I am happy to state that I am the newest member of the leadership team with the amazing group of people at Rockies Rentals Canmore! I am beyond excited to be a part of this company for the long run and have been given such a good opportunity to grow with this amazing company.
Let me start off by speaking a little bit about myself and professing what my first impressions of Canmore are in the short time I have had the pleasure of living in the beautiful quant town.
My name is Dallas and I grew up in the prairies of Alberta. Shortly after high school I went to College for my Hospitality and Tourism Diploma. I wanted to be able to explore and see as much of the world as possible while getting paid to do so. So naturally, after college, I have had the pleasure of spending most of my adult life traveling. I was fortunate enough to have visited 8 countries, 6 provinces in Canada and 26 states in the USA. All while living in some of the nicest Mountain Resort Towns in Western Canada. Places such as Lake Louise AB, Kimberley BC, Jasper National Park. Yoho National Park, Invermere BC and so many more. My favorite places so far has been living and working in Jasper National Park and Kimberley BC.
I feel that I will be adding Canmore to that list very shortly. As my first impressions of here have been that it is already the friendliest and most accommodating of them all. There is a real sense of community in this town. I wish that I had decided to move here a while ago as I can tell that this already does feel like home for me. I came here expecting to stay for a year or so and move on to another resort town as I often do. However, now I can see myself staying here for much longer than one year and maybe even settling here for good one day. Like so many people here I have met, it feels like it would be a really hard place to leave.
I feel that Canmore is a great blend of being in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, while still being close to big city living with Calgary being just over 100 KM away. You can drive to the Cowtown and back without it disrupting your entire day. But for those who prefer staying in the smaller town, Canmore has everything you could need. From world class skiing, golfing, bike trails and hiking trails to dozens of fantastic restaurants, breweries and pubs. The shopping here is also a unique experience as there are dozens of little quant shops owned by local Canmorites. These shops collectively have almost anything you could possibly be looking for. All while still having some of the most popular Canadian grocery and department stores such as Save on Foods, Canadian Tire and Sobeys for those who prefer to do all their shopping in one place.
Canmore is a rare blend between having a busy yet quiet atmosphere simultaneously. There always seems to be quite a few people out and about. Yet, even during long weekends in peak season, Canmore seems to be at a slower pace with a relaxing and quiet atmosphere all over the town. As someone who has spent a lot of time living in Calgary, I feel that Canmore is a best kept secret from most Calgarians. The mountain views are absolutely breathtaking. It is hard to believe that it is only
only an hour away but I feel that Canmore is often overshadowed by Banff. For me personally I prefer the quieter small town feel of Canmore. For those who do prefer the busier streets of Banff, it is only a 15-minute drive away on the beautiful and scenic highway number 1.
The location to the most popular ski hills in the Canadian Rocky Mountains can not be beat. We are a short drive to Lake Louise, Sunshine, Nakiska, Mount Norquay and soon Fortress Mountain Resort which is now re-opening in December 2023.
I was astounded with just how many Some of the best Hiking Trails in the Rockies are located in the Canmore area with 119 trails ranging from beginner to professional. It would take me years to be able to conquer them all but I am looking forward to trying.
The Quant shops in town are a delightful escape from the big city. Many are owned by local shopkeepers that grew up in Canmore and always seem happy to assist you in your shopping needs.
8th street is the heart of downtown Canmore and is one of my favorite places to go when out on the town. They have dozens of touristy places to shop, eat and drink. The street is always busy but never too packed like other downtown streets in other tourist towns. There is always something to do or see when shopping or getting out on the town when you go to 8th street.
Also, Canmore is a very short drive to 6 amazing golf courses all with excellent scenery. My personal favorite so far is the Kananaskis Golf Course which is less than an hour away down one of the best scenic highways in all of Alberta. In town there is the Silvertip Resort which I haven’t tried yet but it definitely seems like a local favorite.
The weather has been very mild which is nice. Never too warm or never too cold. I am looking forward to see what the winter months has to offer as I love playing winter sports and I can already tell that this surely seems like a winter sports town.
I am a hockey nerd so one of the things I am looking most forward to is watching the Canmore Eagles of the AJHL (Alberta Junior Hockey League). They have been the top Junior hockey team here since 1995. As a big hockey fan, I am looking forward to being able to go to one of their many games this year at the Recreation Centre as the new season is just getting underway this month.
There are so many excellent breweries / pubs in town, my plan is to try them all one day but for now I have only been to very few places. The Canmore Brewing Company has to be my favorite so far. I am looking forward to have more to recommend as time goes on. There are far too many to try in such a short period of time but I am looking forward to the challenge.
I look forward to updating this with a new blog sometime in 2023 when I have had more of an opportunity to have tried more of what this amazing place has to offer. In the meantime, I want to invite anyone who wants an exciting, yet relaxing experience to come visit us in Canmore sometime soon.