Living Near Wildlife

Making Our Community Safer for People and Wildlife

Living in the Bow Valley means we need to take extra care to keep wildlife alive and our human communities safe. We are doing our part as a municipality by taking leadership to develop an Implementation and Action Plan to provide a roadmap to improve Human-Wildlife Coexistence in our community.

The Human-Wildlife Coexistence Implementation and Action Plan

In March 2024, Council adopted the a Human-Wildlife Coexistence Implementation and Action Plan that outlines a detailed list of actions that advance human-wildlife coexistence in Canmore that reflect the knowledge, input, and perspectives of the community.

In the development of this plan, we reviewed recent wildlife and human-wildlife conflict data and literature, worked with technical experts, and engaged the public to gather perspectives on actions the Town could take to improve human-wildlife coexistence.

The report recommends that the Town continues address seven main areas:

• Remove fruit-bearing trees which act as food attractants for wildlife,
• Decrease the occurrence of off leash dogs that result in conflict with wildlife,
• Install wildlife exclusion fencing around recreational areas commonly used for grazing,
• Advocate for the integration of FireSmart strategies into surrounding forest management practices,
• Update the Town’s Community Standards Bylaw, Engineering Design and Construction Guidelines to be in alignment with fruit-bearing tree bylaws,
• Maintain or increase public education efforts relating to the above-mentioned projects, goals, and bylaws, and
• Maintain or increase meaningful incorporation and collaboration with Indigenous peoples and their systems of knowledge.

Read the full plan

Background

In the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, Council set ambitious priorities to address the Town's impact on the environment and to reduce wildlife encounters. The 2024 Human Wildlife Coexistence Implementation and Action Plan is the next step to implement the recommendations stemming from the regional Human-Wildlife Coexistence Report.

The Human-Wildlife Coexistence Report was prepared by the Human-Wildlife Coexistence Roundtable and Technical Committee which consists of elected officials and technical experts from Parks Canada, Government of Alberta, the Town of Canmore, the Town of Banff, and non-governmental organizations. The purpose of this group is to identify strategies to balance the needs of wildlife and humans in the Bow Valley.

The Human-Wildlife Coexistence (HWC) Technical Report iacts as a guide to enhance human-wildlife coexistence across the Bow Valley. Read the highlights the work and activities completed up to March 2019.

View Status Update

The Town has since collaborated on a variety of initiatives to support the recommendations of the Human-Wildlife Coexistence Report, including developing a fruit tree removal program, fencing green spaces, and advocating for wildlife-related mitigation along the Trans Canada Highway.