Canmore Retailers Face Growing Competition for Workers as Restaurant Tips Add Pressure

After more than 20 years operating All in the Wild Galleries in the Bow Valley, photographer and business owner Jason Bantle says retaining employees has become increasingly difficult.

His galleries previously employed six or seven people in the Bow Valley. Today, he says they struggle to maintain four.

Bantle believes competition from restaurants, where employees can supplement their wages with tips, is contributing to the problem.

Some employees have left his galleries after just two or three weeks to take restaurant jobs, he said, leaving him and his wife to take on more responsibilities themselves.

"We've had to be way more involved in the galleries than we ever have been," Bantle told Bow Valley Insider.

His experience reflects concerns identified in Town of Canmore labour market research, which found that limited access to gratuities can make it harder for retailers to compete with restaurants and bars for employees.

Competing for the Same Workers

According to the federal government's Job Bank, the median hourly wage for food and beverage servers in the Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House economic region is $20, compared with $17 for retail salespeople.

The figures, updated in November 2025 using Statistics Canada's 2023-24 Labour Force Survey data, represent a difference of approximately 18 per cent.

However, the regional figures do not establish how much Canmore workers earn or how much tips contribute to their total compensation.

Bantle says his galleries pay above minimum wage but cannot always match the earning potential of restaurant positions.

"Well, you can't pay me what I need to make to live in this town," he recalled being told by departing employees.

His concern is that retail businesses cannot necessarily offer the same opportunity to supplement wages through gratuities.

"When you go to these restaurants the tipping starts at 18%," Bantle said.

"If I could tack 18% onto all of my sales well, I wouldn't have a wage issue either."

The Town's 2024 Labour Market Recruitment and Retention Strategy identified a similar problem.

The report found that low profit margins and limited opportunities for tips made it difficult for retailers to offer wages competitive with restaurants and bars.

It also identified higher employee turnover and workers holding multiple jobs among the challenges facing retail businesses.

What Canadian Research Says About Tipping

A 2025 report from consumer advocacy organization Option consommateurs examined how businesses solicit tips and raised concerns about increasingly widespread gratuity requests.

A separate May 2025 survey by Research Co. found that 53 per cent of Canadians reported always tipping at sit-down restaurants.

By comparison, 71 per cent disapproved of online retailers prompting customers for suggested tips.

The findings suggest that while tipping remains established in sit-down restaurants, consumers are less receptive to gratuity requests in other retail settings.

For Bantle, that difference presents a challenge.

His galleries provide personalized customer service, sometimes spending considerable time helping customers select artwork, but he says asking customers to add a substantial gratuity to an expensive purchase would be unrealistic.

Local Research Identifies Broader Workforce Pressures

A 2026 Training Needs Assessment commissioned by the Town of Canmore identified high living costs as a barrier to workforce development, with some residents working multiple jobs.

Conducted by Osier Consulting, the study surveyed 120 employers and 118 residents and included interviews with representatives of 20 industry associations, training providers and local businesses.

Among surveyed accommodation and food-service employers, 83 per cent reported workforce skills gaps.

The assessment cautioned that employers experiencing skills gaps may have been more likely to participate, meaning the findings may not represent all Canmore businesses. Skills gaps also do not necessarily indicate job vacancies.

Seasonal employment presented another challenge, with short-term staffing arrangements making it harder for businesses to justify investing in employee training.

Bantle has experienced similar turnover. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, employees sometimes stayed with his galleries for four to six years. Now, many remain for six to eight months.

"We're not getting long-term employees anymore," he said.

Why Aren't Wages Rising?

Dr. Xingfei Liu, an associate professor of economics at the University of Alberta, says persistent hiring difficulties would generally be expected to encourage employers to increase wages or adjust job requirements.

He explained that employers unable to attract qualified applicants may need to reconsider compensation or expectations as the labour market adjusts.

But Bantle says smaller businesses face limits on how much they can increase wages while remaining financially sustainable.

The challenge is compounded by housing costs.

As previously reported by Bow Valley Insider, the Bow Valley Job Resource Centre's Fall 2024 Labour Market Review found that just 16 per cent of Canmore job postings included staff accommodation.

Bantle says purchasing property to house employees is not financially realistic for his business.

He also receives applications from people outside the Bow Valley who want to work in Banff or Canmore but have not secured accommodation.

Other Businesses Feel the Effects

Similar concerns emerged in September reporting by Bow Valley Insider.

Canmore retailer Charisma Collective announced it was closing after struggling to recruit and retain employees.

Owner Sharon Gerrard identified staffing as the primary reason behind the decision.

"Retail, of course, is not a high-paid job, so it's not as if we can attract people who can actually afford to live in town," Gerrard said at the time.

The Bow Valley Job Resource Centre recorded 1,822 job openings between November 2025 and April 2026, a 58 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier.

Its Spring 2026 Labour Market Review identified limited housing availability and changes to immigration levels as factors restricting workforce growth.

Bantle believes municipalities should consider ways to make affordable employee housing more accessible to smaller employers.

He also suggested improved public transportation from surrounding communities could help businesses recruit workers who cannot afford to live locally.

For now, he says his galleries remain viable, largely because he and his wife have increased their own involvement in daily operations.

But he worries that other independent retailers may not be able to do the same.

"You can't work seven days a week and still function in your business in a retail setting," he said.