Canmore’s 25-Year Downtown Plan Is Finally Approved. Here’s What It Actually Says.

The TL;DR:

After two years of public engagement, a couple of heated council meetings, and more than a thousand pages of feedback from residents, Canmore has a new master plan for its downtown. Connect Downtown: Planning a Vibrant Centre was officially passed in July and will guide everything from street design to land use to public spaces through to 2050.

It’s More Than a Pedestrian Zone

Let’s start with what made headlines: Council decided not to make the summer pedestrian zone on Main Street permanent. The draft plan had floated the idea of a year-round closure, but that’s been parked (pun intended) for now. Expect to keep seeing cars back on the road come October. Though the idea could be revisited down the road, especially when the street is torn up for underground utility upgrades.

The “Big Ideas”

Connect Downtown lays out ten big ideas to guide future development. They include:

• Making Main Street more pedestrian-oriented

• Turning underused parking lots into housing, parks, or civic spaces

• Expanding green space and public plazas

• Integrating Policeman’s Creek and the Bow River into the heart of downtown

• Improving walkability and cycling connections across the core

It’s all part of a broader push to keep Canmore’s town centre livable, vibrant, and functional, even as the population grows and visitor numbers keep climbing.

Where’s the Line?

The boundaries of the plan stretch from the Bow River on the west to Railway Ave on the east, and from the Spur Line Trail on the north to 5th Street in the south. Within that area: housing, heritage buildings, surface parking lots, trails, public art, traffic flow, and stormwater drainage are all on the table.

Height Limits, Softened Views

A major sticking point in council discussions was building height. Residents had raised concerns about losing views, especially along Main and 10th Streets. Initially, councillors proposed a strict 2.5-storey height cap. But after some pushback from town staff, that was scrapped.

Instead, the final plan keeps the current 11-metre limit but encourages “visual softening” through stepbacks, roof variation, and architectural design, measures meant to preserve the mountain views without stifling development or heritage restoration efforts.

Eklof Park = Safe

Locals were clear: leave Eklof Park alone. Council heard them. Despite early rezoning whispers that would have opened the space to housing, the plan now ensures it remains designated as municipal reserve (a protected green space).

Parking Politics

There’s a firm promise in the plan: no net loss of downtown public parking. That doesn’t mean all surface lots will stay, but it does mean any parking removed must be replaced elsewhere. A new intercept parking facility is one of the big-ticket items in the implementation plan, with a price tag over $1 million.

The Big Spenders

Of the 27 action items in the plan, 7 are projected to cost more than $1 million. Those include:

• A new intercept parking facility to keep cars out of the downtown core

• Rebuilding Main Street during the next round of underground utility upgrades

• A central plaza for community gathering and events

• Riverside Park expansion and upgrades to the NWMP Barracks site

• Revamped pond space and a multi-use path from 9th Street to the Bow River

Some of these won’t happen for a decade or more, but they’ve made it onto the roadmap.

What Gets Protected

The plan includes a strong focus on preserving Canmore’s character. It maps out view corridors, restricts overbearing development, and aims to blend new construction with the existing heritage feel. Some parcels, particularly in the Mount Peachee area, have restrictive covenants that limit development options.

Future-Proofing the Core

Here’s what else you’ll see if the plan unfolds as designed:

• Trail connections linking Policeman’s Creek, Riverside Park, and the downtown grid

• Pop-up commercial areas near gathering spaces, though not in Riverside Park itself (that idea got nixed)

• Flexible public spaces that could host markets, festivals, or performances

• More housing options, especially within walking distance of services

How We Got Here

The planning process kicked off in 2023 with pop-up booths, surveys, workshops, and even a few live concerts. According to the report, the town received more than 1,300 pages of written input and heard from nearly 50 speakers during the public hearing. Council then spent two months fine-tuning the plan before voting in July 2025.

How It’ll Roll Out

Implementation is broken into three timelines: short, medium, and long term. Six of the 27 items are cost-free (policy changes), nine will cost less than $100,000, five are between $100K and $1M, and seven top the $1M mark.

But here’s the key thing: adoption of the plan doesn’t mean immediate action. Every project still requires council approval, public consultation, and funding allocation. In other words, think of this as a “choose your own adventure,” but with bylaws.

A Few More Nuggets

• The plan introduces new zoning types for mixed-use buildings

• There’s a vision for public art to be integrated into stormwater and transportation projects

• The town wants to pilot more “shared streets” where cars, bikes, and pedestrians co-exist

• Historic buildings could get preservation bonuses in the development code

Bottom Line

This plan is the biggest rethink of downtown Canmore since the late ’90s. Council says it reflects local input and gives them a roadmap to make tough choices over the next two decades. Some residents will cheer, others will groan, but the future of downtown just got a lot more defined.

Want to See the Full Plan?

You can view the entire 250+ page Connect Downtown ARP if you’re into maps, land use bylaws, and diagrams of stormwater traps. Download it below or check the Town of Canmore’s website.