Housing Action

Canmore would need to see about 2,000 non-market housing units available to address the housing availability and affordability issues contributing to the erosion of our community fabric.

The Livability Task Force included the Mayor, two members of Canmore Council, and a representative from Tourism Kananaskis, Spring Creek Developments, a local realtor, a rental property management company, and a Canmore Community Housing board member.

Over the course of a lengthy consultation, this Task Force considered principles of equity, tax incidence, efficiency, red tape reduction, accountability, predictability, and other external considerations that influence the livability in Canmore.

• An owner of a residential property, or their authorized agent, will be required to annually declare if their property qualifies for the primary residential subclass by December 31 of each year.
• You can make your primary residence declaration (when open) online. 
• To qualify as a primary residence:
  • The property must be where the owner or renter conducts their daily life, their government issued identification shows this address, as well as their CRA documents and any other mail they may receive, and
  • the owner or renter must live in a dwelling unit on the property for at least 183 cumulative days in a calendar year, and
  • 60 of the days must be continuous. This does not mean the owner or renter can't go away for the weekend or on vacation, it means the property is your primary residence you return to. This provision is meant to preclude properties being rented out short-term from qualifying, and
  • a person may only have one Primary Residence, and
  • the property cannot be in the Tourist Home tax subclass.
• Apartment buildings with all units under one tax roll and employee housing as defined in the bylaw, and individually titled residential parking stalls and storage units will be automatically placed in the primary residential subclass, no declaration will be required.
• There will be a number of exemptions that preclude owners from occupying or renting out their properties in a year. In order to have an exemption recognized, a declaration will still need to be made. The exemptions include:
  • the property was sold to an arm's length party in the previous taxation year, is registered or in the process of being registered with Land Titles and is immediately occupied (by the purchaser or a tenant) as a primary residence.
  • the property was newly constructed, occupation and normal use of the the property as a primary residence was not possible,
  • a dwelling unit on the property was undergoing permitted repairs or renovations that precluded occupancy,
  • the owner is deceased in the last two years,
  • the owner is hospitalized, or placed in a long term or supportive care facility,
  • written order was in force that prohibited occupancy,
  • a dwelling unit on the property was impacted by a catastrophic event that precluded occupancy.

The C.D. Howe Institute released a study late last year that found vacant home taxes significantly reduced the number of empty homes while not affecting construction rates at all. In short, this taxation model would increase the supply of homes for those looking to live in our community full-time.

Meeting someone who was born and raised in Canmore—and still lives here— is often called finding a “unicorn.” Well, we’d like to make unicorns a little less rare.

Our decision to introduce this new tax level is focused on providing a fair opportunity for those who want to put down roots and build a life in Canmore while safeguarding the rich, vibrant community fabric that can make this place a hometown for generations to come.

Seventy-five per cent of Canmore households will not be negatively affected by this change, as studies have shown that subclass taxation can unlock new housing, strengthen community bonds, and increase the revenue generated for housing initiatives.

Home vacancy decreases our ability to truly create a sustainable local economy. Not only is it hard to recruit and retain staff with limited housing availability, but fewer residents means less year-round support for local business.

Having more permanent residents means extra revenue for our small businesses, greater access to a larger labour pool, and a more energized community that sticks around after 5 p.m.

Purpose-Built Rentals Policy

On Jan. 7, Council approved a purpose-built rentals incentive policy which aims to increase the availability of rental units in our community. The policy will allow a grant equivalent to 75% of municipal property taxes for a period of up to 10 years. In order to qualify, 95% of units must be rented long-term to primary residents of Canmore.

In order for a property to qualify for the incentive, it must meet the following criteria:

• An annual report is required within 30 days after the calendar year end, including supporting documents, confirming 95% of units provided are long-term rental accommodation.
• Grant eligibility starts upon issuance of Occupancy Certificate and signing of the agreement, with proof that 95% of units provide long-term rental accommodation and are rented to primary residents of Canmore.
• Project must result in added floor space to an existing building, a new building, or renovation of existing floor space to provide purpose-built rental housing of three or more units.
• The value of the construction must be $300,000 or more. 

We are taking action on the housing crisis by exploring potential affordable housing development on the Moustache Lands (in the Palliser area), in alignment with the bold affordable housing vision of the Palliser Area Structure Plan.

Following months of engagement wtih key interest holders, we have wrapped up a feasibility study to explore the future of a potential affordable housing development. The study outlines a proposed design that includes four buildings a mix of commercial retail space and 270 residential rental units. Next steps include council approval on July 8, 2025 to move forward with capital funding applications, with an anticipated groundbreaking in Feburary 2026.

To prepare for this opportunity, council adopted the Revised Land Use Bylaw Amendment 2025-06-Moustache Lands Direct Control District on June 3, 2025. The Direct Control District will enable a mixed-use development that includes between 250 and 350 non-market, affordable residential units, commercial opportunities, and public spaces.