Bow Valley housing advocates eye development to help Canmore's affordability problem

Canmore's Town Council will hear what the public thinks about a unique development opportunity steps away from its main street downtown. 

Canadian Rockies Public Schools (CRPS) hope to develop a portion of Lawrence Grassi Middle School land – turning the investment into a legacy fund to help the board with future financing.

The proposal? Twenty units to house school employees, 20 more earmarked for affordable housing, and 80 market units. 

One group is hoping the entire project can be dedicated to affordable housing, which they say would put a serious dent in Canmore's affordability problem, and re-invigorate the town's core.

"What's being proposed is a very small proportion of affordable housing and the vast majority being market housing,"  said Karsten Heuer of Bow Valley Engage. "Which, following current trends, is probably going to be bought up by out-of-towners and used as weekend homes that sit dark for the vast majority of the time." 

Canmore is still considered one of the least affordable housing markets in the country, a status Mayor Sean Krausert and councillors are working on changing. 

Heuer said the potential downtown development calls for some out-of-box consideration, like a land swap — which would allow the school board to build more market housing on the town's peripheries — or further applications to federally available affordable housing funding. 

"Nobody has done the big picture thinking of the incredible opportunity that's before us," Heuer said. "It'll be a real shame if that just passes and we end up with more weekend homes downtown."

There are nearly 100 written submissions ahead of the public hearing — some voicing concerns and others in favour of this land-use change. 

Some residents feel the project isn't a good fit and will gum up traffic and overwhelm street parking. Others are worried about the loss of green space in the town's core. 

For the development industry the proposal ticks a lot of boxes, like adding density while using the town's existing and limited footprint.

"[The development] would certainly support a bunch of new housing that would cater to existing and potential families and others coming to work in the community," said Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association executive director Ian O'Donnell.

"We do need more housing, and a variety of housing types to continue economic growth opportunities and to ensure people stay in our community."

The Area Redevelopment Plan unanimously passed the first reading on Feb. 1. Next, it will go through a public hearing process where residents can have their say before it goes to a Town Council vote.