We need to remain the Crowsnest Pass

Years ago, while serving on council, we discussed what should be written on the sign welcoming people to our community.

My suggestion was simple: “Crowsnest Pass, not Canmore.”

I was not being tongue-in-cheek. I genuinely thought it belonged on the sign.

That memory came back after four Alberta NDP MLAs recently toured the Crowsnest Pass. There was considerable discussion about tourism becoming the industry that drives our community’s future.

I support tourism. I believe in our mountains, trails, rivers, history and outdoor amenities. I want visitors to discover the Crowsnest Pass and support our businesses.

What I do not support is the idea that tourism must replace industry.

One visiting MLA represents Banff-Kananaskis, which includes Canmore. While discussing tourism, she also spoke about the high property taxes people face there.

That should have stopped everyone in the room.

In 2026, the median assessed value of a single-detached home in Canmore reached $1.718 million. For a qualifying primary residence, that produces a total property tax bill of approximately $7,844 a year, or $654 a month.

Not all of that is controlled by Canmore council. The provincial education property tax requisition is set by the Alberta government and collected by the municipality. It increased by 23 per cent in 2024, 18 per cent in 2025 and another 14 per cent for residential properties in 2026.

The 2025 increase alone added approximately $478 a year to the education portion of the bill for a median single-detached home. In 2026, the education portion on a primary residence assessed at $1.718 million is approximately $4,443, more than half the total tax bill.

The problem is what happens when property values become extraordinary. Even comparatively low tax rates applied to a $1.7-million home produce a substantial bill.

Is that what we want for the Crowsnest Pass?

Do we want home values to climb until our children cannot afford to buy here? Do we want seniors who built this community wondering whether they can afford to remain? Do we want local workers commuting from somewhere else because they cannot find a home here?

Growth is welcome. Investment is welcome. Tourism is welcome.

Being priced out of our own community is not.

That is why I reject the false choice between tourism and industry. We can have both, and the two already support one another.

In September 2025, Elk Valley Resources announced more than $700,000 for non-motorized, multi-use trail networks throughout the Elk Valley and Crowsnest Pass. United Riders of the Crowsnest received $235,000 over two years to build five downhill-focused mountain bike trails.

An industrial employer is helping build recreational infrastructure that will also support tourism.

Industry employs people, supports families, pays taxes and contributes to community organizations. Tourism brings visitors, supports small businesses and introduces people to the landscape and history that make this place special.

We should not be forced to choose between them.

That is particularly important during hunting season. Hunting is woven into the identity of the Crowsnest Pass. It is part of how generations of families have experienced the land, filled their freezers and passed their knowledge to their children.

The same landscape gives us hiking, fishing, camping, mountain biking, snowmobiling and places to ride quads, motorcycles and side-by-sides where permitted.

There has also been talk of pursuing some form of park designation for the Crowsnest Pass. Before anyone embraces that idea, we must ask what it would mean for those already using the land.

Would hunting continue? What would happen to motorized access? Which roads and trails would remain open?

The word “park” may sound harmless, but the details matter. Recreational hunting is prohibited in national parks, while provincial park designations carry different rules and restrictions. Residents deserve to know what they would gain and what they could lose.

The Crowsnest Pass remains rugged, working and accessible. It is a place where a miner can finish a shift and head into the mountains, where a hunter can teach a child to read tracks, and where hikers, bikers and motorized users can find their place on the landscape.

We can welcome visitors without surrendering our identity. We can expand our trails without abandoning industry. We can protect wildlife and water while preserving responsible access. We can grow without becoming a community where only the wealthy can afford to live.

We do not need to become Canmore to succeed.

We need to remain the Crowsnest Pass.