Yearly Project Summary

New Fire Station
Council has approved a new 8-bay fire hall to replace the old fire hall built in the late 1980’s. It will be located along Palliser Trail, at the site just below the cemetery. Design work for the fire hall is nearing completion, with a goal of the building being as close to net zero carbon as possible. Construction of the fire hall is scheduled to take place in 2022-23. 

Cougar Creek
A 34m high embankment dam on Cougar Creek, upstream from the community in under construction. In a flood event, the structure will reduce the flow of water and removes the larger debris from reaching the downstream area of the creek.

Mountain Creek Hazard Mitigation
Another priority is to address unacceptable risks to existing development and ensure safe future development through our Steep Creek Hazard Mitigation Program. Projects this year will significantly reduce community safety risk.  The first one is the design of the long-term debris-flood hazard mitigation of Three Sisters Creek. The preliminary design includes a long offset berm on the east side of the upper channel, and debris management at the golf course pond and at the Three Sisters Parkway. This will complement the project completed in 2018. It will also be compatible with potential future mitigation upgrades required for development of Three Sisters Village. Next is the long-term debris-flood hazard mitigation of  Stone Creek. The project will include detailed design, risk reduction re-assessment, and environmental permitting.

Palliser Area Structure Plan
With the continued growth pressure and the limited land supply within the Town of Canmore, large scale development plans need to be strategic and deliberate. Land within the Palliser area provides opportunities for future development that could contribute to alleviating the need for affordable housing as well as commercial and light industrial lands. An Area Structure Plan for the Palliser area will provide the direction needed to inform potential land use changes and the overall approach towards managing these environmentally important lands. This project would establish a revised vision for the lands within the Palliser Area that would replace the one that was developed in 2000 and reflects currents needs. 

Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan
Growth of the overall community and increases in visitation have reinforced Canmore’s Town Centre as a vibrant destination and the heart of the community.  A Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan will establish a revised vision and provide the direction necessary to inform land use changes, municipal investments, and upgrades to the area and opportunities for further enhancements by the local business community. This would include an investigation of seasonal or permanent pedestrianization of a portion of Main Street; identifying the impacts, as well as opportunities this would have on operations, the local business community, and the surrounding residential neighbourhoods. 

Commercial Food Waste Collection
On the heels of a successful residential program, another priority is to reduce our community impact on climate change by implementing a commercial organics diversion program. The commercial organics program launched in December 2020, and there are currently 20 business participating. Recruiting new businesses to the program has been a challenge due to the pandemic and staffing shortages that many businesses faced this summer.  

Residential Food Waste Collection
We are installing more residential food waste containers in neighborhoods to make it even more convenient. There are nine new locations proposed including Rundle Crescent, Fairholme Drive, south Canmore, Kananaskis Way, Canyon Close, Silvertip Road, Palliser Lane, and Stewart Creek. 

Pumphouse 2 -New Water Treatment Plant
One of the biggest projects is replacing the 40-year old Pumphouse 2 with a new Water Treatment Plant and decommissioning the current facility. The new water treatment plant will double the current capacity to support water demand to full community buildout.

Regenerative Tourism Framework
Administration is working with Tourism Canmore Kananaskis to create a Tourism Roundtable to initiate and monitor progress on the Regenerative Tourism Framework and facilitate broad-based community dialogue in 2022. 

Rail Service Impact Study
A potential passenger rail service between Banff and Calgary is stated to be potentially up and running as early as 2025. As Canmore has no say as to whether or not this passenger rail initiative proceeds through the Town, our decision is about if and where it would stop in Canmore.  An impact study will be completed to look at tthe impact on our transportation systems by additional trains and passengers arriving by rail - whether that be congestion, public transit, or connectivity.  

Recycling and Waste
We will be completing a waste characterization study, specifically looking at our recycling and food waste programs. The purpose of the study is to find out how these initiatives have changed what is being thrown into the garbage by residents.

Changes are also coming to the Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot, to improve traffic flow and allow operations to service the site without driving into the public area.