Canmore's Rundle Forebay Signage Raises Questions About Recreational Use

Signage warning against recreational use at the Rundle Forebay is raising questions about what activities are permitted at one of Canmore’s most popular paddleboarding spots ahead of the summer season.

Photos of the large red-and-white signs, shared on Facebook by local residents on May 5, state the forebay “feeds into Canmore’s drinking water” and instruct visitors: “NO SWIMMING, BOATING OR WADING AND NO DOGS ALLOWED.”

The signs have drawn attention because the Rundle Forebay and nearby Whiteman’s Pond along Spray Lakes Road have long been informally used for paddleboarding, wading and other recreational activities.

The Town of Canmore says the signage was installed in 2025 while TransAlta, which owns the Rundle Forebay, conducted operational work on the region’s hydroelectric system.

“The signage was installed in alignment with TransAlta’s spray canal operational work in 2025 so has been in place for some time,” said Cara Hedin, communications advisor for the Town of Canmore.

The Town also noted the forebay is private property and stopped short of describing the restrictions as a formal ban.

“The Rundle Forebay is private property and is not managed or operated by the Town of Canmore,” Hedin said. “TransAlta is taking a precautionary approach by discouraging recreational activities in the area.”

TransAlta provided a similar response, noting the forebay is located near active hydroelectric infrastructure where fluctuating water conditions and fast-moving currents can pose safety risks for people using the area recreationally.

“As the Rundle Forebay is a source of drinking water for the Town of Canmore and located near active hydroelectric operations, TransAlta does not recommend recreational and commercial activities on the Forebay,” the company said.

“We encourage residents and visitors to follow all posted signage,” said TransAlta.

The questions come less than a year after repairs to the Spray Canal system lowered water levels near Whiteman’s Pond for several weeks and led the Town of Canmore to implement temporary Stage 1 outdoor water restrictions, limiting lawn watering and the filling of ponds and fountains to help protect drinking water supplies and firefighting capacity.

At the time, both the Town and TransAlta urged people to avoid swimming and paddleboarding during the repairs, although recreational use continued in parts of the forebay throughout the summer.

In July 2025, paddleboarders were observed using the main forebay near the Canmore Nordic Centre while construction crews worked farther up Spray Lakes Road near Whiteman’s Pond, where water levels had dropped significantly to allow excavator access inside normally submerged sections of the canal.

As of publication, neither the Town nor TransAlta has explicitly clarified whether recreational use of the forebay is formally prohibited or whether the signage is intended as a precautionary warning discouraging public water access.