Where are we?

Not Your Average Small Town

Canmore is the charming mountain town just over an hour from Calgary or 30 minutes from Banff. This makes it the perfect day trip from Calgary. I did visit both Canmore and its neighbour Banff and my assessment is that Canmore is where it is at. Even though it is still a major tourist destination, just like Banff, it has more of a community feel and less touristy. I far preferred Canmore and it’s laid back vibrant core. Even the main street had an authentically Canmore feel in comparison to Banff or Whistler’s core shopping streets.  

Kananaskis is the more than 4,000 square kilometres (1544 square miles) of wildlands surrounding it, the stunning valley on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. The Majestic Rockies wraps around Canmore like a giant hug. This area has mind-bobbling geography and is picture-perfect and primed for any manner of adventure, in any season, any day of the year.

Think rolling foothills and rushing creeks cascading through forests of aspen, pine, and spruce. Knife-edge limestone ridges and jagged summits that cradle glaciers and sapphire-blue alpine lakes. A sprawling wilderness playground begging to be explored by hiking boots, running shoes, canoe, bike, horseback, white water raft, snowshoes, skis, or with a fishing rod. Bordering Banff National Park, the region is also an ideal jumping off point to explore some of its renowned sights.

FUN FACT
Before the Europeans arrived in North American, Aboriginal peoples hunted bison in the Bow Valley, leaving behind some of the oldest archaeological sites in Canada dating back more than 8,000 years. The town of Canmore itself was named in honour of King Malcolm of Scotland, from the Gaelic word, Ceann Mór, which translates to mean Big Head, in reference to one’s elevated height or stature.

Canmore’s Claim to Fame

Where the mountains are high and the roots are deep

Canmore was transformed when the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games selected the town to host the cross-country and biathlon events. The beauty of Canmore and its brand new Nordic Centre drew not just TV cameras but also tourists, property developers, and families looking to buy homes.

Since the Olympics, Canmore has tripled in population and is now a vibrant mountain lifestyle community and a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Today, Canmore embraces a vibrant mix of business owners and professionals, tourism operators and mountain guides, world-class athletes and families, artists, filmmakers, NGO headquarters, writers, and impressively active retirees.

What’s that called?

How the Landmarks got their names

THREE SISTERS
This is for sure one of the most recognized sights and you often see it in pictures. Just like the Eiffel Tower is Paris, The Three Sisters ARE Canmore.  Originally called the Three Nuns after a heavy snowfall left them resembling nuns in white veils. The head of the Geological Survey of Canada officially named them the Three Sisters on his 1886 map. Individually they are known as the Big Sister (Faith), Middle Sister (Charity), and Little Sister (Hope).

MOUNT RUNDLE
Linking Banff and Canmore, Mount Rundle was named by explorer John Palliser for the Reverend Robert Rundle who travelled from England to Canada in 1840 to work with the First Nations peoples. It is now a strenuous hike considered one of the most popular scrambles near Banff.