New Francophone School Complex Planned for Canmore as Demand Grows

Alberta’s 2026 provincial budget includes funding to plan a new francophone school complex in Canmore as demand for French-language education grows in the Bow Valley.

The funding will support planning a new K-6 and 7-12 francophone school complex with a projected capacity of about 435 students. The proposed school would serve francophone families across the Bow Valley, including Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, and the Municipal District of Bighorn. Conseil scolaire FrancoSud, the francophone school authority for southern Alberta, will use the funding to begin identifying a site and determining the scope of the project.

According to 2021 census data cited by FrancoSud, roughly 470 children in Canmore alone are eligible for francophone education. Including surrounding communities in the school’s catchment area, that number rises to nearly 740 children aged zero to 18.

Eligibility for francophone education is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To qualify, at least one parent must be a Canadian citizen who either learned French as a first language, received primary schooling in French in Canada, or has another child receiving French-language instruction.

The Bow Valley currently has only one francophone school, École Notre-Dame des Monts (NDM), which operates in a shared facility with Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy on Stewart Creek Drive in Canmore.

The school serves students from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 and has seen steady growth in recent years. For the 2025-26 school year, it has 214 students enrolled. FrancoSud says the shared building arrangement is creating operational challenges as both schools grow.

“Both schools continue to grow and NDM is nearing maximum capacity in its section of the building,” said Antoine Bégin, communications coordinator for FrancoSud. “This growth also creates many operational challenges, particularly with shared facilities such as the gymnasium, which NDM students have very limited access to.”

French-language early childhood programming is also offered through the Société des parents pour l’éducation francophone de Canmore (SPEF de Canmore), a FrancoSud-supported non-profit that operates a preschool and after-school program for children aged two to 12.

FrancoSud is currently working with the Town of Canmore to identify a suitable site for the school.

“At this stage, the exact location of the school has not yet been determined,” said Bégin. “FrancoSud will continue to work closely with the Town of Canmore to identify and secure a location that best serves Francophone families while also integrating well within the broader community.”

FrancoSud says site selection is important because its schools serve as community hubs for both students and residents.

“Facilities such as gyms, performance spaces, playgrounds, and community kitchens are often designed to be accessible to local organizations, clubs, and residents, helping schools become gathering places for the entire community,” said Bégin.

The Canmore project is one of 16 new school projects in smaller communities announced as part of this year’s provincial budget. The investments are part of the province’s broader Schools Now program, which aims to build or renovate more than 100 schools by 2031-32.

Premier Danielle Smith said the school projects in this year’s budget aim to address population growth that has strained classrooms across the province.

“We are committed to building new schools across the province to catch up with the historic population growth that has been straining classrooms and staff,” said Smith in a statement issued by the province. “Every student deserves the best education we can give them, no matter where they live.”

FrancoSud also says population growth in the Bow Valley is expected to increase the number of children eligible for francophone education.

“With strong population growth across the region, including significant increases in communities such as Banff and Canmore, this eligible population is expected to continue growing in the coming years,” said Bégin.

The timeline for the Canmore francophone school remains uncertain as the project must still complete the planning phase, secure land, and receive provincial approvals for design and construction funding.

“It is still too early to confirm a potential opening date for the new complex,” said Bégin.