Canmore Wants Permanent Residents to Be Able to Vote in Municipal Elections

Canmore is backing a push to allow permanent residents of Canada to vote in municipal elections, even if they have not yet become Canadian citizens.

Council unanimously supported the idea on Sept. 1 following a request from the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership, a local organization that works with municipalities and community groups to help immigrants and newcomers settle and participate in life in the Bow Valley.

The change would potentially give more Canmore residents a say in choosing their mayor and councillors. According to 2021 census data cited by the organization, 32.8 per cent of Bow Valley residents were born outside Canada.

“I think that the voting rights should be extended to permanent residents of Canada, especially in the municipal realm, where we are closest to the people,” Mayor Sean Krausert said. “The decisions we make affect people immediately, and we need to make sure that those who are affected have the ability to vote.”

But Canmore can't make that change itself.

Under Alberta law, municipal voters must be at least 18 years old, live in the municipality on election day and be Canadian citizens. That means permanent residents, people who have been granted the right to live permanently in Canada but have not yet become citizens, cannot vote.

Council will instead advocate to the provincial government to change the rules.

Permanent residents “pay taxes, raise families, volunteer, and contribute to local life in Canmore, yet cannot currently vote in municipal elections,” Tineke Van Der Merwe of the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership told council when the organization presented its proposals in August.

Coun. Jen Marran said Alberta is where Canmore should focus its efforts because the province sets the rules for municipal elections.

The idea has been debated by Alberta municipalities before. Coun. Tanya Foubert said a previous attempt to get municipalities across the province to support extending voting rights narrowly failed.

Alberta Municipalities, an organization representing municipalities across the province, did not respond to a request for confirmation of Foubert's figures. Its 2024 convention records show a resolution on the issue was defeated.

It Wasn't Just About Voting

Extending voting rights was one of four proposals brought to Canmore by the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership. Council ultimately supported all four.

Another will see Canmore organize an event intended to give immigrants and newcomers more direct access to the mayor and councillors.

The organization said it has heard from immigrants who care about what is happening locally but face barriers to participating in the usual ways.

“Community-based engagement events can create more welcoming and accessible ways to build relationships,” Van Der Merwe said. “Trust is built over time through respectful and meaningful contact.”

The event is expected in early October, although details have not yet been finalized.

Council also adopted a statement recognizing the contribution immigrants and newcomers make to Canmore.

“We see you and we appreciate you,” the statement reads. “Your voice is important to us, and the Town of Canmore is committed to hearing from you.”

Finally, Canmore will support a meeting between the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership and other municipal councils in the region, with the goal of taking a more regional approach.

“Canmore does not operate within a silo,” Krausert said. “Residents often live, work, study and access services across multiple municipal boundaries. Immigrant inclusion is also regional.”

Natasha Lay, executive director of the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership, said the four decisions demonstrate a “clear, shared commitment to a welcoming and inclusive community for all.”

“These resolutions recognize that immigrants and newcomers to Canada are an important part of Canmore's past, present, and future,” Lay said.