Prepared and written by the: Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley 201, 600a 9th Street Canmore, AB T1W 2T2 www.biosphereinstitute.org Canmore Community Monitoring Program 2016 Final Report September 25, 2017 Photo Credits: Canada 150 celebration courtesy of Noel Rogers Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 1 2016 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 3 Preface ............................................................................................................................................. 9 People ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Population: Permanent and Non‐Permanent Residents ........................................................... 16 Population: Age Structure ......................................................................................................... 23 Mother Tongue, Immigration and Cultural Diversity ................................................................ 29 Citizen Satisfaction .................................................................................................................... 33 Place .............................................................................................................................................. 35 Sense of Community.................................................................................................................. 36 Community Facilities ................................................................................................................. 38 Arts & Events ............................................................................................................................. 40 Land Use, Development and Planning Standards ..................................................................... 42 Service ........................................................................................................................................... 47 Volunteer Organizations ............................................................................................................ 48 Library Facilities and Use ........................................................................................................... 51 Recreational Program and Facility Use ...................................................................................... 53 Responses to Food Need and Food Sustainability .................................................................... 56 Education of Children and Youth ............................................................................................... 60 Health Services .......................................................................................................................... 63 Safety ............................................................................................................................................. 67 Community Safety ..................................................................................................................... 69 Domestic Abuse ......................................................................................................................... 75 Sexual Violence .......................................................................................................................... 78 Wildland/Urban Interface – FireSmart ...................................................................................... 81 Flood and Mountain Creek Hazard Mitigation .......................................................................... 84 Economy ........................................................................................................................................ 88 Employment Status of Adults .................................................................................................... 90 Employment by Industry ........................................................................................................... 98 2016 Canmore Community Monitoring Report 1 Municipal Taxation: Assessment and Tax Share ..................................................................... 101 Business Licenses ..................................................................................................................... 104 Building Permits and Housing Starts ....................................................................................... 106 Commercial Vacancy and Lease Rates .................................................................................... 109 Tourism Industry and Visitation .............................................................................................. 111 Tourist Accommodations and Occupancy Rates ..................................................................... 117 Affordability ................................................................................................................................. 120 Income and Wages .................................................................................................................. 122 Living Wage ............................................................................................................................. 133 Social Assistance – Income Support Programs ........................................................................ 136 Rental Housing: Cost, Availability and Affordability ................................................................ 139 Ownership Housing – Resale Prices and Affordability ............................................................ 146 Price of Goods and Services .................................................................................................... 151 Environment ................................................................................................................................ 154 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................ 157 Water Consumption ................................................................................................................ 159 Drinking Water Quality ............................................................................................................ 164 Wastewater ............................................................................................................................. 166 Resource Conservation and Waste Management ................................................................... 171 Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................ 178 Transportation ......................................................................................................................... 181 Aquatic Health and Fisheries ................................................................................................... 184 Wildlife Movement Corridors and Habitat Patches ................................................................ 189 Human/Wildlife Conflict .......................................................................................................... 198 Forest Health – Mountain Pine Beetle .................................................................................... 211 References ................................................................................................................................... 214 Appendix A: Archived/Inactive Indicators ................................................................................... 229 Appendix B: Human‐Wildlife Conflict Level Descriptions ............................................................ 230 Appendix C: 2014 Census Update ............................................................................................... 233 Appendix D: Previous (2014) Recommendations ........................................................................ 237 2016 Canmore Community Monitoring Report 2 2016 Executive Summary People Over the past 20 years Canmore’s permanent population has grown by over 5,600 people, from 8,400 in 1996 to nearly 14,000 in 2016. As of the last municipal census in 2014, there were approximately 4,000 non‐permanent residents with vacation homes in Canmore (estimated total population of approximately 18,000 people). During the mid‐2000’s Canmore experienced an exceptionally rapid rise in housing prices, increasing the affordability challenge for many residents. This slowed the growth rate of the permanent population, and there was even a measurable reduction in the number of children in the community (and in the schools) as many families found themselves struggling with affordability and shelter costs. From 2011 to 2016 Canmore experienced moderate growth in the permanent population, with a total increase of 14% during that 5 year period (an average of 2.8% per year). During these past 20 years there has been a significant shift in the demographic makeup of the community, with a sustained population shift to older age brackets and an with an increasing proportion of residents age 55 and over. In part, this demographic shift to older age brackets mirrors some general aging trends across Canada, but the changing demographics of Canmore are most clearly illustrated by looking at the younger age groups.