Canmore town below snow-covered mountains

The series

Living in Canmore

Honest, local stories about life in the mountains — the Tuesday version, not the brochure.

People ask me the same questions every week. What are winters really like? Where do locals actually live? Is it worth it?

I grew up in the Bow Valley, left, and came back — so I’ve lived the answers. These articles are where I write them down: the history, the quirks, the trails from the front door, and the trade-offs nobody mentions until you’ve signed the papers. Grab a coffee and start anywhere.

— Christina

Christina out cross-country skiing with her kids in Canmore.

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Canmore town below the mountains
Living in Canmore · ~5 min read

What It’s Really Like Living in Canmore

The Tuesday version of mountain life — trails from every front door, real winters, remarkable neighbours, and the trade-offs nobody puts in the brochure.

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Canmore homes below the mountains
Living in Canmore · ~5 min read

The Honest Cost of Living in Canmore

Double Calgary for the house, a few percent more for the groceries — and a couple of genuine surprises in between. The real 2026 numbers, no sugar-coating.

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Buying in Canmore From Out of Province: How It Actually Works
Living in Canmore · ~6 min read

Buying in Canmore From Out of Province: How It Actually Works

Video walk-throughs, Alberta contracts, condo documents and the two tax surprises nobody mentions — how buying here from another province really works.

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Canmore rooftops below snow-covered peaks in winter
Living in Canmore · ~5 min read

Canmore Winters, Honestly

Short December days, chinooks that break the cold, skiing in October — and why locals call winter the main event.

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Summer view of the Three Sisters over Canmore
Living in Canmore · ~6 min read

The Best Hidden Perks of Living in Canmore

An Olympic venue as the local gym, four ski resorts, Olympians as neighbours, sunshine in every season — and more golf than a town of 16,000 has any right to. The fine print nobody puts in the brochure.

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A Canmore street and playground on a summer day
Living in Canmore · ~6 min read

Raising Kids in the Mountains: Schools & Clubs in Canmore

Small schools where teachers know your dog’s name, Jackrabbits and bike camps, pond skating instead of screen time — and the honest trade-offs.

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Christina Carrick and her father on a ski day in Canmore
Living in Canmore · ~7 min read

Boomers in Canmore

A hospital with a quiet ER, a hiking club called the Meanderthals, pottery on Tuesdays and concerts in Banff. Retiring where other people vacation — honestly assessed.

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Summer rooftops and homes on a slope below Lady Macdonald in Canmore
Living in Canmore · ~5 min read

Canmore Property Taxes & Zoning, Explained

The Livability Tax, three tax classes, and why Alberta charges no land transfer tax — Canmore’s fine print, translated.

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Panoramic winter view of Canmore townhomes with snow-covered mountains behind
Living in Canmore · ~8 min read

Tourist Homes & Hotel Condos: Canmore’s Two Legal Nightly-Rental Routes

Tourist Home or Hotel Condo — the only two legal ways to rent by the night in Canmore, and how differently they behave.

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Summer view over Canmore homes and treetops to the Three Sisters peaks
Living in Canmore · ~6 min read

Professionals in Canmore: The Remote-Work Basecamp

Keep the job, change the lunch break. YYC in about an hour and a quarter, real coworking downtown, and the remote-work wave that never left — honestly assessed.

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