pandemic continues to impact the valley. The year began to look up as long-term care residents in Canmore began receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 6 at Canmore General Hospital.
February
The Three Sisters Mountain Village Smith Creek and Three Sisters Village area structure plans (ASP) received unanimous support at first reading by Canmore council on Feb. 9. The proposed development would be the largest in Canmore and see the build-out of the area for the next three decades. The ASPs would head to a public hearing in March. The first reading for the Gateway commercial property was approved by Canmore council later in February.
The Safe Park program was approved by council to begin in the summer after it had been put on a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The pilot project is designed to help manage the growing number of people working in the community, but living out of their vehicles.
Canmore council added its voice to a growing number of municipalities asking the province to stop its plans to begin coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Canmore council backed away from its plans to begin paid downtown parking during 2021, with the intent to begin in 2022. The plan had originally been planned for 2020, but was postponed because of the pandemic.
The 2021 budget was approved by council and came with a 4.5 per cent municipal tax increase – significantly down from the originally proposed 8.5 per cent. The operating budget was passed at $57.8 million. A residential property valued at $700,000 and paid $1,539 in municipal taxes in 2020 would see a $69 annual increase.
March
The public hearings for the Smith Creek and Three Sisters Village ASPs began March 9 for the opportunity for Canmore residents to voice support or opposition to the plans. More than 90 per cent of participants spoke against the plans based on issues of undermining, impact on the environment and wildlife and if the plans were appropriate for the community. The public hearing lasted six days.
Paid parking for Quarry Lake was given the go-ahead by Canmore council, but residents living within 500-metres of the popular spot would be given three street parking permits, and households would receive a free annual pass. A new transit route to Quarry Lake was also approved for 2022.
The $14.5 million project for a new fire hall was approved for Palliser Trail, with plans to begin construction in 2022.
A pilot program – resident emergency shelter temporary – offering shelter from the cold opened March 1 with funding coming from the Rural Development Network.
A new program from the Town of Canmore looks to have commercial food waste composted rather than sent to landfills. The program covered the startup costs for 32 local businesses.
April
The second reading of the Three Sisters Village ASP was approved 6-1 by Canmore council and is set to head to third reading, with only Coun. Karen Marra opposed. The vote saw council make significant amendments, including increasing the perpetual affordable housing from 10 to 20 per cent. The Smith Creek ASP was unanimously defeated by council.
The Gateway commercial property receives unanimous third reading on April 5 to proceed with construction of what will be one of the largest commercial projects in decades for Canmore. It would still have to gain support from the Town’s subdivision authority.
Roam transit approves a reservation pilot program for routes to Johnston Canyon and Lake Louise to help with seating to follow COVID-19 public health guidelines. The plan would still allow people to show up the day of, with a certain number of seats available for that.
An update to Canmore council shows a growing number of solar panels on municipal buildings – more than 2,300 – will lead to the reduction of nearly 500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2021.
May
The third reading of the Three Sisters Village ASP was resoundingly defeated by council in a vote of 6-1 against. The third reading of the Three Sisters Village ASP was delayed earlier in the month to allow Town staff and the developer to work on the amendments by council from second reading.
Council approved the negotiations between the Town and Alpine Helicopters for the Canmore Heliport to continue and potential new locations be explored. A virtual Town Hall was held on the proposed 10-year lease between the Town of Canmore and Alpine Helicopters at the Canmore Heliport, with a mix of support for Alpine and opposition, largely due to the noise created by helicopters.
A 59-year-old former Canmore resident, David Lertzman, was killed in a bear attack in the Waiparous area on May 4.
June
Three Sisters Mountain Village filed for judicial review on the defeated Smith Creek ASP. The review, when heard by the Court of Queen’s Bench, will see if council acted lawfully under the Municipal Government Act. The court granted it moving forward on July 12.
Our Lady of the Rockies Roman Catholic parish apologized for removing shoes that were left to memorialize the 215 children who were discovered at the former Kamloops Residential School.
Canmore Community Housing announced 10 new affordable homes were being constructed and added to its portfolio to help address more affordable homes for residents.
Canmore council gave the OK to a one-year pilot project to allow e-bike guided tours in town to see the possible congestion it may add in the community and on the Legacy Trail.
A home on Canyon Road in the Cougar Creek area of town sold for $4.2 million – the most expensive since at least 2014 – a sign of the significant price increase in homes being felt by communities across the country.
Roam transit unveiled its new net-zero carbon building that has the largest solar panel array in either Banff or Jasper national parks. The $8.5 million building was paid for with federal, provincial and municipal funding.
July
Canmore council rescinded its mask bylaw in a 6-1 vote, with councillors preferring to keep it in place, but saying it was too difficult to enforce for both public and private sector operations. Canmore was the final municipality to have it in place and it came shortly after Banff removed its mask mandate.
Three Sisters Mountain Village filed for judicial review on the defeated Three Sisters ASP. The review, when heard by the Court of Queen’s Bench, will see if council acted lawfully under the Municipal Government Act. The review was later granted by the court.
Canmore residents had a community-wide boil water advisory that left some areas of town on advisory for about a week as EPCOR and Town of Canmore staff worked to improve the situation. It was completely lifted by Aug. 9.
Canmore set record highs in temperatures in its recorded history with the region marking a high of 38.2 Celsius. Banff also hit record high temperatures of 37.8 C.
August
The popular Legacy Trail between Banff and Canmore hit one million rides along the 26-kilometre trail.
Three Sisters Mountain Village filed an appeal Aug. 9 under Section 619 of the Municipal Government Act for the Three Sisters Village ASP that was defeated by Canmore council in the spring. The case will be heard by the Land and Property Rights Tribunal early in 2022.
Longtime Town of Canmore CAO Lisa de Soto announced she would retire at the end of 2021 after holding the role since 2012. de Soto has worked for the Town since 1996.
Canmore council updated its open space and trails plan policy to help additional dog parks be constructed in the future in the community.
September
A Town Hall meeting was held Sept. 9 in Canmore to discuss the shortage of ambulances in Canmore throughout the summer, as the two regular ambulances in the community were frequently called to other towns. A citizen action group between Canmore and Banff residents is formed to lobby Alberta Health Services about the lack of ambulance coverage in the two communities.
Canmore council rescinded a 2017 motion to develop a wildlife management plan in the Lower Silvertip wildlife corridor and create a working group of landowners in the area to establish an approach forward.
The initial two LPRT hearings between the Town of Canmore and TSMVPL are held virtually. The Stoney Nakoda First Nation, Natural Resources Conservation Board and Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative both appealed to join as third-party intervenors for the hearings. The three groups are later given limited intervenor status.
The first Pride Week in Canmore begins on Sept. 16 to bring further attention and support to the community’s LGBTQ2S+ residents.
The Quarry Lake paid parking program showed initial success with the Town collecting a net revenue of about $220,000, which was about triple the initial projection. The revenue would later be used in the 2022 budget to increase local public transit.
The race for Canmore council is finalized on Sept. 20 when three candidates come forward for the mayoral seat and 11 people put their names forward for councillor roles.
October
The Oct. 18 municipal election has Sean Krausert elected as mayor, while council is rounded out by Tanya Foubert, Jeff Mah, Joanna McCallum, Wade Graham, Karen Marra and Jeff Hilstad.
The tourism task force completed its mandate in hearing from the public during a lengthy process. A community-led tourism framework and roundtable will be created to help develop policy.
The Gateway commercial development is approved by the Town’s subdivision authority to begin construction on the community’s largest commercial project in several decades.
Following the success of the Quarry Lake paid parking pilot program, Canmore council directs staff to look to the lessons learned from the pilot and Banff's visitor pay parking program to launch the project in Canmore in 2022.
The Town of Canmore mandates a vaccination policy for all of its employees, with only a handful not meeting the requirements to get their first dose by Oct. 26.
November
The filming of the HBO TV show, The Last of Us, begins shooting at sites across Canmore, but most notable on Main Street, which is shut down for about a week.
Canmore Community Housing announce its new strategic plan on Nov. 3 that will focus on increasing the land supply to help in future construction of affordable housing.
Canmore council adds its name to a growing chorus of Canadian municipalities in advocating the federal government to help cover the retroactive costs with the new RCMP contract. When the bill comes, it is estimated it will cost Canmore about $1 million.
Canmore council begins its initial operating and capital budget deliberations, with a proposed capital budget of $27 million and an operating budget of $61.2 million.
While there was minimal participation last summer, Town of Canmore staff recommended the Safe Park program continue for at least one more year.
December
Canmore council approves its operating and capital budgets for 2022. The operating budget comes in at $61.5 million and the capital at $26.3 million. Among the highlights are increased weekday and Sunday public transit, and a new planning position to focus on the downtown area redevelopment plan and the Palliser ASP, which will set the tone for the development of both areas for the next generation. It results in a 5.1 per cent increase from the previous budget.
TSMVPL launches a civil lawsuit against the Town of Canmore and the previous Canmore council for $161 million in damages over its rejection of the Smith Creek and Three Sisters Village ASPs. The lawsuit comes days after the dates for the LPRT hearings were set for February and March.
