Canmore – a town of smiling faces
Canmore is a town of many faces, each one of them wearing a smile.
Of course, the scenery alone is spectacular enough to make anyone smile. Ten thousand-foot chiselled rocky peaks tower over forested valleys, vibrant wildflowers and a brilliant aqua toned river flowing by their bases. White-tailed deer graze in fields on the edges of town while eagles and osprey soar overhead.
With hundreds of kilometres of running and mountain bike trails in the summer, cross-country ski trails in winter, frozen ponds for ice skating in February, and Quarry Lake for cooling off in July, Canmore and next door Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country offer dozens of outdoor and indoor activities to keep everyone smiling throughout the year.
More than just another pretty mountain town however, Canmore’s location – a smooth 90-minute drive along the Trans Canada Highway west of Calgary’s international airport - provides easy access for visitors and residents alike. With that access comes well-stocked grocery stores, gourmet restaurants, upscale art galleries and dozens of quality retail shops offering furniture and fashions, kitchen supplies and speciality coffees.
Born as a mining town at the turn of the 20th century, since Canmore hosted the cross-country skiing and biathlon events at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, the town has proudly nurtured its festive atmosphere. Starting with the annual Winter Festival, complete with an ice sculpting competition and the favourite Kidd ‘n’ Mutt races, Canmore’s year offers plenty of ways to celebrate the good fortune of simply being here.
With the arrival of spring flowers and warm sunshine comes Canmore’s Children’s Festival, with face painting, games, music and arts and crafts. By mid-summer thousands roll out their blankets and lawn chairs in front of the Stan Rogers Stage at Central Park for Alberta’s longest running folk music festival. Come Labour Day there’s the Highland Games, where competitors in traditional costume participate in stone tossing and caber throwing events to celebrate Canmore’s Celtic heritage at the largest event of its kind in western Canada.
But for its approximately 11,250 full time and 3800 part time residents, every day in Canmore is a day to celebrate. From fly fishing to three 18-hole golf courses, from tennis, canoeing, rock climbing, whitewater rafting and helicopter hiking in summer, to dog sledding, horse drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing, ice fishing and frozen waterfall climbing in winter, Canmore is undoubtedly one of North America’s greatest playgrounds.
And all that healthy living has helped nurture a vibrant, healthy community. Canmore has ten churches and six schools, ranging from Kindergarten thru high school. There’s a hospital and among its health professionals Canmore boasts some of the country’s best specialists. Canmorites include world-class athletes and respected artists, lawyers and paramedics, carpenters and award winning chefs. There’s an energetic seniors community whose members participate in organized hikes and potluck dinners. Add to the mix garden supply centres, speciality paint and home decorating shops, live theatre and volunteer clubs. Canmore has a climbing gym, swimming pool, hockey arena and yoga studios.
But while Canmorites enjoy a growing cosmopolitan culture, the community remains connected by its small town atmosphere, the kind where locals share conversations at the instant tellers and in the produce aisles.
And you can be certain, they’ve all got smiles on their faces.
Three Sisters Mountain Village
Imagine a mountain resort, less than an hours drive from a major international airport. A four-season resort offering world class golf, mountain biking, hiking, cross-country and downhill skiing at its doorstep. An architecurally controlled community of custom homesites and exclusive multi-family residences, supported by schools, medical facilities, churches and arts centers.
Three Sisters Mountain Village is all this and more. No wonder this area is one of the fastest appreciating communities in North America. With prices currently a fraction of comparable resorts, Three Sisters Mountain Village is one of the best "ground floor" investment opportunitities in the world.
A hand-picked selection of quality builders are offering property starting under $200,000 USD.
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