Tourist Home Classification
For properties zoned and classed for assessment purposes as ‘Tourist Home’, the Town of Canmore Bylaw 20-2007 includes a provision whereby registered owners on title may apply to the Town for the Residential property assessment sub-class 'Tourist Home - Primary Residence'. This would result in the 'Residential' mill rate being applied in the calculation of the annual property tax levy.
 

includes a provision whereby registered owners on title may apply to the Town for the Residential property assessment sub-class 'Tourist Home - Primary Residence'. This would result in the 'Residential' mill rate being applied in the calculation of the annual property tax levy.

 

This provision is dependent on the property being the primary residence of the registered (titled) owner(s) and does not apply to properties that are corporately owned or are leased or rented at any time. In instances where the applicant or their spouse/partner own more than one property zoned as 'Tourist Home', only one property is eligible for the 'Tourist Home - Primary Residence' sub-class provision. As per the Bylaw, when the application is received after June 30, the reduced mill rate will be applied to the following year's tax calculation and property taxes will not be pro-rated for the current taxation year.

Homeowners who wish to avail themselves of this provision must submit an Application for 'Tourist Home - Primary Residence'. As part of the application process, the property owner must complete a Statutory Declaration, notarized by a lawyer, attesting that the property is their primary residence. In addition to the Statutory Declaration the applicant must also provide at least two (2) pieces of supporting documentation establishing that their mailing address is the same as the property address or that, for insurance purposes, the property is the primary residence of the applicant. The Town reserves the right to request additional documentation.

If the above conditions are met the 'Tourist Home - Primary Residence' sub-class will be applied to the property for a maximum period of three taxation years. However, the property assessment classification will immediately revert back to 'Tourist Home' if, at any time during this period, any of the following occur:

  • The Town of Canmore is notified by Alberta Land Titles of a change of registered owners on title.
  • The Town of Canmore is notified by any means that the applicant's mailing address has changed.
  • The Town of Canmore is notified by any means that the property is rented as a Tourist Home or used for other rental purposes.

If the applicant continues to own and reside in the property for more than three years and wishes to extend the 'Tourist Home - Primary residence' provision the application process must be repeated.