Canmore Climbing Gym Battles Flooding After August Long Weekend Storms

CANMORE — Heavy rain over the August long weekend left parts of Canmore underwater again, with large pools forming in familiar trouble spots. The corner of 17th Street and 8th Avenue and the parking lot outside Canmore Lube & Muffler were among the worst. Locals say these areas have been flooding for more than a decade.

For the Canmore Climbing Gym, the water was more than an inconvenience. Facility manager Jona Hackett says they got a call on Saturday from staff that the gym was flooding. When they arrived, several climbing mats were already wet.

“Wet climbing mats are prone to mould and could mean having to replace them all, which would be very expensive,” Hackett said.

The water was coming from two places. Some leaked in through the back garage door, but most surged up through the storm drains after they overflowed. Staff quickly lifted mats, pushed water out, and set up fans to dry the area.

The gym closed from Saturday night through Tuesday. Hackett says the timing was bad, with rainy weather that would normally bring more customers inside. The lost revenue over the long weekend is a setback for the small, relatively new business.

They credit staff member Kat Dittrich for catching the flooding early and preventing much larger damage. Hackett says replacing saturated mats and possibly some climbing walls could have cost more than $10,000.

A plumber later told them the drainage pipes were badly blocked, which likely made the surge worse. Hackett says the location is a low point in town and has poor drainage during heavy rain.

The gym is planning its own preventative measures, including weatherproofing the back of the building and possibly adding a backflow preventer to stop water from coming up through the drains. They would also like to see the town improve the drainage system.

Other businesses were hit as well. Core Values also closed temporarily and Crazyweed Kitchen staff had to walk barefoot through their flooded parking lot.

Hackett says they hope this was a one-off event, but if flooding becomes a regular issue, moving locations could eventually be on the table.

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