Canmore population to double? Legal battle?

[Hack&Lube]

I just came across this and it seems like this has been a development fight since 1992 to develop a huge chunk of land into the Three Sisters Village project. The developers even have personally named the town councillors in a multi-million dollar lawsuit!

https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-canmor...ters-approval/

Does anyone know the background to the opposition to this? I get that it can be bad for wildlife corridors but what are the other negatives for Canmore? I was recently there and saw the ridiculous real estate prices and building more homes and opening up more tourism has to be good for the economy. What is the town fighting about?

[Erick Estrada]

I would imagine there's lots of negatives if you are a longtime Canmore resident. Remember when Kelowna was a nice little city?

[Muta]

NIMBYism is probably the culprit there. Just like it is everywhere. People don't like change; and in Canmore, it's likely based in ecological concerns as well as property value concerns. Unfortunately, Canmore doesn't have the same protections as Banff does; it's not in a national park.

[Fuzz]

First off, it's a huge loss for wildlife and trail users(thoguh that was already ####ed by the stupid derelict golf course). The town itself is already pushing capacity for things like downtown roads, waste treatment and usual services. Most of these places are going to be empty 95% of the time, but also require workers to build and service their needs, while the valley has a massive shortage of workers and housing for them.


It's almost tough to care at this point though, the town is so ####ed from everything that made it great, this is just another huge layer of dumb.

[KTrain]

If you already own in Canmore there's little to no upside to this development.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by KTrain

If you already own in Canmore there's little to no upside to this development.

Big downsides as taxes keep going up to cover all this expansion. I can tell you, most locals are growing weary of it. What;s the point in living in a mountain town if you need to go somewhere else to find trails? Silvertip ruined the north side of the valley and killed access to some epic trails, why not massacre the south side, too?

[dammage79]

I miss 1995-2010 Canmore. What a place to be during that time. Didn't know it then but sure know it now.

Vacation properties absolutely ruined the place. Priced everyone put and then now you need a license to be homeless? What the hell is that?

[TheIronMaiden]

Alberta is only going to be a busier place, the cat is out of the bag.
It is equal parts strong economy, and a massive surplus of immigration.

[burn_this_city]

All downhill once Sliver moved in.

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I would imagine there's lots of negatives if you are a longtime Canmore resident. Remember when Kelowna was a nice little city?

yup

[Johnny Makarov]

I can't believe my canmore condo had a unit sell for $400k last month. Doubled what we paid for. It's not the best complex either. I think it's time to sell.

[PepsiFree]

This reminds me of when I drive to Banff and think “ugh, tourists! go away!” as I’m walking down main street.

[Blaster86]

So a chance for many more




Mike's,... from Canmore?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Big downsides as taxes keep going up to cover all this expansion. I can tell you, most locals are growing weary of it. What;s the point in living in a mountain town if you need to go somewhere else to find trails? Silvertip ruined the north side of the valley and killed access to some epic trails, why not massacre the south side, too?

It's amazing how people just form out of the quantum vapour and need to live somewhere.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

This reminds me of when I drive to Banff and think “ugh, tourists! go away!” as I’m walking down main street.

Why just feel that way about tourists? Should be your general reaction to everyone.

“ugh, go away!”

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Shazam

It's amazing how people just form out of the quantum vapour and need to live somewhere.

People are welcome to live somewhere. Residents want residents, not second or third homes sitting empty taking up space and increasing their taxes.



So why should people looking for a first home to raise a family in a nice community be displaced by those who can afford 2 or 3? I've watched endless people grow up in the town and be forced to move out becuase they can't afford it, even after giving it a good try. Basically young people and families move out so boomers can visit 20 times a year. Is that good?

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by KTrain

If you already own in Canmore there's little to no upside to this development.

Unless you aren't selfish and are happy others are going to be able to share in living and recreating in Canmore. Plus they are building more affordable housing, which is great.

There is no shortage of trails in the mountains around Canmore. For real. That's not a legitimate concern, so this is a nothing from that perspective.

I don't give a fk about wildlife, so I don't care what this does to them. Hopefully it keeps the bears and cougars away more. I prioritize people over a dumb pack of wolves that can just wander one mountain range over and never see a person again.

Vacation property owners get a bad wrap. Why isn't everyone moaning about the cabins and properties in Radium and Invermere? The cabins around Sylvan? Canmore people looooooove to complain about any change that occurs eight minutes after they move in. The exact second of their arrival it was totally reasonable to move there, but everyone after that is an interloper.

Plus, if Canmore NIMBYs think living in the valley is so detrimental to the valley, why don't they move out? Go live in Calgary and advocate for a pristine and small Canmore from afar. If you live in Canmore and think people shouldn't live in Canmore, then move the fk out. BTW, keep in mind Calgary was once untouched and pristine, but the population grew because that's what happens with time. I don't go around being a dick to everyone that moved here since 1994 when I thought Calgary was at its ideal size because I understand - and live in - reality.

More development there is awesome. I'm so stoked on the Three Sisters plaza thing they're building right now. That's going to rule. I'll be able to walk to it from my place. Some restaurants, a distillery, grocery store, liquor store, weed store...fk yeah. People don't want that? LOLs.

Also, Canmore is rad because of the money second property owners have injected into the economy. Go to Sundre, Olds, Nanton, etc. Those are what a normal small town looks like. Canmore looks insane because there are a ton of people paying a ton of taxes and only using the infrastructure and amenities 15% of the year. The NIMBYs live in a rad place subsidized by all the people they bitch and complain about.

Also there's a shortage of trades...okay, welcome to literally everywhere. But again, who is going to put more money into the economy? The guy with the second home, or the guy that is just there for a couple years to eke by and hike/bike everyday? There's no recognition by the townfolk that vacation home owners support the economy. In the past 12 months I've had my place painted, I've replaced the in-floor heating stuff (no idea what it's called...it was a bunch of crap), had AC installed, put in a new hot water tank, upgraded the electrical, bought a new washer and dryer, and even more. Used locals and local businesses for all of that.

Does having more money make me better or more important than, say, a dishwasher living full time there? Of course not, but there is room for both of us and we are both contributing different things. The money we are spending there stays there. I'm earning my money in Calgary, but spending it in the valley and they treat you like human garbage there if they find out you have a vacation home. It's so annoying. Meanwhile, I'm the guy supporting low-income housing and these tits are picketing against it.

For the people who love the mountains...if you could afford to buy a place in Canmore for weekends, vacations and eventually to enjoy through retirement, would you? I just don't see it as a bad thing. I don't piss on the people with cabins here there and everywhere. But in Canmore? The locals are such dickbags and total hypocrites. Go move somewhere else if you think too many people live there or you're just as "bad" as me.

And Canmore is growing? Yeah, tough ####. Let's make another mountain town then. But wait, the same people who don't want that to happen are the same people who don't want you living in Canmore. But again, they see nothing hilarious about them living in Canmore.

I liken Canmore residents to the "Build The Wall" Arizonians and Texans. It's the same mindset. Take a Canmore Karen that rails against others enjoying her little private (in her mind) paradise and raise her in Arizona and she'd have a red hat, be complaining about "illegals" and supporting Trump to build a wall. I love that they just can't see it.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I liken Canmore residents to the "Build The Wall" Arizonians and Texans. It's the same mindset. Take a Canmore Karen that rails against others enjoying her little private (in her mind) paradise and raise her in Arizona and she'd have a red hat, be complaining about "illegals" and supporting Trump to build a wall. I love that they just can't see it.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

People are welcome to live somewhere. Residents want residents, not second or third homes sitting empty taking up space and increasing their taxes.



So why should people looking for a first home to raise a family in a nice community be displaced by those who can afford 2 or 3? I've watched endless people grow up in the town and be forced to move out becuase they can't afford it, even after giving it a good try. Basically young people and families move out so boomers can visit 20 times a year. Is that good?

Why can't we just eject people from houses after then have kids and shove them into 1 bedroom apartments?

Have you considered that politicians, even the ones you like, have no idea what the hell they're doing?

[Fuzz]

Sliver, you've got a whole lot wrong there but I know I won't change your mind. But the idea that vacation homes are paying more than their share in taxes is nonsense. Same with "plenty of trails". You have no idea what it was like before they were all paved over, or you could just show up on a patio for a weekend and not stand in line for an hour, or even a mid week afternoon and not be told "we have very few staff, it will be a long wait".


To pretend this is better is just perspective of someone that didn't experience the town in all it's glory. I'm really sorry you missed that opportunity.