Taking Action on Housing with the Livability Tax Program
Many of our of friends, neighbours, and family who stock our shelves, brew our favourite coffee, teach at our schools, provide childcare to our kids, and work at our local clinics cannot access housing in Canmore. They’re often commuting long distances or, at worst, giving up on the Canmore dream altogether.
The biggest driver of this is our limited space combined with incredibly high demand for living in our beautiful mountain town; right now, about one in four homes in Canmore are not occupied by a permanent resident, despite the 0.9% vacancy rate.
This simply isn’t sustainable for our families, businesses, or future. It’s time to take bold and ambitious policy action to address it.
We’re introducing fairness into our taxation system through the Livability Tax Program. Starting in 2026, non-permanent residents will pay rates equal to those who run tourist homes. 100% of this extra revenue will be set aside so we can build the 2,000 new non-market homes we need.
The Livability Tax Program will help fund new affordable housing options, while incentivizing our neighbours to join us full-time.