Sign In Register has nothing to do with housing and everything to do with growing Town revenues and its burgeoning bureaucracy A simple answer as to why is that it’s far easier to spend than it is to spend within its means Believing the Town will make a dent in housing accessibility or affordability is like accepting that the Town has properly managed the mitigation of Cougar Creek the dry-dam project was about three years overdue and more than $30 million over budget which ironically is what the Town expects the vacancy tax to provide over the next three years first sold strictly as a housing initiative now includes ancillary programs like flood mitigation to free up more land for housing design work for a Trans-Canada Highway pedestrian bridge and a redevelopment plan for the Larch area If affordability and accessibility were truly the issue Both the Canmore Eagles and Canadian Rockies Public Schools use incentives to find housing for their hockey players and foreign students Another carrot would be to reduce taxes for residents who take in a renter If the vacancy tax applies to residences not lived in continuously for 60 days which sit empty three to four days every week More appealing is that no increased taxation or bureaucracy is necessary lawyers are dealing with legal motions and there’s unnecessary community division the Town could increase the tax with regularity and revenues will climb proportionally as Canmore’s expanding footprint will include hundreds and hundreds more second homes affordable and accessible housing issues will not be resolved CANMORE – A municipal reserve policy in the Three Sisters Resort core and Stewart Creek area was repealed as development in the Three Sisters Village area structure plan (ASP) advances the Town’s manager of planning and development noted that with the undeveloped sections of the Three Sisters Resort core being folded into the Three Sisters Village ASP and the subdivision development finished in the Stewart Creek ASP His report added that rescinding the policy was discussed with Three Sisters Mountain Village Properties Limited and received its support “Administration have been taking a look at the various policies that are on the books with council … It is a policy that deals with municipal reserves in a couple of the areas within Three Sisters Mountain Village,” he said development within the Three Sisters area has essentially made this policy redundant.” which formerly had elected officials on it but was delegated to municipal staff in 2021 approved The Gateway commercial area in July 2023 It was the final undeveloped piece of the Stewart Creek ASP “With all of the Stewart Creek ASP plan area now approved by subdivision the policy is now redundant,” stated Shnider’s report Council adopted the Three Sisters Village ASP in October 2023 which comprised the former Three Sisters Resort Core area The ASP will add between 3,000-5,000 residential units playgrounds and ultimately grow Canmore’s long-planned population increase to 30,000 people in the next two to three decades The Three Sisters Village ASP has six phases It will have no single-family homes as part of its residential development but an appeal to the Land and Property Rights Tribunal found that it aligned with the 1992 Natural Resources Conservation Board decision The LPRT ordered the Town to adopt it and the Smith Creek ASP A subsequent appeal of the LPRT decisions by the Town led to Alberta’s Court of Appeal upholding the tribunal’s order in 2023 Shnider’s report noted subsequent subdivision and conceptual scheme approvals made the resort core lands part of the Three Sisters Village ASP The first phase of the conceptual scheme was approved by council in April It plans for between 700-1,075 residential units and 30 per cent to be set aside for open space as well as an off-leash dog park a bike pump track and additions to the area’s trail network “These processes will identify municipal and environmental reserve dedications to occur as the plan area develops,” Shnider wrote The 2007 policy was the guiding document for municipal reserve lands for the two projects The policy noted TSMVPL “dedicated municipal reserve parcels in amounts exceeding the requirements of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) and the Municipal Development Plan.” The policy noted 23.7 hectares of land were for municipal reserve parcels which served as 28 per cent of municipal land reserves at the time “TSMV has also invested in excess of $900,000 on improvements to these municipal reserve parcels TSMV has constructed improvements to municipal reserve parcels that are not ordinarily seen in many communities,” stated the 2007 policy “TSMV has also left undeveloped large open spaces that amount roughly to a further 10 hectares of land While not altogether suited to development as formal park spaces these lands have seen improvements installed a boat launch facility and rest areas that do provide community recreational opportunities.” Mayor Sean Krausert noted council did a workshop process to identify policies to return to potentially be repealed He said this policy was the first coming back to council of a “large number of policies that we’ve recently reviewed in a workshop format.” More SPOTLIGHT > The first reading of the downtown area redevelopment plan (ARP) took place on April 1 A primary goal of the draft ARP is to reduce single-occupancy vehicle use by 20 per cent over the next five years and I fully support encouraging active transportation I strongly disagree with the idea of forcing locals and visitors to rely primarily on active transportation Downtown Canmore is more than just a shopping or dining district – it’s the heart of our community It’s home to a wide range of businesses including essential services such as dental and orthodontic offices downtown offers clothing shops for all ages and stores featuring Alberta-made products Eliminating accessible parking on Main Street and surrounding lots will undoubtedly discourage many from coming downtown Town staff and councillors have assured me that these changes could take years to implement locking the community out of future conversations Your final opportunity to have your say is at the public hearing on May 6 at 9 a.m Written submissions can also be sent to the municipal clerk’s office Let’s work together to keep downtown Canmore vibrant BOW VALLEY – Warm and dry conditions have pushed the wildfire danger around Canmore These areas make up part of the Calgary Forest Area (CFA) which issued the high hazard on Friday morning (May 2) Although we are starting to see hints of spring and green-up there is ample dry fuel on the landscape that could fuel fast-moving wildfires,” said Anastasia Drummond “Dead and dry grass carries an extreme wildfire risk at this time of year.” Temperatures in the Canmore region are forecast to hit 22 Celsius on Friday (May 2) and 24 C on Saturday (May 3) Periods of rain are expected on Sunday before temperatures bump up again next week There are currently no active wildfires in the forest area “The sooner we know about a wildfire Report wildfires to 310-FIRE,” said Drummond Drummond said there’s a reminder that fire permits are required for any burning She said they are free and can be requested from CFA main office by calling 403-297-8800 or requested online “Permit holders have been contacted to delay burning until conditions improve and new permit requests may be delayed,” she said MORE LOCAL NEWS > Archives of the Outlook, from 2009 to the current edition, can be accessed here More Local News > More JASPER FITZHUGH NEWS > More BEYOND LOCAL > More Banff > More Canmore > More Lake Louise > More MD of Bighorn > More Kananaskis Country > More Stoney Nakoda > Sign up for today’s headlines delivered to your inbox… FREE More Business News > More Business News > More Education > More Education > More Mountain Guide > More Mountain Guide > More Opinion > More Opinion > More Vox Populi > More Vox Populi > More Local Sports > More Local Sports > More National Sports > More National Sports > More Alberta News > More Alberta News > More National News > More National News > More National Business > More National Business > More National Lifestyle > More National Lifestyle > More World News > More World News > CANMORE – A key guiding document for Canmore’s downtown will head to the next phase before a decision comes from elected officials Residents will be able to give their thoughts – for against and/or neutral – on May 6 during the public hearing for the downtown area redevelopment plan (ARP) The plan has brought forward a slew of potential changes and concepts to the downtown area for the next generation such as additional density intercept parking and using existing parking for other uses during the life of the plan the plan would serve as the long-term guide for the downtown and surrounding areas While many businesses and owners understand the long-term nature of the draft ARP it’s an opportunity to find as many solutions as possible early in the process Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert said he and council are looking forward to public submissions “There’s been a number of written ones and I look forward to hearing from people that want to come out and share their perspective in person,” he said Krausert said it was a “really good probability” that a motion to postpone next readings of the plan until at least council’s June meeting “Given it’s an important document and we’ve received a lot of feedback,” he said “I think it’s important for council to fully consider the feedback before ultimately making their decision and any amendments that a councillor might want to put forward We need to have really good [amount of] time to think about that.” The development of the plan began during the 2022 budget when council approved a public policy planner position to focus on both the Palliser Trail area structure plan and the downtown ARP Scoping for the downtown plan took place in 2023 and led to it encompassing the Spur Line Trail in the north Railway Avenue in the east and 5 Street in the south A pair of engagement processes occurred in 2023 and 2024 a virtual workshop with community organizations drop-in sessions and pop-up concerts in collaboration with the Canmore Folk Festival The plan identifies six core values and “10 big ideas” such as having Main Street be pedestrian-oriented using surface parking lots for other means such as housing and expanding connections to the Bow River and Policeman’s Creek An updated plan removed Eklof Park from potentially being used as housing after significant pushback from residents in the neighbourhood with each having a varying degree of cost and timelines for possibly taking place it would replace the Town Centre Enhancement Concept Plan that was approved in 1998 Existing Town policies have goals for reducing reliance on personal vehicles and 40 per cent of trips being walking with the remaining 60 per cent in vehicles by 2030 The intent is to help address congestion on Canmore’s finite road network while also working towards goals in reducing the impact on climate The plan identifies an intercept lot being vital in reducing traffic and allowing for more pedestrian use with a potential location near Elevation Place it could allow for existing surface lots to be used for “higher and better uses.” The latest draft of the ARP also took out potential removal of the free resident parking program after concerns were expressed statistics from Town staff showed that 2.3 per cent of paid parking revenue comes from locals said she appreciates the plan is proposing to add more accessibility to the downtown wayfinding signage and open and green space She said an intercept lot could be positive but shouldn’t come at the expense of downtown parking Bodell said she’s been told one level of parking could be maintained if a surface lot is converted into another use such as housing with her hope being it’s written into the plan “I appreciate we want to encourage people to use alternative modes of transportation to access downtown when they can,” Bodell said “But the reality is that’s not going to work for everyone we still have to accommodate the fact that people in Canmore drive.” a long-time downtown Canmore business owner and past BIA chair She added she supports having people use active modes such as bikes De Soto noted many visitors are day-trippers from Calgary and area who commute to Canmore highlighting the need to have more specific details in the ARP surrounding parking “If we had the volume of tourists other places had with thousands of people every day then maybe I’d think it would make sense,” she said “I’m not seeing that and I don’t see it in 10 years It’s a lot of regional people who drive in for the day from Calgary people landing on a plane and renting a car “You can’t have a commercial area with no parking … I feel there’s things that are not being addressed that need to be addressed,” she said particularly with clients coming from across the valley and beyond … They are not going to want to pay for parking,” she said “In my conversations with locals and some businesses there’s the feeling that the Town is not listening to them and not really reflecting their opinions and comments … There’s a feeling this is being pushed forward and is going to happen hell or high water … I would like to be optimistic when we have the public hearing that they will listen to the feedback.” One of the immediate implementations if the plan is approved could be to prepare amendments for existing land use policy The plan has areas with up to three- or four-storeys but certain areas outside the immediate downtown core are eligible for density bonusing when an extra floor is permitted in exchange for a community benefit such as affordable housing Existing Town-owned land in the downtown would be looked at as possible future housing use a former municipal CAO for the MD of Bighorn and resident in the proposed ARP said if passed there’s concerns from residents on the rate and type of residential redevelopment that could occur With primarily single-family homes in the outlying residential areas a potential minimum density of 68 units per hectare could significantly alter the character of the area the next step is the land use bylaw to rezone … The current council could say this is many years down the road but there’s an election in October and new councillors could come on board and say we need this now and ask for it to be rezoned,” he said a long-time Canmore resident who lives in the proposed ARP zone and former owner of the Tin Box expressed concern that once regulations are changed the area is likely to see little time wasted in work moving ahead “As soon as something like that becomes so valuable and the constraints are removed to such a degree The long-term vision of the plan indicates the potential for a year-round pedestrianized public space With much of the underground infrastructure reaching its end of life in the coming years the plan notes a “rare opportunity to redesign the street into a unique public space that can support year-round vibrancy economic activity and distinguish itself from other commercial areas.” The potential of a year-round pedestrian zone – referred to as the civic corridor – would be in the short- and medium-term goal of the plan and be subject to future budget decisions Bodell said she had concerns about a year-round pedestrian zone preferring a mid-June to mid-September closure She had issues about future investment in such a project especially with infrastructure needs throughout the community and it potentially being a “massive investment to create a pedestrian-only zone.” De Soto said she doesn’t oppose the summer pedestrian zone “I feel like Main Street already has a purpose and Main Street is already vibrant … I think we’re creating barriers for people to come downtown Removing or building on existing parking would be a barrier,” she said. “Making our parking about a kilometre away in another commercial area is a barrier Why would you come downtown if you’re parking in a commercial area between Bow Valley Trail and Railway Avenue?” Several business owners said they hope to see subsequent readings postponed to allow elected officials to fully take in all information “I know a lot of time went into the engagement I would hope to see that same thoughtful time to the execution and confirmation of the plan and ensuring it meets the needs of all of those affected,” Bodell said who was part of the group that launched the BIA in the mid-2000s, said the public engagement aspect is critical in hearing from residents on the future of downtown It’s really what we’re talking about What do we ultimately want to have for the look of our town?,” said Sean Meggs “It is important to have that discussion right now It’s very important it’s addressed now.” He said there are lots of good concepts in the plan such as integration of parks and limiting Main Street to three-storey heights but concerns about allowing density elsewhere in the plan’s zone and potential impacts on parking exist “It’s important to take time to get feedback and really look at where we’re going and where this is going to end up before we set it in stone,” Meggs said “Slow is OK and more people can buy into the process CANMORE – With an important race year on the horizon Canada’s Para nordic national team is stacked with a list of world champions and Paralympic medallists aiming for even more glory Nordiq Canada nominated its World Cup team last week for the 2025-26 season and Brittany Hudak- four of which are multi-time Paralympic medallists The skilled veteran group will lead the charge for Canada into the new year starting in December when the Para Nordic World Cup stops in Canmore in the lead-up to the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.  “I think being a Paralympian champion is definitely a title I’m seeking,” said Brittany Hudak “But I think it’s always just about having those performances that show that growth as an athlete and personal bests and going out there and having my best day on the day it mattered.” A post shared by Nordiq Canada (@nordiqcanada) The Paralympic Games are in Milano Cortina It’s trending to be 31-year-old Hudak’s fourth Games next season Although she has been rehabbing a knee injury since last season which she said is more of a wear and tear injury – typical for athletes competing at a high level for a long time more than a decade competing internationally “But hopefully it won’t be as bad next year,” she said “I’m hoping this year I can get back to more baseline training quicker.” Hudak struck gold at a Para biathlon World Cup event in Val di Fiemme last January during a test run of the Paralympic Games courses Most of the Canadians got a taste of Italian trails the most successful winter Paralympian ever “It’s long, steep uphills,” McKeever told Paralympic.org. “It is downhills with sharp corners. It requires more skill than they have had to possess in some of the other venues we have been at. This one has got some technicality to it that made me re-tighten my boots.” Hudak added that the courses are tough and technical, but winning the gold has given her confidence. The Para athletes will be skiing on the able-bodied Olympic courses in Val di Fiemme. “I’m pretty good at climbing, but my technical descending needs a little bit of work,” Hudak said. “So for me to have my best day, I really have to fine-tune some of those things with my ski technique.” The Canadian Para nordic skiers are favourites to bring home some serious hardware in 2026. The team won 14 medals at Beijing 2022, including four each from Wilkie and Arendz. As part of the World Cup announcement, Nordiq Canada also nominated its NextGen Para nordic team includes Christina Picton, Emma Archibald, and Ethan Hess. Making up the development team are Maddison Mullin, Logan Lariviere, Jesse Bachinsky, Lyne-Marie Bilodeau, and Charles Lecours. Angela Oakley of Edmonton is on the prospects team. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience which the town is calling a “livability tax,” has become a big topic in the small mountain town Several part-time owners argue it’s unfairly punishing faithful property taxpayers while others say the growing number of weekenders have hollowed out Canmore’s community feel “This is not an attack on second homeowners,” Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert said in an interview Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Court of King’s Bench this week ruled that Canmore is within its rights to move forward with the tax next year which will divide residences into sub-classes so it can tax mostly vacant homes at higher rates A group of residents and developers had argued it was outside the town’s authority the tax will charge the average part-time homeowner more than $6,300 a year while full-time residents will pay about $2,100 annually in property taxes a home will need to be occupied by owners or renters for 183 days a year “That has an impact on the look and feel of different neighbourhoods,” Krausert said of the town’s volume of part-time homeowners. The levy will raise about $12 million annually, to be used for local affordable housing projects, he said. The bylaw has stirred up hard feelings among Canmore homeowners who split their time in the mountain town and elsewhere. One group, Fair Future Canmore, has argued the tax unfairly targets faithful longtime taxpayers and won’t improve the town’s affordability problems. “The lack of leadership shown by Town Council and their willingness to pit residents against each other demonstrates a real need for change,” Stephen Ross, one of the individuals who challenged the bylaw in court, wrote in a statement for the group in response to this week’s court ruling. Ron Casey, mayor of Canmore for 11 years through the late ’90s and 2000s, said his council was close to implementing a similar tax more than a decade ago. While he supports taxing non-primary homeowners, he said the town isn’t currently accountable to how the money is spent. “There’s nothing that ties this, so what prevents this from being a yearly tax grab by the municipality?” Casey said. “That’s (homeowners’) fear. No one that I talk to has any objection to paying their fair share.” In recent weeks, angry property owners have flooded the opinion pages of Bow Valley’s local newspaper to voice their frustration. Krausert said the bylaw has been antagonized by an organized, “well-funded” group encouraging members to write letters to the local paper. He believes a “silent majority” of Canmore locals support the town’s plan. “This is not an organic thing. This is a very calculated and strategic thing, and the vast majority of residents of Canmore see it for what it is,” he said of the letters. British Columbia and Toronto have implemented similar taxes in recent years that tax homeowners for leaving their residences empty. Bruce Dalton, a pharmacist from Calgary who spends weekends in Canmore, said he’s comfortable paying the tax. And he is not sympathetic to those who say the tax will cause serious financial pain. “That feels kind of hollow to me,” said Dalton, 61. The town had originally planned for the tax to begin this year, but the judge overseeing the court challenge said Canmore will have to wait until 2026 to start collecting the levy. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a significant ruling yesterday The Alberta Court of King's Bench determined that Canmore's implementation of a vacancy tax for the 2025 tax year was improper forcing a one-year postponement of the controversial measure This decisive ruling eliminates $10.3 million from Canmore's municipal budget – a staggering 21.8% of the town's 2025 tax revenue – impacting planned housing affordability initiatives The financial implications of the Town’s reckless drive to punish secondary homeowners means: "Fair Future Canmore has consistently warned for over a year that the vacancy tax represented an unjust burden on select property owners while failing to address housing affordability through collaborative solutions," said Stephen Ross one of the appellants that appealed the vacancy tax Town Council pushed forward with this divisive measure and now finds itself without resources to address housing in 2025." While the Court ruled it is reasonable to interpret the Municipal Government Act as permissive of vacancy taxes Fair Future Canmore calls on the Town to use this postponement to scrap the vacancy tax and develop a truly collaborative housing strategy that includes residents and both the federal and provincial governments "The lack of leadership shown by Town Council and their willingness to pit residents against each other demonstrates a real need for change – either through Council’s approach or through a new Council after the next election," added Ross "Canmore deserves leadership that addresses pressing issues through collaboration Fair Future Canmore will continue advocating for effective housing policies while intensifying efforts ahead of the fall municipal elections to ensure Canmore's future leadership brings neighbors together rather than driving them apart Contact:Fair Future Canmoreinfo@fairfuturecanmore.com A skier is lucky to be alive after being caught in a big avalanche in Miner’s Gully next to Ha Ling Peak above Canmore On a Mountain Information Network (MIN) post the solo skier triggered a large full-depth slide within the first two turns at around 2 p.m People witnessed the avalanche and called 911 Kananaskis Mountain Rescue arrived shortly after “Once it was confirmed that the solo skier was OK the debris was searched with a helicopter external transceiver and RECCO device with no other clues found,” states the post on Avalanche Safety “This avalanche serves as a good reminder of why it is important to start early and finish early during spring conditions,” states the MIN post “It is a very clear example of how stability can dramatically deteriorate with intense daytime warming This increases the probability of triggering loose wet and/or dangerous deep persistent and wet slab avalanches.” Get the digital edition of Gripped for your chosen platform: A Canmore resident branding himself as a financial expert breached Alberta’s Securities Act when he promoted four companies’ stock to his thousands of followers without properly disclosing that the posts were sponsored by those companies according to the Alberta Securities Commission A news release from the securities law regulator Monday said that between November 2020 and March 2022 Canmore’s James Domenic Floreani was acting as a financial influencer — a “finfluencer” — by creating online content that showcased his investment advice and financial savvy the commission said Floreani posted promotional content on YouTube X and Patreon on behalf of four Alberta reporting issuers without adequately informing his audience the posts were paid for by those companies The issuers included Tenet Fintech Group Inc. Such disclosure is required under Alberta’s securities law and helps prospective investors “assess the objectivity of the information presented,” the ASC’s ruling added “He made recommendations about purchasing certain securities to members of his audience and the public comments on (Floreani’s) posts demonstrated that viewers were acting on those recommendations,” the commission said in its news release The ASC ruled that Floreani presented himself as knowledgeable and familiar with industry jargon despite not actually having any formal education in finance or investing His financial education was limited to a few introductory finance courses at Concordia University as well as online courses offered through a platform called Udemy None of the courses touched on securities law or regulation “He deposed that he was not familiar with the law requiring disclosure of commercial relationships with the issuers he discussed in his social media posts especially if he had personally invested in the company,” the ruling stated The Facebook page for Jayconomics describes it as a Canadian digital media company that specializes in educational finance content with the goal of “democratizing the financial landscape for all.” The company’s YouTube page had upwards of 50,000 subscribers Floreani was Jayconomics’ sole shareholder He did not immediately respond to Postmedia’s request for comment on Monday The commission said Floreani had stopped creating or posting new content by June 2023 With the ASC’s ruling that Floreani breached securities law the commission will next determine what sanctions or cost-recovery penalties he may face The timing of next steps will be set after hearing from the parties An official with the ASC said the phenomenon of “finfluencers” is becoming a greater concern among securities regulators said research last year from the Canadian Securities Administrator revealed that more than half of Canadian investors were using social media to help shape their investing strategy Many people are increasingly going to social media for financial advice and often discover influencers with a robust following who come across as knowledgeable “People may have an online following and come across as appearing to be knowledgeable when in fact they may not be registered to give financial advice and may not have the credentials to be doing so,” she said in an interview So they naturally have their own self-interest or bias in promoting those securities.” CANMORE – Calgary’s HAWCS helicopter was called in to help locate two people who were fleeing from Canmore RCMP after one of the accused smashed their vehicle into a police car to try to stop the pursuit on April 7 Police say that Canmore RCMP got a call at about 11 p.m on Monday about a theft from a vehicle parked in an underground parking garage said police investigated and the driver of a “suspect vehicle” fled from police “While attempting to locate and contain the first suspect vehicle a second vehicle entered the search area and was identified as being associated to the first vehicle and initial incident,” Slaney said in a news release “This vehicle also fled and intentionally crashed into a police car RCMP followed this vehicle into Calgary with help from Cochrane RCMP and Calgary Police Service HAWCS helicopter “The vehicle was followed using the helicopter until the occupants were observed leaving the vehicle and subsequently taken into custody by CPS K9 units,” said Slaney have been charged with assaulting a peace officer with a weapon possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 possession of methamphetamine and failing to comply with release orders both were remanded into custody and were scheduled to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Canmore on April 16 CANMORE – Traffic is being turned around at the Banff National Park east gates following a vehicle crash on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Canmore Friday morning (March 28) Canmore RCMP are on scene and the eastbound lanes are currently closed because of a jackknifed semi trailer “Please avoid the area,” said Cst RCMP public information officer in a news release but a transport truck is blocking the road.  "Crews anticipate reopening by about 10 a.m.," stated the Town's social media post Roam transit regional route 3 is also affected as the buses cannot reach Canmore "Authorities have advised Roam that removing the blockage will take an extended period," states Roam Riggs said no further information about the vehicle collision is available at this time This story will be updated as more details become available RCMP officers in many parts of the province were kept busy Thursday (March 27) responding to vehicle collisions.  police in RCMP jurisdiction responded to 147 motor vehicle collisions acting Alberta RCMP media relations manager in a news release "Although we are at the tail end of winter snow storms are still common and we asks that drivers continue to take steps to ensure the safety of themselves and others." side mirrors and lights are properly and completely cleared of snow reduce your speed and give yourself more time to slow and stop plan extra time to get to your destination and be prepared for changing road and weather conditions especially if you are planning a trip outside of town CALGARY – Canmore’s vacancy tax has survived its legal test A decision from Justice Christopher Simard of the Court of King’s Bench ruled the Town of Canmore can proceed with its vacancy tax “I find that Canmore’s exercise of authority in passing the [vacancy tax] did fall within a reasonable interpretation of the MGA (Municipal Government Act) having regard to all the relevant constraints,” Simard wrote in his April 28 decision “The bylaw is therefore valid.” Simard found that the Town acted appropriately in being allowed to create sub-classes with a municipality having broad authority to do so “It was reasonable for Canmore to have interpreted its authority to include not only the power to create the sub-classes but also to create definitions for those sub-classes the assessor and Canmore itself regarding the assessment and taxation of properties in these sub-classes,” he wrote “When the legislature expressly granted Canmore the right to create assessment sub-classes it also impliedly gave Canmore the power to enact legislation to facilitate the administration of assessment and taxation for those sub-classes.” He added that the vacancy tax “does not discriminate based on the personal characteristics of property owners but rather on the way in which owners use their residential properties.” “Because the legislature itself has considered property usage to be an appropriate basis on which to create different assessment classes very specific language would have been required in Section 297(2) to exclude that except same basis for distinction from the phrase ‘any basis it considers appropriate’ There is no such exclusionary wording in section 297(2).” Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert called it a “big win for Canmore” and it “validates our understanding of the rules as set out in the Municipal Government Act.” The Town is prepared to move forward with the program in 2026 of its goal of adding affordable housing “It’s absolutely essential we move as fast as possible to increase the volume of non-market housing available in our community,” he said “This decision completely validates the bylaw and the only thing that’s adjusted is timing but we will certainly adjust and keep on moving forward.” Simard determined that one section of the vacancy tax should be changed leading to the tax starting in 2026 to allow all property owners in Canmore to declare whether they were full-time or part-time homeowners in a proper timeframe Section 9 of the vacancy tax bylaw allows the CAO to determine if a property doesn’t meet the bylaw’s criteria to be a primary residence sub-class for a year the assessed person can be retroactively liable to pay taxes Simard wrote that Section 9 had “an improper retrospective effect” for the 2025 tax year leading to the vacancy tax to be pushed back to a 2026 start He wrote that preventing homeowners from meeting the requirements was “prejudicial” and Canmore clearly intends to set a higher tax rate for people who don’t meet the requirements “I find that the bylaw contravenes the presumption against retrospectivity The MGA does not expressly authorize this retrospective effect,” his decision stated “While Canmore is correct that the MGA does not expressly identify any deadline by which a municipal council must divide the residential assessment class into sub-classes that silence does not amount to authorization by necessary implication.” the vacancy tax will not have an “unfair retrospective effect that offends the rule of law.” He stated the issue was if Canmore had the power to create a vacancy tax in a “reasonable interpretation of the MGA.” The court’s decision is a victory for Canmore which can move ahead with collecting its vacancy tax Council passed the vacancy tax last August by establishing sub-classes for full-time and part-time residents The tax was part of the Town’s Housing Action Plan when it was seeking federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund it was estimated about 26 per cent of homes in Canmore were owned by second homeowners The vacancy tax considers a primary residence to be a property lived in 183 days of a calendar year and at least 60 of those days are continuous council set the rate to collect $12 million but once all declarations had been received at the end of year it was lowered to $10.3 million The program is budgeted to cost $513,000 in salaries with an extra $300,000 to cover legal fees The collected money is designed for housing-related projects such as the Town’s portion of the 144 units of purpose-built rentals in the Palliser area being completed by Canmore Community Housing Stoneworks Creek flood mitigation to allow additional land to be opened up for housing design work for a Palliser pedestrian crossing and the Larch area redevelopment plan Krausert said a budget amendment will return to council either at its June 3 meeting at the latest or a special meeting of council could be called The costs incurred will be addressed and council will set the tax rates the Town received 5,848 primary resident declarations including about 130 that received an exemption A further 1,918 non-primary resident declarations were made if a property owner didn’t submit a declaration they were automatically put into the non-primary sub-class a partner with Shores Jardine representing people against the vacancy tax argued Canmore acted outside its legislative jurisdiction She noted Ontario and British Columbia specifically allow vacancy taxes but the MGA doesn’t have such a clause for municipalities She further argued municipalities are “creatures of statute with no direct constitutional power,” and have to follow the legislative framework Michael Swanberg of Reynolds Mirth Richards and Farmer agreed the MGA doesn’t specifically allow vacancy taxes but it permits “a very broad delegation of authority” to municipalities when it comes to addressing community needs He argued the MGA allows the creation of sub-classes and with council having outlined affordability and housing as two of its key strategic goals creating the tax was working to address those community concerns Stewart-Palmer argued that since the bylaw was passed last August it left fewer than the 183 days necessary to be a primary resident since the declaration was needed by Dec She said it was “improper retrospective effect” since any second home owner wanting to change was unable to be compliant Swanberg told the court the MGA is retrospective for taxes since it “attaches future consequences to past actions,” with assessments based on characteristics and physical condition of a property from the past year Stewart-Palmer raised the issue of improper delegation between the CAO and assessor lack of clarity in certain sections of the bylaw and consequences if a homeowner didn’t follow the bylaw She said the vacancy tax was based on the characteristics of the property’s owner rather than the characteristics of the property Stewart-Palmer said there’s “no logical or legal nexus in property value to the characteristics of the owner” and it “must be guided by what the legislation provides for.” Swanberg offered the rebuttal that “assessment classes are 100 per cent based on use” and ultimately tied to a property’s physical characteristics “You can create sub-classes based on kind of use and different kinds of use doesn’t necessarily have to be confined to the physical condition of the property,” he said “It’s simply the use of the property and that is a basis that properties can be differentiated for the purpose of determining different buckets tax rates can be assigned to.” The Town filed its statement of defence on April 7 while the statement of claim for the appellants was submitted on March 14 The appellants requested the Court of King’s Bench to toss Canmore’s vacancy tax arguing it is outside of the municipality’s legislative powers to tax second home owners at a higher rate than full-time residents Devonian Development Corporation and Three Sisters Mountain Village Properties Limited a coalition of people against the vacancy tax The group said they would continue to advocate for “effective housing policies” and work ahead of the fall municipal election to “ensure Canmore’s future leadership brings neighbours together rather than driving them apart.” “The lack of leadership shown by Town council and their willingness to pit residents against each other demonstrates a real need for change – either through council’s approach or through a new council after the next election,” said Ross in a release “Canmore deserves leadership that addresses pressing issues through collaboration Simard wrote that with the MGA giving a municipality broad authority to turn the residential assessment class into sub-classes the “frequency of occupation reasonable falls within the concept of property use for residential property.” “I find that the MGA reasonably authorizes Canmore to discriminate between residential properties based on how frequently they are occupied,” he wrote Simard noted he was not required to “determine the correct interpretation of the MGA and then ask if Canmore had the authority to enact the bylaw.” Instead his role was to see if “Canmore’s exercise of authority in passing the [vacancy tax] falls within a reasonable interpretation of the MGA.” Krausert said he didn’t know about an appeal coming forward but he was “aware that those opposed to this bylaw are lobbying the province.” “We are certainly going to defend this bylaw and this decision certainly strengthens our position We will also be engaging in conversations with the provincial government to make sure they understand Canmore’s situation.” Reading last week’s Outlook’s vox populi one might think Canmorites had completely reversed their positions on Main Street pedestrianization There’s no evidence that this is the case Pedestrian zones aren’t just nice to visit They are proven to increase revenues to local businesses and municipalities When people have time and a space to wander This can only improve the vibrancy and economic health of our downtown This means more money and job opportunities for Canmorites CANMORE – A lone skier had a lucky escape after being carried by a large avalanche about 500-600 metres down Miner’s Gully in Canmore on Saturday (April 26) According to a Mountain Information Network (MIN) post the solo skier triggered a large full-depth slide within the first two turns of Miner's Gully at about 2 p.m. but miraculously was not buried or injured and only lost one pole The avalanche was witnessed by climbers in the area who immediately called 911 and attempted a rescue before Kananaskis Mountain Rescue arrived “Once it was confirmed that the solo skier was OK the debris was searched with a helicopter external transceiver and RECCO device with no other clues found,” states the post from Avalanche Safety Alpine Helicopters was flying around Canmore Couloir for a couple of hours The temperature was around 12 degrees Celsius at the time “This avalanche serves as a good reminder of why it is important to start early and finish early during spring conditions,” states the MIN post “It is a very clear example of how stability can dramatically deteriorate with intense daytime warming This increases the probability of triggering loose wet and/or dangerous deep persistent and wet slab avalanches.” Stirling Grill & Lounge - A Canmore restaurant fit for a king is more than just an eye-catching art piece the name Canmore translates to the Gaelic phrase “big head” or “chief” which was the nickname given to King Malcolm III of Scotland for his prominent stature Close to the big head is the exceptional Malcolm Hotel a four-star hotel with a regal restaurant that has feasts fit for a king It was hot and sunny upon arriving at the Stirling Grill & Lounge It includes a spectacular cocktail list to choose from which is made from a base of Canmore’s Wild Life Distillery’s blackberry gin and includes a flaming lavender dehydrated orange slice the Bearsberries was sweet with a lovely hint of lavender Parked in one of Stirling’s intimate booths we sipped the refreshing suds as the kitchen prepared a three-course meal Stirling has two distinct areas: a dining lounge that is perfect for date night and a grill where guests can have a beer and catch an NHL playoffs game In the dining room our first dish was served: a beetroot salmon gravlax and a saucy horseradish crème fraîche on top of a crispy rösti potato patty.  The rösti had a crunchy bite into a fluffy interior it was a pleasant blend of crisp and dressing Up next was the mussels mariniere and chargrilled pork cutlet With chorizo and roasted pepper sauce on top but the versatility of the added ingredients gave it an exceptionally flavourful smack I could have easily nibbled down to the bone The cutlet was served with a napa cabbage dressed in aioli and parmesan crumbled over top and the baguette was a perfect dipper into the soupy brine to soak up every bit The seafood at Stirling goes from ocean to plate in 24 to 36 hours is sourced from Alberta including its black angus beef “And it’s the highest quality we can get,” said Stirling server Jessica Hatt Of course we had to finish the tasting experience with something sweet The regal conclusion was a deconstructed black forest cake I wasn’t born into a royal family that would one day place a crown atop of my head Canmore's Livability Task Force failed to address one major area of concern: The impact the lack of housing in Banff and Lake Louise has on Canmore Canmore residents working in Canmore and trying to live in Canmore are competing with people who work in Banff and Lake Louise but now it seems to have become something that second home ownership is called upon to help support I also do not agree that someone should be penalized for choosing to holiday and live in a mountain setting versus other places There are numerous options when choosing a place to spend leisure time family time and outdoor activities like purchasing a place by a lake in Alberta or a place in Phoenix a place in a mountain setting like Canmore Why should the people who prefer the mountains be penalized for their choice in this free country There is a difference between buying properties purely for speculation versus a serene place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city to relax with friends and family There have to be other options that Canmore council could have come up with I really would like to know how many other options were studied in depth by the task force in the four meetings in October and November of 2023 besides the speculation tax of the big cities How about setting up charitable housing funds to receive tax deductions for supporting the housing cause or private investment in tax-preferred rental accommodations If there were investment options offered in Canmore rental property that would show a reasonable rate of return RED DEER – Suiting up for a provincial-level hockey tournament Canmore prospect Beth Milke is looking to make the most of her opportunities The 15-year-old defender is playing in the Alberta Challenge from Thursday to Sunday (May 1-4) The female-only tournament helps identify athletes for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta program. It is similar to the Prospects Cup the male version of the event taking place May 9-11 in Calgary Milke wants to be a blueline boss for the South Green team [I want coaches to] put me out in the last five minutes to lock down the D-zone,” said Milke “I also think I’m quite an offensive D-man so if we need help getting pucks out and keeping picks in the offensive zone I think I can definitely help out with that.” Players born in 2010 and 2011 make up the 20-athlete rosters for six regional teams (three from the north and three from the south) “This year’s crop of athletes was very talented and that was on full display at the regional camps,” said Danielle Wheeler Hockey Alberta’s manager of female development “The Alberta Challenge is a showcase of best-on-best competition that allows top athletes and staff to take the next step in their hockey journey.” Milke was the only Bow Valley athlete selected for the Alberta Challenge she plays for the U18 Prep Northern Alberta Xtreme of the Canadian School Sport Hockey League she had two goals and three points in 29 games. Prior to that Milke’s team won bronze at the tournament She’s hoping for a different result this time around but also to have fun and learn new things along the way,” she said it gives me a chance to be more of a leader for the first years and younger girls.” it’s important to form friendships with new teammates “Getting out of your comfort zone and introducing yourself is a great way to bond with your team,” Milke said “I would say we are quite a fast team and everyone is a great skater there are lots of good shooters and scorers.” South Green has four round robin games starting Thursday against North Blue.  The gold and bronze medal games take place Sunday YELLOWHEAD – William Stevenson is the new federal representative for the Yellowhead riding He earned 69.1 percent of the riding’s vote – or 47.797 – after all polls were counted the Conservative representative, by phone and email multiple times after he was declared winner but was unable to reach him and will update the story when we do Stevenson will head to Ottawa to represent the riding with Mark Carney and the Liberal Party forming a federal government Stevenson is a chartered professional accountant in Carstairs who has been involved in provincial and federal politics for about 30 years His work included representing multiple Conservative MPs as a financial agent in past elections this was the first time he put his name forward to represent constituents when he challenged former MP Gerald Soroka for the nomination and was named the winner last June or 69.145 of 92,461 registered electors; however this does not include electors who registered on election day received 25.1 per cent – or 17,388 votes – of the votes for the Liberal Party the former general manager of municipal infrastructure and director of recovery for the Municipality of Jasper He said his hope is that with the election finished all sides can find a way to work together to address issues being faced by Canadians “If you look at the [election] results [across Canada] I think what it really comes down to is there’s that sense of anger and division that needs to be addressed and we need leaders who are going to try and focus on what unites us to bring us together and what we have in common and bring forward common solutions and not lead through division,” he said Fark said with a Conservative heading to represent the region in Ottawa he hopes Stevenson will do his best in representing all people across the diverse riding “I hope William takes seriously the role as a representative and the accountability that comes with it,” he said “That’s something we consistently heard across the riding is people felt their voices were not being heard and they didn’t have a seat at the decision-making table … I hope he’ll do the work to be a representative across the riding for all constituents.” The riding had roughly a dozen candidate forums in places such as Banff Sundre and Waiparous during the five-week campaign With the divisive nature seeping into politics Fark pointed to the lack of “reasonable disagreement,” with all sides becoming more entrenched in their specific position He said it was vital for sides to find ways to work with one another to find common ground Fark said he felt there were many meaningful discussions with voters of all political spectrums he said both sides felt heard and respected “We’re looking at how do we motivate each of our bases rather than how do we find real practical solutions to our common solutions,” he said “If we don’t start introducing that back into our politics we are going to go the way of the United States and that’s something I don’t want for my country.” Yellowhead was projected to be a Conservative stronghold “That’s likely the kind of voice that’s going to dominate here unless there’s a real surge in momentum for the Liberals,” Lori Williams a political scientist at Mount Royal University previously told Great West Media Despite the Liberal Party's projected poor chances federally up until a few months ago when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned and Carney formed a government the Liberal Party surged throughout the country A key election promise made by Carney was national parks and historic sites would be free this summer if he was elected which came as many people in Canada questioned whether to visit the United States in recent months due to the tumultuous relationship since Donald Trump was elected president and threatened to make Canada the 51st state it could have a significant impact on visitation in the Bow Valley this summer particularly in Banff and Banff National Park Voters across Canada gave the Liberal Party a fourth mandate The last time a federal government had four consecutive terms was Jean Chrétien from 1993 to 2003 and Paul Martin from 2003 to 2006 Canmore’s Avni Soma was third in the riding with 2,753 votes She was selected as the party’s candidate in 2024 and spent several months visiting all areas of the riding Not a good night for the NDP across the country as the party collapsed Soma gave a concession speech at her watch party in Canmore she said she wasn’t surprised Stevenson won the redrawn Yellowhead riding particularly because much of the riding is rural Alberta “It is going to take time to change hearts and minds in rural Alberta,” she said Despite the loss in her first election campaign “This is the beginning of the next chapter because I am so grateful to have campaigned for over seven months and built an amazing team throughout this very large and very diverse riding,” she said “The next chapter is going to be building on that,  so building on those relationships and all the conversations and continuing to campaign for the next election Vicky Bayford for the People’s Party of Canada received 955 votes for 1.4 per cent while Canmore’s Dale Heath of the Christian Heritage Party got 252 votes for 0.4 per cent The riding had 27,666 eligible voters take part in advanced voting before April 28 The riding has a population of 115,086 people and 92,461 people eligible to vote The Yellowhead federal riding was redistributed in 2022 and 2023 when Elections Canada went through a nationwide process of redrawn electoral maps and creating new ones Yellowhead is among the largest in Alberta – more than 80,000 square kilometres – and has about 115,000 people It stretches from Banff and Canmore in the south to Grande Cache in the north and Carstairs and Sundre in the east The diverse riding has multiple issues ranging from housing Stevenson previously told Great West Media if elected he would rely on technology such as video conferencing to represent all constituents this riding is not built to make it easy,” Stevenson said in a February interview [an MP] can be across their entire one in 10 minutes This is possibly seven hours from north to south so it's gonna be very difficult on that end to get to everybody there.” He also said he would look to get on a committee that involves matters of Canada Revenue Agency to potentially work on tax reform Four- or five-storey buildings in the downtown core? Canmore as a town is great, but let’s be honest – we’re all here for the mountain views. Redevelopment of parking lots for other uses? Who are we kidding, housing built at today’s rates on the most prime land in Canmore will not be affordable. And where will those people park? A single intercept parking lot at Elevation Place? Who is going to park at Elevation Place to walk 10-plus minutes each way to a yoga class on their lunch break, or to pop into one of the shops to pick up a gift? Year-round pedestrianization? With the street blocked to access all 12 months of the year, when safety, vandalism, and public drunkenness are serious concerns during just the seasonal closure? Other concerns are: “Private parking stalls should be unbundled from residential units, ensuring that parking is offered separately from the purchase or rental of housing units” and “expanding paid parking areas and removing free resident parking.” Listening to council and some Town employees might make one wonder if they’ve fully read the plan. So, I encourage every resident to do so. And then please email the Town to let them know what you think before the public hearing on May 6. What happens when a municipal government decides that how you use your own property is grounds for financial punishment a radical new tax policy threatens to transform property ownership from a well-earned right to a highly-regulated privilege — potentially driving some owners to sell threatening investors and turning a once-strong community spirit into a corrosive These actions risk fundamentally reshaping Alberta’s real estate landscape Canmore passed a “vacancy tax” bylaw in 2024 that will impose a 300 per cent municipal tax increase on those who do not meet council’s definition of a “primary resident.” The median residential owner in Canmore will pay $2,136 in property taxes, while a “non-primary resident” will pay $6,308. To qualify as a primary resident, owners had to declare by Dec. 31, 2024, that they spend at least 60 consecutive days in their home and 183 days annually. Approximately 26 per cent of Canmore homeowners fall into this category. Many have homes in Canmore while living throughout Alberta, with work, health or family commitments preventing them from meeting the arbitrary residency requirements. More affordable housing is critical: but this is inequitable, unjust and bad policy. As in British Columbia, Canmore’s vacancy tax was designed to increase the amount of affordable housing in the community. The idea — though unfounded — is that non-residents will rent their properties on a long-term basis rather than pay the tax. Addressing the need for more housing — especially affordable housing — is a critical goal that everyone shares. However, effective solutions require collaboration with all stakeholders. Research has shown this type of tax does not work — causing no effect on home pricing or affordability, a reduction in the building of new residential supply and statistically insignificant increases in affordable housing. Instead of a divisive vacancy tax, Canmore could explore more constructive solutions: partnering with developers to create diverse housing options (including staff housing), working with the federal and provincial governments to access affordable housing programming and engaging a broad range of stakeholders to develop solutions that balance the needs of all. Yet, the Town of Canmore concluded, without fact-based research or citizen engagement, that secondary home ownership causes housing unaffordability. The tax violates Section 289(2) of Alberta’s Municipal Government Act (MGA), which allows municipal tax subclasses only based on a property’s physical characteristics, not the owner’s behaviour or time spent at the property. Property taxes are designed to distinguish like properties and tax them fairly; they are not designed to be used on the basis of Canmore’s arbitrary perception of the owner’s ability to pay. Hypocritically, while the tax benefits the entire community, only non-primary residents bear the burden. Other Alberta municipalities, such as Edmonton and Medicine Hat, have concluded such a tax would violate the MGA. However, if Canmore’s vacancy tax is allowed to stand, other municipalities may be emboldened to take a second look. Even today, a motion before Calgary city council is asking for vacancy taxes to be implemented. This progressive tax is unfair and contrary to the MGA. We need provincial intervention to prevent this approach from spreading to other municipalities and damaging Alberta’s reputation as a safe place for investment. Responsibility for addressing the housing crisis should be carried equitably by all property owners. The affordability and availability of homes is not caused by secondary home ownership, but by the ability of municipalities to create an adequate supply of housing in a timely and cost-effective manner. I urge residents to contact municipal councillors and MLAs to halt this discriminatory tax and ensure the MGA is followed. A group of community members in Canmore are working together to highlight the risks of the vacancy tax and ask the provincial government to clarify the MGA to make sure they do not become part of Alberta’s property tax landscape. More information is at fairfuturecanmore.com. Don Lowry has more than 30 years of experience in the utilities, telecommunications and power generation sectors. He was president and CEO of EPCOR Utilities Inc. from January 1998 until March 2013, and chair of Capital Power Corp. until 2021. BOW VALLEY – Bow Valley and Kananaskis golf courses are ready to open in the next week in a local season forecasted to have more chills Swinging into action first is Brewster’s Kananaskis Ranch Golf Course opening Thursday (May 1) It will be the sixth season in a row that the 18-hole Exshaw course is the first to open locally The Tunnel Mountain 9-hole course at the Fairmont Banff Springs will follow welcoming golfers to the links Friday (May 2) Banff Springs opens its Stanley Thompson 18-hole course Friday (May 9) which is also the same day that Canmore-based courses The Canmore Golf and Curling Club will have its opening day Tuesday (May 6).  The doors open at Kananaskis Country Golf Course on Wednesday (May 7) but the course will close from June 6-20 for the G7 Summit in Kananaskis Country It’s expected that world leaders such as newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S President Donald Trump will be in attendance it won’t be the first time the Kananaskis Country Golf Course has shut down during such an event the G8 Summit came to K-Country for the first time they had a dinner banquet at the local golf course “I had an incredible opportunity to meet President Bush,” Darren Robinson general manager at Kananaskis Country Golf Course you live and work in the most beautiful place I have ever seen,’ and that’s just a great reminder of how lucky we are.” The G7 Summit is an informal meeting of seven of the world’s advanced economies Robinson said that while the summit impacts normal operations these types of events are “rare and unique so we’re embracing it and are excited.” we’re just going to nurture them and baby them along that two week closure and they’re just going to be absolutely incredible when we’re open on June 20 so it’s going to be a real treat for everyone who comes and plays following the event,” he said As for what kind of temperatures to expect out on the links the 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac is forecasting cooler and wetter than normal summertime weather in the prairies May 1: Brewster’s Kananaskis Ranch Golf Course May 2: Tunnel Mountain at Fairmont Banff Springs May 6: Canmore Golf and Curling Club May 7: Kananaskis Country Golf Course May 9: Silvertip  May 9: Stanley Thompson at Fairmont Banff Springs May 9: Stewart Creek Golf Course all golf courses have opened except for Greywolf Golf Course in Panorama ‘the most important shot in golf is your next one’” “Caddies have knowledge of the course and its nuances that an amateur golfer may not otherwise observe.” Open: Eagle Ranch Golf Resort Open: Windermere Valley Golf Course Open: Fairmont Hot Springs’ Mountainside Open: Spur Valley Open: Copper Point Resort’s The Point Open: Radium Resort’s Radium May 9: Greywolf Golf Course CalgaryNewsSolo skier unhurt after weekend avalanche near CanmoreBy Michael FranklinPublished: April 28, 2025 at 1:59PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved CALGARY – A man who shot at an RCMP officer in Canmore was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison Justice Keith Yamauchi handed down Austin Desylva's sentence at Calgary Court of King’s Bench on Tuesday (April 29) saying Desylva’s actions were “very serious” and they “shook the conscious of the community.” He took two calculated shots at the officer,” Yamauchi said in reading Desylva’s sentencing “Considering the gravity of the offences and Mr this court does not consider this sentence to be crushing or that it is unduly harsh.” La Cock was completing traffic stops near Rundle and Three Sisters drives to see if drivers were intoxicated that night Desylva was approaching the area in a Buick Verano prompting La Cock to pursue him through downtown Canmore and into the Larch area Desylva used a 3D-printed Glock pistol to shoot at La Cock near 8th Avenue and Rundle Drive Desylva drove through several red lights and stop signs at a high rate of speed before his vehicle got stuck in snow on 15th Street La Cock fired 25 rounds once Desylva’s vehicle was stuck with several hitting the vehicle and Desylva Desylva eventually got out of his car and ran into the nearby forest Desylva had surgery to remove a bullet from his esophagus and was in the ICU for 15 days No one other than Desylva was physically injured Desylva’s moral blameworthiness is high,” said Yamauchi “Most troubling is that even when cornered he chose not to surrender his weapon or his person and continued to try to escape.” Yamauchi noted the Gladue report – which is done for Indigenous offenders to offer consideration on Aboriginal background during sentencing – recognized Desylva’s troubled upbringing Yamauchi highlighted the importance and legal obligation of considering Desylva’s Indigenous heritage in sentencing spending about 35 minutes going through his upbringing and past case law respecting a person’s Indigenous past an unintended consequence – of how the history of Canada’s Indigenous peoples continue to translate into lower educational attainment and incomes higher rates of substance abuse and suicide and higher rates of incarceration,” Yamauchi said Desylva’s was not an upbringing that a middle-class individual living in an urban centre experiences.” raised issues at an April 18 hearing from the Gladue report that included his “tumultuous upbringing.” He told the court Desylva was consistently physically assaulted by his father both his parents were addicted to drugs and that Desylva started drinking at age six then gradually progressed to drugs such as marijuana Fedorchuk said his parents’ home in Ottawa eventually became a crack house Fedorchuk said Desylva was sexually assaulted at age six at a summer camp and had multiple mental health-related issues such as ADHD “We’re talking on a spectrum of some of the most horrendous living conditions some of the most horrendous growing up conditions that a person can imagine,” Fedorchuk said April 18 Yamauchi emphasized that while his life experience provides context it doesn’t “excuse crimes he’s pleaded guilty [to] they do shed light on the broader circumstances of his life that brought him before this court.” Desylva pleaded guilty at the beginning of the planned jury trial but a hearing on whether La Cock used excessive force was heard Fedorchuk argued that La Cock had used excessive force against Desylva which violated his Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Yamauchi wrote in a March 6 decision La Cock’s use of force “was proportional … and it was justified.” Fedorchuk told the court Desylva planned to use his time in jail to get counselling and rehabilitate himself He said he planned to go to school for welding with the intent of working in the oilfield when he’s served his sentence Yamauchi highlighted his hope that Desylva will use his time in jail to receive proper counselling and turn his life around He said he was “encouraged” by Desylva’s future plans and his willingness to seek counselling and therapy while in jail He said Corrections Canada should use “its best efforts to ensure you receive whatever therapeutic counselling and programming you require to deal with your addictions and trauma you endured as a child.” Crown attorney Aaron Rankin asked Yamauchi to hand down an eight-year sentence to Desylva since he was armed fired at La Cock and was consistently selling drugs in “commercial scale drug trafficking.” He said the Crown would have sought 11-14 years had it gone to trial before considering Gladue factors “It is amply justified and frankly important for public protection there never be a gun in Mr even if he makes the positive changes we accept he sincerely hopes and intends to aspire to,” Rankin said April 18 With the shooting taking place in an urban area Rankin argued it could have led to a more dangerous outcome and that “was part of what made this offence so dangerous.” he’s willing to do this to escape a traffic stop The purpose of these offences is crystal clear as someone who was flagrantly breaching a bail order 20 days after it was made … and was prepared to shoot one-and-a-half metres from the officer’s head.” Rankin said at the time of the chase and shooting Desylva was breaching bail conditions that had been given to him less than a month before “Drug dealers and guns and people breaching bail is in itself recognized as a scourge in Canadian society and in many ways one of the worst forms of criminality you can have,” he said La Cock’s victim impact statement highlighted the stressful and difficult process it had been on himself and his family He wrote in the statement that Desylva has a “choice to learn from this event and change your behaviour.” he has seen some people able to turn their lives around and hoped Desylva could do the same “For your actions on the night of Feb … You also have a choice as to the life you choose during and after this sentence,” he wrote “You are young and have your whole life ahead of you Desylva apologized to the court for his actions and to La Cock and he was “thankful that no one was injured in this situation CANMORE – Canmore Minor Hockey Association (CMHA) says it will focus on “offering high-quality affordable development programs” as top-level minor hockey sets up shop closer than ever it has been announced that three new AAA teams are coming to Cochrane over the next two seasons which the Canmore and Banff leagues currently do not offer Bow Valley athletes can try out for AAA teams in Cochrane which is approximately 75 kilometres east of Canmore “We recognize that elite hockey opportunities are expanding which is great for the sport,” Michael Hay we understand these programs can be costly and that every child develops at their own pace Not every player needs to enter an elite pathway early on to succeed continued development within the community can be just as effective.” CMHA registration fees increased by 10 per cent – the first increase since 2018 – but the association’s fees remain 20-30 per cent below Calgary-area leagues such as Cochrane and Airdrie minor hockey associations In 2024-25 and using U11 rep registration as an example in Airdrie it’s $1,315 and in Cochrane it’s $1,625 Hay added that it remains committed to “supporting all players The new teams get on the ice in 2025-26, with the inaugural season of the U13 AAA Bow Valley Timberwolves in the Cochrane Minor Hockey Association, which will play in the newly established U13 division in the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) Then in 2026-27, the AEHL will continue expanding in Cochrane The AEHL is also adding a U18 team in Spruce Grove According to Cochrane Minor Hockey Association 13 players from Banff and Canmore participated in the Timberwolves U13 AAA spring ID camp on April 4 Canmore and the MD of Bighorn were registered in the Cochrane league CHMA had roughly 300 players registered Hay said they believe that they have some of the best resources in the province for players with elite or competitive aspirations small-group development and video analysis “We’re excited that players have more opportunities than ever to grow in the game Whether they choose to stay in Canmore or explore elite pathways elsewhere we hope they continue to use CMHA’s development resources to support their journey,” Hay said The latest expansion reflects an increasing demand for “elite-level programming,” said Hockey Alberta.  Associations selected for the expansion were evaluated by “readiness and the broader development pathway across the province.” president of Cochrane Minor Hockey Association said the AEHL expansion was “a major milestone for the association and community,” and he’s “incredibly proud that Cochrane and the Bow Valley draw zone” were approved for the AEHL expansion “It gives our athletes the opportunity to chase their hockey goals while staying closer to home It creates more choice in their development path and keeps the fun and connection in the game,” said Oaten including former Canmore Eagles forward Alex Young Check back in with us at any time to find out what's happening Canadian pride is building as the second round of the NHL playoffs are underway with three Canadian teams still in it to win it President Donald Trump is planning to put a '100% tariff' on movies produced outside of America Erica Natividad with how this may impact Canada's closely tied industry The family of an Ontario man who died in a correctional facility in 2016 is calling out the provincial government for failing to act on recommendations made in an inquest into his death President Donald Trump’s plans to implement 100 per cent tariffs on movies filmed outside the U.S is spurring some anxiety north of the border President Donald Trump is planning to put a ‘100% tariff’ on movies produced outside of America Erica Natividad with how this may impact Canada’s closely tied industry A condo complex in Calgary’s Beltline community is increasingly concerned with the increasing number of calls they are making to emergency services Rayn Rashid speaks with the condo board president A major gap in sports field space is being tackled in Calgary’s NW with the launch of Rocky Ridge Athletic Park The $25m project brings more room to play for growing communities On the same day as the Alberta Rally for Independence Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appeared on her radio show is facing numerous charges after fleeing a traffic stop and crashing into a house in Calgary’s Radisson area late Friday night The annual Calgary Bike Swap filled downtown Calgary with bike buzz on Saturday A woman is facing drug-related charges after Airdrie RCMP conducted a traffic stop on highway 2 over the weekend Conservative Leader Pierre Pollievre isn’t wasting any time in his efforts to re-claim a seat in the house of commons listen to NewsRadio Calgary live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts weather and video from CityNews Calgary anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices CANMORE – A Canmore woman says she was stalked late at night by an unknown man as she walked her dog The woman reported she was followed by a man who “came out of the darkness” on Wapiti Close about 10:30 p.m The Outlook has chosen not to name her because she has concerns for her safety “His head down – to hide his face – walking fast and aggressively towards me and herding me up the street,” she said noting the police are taking the incident seriously “I started walking faster and he kept pace.” the woman said she began looking for houses with lights on and started walking down the middle of the road He continued to follow her in the middle of the street “I eventually started running and was able to get into our house,” she said A house in the neighbourhood had a security camera as our neighbours had no footage,” she said Posters have been distributed on local garbage bins letting other residents know about what happened He encouraged people to report incidents like this to the RCMP, not just circulate reports on social media if it’s something that causes concern for the public whether it’s something like this or any other crime or suspicious occurrence we’d much rather that the member of the public bring the information to us in a timely manner,” said Tulloch “Then we can act on it immediately and try to gather as much information so that we have something to work with.” There have been other reports on local social media sites suggesting other women have been followed late at night but RCMP ruled there was no link to this incident “They are totally not related,” said Tulloch The resident involved in the March 30 incident encourages other women to report to police “Make sure you always have your phone and bear spray with you and stay close to houses with lights on,” she said Social media reports suggested the culprit may have been a man convicted of second-degree murder for strangling a woman in Vancouver He was sentenced to life in prison but was released after seven years He moved back to Calgary when he was released “The social media posts that we’re seeing about this convicted murderer is irresponsible,” said Tulloch.“We just don't have any evidence to suggest that there is a pattern or that there's more than one incident or that anything more nefarious is linked.” CalgaryNewsCanmore’s vacancy tax bylaw deemed valid by Alberta judgeBy Michael FranklinPublished: April 30, 2025 at 3:55PM EDT CANMORE – The Town of Canmore is asking the Court of King’s Bench to toss the legal claim against the municipality’s vacancy tax The Town filed its statement of defence Monday (April 7) arguing the Municipal Government Act (MGA) allows it to divide its residential assessment into sub-classes “on any basis it considers appropriate.” The 47-page filing argues the appellants failed to demonstrate the Town’s vacancy tax is beyond its jurisdiction and the municipality is permitted to act broadly in addressing community needs such as housing and affordability through bylaws It argues recent case law and the MGA allow “municipalities’ jurisdiction to pass sub-class bylaws [that] must be interpreted broadly to allow the municipality to respond to new issues and circumstances.” “This is precisely what the Town did in passing the [vacancy tax] Housing affordability and livability were identified as key priorities in the Town’s strategic plan and this bylaw was passed to address those key priorities.” The document added the appellants interpreted the MGA in a “narrow and restrictive fashion that is inconsistent with the modern method of statutory interpretation and with the broad delegation of authority granted to the Town under the MGA.” The appellants filed their legal request to squash Canmore’s vacancy tax on March 14 arguing council acted outside its legislative powers to specifically tax second homeowners The initial legal filing was made in January for a judicial review Their claim argued the vacancy tax “will result in the imposition of significant amounts of incremental property tax based not on characteristics of the property but on the characteristics of the owner” and the “MGA grants no express power to create a sub-class bylaw based on the characteristics of the owner and no such power can reasonably be implied.” they argue the sub-class bylaw discriminates on the basis of characteristics of ownership rather than property argues the appellants’ claim is “not in accordance with the modern method of statutory interpretation which calls for statutes to be interpreted broadly The municipality further claims the vacancy tax is based on the use of the property instead of who owns it stating it was in council’s jurisdiction The Town’s statement additionally argues the MGA gives municipalities authority to “discriminate between properties for valid municipal purposes.” “The entire purpose of an assessment class or sub-class is to enable municipalities to set different tax rates for those classes,” it states “The legislature could not have been any clearer that it intended for municipalities to have broad authority to create residential sub-classes based on any distinction they deem appropriate.” The Town argues it's allowed to tax is based on the use of the property specifically if it’s used by a part- or full-time resident during a given assessment year filed by Michael Swanberg and Trevor Sullivan for Reynolds Mirth Richards and Farmer LLP argues that the MGA allows council to determine assessment classes The Town legal filing states Part 9 and 10 of the MGA allow municipalities to “discriminate between properties based on the use of the property or the characteristics of its owner or occupant.” While the Town’s statement argues the vacancy tax doesn’t assign properties based on characteristics of an owner and it’s the use of the property the MGA is “broad enough to allow for an assessment sub-class bylaw to distinguish between properties on this basis provided it is for a valid municipal purpose and is otherwise compliant with any constitutional limits.” argued while Ontario and British Columbia have specific legislation to allow vacancy taxes Alberta doesn’t and the “actions of municipalities in British Columbia and Ontario are not a legal justification for the actions of the Town of Canmore.” “The legislature has directed that sub-classes of property can only be created based on distinctions in the nature of the property itself It did not contemplate granting municipalities the power to create a sub-class bylaw on the basis of characteristics of the owner,” stated the appellants’ argument The appellants also argued the MGA outlines the legislative requirement of basing assessment on “the characteristics and physical condition of the property” rather than type of owner The appellants’ legal filing added Part 9 Division 2 of the MGA requires an assessment roll describing the property but does not require listing characteristics of the owner “Property taxes are not a fee for service designed to distinguish like properties on the basis of the perceived ability of their owners to pay more tax property taxes are a mechanism to distribute the cost of municipal services and programs fairly throughout a municipality,” the appellants’ lawsuit argues The lawsuit argues the MGA has nothing that allows a municipality to have homeowners indicate in an annual declaration if they’re a primary or non-primary resident “The MGA does not expressly authorize Town council to discriminate against owners of land who do not occupy the property for a certain period of time.” Delegation of authority to be decided by court The Town’s statement argues the vacancy tax contemplates the CAO’s involvement in “limited respects” to allow operational aspects to run smoothly The Town’s top bureaucrat is allowed to approve the declaration used to get accurate information which is used by the municipal assessor to assign a property to a sub-class “The sub-class bylaw does not improperly delegate any of the assessor’s functions to the CAO the CAO’s role is complementary to the assessor’s role The sub-class bylaw establishes an innovative and practical self-reporting scheme to collect an accurate and reliable body of information regarding the use of residential properties in Canmore.” It further argues a municipality is permitted under the MGA to require a declaration with an assessor having authority to “inspect properties and requesting information from taxpayers.” “The declaration requirement provides a clear transparent and easy to administer self-reporting mechanism to determine whether a particular property qualifies for inclusion in the primary residential sub-class,” according to the Town’s legal statement The appellants’ lawsuit claims it’s contrary to Sections 294 and 295 of the MGA since rather than giving an assessor power of inspection the CAO – who can delegate authority to other staff – is authorized to complete an inspection to ensure homeowners are following the conditions of the bylaw “Giving the authority to the chief administrative officer is contrary to the express language of the MGA and is outside the authority of Town council,” argues the lawsuit The legal filing stated council and Town staff had been working toward it for the last three years starting with council passing its strategic plan that outlined its priorities for the council term Among the focuses was increasing affordability in the community and establishing policies to “attract and retain families to build stronger communities,” with the vacancy tax a key policy in this goal The Town’s Housing Action Plan was passed in 2023 when it was seeking money from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund Its work in preparing the plan indicated about 26 per cent of homes in Canmore are owned by second homeowners Part of the plan was to look at potential tax policy to incentivize people to live in Canmore full-time with the Livability Task Force established as part of the work Its report was presented to council in early 2024 with a vacancy tax being proposed similar to those used in Vancouver Canmore council approved an updated division of class one property bylaw last August allowing for the creation of the primary sub-class It established the ability of the Town to tax part- and full-time residents at different rates The Town received 5,848 primary resident declarations and 1,918 non-primary resident declarations If a property owner did not submit a declaration they were put into the non-primary sub-class a primary residence has to be lived in a total of 183 days of a calendar year and at least 60 are continuous A homeowner in Canmore can only have one primary residence council approved the vacancy tax rate to collect $12 million in 2025 It was lowered to $10.3 million in 2025 after all declaration forms had been received Canmore’s program will cost about $513,000 in salaries wages and benefits in 2025 and an additional $300,000 was budgeted for items such as legal fees Among projects that would receive funding are the Town’s portion of the 144 units of purpose-built rentals in the Palliser being done by Canmore Community Housing Stoneworks Creek flood mitigation to allow additional land to be used for housing “The sub-class bylaw represents the culmination of a significant amount of work undertaken by council and administration to identify policy options to address a pressing municipal objective – dealing with housing affordability and long-term occupancy issues in the Town the legislature has conferred broad jurisdiction on municipal councils to pass bylaws to respond to present and future issues in their municipalities and the sub-class bylaw is an excellent example of council using the tools available to it under the MGA to craft creative and thoughtful policy solutions to address pressing municipal issues.” Neither the statement of claim or defence has been argued in court A court hearing is scheduled for April 15 at Calgary Court of King’s Bench Recent commentary – both online and in the Rocky Mountain Outlook – reveals a growing divide in Canmore. Not just between locals and second homeowners, but between those who want collaboration and those looking for someone to blame. Let’s ask a basic question: Who profits most from the more than $500 million that tourists spend annually in Canmore? That figure, based on post-COVID recovery trends and data from Tourism Canmore Kananaskis and Verum Consulting, reflects the scale of spending flowing through our town’s accommodations, restaurants, retailers, and tour operators. It’s not retirees from Calgary. It’s not weekenders who’ve owned homes here for decades. It’s local businesses, many of which still pay below-living wages to the workers who serve those tourists. That’s the real affordability crisis. The Town continues to subsidize this tourism economy through infrastructure, emergency services, and waste services, funded largely by residential taxpayers, including second homeowners who often use fewer services but pay full property taxes. Their dollars help support not only Canmore but also nearby areas like Kananaskis. Instead of addressing this imbalance, council passed a vacancy tax that scapegoats part-time residents. One commenter, echoing a view shared by many of council’s ideological allies, summed up the mood: “If you don’t like it, sell.” This kind of sentiment reflects a deeper belief that only full-time residents of a certain ideological stripe – or economic conformity – deserve to live here. It divides the town into insiders and outsiders, rewarding allegiance to a narrative rather than contribution. The 183-day rule includes a vague and arbitrary 60-day continuous residence clause that makes many feel like they’re under house arrest. The bylaw’s wording leaves too much open to interpretation and too little room for fairness. Banff-Kananaskis MLA Sarah Elmeligi recently posted a video about housing in the Bow Valley. While she acknowledged affordability challenges, she failed to question the vacancy tax – now under legal review – or stand up for workers being underpaid by the very businesses driving this economy. It’s telling. The NDP, once the party of labour, seems more aligned with the Town’s leadership than with the people who live and work here. Homeowners, both full- and part-time, are being squeezed while Canmore’s tourism infrastructure strains to keep up. Wage earners need an advocate who will speak up, not just nod along. Businesses that benefit must contribute more, whether through tourism fees, wage standards, or dynamic pricing models that reflect peak-season impacts. We need a better way forward – one that doesn’t punish homeowners but holds businesses accountable. Japan uses two-tier pricing to manage overtourism and fund community needs. Why not us? Until we shift focus from residents to those who profit most, this town will remain divided. Article contentThe 2024 median home price for a single-detached home in Canmore was $1.67 million and that number is expected to reach over $1.7 million by the end of 2025 The price of standard condos in the town rose 9.8 per cent from 2023 to 2024 finishing the year with a median price of $765,000 Canmore is one of Canada’s costliest recreational property spots coming in second to Whistler which had a median home price of over $3.5 million in 2024 The two regions are projected to remain at the top of the list for 2025 Total sales were down 3.6 per cent year-over-year in the region “Canmore continues to settle back to pre-pandemic sales volumes and price growth,” said Brad Hawker an associate broker with Royal LePage Solutions Hawker credits slower sales to a rise in inventory levels and longer time spent on the market as well as the effects of international politics “The number of days listings are sitting on the market has increased modestly this past year which — along with recent global geopolitical unrest and the lead up to the American presidential election — has contributed to slightly more balanced conditions as consumers adopt a wait-and-see approach.” Royal LePage anticipates Canada’s impending federal election and changes to the capital gains tax to affect demand in the region “38 per cent of Royal LePage recreational property experts saw a surge of inquiries from clients when changes to the capital gains tax were announced last year Amid uncertainty surrounding the increased inclusion rate federal Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre said he will reverse the capital gains tax increase if elected potentially bringing recreational buyers and investors back to the market in 2025,” the report states stating properties are taking slightly longer to sell with average days on the market for detached and semi-detached homes seeing a seven per cent increase year over year as many recreational and pre-retirement purchasers in the Canmore market pay for properties with cash and therefore are “not overly sensitive to interest rates” and are willing to wait for the right property to become available Those wanting to acquire Canmore real estate more urgently are trending away from detached homes and toward townhouse purchases “Townhouses now account for over 32 per cent of the residential market These properties offer a middle ground between cost-effective apartments and premium prices for detached homes and second home owners seeking space and flexibility.” Sotheby’s projections for 2025 show continued demand for townhouses and high-net-worth buyers expanding Canmore’s luxury homes market Short-term rentals in the area are expected to see continued growth as Canmore remains a popular tourist destination year-round Opposition to Canmore’s livability tax is misguided and absorbed in self-interests rather than considering the well-being of the community especially when there is evidence that it will reduce housing costs The tax will benefit the community by lowering the costs of housing and allowing the Town of Canmore to invest more money towards affordable housing a paper was published evaluating the effects of vacancy taxes implemented in areas across British Columbia The study found that there was a three per cent to nine per cent decrease in prices in neighbourhoods that were heavily affected by the tax The data showed that these taxes had a dampening effect on the prices in the housing market British Columbia provides Canmore with a tax model that has evidence of working after more than six years of being in effect In an area where affordability is a critical issue solutions like this one should be accepted with less resistance Second homeowners and land developers are the loudest against this program and do not deserve the victim treatment that they believe they are entitled to Those who are in the financial position to own a second home in Canmore without renting it are not the ones who are victims When considering the value of a second home in Canmore it is difficult to believe that they are individuals who are struggling financially If some could not financially handle the increased taxation they could alternatively rent their property which is one of the additional potential benefits behind this taxation It should encourage people who do not rent their homes out to provide more rental opportunities to the community there is a table detailing the seven different projects that will be partially funded by the livability tax This should provide people with a better understanding of where the increased tax revenue will go as opposed to the general tax revenue pool The addition of livability taxes is beneficial to Canmore as the increased tax revenue can be used to fund future affordable housing developments and infrastructure I am writing this to voice my opposition to the so-called livability tax in Canmore. I decided to raise my voice against such a tax when I first heard a Canmore council member saying that those with a second home can and should pay extra just because they are rich and it is time to share. My husband and I have been paying taxes in Canmore since 2004. We have been sharing with the community for more than 21 years. We have celebrated all the major holidays here, first with our children and now with our grandchildren. We have spent all our summer vacations in Canmore, providing much-needed childcare as well. Two people face criminal charges after a theft investigation escalated into a brief manhunt spanning several communities RCMP in Canmore responded to a call on Monday about a theft from a vehicle in an underground parking garage when officers identified a suspect driving around the area “While attempting to locate and contain the first suspect vehicle a second vehicle entered the search area and was identified as being associated to the first vehicle and initial incident,” RCMP said in a statement issued Thursday “This vehicle also fled and intentionally crashed into a police car with help from Cochrane RCMP and the Calgary Police Service followed this vehicle as it led law enforcement all the way to Calgary where the HAWCS police helicopter tracked the suspects until they exited their vehicle and were arrested by officers from the Calgary police canine unit Kim Tumaob, 31, of Airdrie and Charles Rocafort, 37, of Calgary were charged with assaulting a police officer with a weapon, flight from a peace officer, possession of stolen property under $5,000, possession of methamphetamine and failure to comply with release conditions. Both have since been remanded into custody and are scheduled to appear in Canmore court on April 16. The Alberta RCMP’s Southern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit is investigating a rash of break and enters targeting rural Alberta convenience stores, gas stations, cannabis stores, vape stores, sporting goods stores, liquor stores, and grocery stores. The crimes occurred between April 6 and 9, RCMP said in a statement issued Wednesday. The latest such incident took place in Bassano around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, when three suspects smashed their way through the glass front door at Bassano Family Foods. At last report, the suspects were seen in a white Ford F-350 or Chevrolet 3500 flat deck truck with a wooden box, although investigators believe a number of vehicles have been used in similar crimes, RCMP said. The first suspect is described as having an average build, his face covered, wearing a black hooded sweater, black pants and white belt. The second suspect is said to have a thin build, his face also covered, wearing a light-coloured hoodie with black-coloured shoulders. The third suspect is described as being thin, his face covered with a red bandana, wearing a dark blue jacket and black track pants. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or through the P3 Tips mobile app. Mounties conducting a traffic stop in Innisfail came across a large haul of illegal drugs. Officers on Sunday noticed a vehicle with a mismatched licence plate. After speaking with the male driver and female passenger, police learned the man was prohibited from driving and couldn’t produce vehicle registration, insurance or a bill of sale, RCMP said in a statement released Tuesday. Meanwhile, both occupants of the vehicle were also found to be wanted on warrants and were arrested. “The male was found to be in possession of bear spray and money believed to be proceeds of crime,” RCMP said. Officers also recovered a backpack, said to belong to the woman, discarded not far from the vehicle. Inside, police found cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, according to police. Scott McKay, 43, of no fixed address, is charged with three offences relating to drug possession, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and three offences related to driving. He was remanded into custody and was scheduled to appear in Red Deer court on Thursday. Marissa Greenwood, 24, of Penhold, has been charged with three offences relating to drug possession and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. She was released on bail and is set for a court appearance in Red Deer on April 24. CANMORE – Canmore’s vacancy tax will be collecting $10.3 million for 2025 rather than the $12 million initially estimated The final information with declaration forms for the new primary residency tax subclass have been received Mayor Sean Krausert said it was important to keep the vacancy tax at the 0.4 per cent rate that would be in line with the commercial rate set for tourist homes “I think to keep the livability tax to that margin instead of going where other municipalities have gone in taxing at one two or three per cent of assessed value [is important] I’d like to see us stay within the mark that’s set with tourist homes,” he said Council had the opportunity to increase the vacancy tax to 0.47 per cent of assessed value for second homes which would have maintained the original direction to collect $12 million in each of 2025 and 2026 with more primary residents than originally estimated and council not wanting to increase the rate above the commercial rate paid by tourist homes several elected officials noted it was important to keep it at 0.4 per cent A staff report from the Town’s manager of financial services Chelsey Gibbons noted after receiving final assessment values for 2025 and compared to municipal tax revenue through the vacancy tax the rate would need to be 0.47 per cent of assessed value to collect $12 million “Now that we have that final assessed value of that class and we actually know which properties have declared primary residence or not that’s where that fluctuation comes from,” she said “Now we know at this time which properties are in which categories and what their assessed value is for the end of 2025.” there are 5,848 properties in the primary residence subclass and 1,918 as second homeowners The total assessed value of properties for second homeowners is $2.6 billion the deadline to make complaints on assessments is open until the end of April so the total numbers for each subclass could change Gibbons noted the Town would continue to validate declarations when auditing and use the “best information we have at this point.” For a second home assessed at $1.043 million it will generate an extra $4,172 in addition to municipal taxes a home assessed at the same price would have paid an extra $4,902 7,152 declarations out of a possible 8,010 were received Twenty-six per cent of Canmore homes were estimated to be second homes Krausert said that similar to other budget processes the vacancy tax rate could change as more information is collected we go in with the best information not looking to overtax,” he said At finance committee’s January budget deliberations several housing-related projects were selected to benefit from vacancy tax revenue Among those were the Stoneworks Creek flood mitigation project that will allow more housing in Palliser to be built funding to design a Palliser pedestrian crossing and the Town’s portion of purpose-built rentals in Palliser spearheaded by Canmore Community Housing the capital budget project for housing in Palliser was lowered in 2025 to $8.24 million and $5.12 million in 2026 who made the motion at finance committee to have the vacancy tax at 0.4 per cent said it was important to keep the rate in line with commercial taxation despite not having as many financial resources to put into housing “Does it bum me out that we won’t have more money to put toward housing our workforce – the backbone of our community – yeah,” she said The new vacancy tax is being legally challenged An application was filed in Calgary’s Court of King’s Bench in January but the formal process is likely to take months and multiple court appearances more than 850 people, who are both part- and full-time residents according to the group Fair Future Canmore 13 letter to Alberta Minister of Communities and Seniors Jason Nixon Infrastructure and Communities Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and president and CEO of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation “This tax represents a troubling shift in policy intentionally and disproportionately targeting part-time homeowners and impacting many full-time residents while failing to address Canmore’s housing affordability challenges,” said a letter from Hal Danchilla Danchilla argued the legal challenge brings forward issues of violating principles of the MGA retroactively imposing legal and financial consequences on property owners and the tax is based on characteristics of owner/occupier rather than property characteristics He wrote affordability issues are driven by items such as high demand and low supply The legal challenge includes 12 reasons for the claim and eight grounds for the application such as the Town acting outside its legislative ability the bylaw affecting owners’ rights under Section 7 of the Constitution Act and the bylaw being discriminatory “We firmly believe that Canmore’s council should work with the federal and provincial governments to establish more effective solutions to its housing challenges,” the letter stated “Canmore council should be willing to properly apply for and make positive policy changes related to available programs like the [federal] government’s Housing Accelerator Fund and address the shortcomings of their unsuccessful application to that fund as decided by CMHC in March 2024.” Though vacancy taxes are allowed in  Ontario and British Columbia Alberta doesn’t have specific legislation that lets municipalities create one subclasses can be created and specific property classes taxed at different rates Toronto's vacancy tax started at one per cent of a property's assessed value but went to three per cent earlier this year growing a percentage each consecutive year until a maximum of five per cent Previous work by Town of Canmore staff and Ben Brunnen a consultant with the Livability Task Force estimated 26 per cent of homes in Canmore are second homes An analysis of 2023 utility accounts showed 2,260 of 8,578 residential properties were not occupied by full-time residents more than 2,150 didn’t have Canmore mailing addresses The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has confirmed to the Outlook multiple times that a municipality can create a tax subclass and has discretion to tax a specific property class at a different rate The legal precedent is untested in Alberta The program will cost about $513,000 in salaries wages and benefits and an additional $300,000 was budgeted for professional fees such as legal costs Town staff previously told council it anticipated a legal challenge Canmore council passed its division of class one property bylaw last August primary residential and residential vacant serviced land Wade Graham echoed other elected officials’ comments in the original number being an estimate until more firm data was received He added he supported the vacancy tax due to its potential to fund housing and change behaviour of people owning second homes in the community “I still want to point out other municipalities are taking a much stronger approach going for one per cent three per cent or five per cent of [assessed] value and through administration I think it’s reasonable to say our top end may be 0.8 per cent so we think we have limits through the MGA,” he said CANMORE – A series of changes to remove tourist homes as a future use in the Teepee Town and Bow Valley Trail area redevelopment plans and the municipality’s land use bylaw will move ahead Throughout a roughly 45-minute public hearing at council’s March 11 meeting elected officials reiterated several times the move doesn’t remove existing tourist homes but rather caps the existing ones to make them non-conforming but legally permitted in the respective land use districts The move means any existing tourist home in those areas will remain as such unless the landowner converts it to residential zoning “Canmore’s a community first and not a resort,” said Coun who compared the move to placing a cap on such land uses “There are other places that are resorts first and a community second and it informs all the work we’ve done including all the work that’s brought us here today and we’ve looked at the effects on tourist homes on our residential community our residential stock and we’ve looked at how it affects the fabric of our community which is something intangible but something we’re all personally aware of.” Wade Graham added the original intent was to allow for short-term use when people went away which was a “noble idea” but it ultimately shifted into a “commercialized idea” and “commoditization of residential property.” a tourist home could declare for personal use annually and be taxed at the lower residential rate with council removing the personal use option Mayor Sean Krausert highlighted an exemption did exist but it was never a guarantee and tourist home owners could convert to the residential zoning to be charged the lower tax rate “Tourist homes is a home that can be used in a variety of ways therefore the higher value,” he said “If you get the benefit of the higher value because it has commercial potential you should also be taxed at the higher rate if you were a commercial entity which is why we removed the exception at the encouragement of the Livability Task Force.” Joanna McCallum said a key aspect in removing the option was to disincentivize a person getting a property zoned for a tourist home rather than a residential unit “It’s really about trying to assist the market into not bending to build a tourist home over a residential unit,” she said “I understand how lovely and convenient the flexibility of these zoned properties have been over the years … It’s become a financially lucrative business “Those doors don’t represent a home for those individuals to go home to at the end of the night Several Canmore property owners voiced opposition emphasizing the potential to impact the tourist economic market as well as personal impact told council he bought it because of the flexibility it provided He said with future housing coming online in the Three Sisters Mountain Village area of Canmore the community will receive new housing inventory Hazzard noted while the option exists for converting to residential use it could impact value of the property by 25 per cent but the value of our unit will be substantially less which will impede our retirement nest egg we’ve been saving so hard for We respect everyone here in council and we think everyone in Canmore is wonderful,” he said but it seems a little unfair to people like me who are living in a tourist home and want to keep it as a tourist home for future short-term rentals rather than not having that flexibility when we bought our unit.” Bob Fang expressed “strong concerns” about the amendments noting short-term rentals have a role in bringing visitors to Canmore “These travellers contribute not only to accommodations transportation services and countless other businesses through the town,” he wrote He asked for council to engage with stakeholders such as business owners residents and tourists “to develop policies that support sustainable growth for everyone involved Our collective goal should be to preserve Canmore’s status as a premier destination while ensuring it remains a thriving place to live She noted the numerous changes to tourist home regulations in Canmore have created “instability and uncertainty for property owners undermining investor confidence and disrupting long-term planning She added tourist homes have a role in Canmore’s economy by providing accommodation for visitors who spend money in the community “Eliminating tourist homes contradicts the Town’s objectives of fostering vibrant communities and may lead to decreased tourism revenue adversely affecting local businesses and the broader community,” Frost wrote Kennedy Wilson of S&T Properties – a property management company – said of the roughly 180 properties they manage about 35 per cent are tourist homes She said many of the properties are used for residential or will be with many owners intending to move to the community at some point “Their concern is they’ve paid these increased prices to purchase these properties … If they do declare them as residential they would lose a significant amount of money in terms of difference of value of tourist home versus a residential property,” she said a tourist home owner at The Lodges at Canmore said he recognized the importance of the Town in addressing housing concerns in the community but there could be unintended consequences a balanced approach that preserves tourist home zoning while also expanding residential opportunities would be a more effective solution for Canmore’s long-term success,” Soin wrote He added his family lives at the property in the winter with his children involved in a ski program and to offset the cost he rents it short-term when it’s not being used “Canmore is truly our other home,” he wrote “Canmore thrives as a destination for travellers seeking outdoor adventure Hotels alone cannot meet the diverse accommodation needs of visitors many of whom prefer vacation rentals for stays in self-contained units Tourist home zoning ensures a variety of lodging options and provides an avenue for part-time residents such as ourselves while also serving a need for the town.” A submission from Shon and Rajka Tulik emphasized their opposition having bought property in Teepee Town due to the tourist home regulations They stated the amendments would “threaten to undermine not only the use of our property but also its market value.” “These bylaws were a crucial factor in our decision-making process we would not have proceeded with our investment.” a downtown resident in a tourist home zoned property wrote to express support for the amendments He said he and his wife would declare the property for personal use – paying a residential tax rate – before the option was removed his one concern was the lack of clarity on grandfathering the unit as a tourist home “I think it is very important that our (and all other tourist home owners) ability to use our unit as a non-conforming tourist home is documented in some way in the [land use bylaw],” he wrote if at some future time I wish to sell my unit I need to be able to confirm in some documented way to the buyer that they could use the unit as a tourist home Adding a clause to the [land use bylaw] … would let me do that.” The Town’s livability task force recommended tourist homes be removed as a permitted or discretionary use “This initiative aims to increase the availability of long-term rental housing by limiting short-term tourist home rentals in key areas,” stated Schnider’s and Pollock’s February report Tourist homes have been targeted by council throughout this term In addition to tourist homes being removed as permitted or discretionary uses The ability for tourist home owners to declare annually for personal or commercial use was stripped with all tourist homes being taxed at a higher commercial rate council approved any property owners wanting to rezone a tourist home to residential use would not have to pay the related development permit fee through the end of 2025 “Allowing for tourist homes in residential areas has been identified as a contributing factor to the shortage of long-term housing in Canmore,” stated Shnider’s and Pollock’s report Council directed Town staff in June 2023 to return with recommended amendments to Canmore’s land use bylaw and other policies to remove tourist homes as a use A staff report from Shnider and Pollock noted after receiving Wilson’s request that added clarity would be made for non-conforming use in the Town’s land use bylaw The clarity will impact nine districts such as Town Centre land use district Bow Valley Trail Teepee Town commercial district and Canmore Hotel direct control district tourist homes in Canmore expanded from 515 to 685 while short-term accommodation went from 2,668 in 2014 to 3,334 in 2022 The same timeframe had multi-family condos grow from 3,949 to 5,418 A joint study between the Conference Board of Canada and Airbnb in 2023 analyzed 330 neighbourhoods in 19 Canadian cities between 2016-22 to see if the short-term rental service impacted rental rates The study received funding and five years of data from Airbnb found short-term rentals had limited impact on rental costs which found it was likely to be surprising to some people that Airbnbs had little to no impact on rents but added the results assumed rents in the analyzed neighbourhoods would have evolved in the same way without Airbnbs and used market data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation “Policies implemented by cities and provinces to regulate short-term rentals have significantly reduced Airbnb activity though we find no evidence that these policies have resulted in lower rents,” the study stated “Restrictions limiting short-term rentals to a host’s principal place of residence are associated with a nearly 50 per cent reduction in the number of Airbnbs.” A 2024 Statistics Canada study – Short-Term Rentals in the Canadian Housing Market – indicated at least 15 per cent of Canmore’s housing market is being used for short-term use The study analyzed more than 100 population centres and found larger areas had fewer than 0.40 per cent of housing inventory dedicated to short-term use Whistler and Mont-Tremblant were double digits “A situation in which [potential long-term dwellings] make up more than one-third of housing units can be expected to have a significant impact on a community’s housing market,” stated the study the nature of the market as a tourist hot spot likely changes the approach to [short-term rentals] for policymakers and other stakeholders These areas may be disproportionately reliant on [short-term rental] activity since it often supports tourism and stimulates the local economy.” Though proposing to remove tourist homes from those development plans Smith Creek and Silvertip area structure plans (ASPs) and Spring Creek Mountain Village area redevelopment plan (ARP) weren’t recommended The Three Sisters Village and Smith Creek ASPs align with the Natural Resources Conservation Board’s 1992 decision the Land and Property Rights Tribunal determined they met the test in 2022 and the Court of Appeal upheld the decision in 2023 calls for between 900 to 1,300 tourist homes to be built The Silvertip ASP has some areas zoned for tourist homes while Spring Creek Mountain Village ARP allows no more than 300 tourist homes The Spring Creek ARP was approved in 2004 and Silvertip got council approval in 2007 Shnider’s and Pollock’s February report stated additional consultation with the three developers would take place before potential amendments Shnider told council the discussions would likely be “fairly lengthy and protracted” and development areas are still underway so the Town would “tread carefully with that.” “They have existing area structure plans that I’m sure they’ll want to defend,” he said “Because the tourist homes are part of their marketing and part of their makeup as to how their communities are built I’d rather have those longer discussions after and I think this is something we can implement now for these land use districts.” chair of the Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association (BOWDA) said any discussions between the Town and a developer to change a development plan is ultimately up to landowner “These developers have gone through rigorous often requiring significant financial commitments technical studies and consulting time to meet municipal and community objectives.” He said it was BOWDA’s view removing tourist homes would not have a “noticeable positive impact on the housing crisis" and the underlying issue contributing to housing affordability and availability “are complex and extend beyond the presence of this particular use” in Canmore and could deter future development “The development community prioritizes certainty in the regulatory environment developers are not inclined to revisit or renegotiate legally obtained entitlements particularly after extensive processes and significant financial investments without a very good reason to do so,” he said “The expectation is that approved plans will be honoured as frequent modifications or restrictions can erode investor confidence and disrupt long-term planning Predicatability is a cornerstone of successful development and generally any moves to alter approved uses post-approval can create uncertainty impact project feasibility and deter future investment in Canmore’s housing and development sector if not done carefully.” Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here CANMORE – A year-round pedestrian zone expansion of parks and open spaces and an intercept lot are highlights of the long-term vision for the proposed downtown redevelopment plan Canmore council gave first reading to the downtown area redevelopment plan (ARP) at its Tuesday (April 1) meeting setting the stage for a public hearing on May 6 but I want to hear from the public as to what they think and where hotspots are that we need to consider and respond to accordingly after the public hearing,” said Mayor Sean Krausert He noted when the public hearing takes place in May it was “very likely” he’d propose having consideration of second and third readings moved to council’s June meeting since there was likely to be significant feedback and information to examine Multiple elected officials spoke to their hope that residents will read the draft plan and give feedback – both what they like and have concerns about – when submitting letters or speaking at the public hearing “I think it’s important for everyone to carefully read through this document the areas you do like and bring that to our attention,” said Coun He added the implementation table in the plan was a key component mid- and long-term goals over the next several decades five estimated to cost between $100,000 and $1 million and seven costing more than $1 million “This isn’t going to happen overnight This is a 25-plus year plan,” Hilstad said “Change is already happening now and as stated multiple times [it’s] still going to happen and you might not like that change either This is the best way for us to have a clear path forward and get the change we want.” Jeff Mah echoed Hilstad’s and Krausert’s comments in wanting to hear from the public and hoping people will attend the hearing “Just because one doesn’t participate in an engagement process doesn’t mean engagement did not happen,” he said “You have to be there and present what it is that matters to you I think there’s spots you can tune it up and if I can have some public guidance council approved a public policy planner position that would focus on the Palliser Trail area structure plan and the downtown ARP The scoping for the downtown plan began in 2023 with it ultimately determining the plan would encompass the Spur Line Trail in the north Railway Avenue in the east and 5 Street to the south The ARP’s first phase was its launch with the third phase taking place in 2024 involving community engagement and refining options The final phase was receiving further engagement from the public senior policy planner for the Town and lead on the project noted change in the downtown was already taking place necessitating an updated guiding document for the area The question is how do we as a municipality direct that change and align it with our ambitions and our vision for the area,” he said Cairns’ report stated the plan provides a “clear vision of the future,” but that the Town expects “change to happen gradually over time.” The report stated 61.7 per cent of respondents felt the plan meets the needs or felt neutral of the community now and into the future while 63.1 per cent felt it aligned with the values and aspirations of Canmore The Canmore Downtown BIA also partnered with the University of Calgary’s Urban Labs to have its own engagement process for the BIA’s input into the plan There are six core values and “10 big ideas” such as having Main Street be pedestrian-orientated using surface parking lots for other means and expanding connections to have the Bow River and Policeman’s Creek be part of downtown the downtown has 179,362 square feet of retail-specific floorspace The downtown ARP has been much discussed as a project for several years most recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic The Town Centre Enhancement Concept Plan was adopted in 1998 and gave recommendations for the downtown to be brought in over a period of 15 years several changes have taken place in the community such as the pedestrian zone becoming popular in the summer months Cairns told council development will ultimately be up to property owners and the plan won’t force it to take place The plan largely has building height limited to three and four storeys The updated plan also removes Eklof Park from being used for residential housing and keeps its status as municipal reserve The change comes after significant public backlash from area residents when the previous draft indicated its potential for affordable housing density bonusing will be allowed in select spots and the intent is to have mixed unit types throughout the plan Minimum unit densities would be implemented and affordable housing is encouraged while purpose-built market rental units should be incentivized the plan would add controls to limit new visitor accommodation connect the downtown with the Bow River with new multi-use paths and expand Riverside Park Cairns’ report proposes the implementation start with zoning amendments that align with the ARP update density bonus regulations in the land use bylaw prepare and implement equitably finance growth and prepare amendments to other relevant policies Cairns said the updated draft plan removed any policy direction and reference to changes to the free resident parking program His report stated the decision came after community concern was expressed “That was put in for transparency that as Canmore grows over time and parking is a finite resource change might need to happen and there’s a few ways we might be able to do that,” he said “It was suggested and it was for transparency and not directive It was unnecessary to include in the ARP at this stage so that was removed based on public feedback and concern.” the Town will continue to monitor existing parking regulations “changes to regulations will be contemplated when necessary and the appropriate scope of changes would be determined at that time,” stated his report According to the Town’s Integrated Transportation Plan the plan follows the municipality’s goals of mode share having 40 per cent of trips being walking cycling or public transit and the remaining 60 per cent in vehicles by 2030 “Mode shift is a focus about making sure the network works for cars first and foremost,” Cairns said “It is acknowledging we need to make the network work for vehicles whether that’s commercial vehicles or private automobiles but we have a fixed and finite road network “In order to make sure the road works for cars it means we have to make sure anyone who can and wants to walk cycle or take transit has a way to do it and it’s convenient and attractive enough so they do it and they aren’t adding to the congestion on the streets.” The plan states due to downtown’s location in the valley bottom it can have “unique challenges for accommodating higher levels of vehicle usage.” Any Town-owned lots that may be analyzed for other uses such as housing would be assessed at the time for potential parking uses as part of any plan An intercept parking lot is identified as key in reducing traffic and helping lead to pedestrian use with a possible location being near Elevation Place while existing surface lots are to be facilitated to “higher and better uses.” Cairns noted it would be likely in the next 10 years and be a “single one-stop destination for parking downtown,” but ultimately up to funding availability He said any intercept lot would be a “massive capital project.” Cairns’ staff report noted Town-owned land “will be used to provide affordable housing” and “year-round community spaces” that focus on “pedestrian- and community-oriented” space along 9th Street The report added a year-round pedestrian Main Street – referred to as the civic corridor – will accommodate more people and support reconfiguring the area street network to help vehicle flow It would also be surrounded by a commercial core “Main Street shall be redesigned and constructed as a permanent fully pedestrianized public space closed to vehicles year-round,” stated the plan Cairns highlighted to council future underground infrastructure work would be needed in the coming years providing a “once-in-a-century” opportunity for future planning such as a year-round pedestrian zone The Town’s Utility Master Plan has outlined several water and sewer line replacements in the downtown area that are north of $35 million Multiple projects are identified in South Canmore 7th Avenue and the downtown between 2037-39 Cairns’ report stated they heard concerns about year-round pedestrianization but a “majority of residents and interest holders that we heard from support year-round pedestrianization.” His report added “improvements to parks and open spaces will ensure people have places to gather and celebrate in all four seasons and that more diverse programming and events can be hosted in the heart of the community Among key aspects for the vision in the plan for the downtown is a new central plaza for gathering CORRECTION: An earlier version of the story stated 61.7 per cent of respondents felt the ARP met the needs of the community It should have stated 61.7 per cent felt it met the needs or felt neutral the plan meets the needs as drafted and into the future CANMORE – A lawsuit is formally requesting the Court of King’s Bench abolish the Town of Canmore’s vacancy tax appellants claim the Town of Canmore acted outside its legislative powers in establishing a tax sub-class to specifically tax second homeowners The 46-page filing claims the Town’s vacancy tax “will result in the imposition of significant amounts of incremental property tax based not on characteristics of the property but on the characteristics of the owner” and the “MGA (Municipal Government Act) grants no express power to create a sub-class bylaw based on the characteristics of the owner It argues the MGA doesn’t reference an owner or characteristics of an owner but land or improvements on land for property It noted unlike Ontario and British Columbia which have specific legislation to allow vacancy taxes It did not contemplate granting municipalities the power to create a sub-class bylaw on the basis of characteristics of the owner,” stated the argument The group Fair Future Canmore has more than 1,000 supporters An initial legal filing was made in January for a judicial review The Town has not yet filed a defence and the claims have not been proven in court Mayor Sean Krausert said the Town “will vigorously defend the judicial review of the division of class one property bylaw as the livability tax program is in the best interests of the community as a whole.” The legal claim argues Section 289(2) of the MGA outlines the legislative requirement of basing assessment on “the characteristics and physical condition of the property” rather than type of owner It added Part 9 Division 2 of the MGA requires an assessment roll describing the property but not requiring to list characteristics of the owner It argues the vacancy tax is “contrary to the governing legislative scheme and also contrary to the language in Parts 9 and 10 of the MGA.” It highlighted the Supreme Court of Canada has previously determined the MGA for assessment and taxation is to create and maintain a “property assessment system that fairly and equitably distributes taxes” in a transparent manner and assessments are “current property taxes are a mechanism to distribute the cost of municipal services and programs fairly throughout a municipality,” the lawsuit argues It further argues council has to follow the “principle of equity” outlined by the Supreme Court of Canada and “there is no basis for Town council to draw arbitrary distinctions between residential property which cannot be distinguished on the ‘characteristics and physical condition of the property.’” the lawsuit claims council didn’t follow the core principles of correctness fairness and equity since the vacancy tax “draws arbitrary distinctions between like properties ignoring the statutory scheme and is therefore unreasonable and should be quashed.” “In light of the clear language of the legislation there is no role under Alberta’s legislative scheme for an assessment or assessment class based upon characteristics of the owner.” While Ontario and British Columbia allow a vacancy tax the lawsuit argues those have specific provincially-approved legislation to do so that Alberta doesn’t have that makes it an “overreach by Town council” to create a vacancy tax “The existence of bylaws authorized by those provinces’ express legislation does not provide a justification for the Town to pass [a vacancy tax] the existence of specific statutes expressly authorizing municipal bylaws supports the applicants’ argument that the Town has no authority to pass [a vacancy tax].” the Ministry of Municipal Affairs told the Outlook a municipality is permitted to create sub-classes as long as the MGA is followed “Municipalities must tax according to the rules in the [Municipal Government Act]. The MGA does not specifically enable a vacant home tax but it does enable the municipality to divide its residential class into subclasses by any means it considers appropriate and apply a separate tax rate to each subclass,” said Graeme McElheran director of communications for the ministry councils are accountable to residents when making a decision such as the secondary home sub-class.” The lawsuit states under Part 11 of the MGA that outlines the role of Assessment Review Boards and how a complaint can be made that a person filing a complaint can’t do so on their characteristics as an owner The vacancy tax has led to owners being “deprived of their ability to appeal on the basis of their assessment class,” the lawsuit argues The lawsuit claims it’s contrary to Sections 294 and 295 of the MGA since rather than giving an assessor power of inspection The lawsuit claims council’s bylaw “improperly delegates powers which should be exercised by the Town’s assessor to its [CAO]” and the bylaw that created the vacancy tax “is not a reasonable exercise of municipal authority.” In presenting case law for standard of review the lawsuit argues the court must determine if the vacancy tax is permitted by the MGA “without regard for any underlying policy rationale or political considerations “A [beyond the powers] bylaw cannot stand simply because the aim is noble or the outcome desirable,” states the lawsuit It established the primary residence sub-class leading to the ability to tax primary residents and second homeowners at different rates Previous work by Town staff and Ben Brunnen a consultant with the Town’s Livability Task Force Elected officials spoke in December of the vacancy tax’s necessity in helping the long-term viability of the community “These are not funds for general revenue,” said Coun “These are funds that will go to specific non-market housing initiatives and these will support people who make this town what it is when people show up to their weekend home “I want to continue to see my community function so I would suggest if you have more than enough human right than you need Council members highlighted the sacrifices many people have made to remain in the community which is among the most expensive in the country or be forced to move due to affordability challenges “It’s beyond a dollars and cents issue,” Krausert said at the December meeting “This is about the preservation of any form of community into the future This is about recognizing how so many people have fought to be here.” CANMORE – In a show of solidarity with Canadians amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and threats against Canadian sovereignty, an American woman opened her heart and wallet for every customer at JK Bakery in Canmore on Friday (March 7) who lives in the United States but has family in Canmore and is a long-time customer of the family-owned artisan bakery lunch and snacks for more than 200 customers throughout the day who has owned JK Bakery for about 15 years “When she called this morning and just said she feels so badly with the American administration and she wants to show support to Canadians,” she said “She said ‘I want to do something to show our love for the Canadians and I want to buy food for everybody today’.” McConnery asked if there were any restrictions or limits to be placed on the spend just whatever people want when they get to the till; just tell them it’s on me.” off-again tariffs on Canadian goods and making repeated declarations of wanting to annex Canada and make it the 51st state Canada is implementing 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods which the federal government says will remain in place until the U.S Gunnar Wohlfarth was a customer at JK Bakery on Friday and was moved by the American woman’s gesture When he went to pay for his pretzel baguette he was told it was free thanks to the woman’s generosity “There really was no need for her to do that so we greatly appreciate her thought and what she did … it’s tough times right now,” said Wohlfarth just because there’s a couple of idiots in the White House now.” McConnery said she has never met the generous American woman but said their relationship began during the COVID-19 pandemic years when she would place phone orders for food for her family in Canmore “In those days we were doing lots of meals for people to reheat and have at home so she would call us and order a bunch of food and we would deliver it for her relatives in town,” she said she would call us and we would put a food package together and they would then come pick it up even after COVID so it’s a no-brainer for her whenever there’s an occasion she’ll call us and buy food for them.” McConnery said she had not heard from the woman for almost a year but her customers last Friday were blown away by the woman’s generosity and solidarity with Canadians “People didn’t know until they take their credit card out and we’d say it’s on this lady from the States,” she said “We make it known that it’s an American lady that wants to show her support for Canadians and is ashamed and embarrassed about what’s happening in the States.” McConnery said she sees lots of American customers and said one customer that came in on Friday told her he had renounced his American citizenship about five years ago She said he was incredibly grateful for this woman’s show of solidarity with Canadians “He was quite taken with what somebody had done,” she said “I think it’ll be a heartwarming story for a lot of people that feel badly.” CANMORE – An updated process for declaring potential conflicts of interest will move ahead for Canmore council following legislative changes in the Municipal Government Act (MGA) were made by the provincial government Canmore’s elected officials decided that rather than make a motion to discuss potential or perceived conflicts of interests in decision-making a discussion can still occur in council chambers allowing council to ask questions on the reason for the request which was an alternative option brought forward by Coun is relatively minor but would still allow further discussion by elected officials Foubert noted any potential or perceived conflict would likely be discussed well before the meeting but the change would likely be ironed out after being tested “This is actually going to come down to us doing it a few times to understand how it works how it flows and what is the most appropriate way to create that space to have conversations around conflict and perceived conflict,” she said at the April 1 meeting Foubert said she had seen in the past when a perceived conflict had been weaponized in the public realm She said the ability to address it in council chambers is “really useful and really effective … and what it actually means in our community to have a conflict of interest." "It’s not necessarily a bad thing It’s a conversation because we all have them," she said Jeff Hilstad highlighted it could change in the future especially once it’s used by council and deemed to need further amending this is going to play out as it plays out and maybe in the future term they might change how it goes once you actually get it going and see how it plays out during council meetings,” he said The provincial government amended the MGA on Oct with the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act to add provisions for pecuniary interest and conflict of interest the Town’s manager of municipal clerks office noted that if an elected official has a pecuniary interest they have to disclose general information about the reason A conflict of interest could be a private interest or an employer of the council member or when an elected official should know it may impact the private interest of their family Hyde’s report added the MGA didn’t address conflicts of interest that weren’t pecuniary before the amendments Since it was in council’s code of conduct the recommendation is to repeal that aspect of council’s code of conduct Hyde noted council had a workshop on the legislative changes with the report stating there were talks about elected officials declaring a conflict of interest in error or to avoid voting on specific topics The report added the method for a council member to address a lack of disclosure if they think another elected official may have a conflict of interest As part of the procedural bylaw discussion in the workshop a suggestion of giving council members the chance to challenge an elected official’s decision to provide information about a reason to abstain through a motion to direct the council member to reconsider was discussed “The consequences of failing to follow legislation are quite different If you are in contravention of pecuniary interest legislation it can ramp up to being disqualified from council,” Hyde said at the meeting “There’s fairly serious consequences Declared conflicts of interest have been extremely rare this council term Joanna McCallum and Hilstad declaring a conflict when council adopted the Three Sisters Village and Smith Creek area structure plans The three are named in an ongoing lawsuit brought by Three Sisters Mountain Village Properties Limited against the 2017-21 council after it voted down the two development plans claims by voting down the plans the last council acted in a misfeasance in public office and the decision was a de facto expropriation of the lands The Land and Property Rights Tribunal determined in 2022 the submitted plans were legal and followed the Natural Resources Conservation Board’s 1992 decision while the Court of Appeal in 2023 upheld the tribunal’s decisions At council’s 2022 annual organizational meeting Wade Graham declared a pecuniary interest when elected officials were preparing to select members for the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board because his common law partner was seeking nomination Mayor Sean Krausert said conflicts should only be used in very specific circumstances and not as an option for getting out of a tough vote there’s a great opportunity that you know the people in front of you have some relation to the topic at hand and it would be very easy using these rules to get out of a vote and that undermines civic governance.” CALGARY – A police officer who fired 25 rounds at a Canmore man who fled a check stop didn’t use excessive force a Calgary Court of King’s Bench justice found Thursday (March 6) Calgary Justice Keith Yamauchi determined RCMP Cpl Reyno La Cock’s use of force “was proportional … and it was justified” when he shot at Austin Desylva Two bullets hit the 28-year-old in the face and neck La Cock’s use of force was objectively reasonable in the light of the circumstances in which Cpl La Cock found himself,” stated Yamauchi’s written decision La Cock’s use of force was proportional The determination by the court came after Desylva’s defence counsel Dale Fedorchuk asked Yamauchi to find La Cock had used excessive force against Desylva Fedorchuk argued Sections 7 and 12 of Desylva’s Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms had been violated by La Cock firing at him 25 times The sections state all people have the “right to life liberty and security” and not to be deprived except in matters of justice and everyone “has the right to not be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.” Fedorchuk asked for a reduced sentence based on his argument that La Cock acted against Desylva’s charter rights Desylva told the court that since he was not pointing his gun at La Cock he was a “diminished threat” that should have led to La Cock reassessing the situation Yamauchi wrote that Desylva had continually avoided being stopped by police tried to flee when his vehicle was stuck in the snow and still had the firearm he had previously used to fire at La Cock “The driver still had the firearm that he had used to fire two shots at Cpl La Cock had reasonable grounds to fire the first five shots at the driver,” stated the decision Yamauchi’s decision also noted both La Cock and RCMP Cpl Kevin Graff – the second officer on the scene – told Deslyva “many times” to surrender or show his hands to police Desylva took the firearm into the woods with him as he escaped through the passenger door He had no intention of surrendering to the officers.” Yamauchi further stated that La Cock said during testimony that he felt Desylva was potentially leading him to “grievous bodily injury or death” and the threat level was “as high as it gets” after seeing Desylva with a firearm exiting his car La Cock said he saw Desylva as a threat to both himself and the public On the night of Feb. 24, 2023 La Cock was conducting traffic stops near Rundle Drive and Three Sisters Drive to see if drivers had been drinking when Desylva made a U-turn to avoid being stopped by him near downtown Canmore Desylva used a 3D-printed Glock pistol to shoot at the officer in the area of 8th Avenue and Rundle Drive Desylva drove his Buick Verano through several stop signs and at a high rate of speed until he was eventually cornered by La Cock on 15th Street but La Cock told the court he didn’t know that was the case Desylva got out of his car and ran into the forested area didn’t pursue when Desylva ran into the woods after assessing the risk situation police used a blood trail to find Desylva who was at the side of a house about 25 metres from the scene where his car got stuck in the snow there was a heavy police presence in the Canmore area of the Engine Bridge along the Spur Line Trail multiple areas on Larch Avenue and the intersection of 11 Avenue and 15 Street RCMP asked residents to remain in their homes and avoid the area for about 90 minutes heavily armed emergency response team officers a helicopter circling the area and more than a dozen marked and unmarked police vehicles were on scene left a few moments later with an unmarked police vehicle following behind to Canmore General Hospital STARS air ambulance arrived and took Desylva to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary A bullet remained in Desylva’s esophagus and needed surgery to remove it briefly in a medically-induced coma and stayed in hospital for an additional two weeks before going to the gang unit at the Calgary Remand Centre No one other than Desylva was injured in the pursuit Desylva told the court he believes he has post-traumatic stress disorder from the night but he hasn’t been officially diagnosed Desylva testified that he has dreams of lying in the snow with blood coming out of him and choking on it No one comes,” stated Yamauchi’s decision he agreed that the people to whom he is yelling for help are the same people at whom he was shooting “he admitted that the injuries that he suffered were the result of the offences that he had committed.” In early 2023 and before the Canmore shooting Desylva was charged in a joint Banff and Canmore RCMP investigation that led to several weapons and drug-related charges police seized three shotguns – two of which were loaded – two loaded handguns 260 grams of cocaine and $800 in Canadian money Desylva was arrested and charged with pointing a firearm as well as 20 weapons-related offences possession of drugs with the purpose of trafficking and possession of stolen property Desylva was released on a judicial interim release order which he violated when he fired at La Cock Alberta Health Services shut down the home in 2023 in the Silvertip area of Canmore after there had been several police raids and complaints from neighbours of people leaving the property at all times of day and night The Town of Canmore’s municipal enforcement department also issued several tickets in 2023 to the 129 Silvertip Ridge home and responded to multiple complaints had lived in Canmore for about three years at the time of the shooting but was fired after his employer found out he was a drug dealer Desylva testified he didn’t remember shooting at La Cock after the officer began pursuing him when Desylva made a U-turn to avoid being stopped near downtown Canmore Desylva told the court he had been drinking at a bar that night and also smoked crack with two hitting the 28-year-old in both the face and neck that shattered his jaw and roof of his mouth and several other shots hitting Desylva’s Buick He told the court he continued to face the impact of frostbite long-time RCMP officer and tactical training officer Sgt Mike Beauchamp analyzed La Cock’s decisions that resulted in use of force Beauchamp reviewed the situational factors that were present when Cpl La Cock fired his weapon,” stated Yamauchi’s decision he had few other intervention options besides using his firearm or a baton would not be appropriate as the subject possessed a handgun that he had discharged at the officer La Cock’s carbine would have been an option but ‘they have their own issues.’” Beauchamp testified that usually at shorter range a pistol is easier to manipulate and use than a carbine Yamauchi’s decision highlighted it was the first time both La Cock and Graff had been shot at Desylva pleaded guilty on the first day of the February trial to four charges such as firearms and drug offences that came from the shooting The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigated the shooting and fully cleared La Cock The sentencing arguments for Desylva are scheduled for April passed away peacefully at the Canmore Hospital on February 21 He is survived by his brothers Richie (Barb) Shellian Ronnie (Denise) Shellian and sisters Betty Kirby and Shirley Matheson as well as by his son Robert Shellian He is also survived by his grandchildren Emerson Shellian great granddaughter Olivia McIntyre and numerous nieces Larry was born and raised in Canmore where he grew up playing sports such as soccer but was known best for playing lots of hard hitting hockey and living as a rink rat helping his father make ice and care for the original Canmore Arena After high school he worked in the Canmore mines and then went to Calgary and worked for Sears to be close to his high school sweetheart Betty Latvala whom he eventually married and they had Lindsay and Robert.  He returned to Canmore and spent most of his career working for the Town of Canmore in numerous departments.  He was honored as one of the ‘Faces of Canmore’ and was very proud of that Larry played for the Canmore Flyers and was a great hockey player.  He also managed and played with the Canmore Speed Queens slo-pitch team coached minor hockey and helped coach with the Canmore Eagles when they were first established in town He was ‘Santa Claus’ for many Canmore events as well as for families who requested him throughout the years and fit the role perfectly.  He loved his Harley motorbikes and also fit that role perfectly with his biker look He continued to work around town and contribute to the community in other capacities right up until this past November You could find him working security in the local bars landing at Cornerstone Theatre for the last few years in that role.  He looked tough but all that really knew him knew he was a big teddy bear.  He drove buses for a few areas including with the local schools and eventually working with the Life Enrichment team at Origin Spring Creek where he got to share his town and the Bow Valley with the seniors’ giving tours and rides He always said that this was the most fulfilling job he had being able to make a difference in the lives of these seniors humor and kindness throughout his life is what is remembered most.  He treated everyone the same Always with kindness and a twinkle in that eye.  He thrived on being around others and making others laugh and he was so good at it Larry has requested a party in his honor and more information will follow regarding the celebration once details are finalized More NATIONAL OBITUARIES > Owners of a Trans Canada Trail extension project are asking Rocky View County (RVC) for help and input by including a senior administration member in the planning process The Trail extension will become part of the 28,000-kilometre Trans Canada Trail Network and add to the existing network of trails currently available to Albertans The Trail Owners Council previously partnered with the Town of Cochrane and the City of Calgary in 2022 to proceed with work on Phase 1 identifying a route that connects Calgary to Cochrane through the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park the project seeks to connect the Town of Cochrane to the Town of Canmore by trail in what is called Phase 2 of the extension plan The Rotary Club of Canmore is requesting RVC to provide a senior member of Administration to join the Trail Owners Council for Phase 2 of the Trail project The County received a similar request from the Rotary Club of Cochrane in 2022 to participate in the Ownership Council of Phase 1 of this project but did not appoint a senior Administration member.  confirmed Administration met with representatives from the Rotary Club of Cochrane in January "Leadership on this project is divided into two teams the Core Team and the Trail Owners Council," Andrew explained. "The Core Team consists of voluntary representatives from local organizations and serves to chair the Trail Owners Council as stewards of the project The Core Team does not have decision-making authority." Other proposed members of Phase 2 of the Ownership Council include the M.D Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors The Trail Owners Council will provide decision-making authority on the development and coordination of the work required to build a trail connecting the two towns Andrew's report encouraged RVC involvement but cautioned that involvement might set a precedent for other similar groups and projects There is currently no proposed route for Phase 2 The Trail Owners Council intends to work with local landowners and affected jurisdictions to identify the preferred route to achieve this goal Assembling an advisory board and planning is expected to take a one to two year process RVC council directed Administration to proceed.  CANMORE – The courts will determine the next steps about whether Canmore’s vacancy tax moves ahead or if it’s tossed Legal representation for the Town of Canmore and applicants against the vacancy tax presented their cases during a one-day virtual hearing at Calgary Court of King’s Bench Tuesday (April 15) argued Canmore council and the municipality were acting outside of their legislative jurisdiction bestowed by the provincial government through the Municipal Government Act (MGA) Though other provincial governments allow vacancy taxes which she noted was highlighted in Town documents and a presentation to council when discussing the tax’s creation Stewart-Palmer said Alberta isn’t such a jurisdiction and it doesn’t give Canmore the right to institute the tax “The express legislative intention by way of an amendment allowed there to be a vacancy tax,” she said of Ontario and British Columbia permitting municipalities to have such a tax “This appears to be a justification relied upon by the Town in passing this bylaw … There’s clear mention others have done this so the implication is ‘why can’t we?’ or ‘they did it She noted that municipalities are ultimately “creatures of statute with no direct constitutional power,” with their jurisdiction received from the provincial government requiring them to follow legislative framework “It doesn’t matter why the Town passed the bylaw “We have to look to the statute.” “It may be done with the best of intentions a partner with Reynolds Mirth Richards and Farmer representing the Town argued that the MGA doesn’t specifically allow vacancy taxes it permits “a very broad delegation of authority” to municipalities to address specific community needs “While there is no express vacancy tax provision there is very broad authority under Section 297(2) that you don’t see in other provinces for municipal councils to create assessment sub-classes under the residential assessment class under any basis council considers.” “the statement from the Town that Section 297 allows them to do what they want without any further analysis beyond the offence provisions … is insufficient.” Swanberg said the Town’s creation of sub-classes allows the municipality to address concerns and community priorities with council having established affordability and housing as two of its goals He added both council and Town staff had spent “significant amount of attention and effort … to identify core municipal priorities at the beginning of this council’s term.” Swanberg argued the appellants failed to show the municipality acted outside its legislative jurisdiction in creating the vacancy tax It said provincial legislation allows municipalities to act broadly to help with community needs such as housing and affordability through creation of bylaws “The MGA is supposed to be interpreted in a fashion that allows councils to be innovative and to respond to new challenges the municipality is facing,” he said Stewart-Palmer argued since the bylaw was passed last August it left less than the 183 days necessary to be a primary resident with a declaration needed by Dec She called it “improper retrospective effect” since it left any second homeowner unable to change to be compliant Swanberg told the court the MGA is retrospective for taxes and it “attaches future consequences to past actions” since assessment is based on characteristics and physical condition from the past year and the bylaw is set up as such He said there was no evidence of any property owner having “been disadvantaged” and said it was inference from Stewart-Palmer to suggest that with it not “appropriate for courts to rely heavily on hypothetical facts around applications for judicial review Stewart-Palmer said about 2,600 property owners will be impacted meaning “there is sufficient evidence for you to draw that inference based upon the record,” and such owners are unable to change due to when the bylaw was passed “It’s the fact of non-notice and the impact of the non-notice that creates the retrospective effect,” she said Stewart-Palmer raised arguments about improper delegation of authority between the CAO and assessor lack of clarity in certain sections of the bylaw and consequences for a homeowner not following the bylaw She told the court the vacancy tax based itself on the characteristic of the property’s owner rather than the characteristic of the property Stewart-Palmer argued the MGA doesn’t allow such taxation leading to it being discriminatory and legally not allowed She said there’s “no logical or legal nexus in property value to the characteristics of the owner” and it “must be guided by what the legislation provides for.” Stewart-Palmer argued case law indicated legislative powers have taxes to be distributed fairly and equally and the vacancy tax was “not advancing a fair and equitable distribution of taxes predictability or stability for the Town and the taxpayers nor does it ensure the assessment is current is the ability to discriminate between residential properties based upon the number of days a landowner or homeowner lives absolutely necessary for the Town to exercise its powers of assessment in taxation Swanberg said the vacancy tax didn’t “intrude on assessor’s function” since they still prepare the assessment and assign properties to different tax classes and sub-classes “based on the criteria set by council which is council’s jurisdiction and authority to do so.” He noted the CAO and assessor have separate roles and “it is entirely possible and rational for both jurisdictions to operate in harmony together.” Swanberg countered that “assessment classes are 100 per cent based on use” and tied to a property’s physical characteristics  “You can create sub-classes based on kind of use and different kinds of use doesn’t necessarily have to be confined to the physical condition of the property,” he said “It’s simply the use of the property and that is a basis that properties can be differentiated for the purpose determining different buckets tax rates can be assigned to.” Justice Christopher Simard said he would work to have a decision as quickly as possible particularly since the Town would have to pass its property tax bylaw in the coming weeks Swanberg said if council passed its property tax bylaw and the vacancy tax was quashed or needed amendments it could “throw the municipality’s finances into chaos” since after a tax notice was sent out Swanberg requested a decision in the coming weeks particularly if there were elements of the bylaw that could be fixed through an amendment Stewart-Palmer said in her rebuttal it was rare to have the court during a judicial review sever parts of a bylaw with the applicants requesting the court to dismiss the bylaw in full “Based on the concerns we’ve raised there’s so much wrong with this bylaw that if you blue-lined it you might have the title left and probably not much else,” she said Swanberg said the Town would have to pass its property tax bylaw by early June at the latest with the municipality having requested an expedited hearing and review The Town filed its statement of defence April 7 while the statement of claim for the appellants was submitted March 14 The appellants are requesting the Court of King’s Bench to toss Canmore’s vacancy tax arguing it is outside of the municipality’s legislative powers to tax second homeowners at a higher rate than full-time residents The Town passed its vacancy tax last August but it was part of the Housing Action Plan approved in 2023 developed when seeking federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund it was estimated that about 26 per cent of homes in Canmore were owned by second homeowners The Town’s vacancy tax considers a primary resident to be a property lived in 183 days of a calendar year and at least 60 of those are continuous A Canmore homeowner can only have one primary resident property council approved $12 million to be collected from the vacancy tax It was ultimately lowered earlier this year to $10.3 million once all declaration forms had been received 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to the controversial 'Liveability' Tax (Vacancy Tax) a judicial review against the Town of Canmore has been filed in the Court of Kings Bench is supporting the judicial review that aims to take a stand to protect property owners strengthen neighbourly relations and ensure effective This tax represents a troubling shift in policy intentionally and disproportionately targeting part-time homeowners and impacting many full-time residents while failing to address Canmore’s housing affordability challenges The judicial filing underscores the serious legal and fairness concerns at the heart of this issue The "Liveability" Tax improperly characterizes based on the characteristics of the owner/occupier rather than characteristics of the property violating the principles of set out under Alberta's Municipal Government Act (MGA) that residential sub-classes must be based on property characteristics It also retroactively imposes legal and financial consequences while burdening property owners with unclear and overly complex criteria "The Vacancy Tax is not a solution to Canmore’s housing affordability crisis such as increasing housing supply or supporting affordable developments and instead places an unfair burden on certain property owners effective solutions that could make a difference to housing affordability," said Les Skingle including those in other jurisdictions like Vancouver have minimal impact on housing affordability The CD Howe Institute’s report on Vancouver’s Empty Homes Tax revealed only modest gains in rental availability and no significant reductions in housing costs Affordability challenges are driven by systemic factors—such as high demand and limited supply—that vacancy taxes simply cannot address the tax risks further division by unfairly stigmatizing part-time residents many of whom have contributed to the town for decades Part-time property owners are more than a piggy bank for Canmore Council—they are an integral part of Canmore’s fabric Permanent residents worry about their ability to travel take time outside of Canmore for medical treatments and erosion of privacy This Bylaw unfairly pressures many to sell or pay penalties eroding the diversity and vibrancy that define our community and creating friction between neighbours Fair Future Canmore advocates for developing policies that unite the community and address housing affordability effectively forward-thinking approaches—such as further incentivizing long-term rentals streamlining housing development approvals and increasing the supply of housing—offer more sustainable and inclusive paths forward We encourage all Canmore residents to join us in our support of the judicial review in standing against the "Liveability" Tax and supporting policies that reflect fairness we can build a sustainable future that works for everyone Media Contact:Alyson HodsonMedia LiaisonIntegrated Strategic Partnersahodson@ispartnersinc.com I am indirectly so by being governed by a municipal government for which my appreciation is I received a letter in a stack of other mail Because the envelope did not bear a sender and I wasn’t interested in having won a Caribbean cruise or having my property assessed as currently offered on every other website reminding me to register as a full-time resident or I would be assessed a property tax surcharge this surtax does not create a single new accommodation as little as paid parking created a single new parking stall It was just a creative way to raise more money concrete pads and delineator posts at every intersection and between not to speak about the cost overrun for the Cougar Creek dam Maybe some folks bought their retirement home here and are now penalized for the Town’s planning shortsightedness and shortcomings Would it not have been a matter of requesting staff accommodation for hotels and other businesses offering mostly (too) low-paying jobs Are we now subsidizing hamburgers and cleaning staff To what extent have we become a bedroom community for Banff building staff housing and having rooms for their employees according to the number of their shares Should we not be glad that not all homes are inhabited permanently Imagine what traffic downtown would be like all week If the shadow population contributed their fair share of waste the sewage treatment plant would be overflowing and garbage fees would go up even more due to the increased volume Andrew Ference can't imagine a more scenic locale to host the 25th anniversary of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada than Canmore Having played 16 seasons in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011 Ference lived in Canmore with The Three Sisters peaks of the Canadian Rockies as a backdrop "I actually lived there for four or five years," Ference said "When I first broke into the League with Pittsburgh and probably my second or third year my first ever house purchase was a new development in Canmore and I thought it was a good place to set up shop in the summertime Growing up in Edmonton I would go down to ski at Sunshine Village and Lake Louise (Banff The reason I picked Canmore is that I love the mountains and I thought that place was awesome and I loved it." Ference was back in Canmore this weekend to take part in the Hockey Day in Canada festivities broadcast on Sportsnet starting with the Bruins at the Ottawa Senators followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m the Calgary Flames at the Winnipeg Jets (7 p.m SNW) and concluding with the Edmonton Oilers at the Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m All four games will be available to stream for free in Punjabi, Plains Cree, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Tagalog, Gujarati and Spanish on sportsnet.ca/hockeyday "I've been to a few of these now and Hockey Day in Canada has become a day where all the Canadian teams are playing and people just hunker down and consume hockey all day which is pretty cool for the Saturday," said Ference now NHL Director of Social Impact and Player Programs From Wednesday to Saturday it's jam-packed with hockey clinics we'll do some panels with some of the Olympic athletes It's just a half-week celebration of the game of hockey it's kind of a hockey-palooza for all the kids and families that want to be there." The 12 1/2-hour broadcast Saturday is hosted by Ron McLean live from Canmore Golf and Country Club and Canmore Recreation Centre The Stanley Cup is on display at the fan festival to go along with autograph signings and a ball hockey tournament "Getting time with the Stanley Cup is kind of cool everyone gets a chance to go up and see it touch it and get their picture with it," Ference said "It's always neat to see people interact with the Cup in their own little hometowns they do such an incredible job not only promoting it but with boots on the ground in little towns that host it also featuring members of the Sportsnet "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcast team "I rip around and try to light it up," Ference said The city of just over 15,000 located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Calgary, is home to the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point played four games there in 2011-12 who was recalled by Edmonton on Tuesday and is expected to play against the Canucks on Saturday Philp is a Canmore native and played for his hometown team as a 16-year-old before moving on to the Western Hockey League to play with Winnipeg and Seattle and growing up we took a lot of pride in representing the Bow Valley area," Philp said "We're trying to kind of pass that along with different programs and it's kind of cool to see 'Hockey Day in Canada' coming to my hometown "We were fortunate enough to have an outdoor rink just a two-minute walk behind our house We would practice and then go to the outdoor rink out there Philp signed a one-year contract with the Oilers on July 1 after sitting out the 2023-24 season for personal reasons eight assists) in 28 games with Bakersfield of the American Hockey League and one assist in five NHL games since making his debut Oct The 26-year-old has fond memories of growing up in Canmore and is excited for his town to be in the national spotlight Saturday "It's such a beautiful place and that rink that I was talking about it's kind of centered and you can see the mountains around it "I think the two go hand in hand and I'm fortunate to be from there." Alberta Health Services (AHS) says there are more confirmed cases of the measles in the province A public alert is being issued after a person went to several locations in Calgary Individuals who were in the following locations during the specified dates and times may have been exposed to measles: April 6Canmore – Save-On-Foods950 Railway Ave CanmoreExposure time period: approximately 5 a.m April 7-10Calgary – Delmar College of Hair and Esthetics5915 1a St CalgaryExposure time period: approximately 8:30 a.m April 11Banff – Lux Cinema229 Bear St April 11Banff – Fairmont Banff Springs Bowl Valley Five Pin & Pints405 Spray Ave AHS explains anyone who was in these locations at these times who was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine These individuals are at risk for developing measles and are strongly encouraged to review their immunization records and monitor themselves for symptoms of measles Measles is extremely contagious and is spread easily through the air Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3° C or higher; and a cough runny nose and/or red eyes; and a rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it AHS says the measles vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection and complications from the disease Alberta has seen 77 cases of the measles so far this year; 69 of those cases are considered to no longer be contagious as of Tuesday Premier Danielle Smith says she will address Albertans Monday on a "path forward with the federal government" after a meeting with her caucus Calgary police have laid charges in the stabbing death of a young man outside a downtown bar last month A condo complex in Calgary's Beltline community is increasingly concerned with the increasing number of calls they are making to emergency services weather and video from CityNews Calgary anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices.