| A Cruise to Canmore |
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| Written by Susan Hollingshead | |||
| Saturday, 21 July 2007 20:59 | |||
 The weather here today was perfect for a motorcycle ride to Canmore (at the foot of the Rockies), located just 60 kilometres west of Cochrane. We took Highway 1A which winds along the banks of the Bow River, and is a much quieter route than the TransCanada Highway. Rick and I stayed a few nights in Canmore once over 10 years ago and like the other towns and cities we have visited here, the growth is extensive. The difference in Canmore is that there seems to be a lot more thought put into the planning of the expansion than any of the other places we have visited. Calgary is horrific, with the disorganized, lego-land sprawl everywhere and Cochrane resembles some serious political bribery in order to allow the development to occur where and how it is. Alberta may be debt free but it seems to us that that it has come at a very high cost to the environment and the overall aesthetics. And then there came Canmore; it is picturesque, trendy, resort-like and yet somehow it remains small-town-ish and quaint. We instantly loved it! Right away we found a fabulous vegetarian restaurant where we stopped for lunch located just across the road from a popular natural food store. It seems the health conscious folks have a refuge in Canmore; Alberta isn’t all about the beef after all! After our lunch, we met up with Ian’s (as in Karley and Ian) sister Morag and her husband Andy (pictured) who make Canmore their home. Though the housing explosion has left many of the long time residents somewhat dismayed, it has certainly increased the value of their property which is a bonus. The backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and the proximity to fabulous skiing (Banff, Lake Louise and Sunshine Village) and a big city with an international airport (Calgary) contributes to the demand here. After poking around the town for a while, we decided that if we were ever to settle anywhere in Alberta, it would definitely be in Canmore. However the cost of real-estate has become almost untouchable and so, short of a huge windfall or a miraculous bargain, I think we will remain BCers for a long time to come. I have added more pictures taken today in Flickr so be sure to check them out.
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