Town of Canmore - Climate Emergency Action Plan
The Town of Canmore is developing a Climate Emergency Action Plan to prepare our community for a sustainable future. The Climate Emergency Action Plan will serve as a 6 to 10-year guiding document to empower the Town to take actions that will best serve the community while also preparing for and reducing the impacts of climate change.
Why do we need a Climate Emergency Action Plan?
Climate change is impacting our communities with severe storms, wildfires, and floods. Surrounded by provincial protected areas and Banff National Park, Canmore is well recognized for, and expected to be, a leader in environmental stewardship. We need to work together to strengthen communities, ecosystems, and economy to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts by limiting our greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to a changing climate.
After declaring a state of climate emergency in 2019, the Town of Canmore has advanced several ambitious projects, such as implementing a community-wide food waste composting program, offering free local transit, and installing solar panels on Town facilities.
The Climate Emergency Action Plan will be a single, comprehensive plan that overhauls the existing Climate Action Plan, Adaptation Plan, and Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.
The Climate Emergency Action Plan will be presented to the Town Council in early 2024, and until then, we need Canmore residents like you to share their perspectives and provide input.
How do I get involved?
As the Town of Canmore develops a plan to prepare our community for a changing climate, they need your input. The Town of Canmore seeks to understand Canmore residents' perspectives to gain insights into the social equity aspects of climate action and contribute to how they prioritize their actions.
Do you want to contribute to a more sustainable future in the Bow Valley? There are many ways you can get involved:
Join a virtual information session.
TONIGHT, October 18 and November 8, 2023, you can participate in a virtual information session, ask questions and share your thoughts on the online ideas board.
Register for the online webinars here: mycanmore.ca/climateaction
Apply to participate in a Community Roundtable Discussion.
On November 21, 2023 and November 23, 2023, join a diverse group of residents to participate in two online Community Roundtable Discussions about climate mitigation and adaptation actions. The two 1.5-hour discussions will be held online with a facilitator. A small honorarium will be provided to participants for their time and insights. We welcome all residents to apply, but only some interested people will be invited to participate.
Apply now and learn more atmycanmore.ca/climateaction
Stay tuned and informed for future opportunities.
Stay tuned for the launch of a short and anonymous questionnaire to help us understand your perspectives about potential climate actions in Canmore, including your overall support for each action, benefits and barriers, and what factors you think are most important for implementation.
Town of Banff - Renewable Energy Transition Roadmap
In January 2019, Banff Council adopted a new Environmental Master Plan that includes community-wide goals of achieving 30% emissions reductions by 2030 and 80% by 2050 (relative to 2016 emissions levels) and the goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2050.
The Renewable Energy Transition Roadmap (RETR) is a long-term technical blueprint that provides pathways to achieving these ambitious goals.
The Roadmap is also a climate action plan – the first developed for the Banff community since 2003. The cornerstone of the plan is a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the community that uses 2016 as a reference year. From this reference year, two scenarios were modelled to the year 2050, based on assumptions for population, land use, technology uptake, and a variety of external factors. The scenarios include: 1) business-as-usual (BAU), which describes the community’s emissions trajectory assuming no new emissions reduction efforts are undertaken, and 2) low-carbon (the ‘Roadmap’ proper) which documents the emissions impact of an ambitious suite of 30 actions. These actions are grouped into four broad categories:
Energy-efficient buildings
Local low-carbon energy
Importing renewable energy
Low-carbon transportation
The Roadmap describes the proposed actions in detail, summarizes the modelling results, and makes recommendations for implementation/next steps.
We Need Your Input!
Reusable Take-Out Cups in Banff
Our survey aims to understand people’s opinions about borrowing reusable cups for beverage purchases in Banff, and the results will support the next steps of our Bow Valley Isn't Disposable project. This program aims to reduce the amount of single-use waste and validate a reusable beverage scheme for Banff and beyond.
Please take this short survey if you live in Banff or visit Banff. It asks your opinion about borrowing, using, and returning a reusable cup for beverages you purchase in Banff.
Shape the Human-Wildlife Coexistence Implementation and Action Plan
The Town of Canmore is making an action plan for how humans and wildlife can coexist in the Canmore area. You have a voice in shaping the actions they take. They seek to understand barriers, gaps, and opportunities to make our community safer for humans and wildlife.
Please take this survey to help the Town understand how they can make it easier to take actions that support human-wildlife coexistence.
The Yellow Fish Road Project
Thanks to the families of Banff and Canmore for joining us for the Yellow Fish Road Project🟨🐟🟨!
Future Leaders took to Banff (Middle Springs) and Canmore (Cougar Creek) streets in late September. Children and teens listened to a ‘Story of the Bow’ to help them understand why #rainonly goes down the storm drain. They then shared this message with neighbours and friends and painted yellow fish on storm drains as a neighbourhood reminder.
Did you happen to know? There is no water treatment between the street storm drain and the Bow River. In other words, what you pour onto the streets goes straight into someone else’s home (🦆🐌🐟) and drinking water 💦. Pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides, hydrocarbons, soaps and anything but stormwater need special water treatment.
Washing your car? Do it at the car wash 🧼🚗 Draining your RV? Do it at a designated greywater site.
Thanks to the Alberta Conservation Association, the Town of Banff, Parks Canada, the Town of Canmore and Bow Valley Decorating for supporting the project!
Upcoming Events!
Calgary Climate Symposium
Oct 23-27, 2023
The City of Calgary is hosting 12 FREE virtual learning opportunities over five days with community leaders, entrepreneurs, prominent climate experts and City staff to discuss climate change impacts on Calgary, the actions we can take, and the importance of keeping the conversation going.
There will be 12 Sessions and 5 satellite events, with topics ranging from:
What climate change means for Calgary and how to prepare
What we can do today to mitigate and adapt to our changing climate
Indigenous perspectives on climate change
Community renewable energy generation
Exploring climate equity
Join our very own Jodi Conuel on Friday, October 17, from 12 - 1 pm MST for an online presentation - Community Solar Generation in Our City
As solar energy is so abundant in Alberta, more communities and organizations are looking at solar as a reliable and clean form of energy. Join The City of Calgary, Solar Alberta, and the Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative as we discuss local solar potential and community-owned renewable energy generation projects. This presentation will focuses on community renewable energy generation projects, grid-tied solar projects on homes and businesses, and how solar installations typically work in Alberta.
For full Climate Symposium program details and to register for any of the free sessions, visit calgary.ca/climatesymposium.
Building for Sustainability Symposium
Please join the Bow Valley Builders & Developers Association and the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley for the inaugural Building for Sustainability Symposium, a symposium of strategies, solutions and best practices in buildings, infrastructure, and urban planning.
Last few tickets remaining, so if you are considering attending, don't delay! Get your ticket today!
We look forward to hosting you at our premier event!
Save the Date for BVIP Community Week!
Nov 13-19, 2023
Community Week is for everyone. Whether you’ve been here for a week or a lifetime, planning to stay for a season or much longer, join the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership as they:
Welcome newcomers and meet new friends
Connect with community service providers
Learn about resources and try new activities
Celebrate the Bow Valley’s diverse community
The Biosphere Institute is hosting several events as part of BVIP Community Week:
Do-si-do for the Biosphere: Square Dance Fundraiser
Nov 17, 2023
In honour of our 26th birthday, the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley is hosting our second annual Community Square Dance fundraiser on Friday, November 17, 2023, at 7 pm! Last year was an absolute blast, and we look forward to another year of boot-stompin' fun with you all!
Dance the night away to an incredible live band and so much laughing your belly will hurt the next day! All funds raised will go to supporting the Biosphere Institute's programs.
Green Cocktails: Connection to Place, Local Spirits & Conversations - Nov 15, 2023
Join the Biosphere team at the Wildlife Distillery from 6 - 9 pm for a $10 cocktail special, and connect with local spirits for conversations about this beautiful place.
Cubs, Coffee and Connections
Nov 18, 2023
Join us at the Family Connection Centre from 9 - 11:45 am for a cup of coffee (or tea) and learn how to coexist safely with wildlife while meeting other families in the community.
This free drop-in program is for caregivers and young children ages 0 - 6. There will be interactive stations such as a bear spray demonstration, songs, dances and crafts to learn how to live smart with wildlife and more. Coffee and tea will be provided. Families may join and leave at any point.