Webcam on the main street of the city of Canmore
Canmore is located in Alberta, Canada, approximately 81 km west of Calgary, near the southeastern edge of Banff National Park. Situated in the Bow Valley among the Alberta Rockies, it is bordered by Kananaskis Country to the west and south and Bighorn Municipal District No. 8 to the north and east. As of 2020, Canmore had a population of 14,798, making it the ninth largest city in Alberta.
The city was officially named Canmore in 1884 by Canadian Pacific Railway Director Donald A. Smith, inspired by Malcolm III of Scotland, also known as Canmore. The name “Canmore” comes from the Gaelic phrase “ceann mòr”, which translates as “Big Chief”.
In 1886, Queen Victoria granted Canmore a coal mining license and the No. 1 Mine began operation in 1887.
By the 1890s, North West Mounted Police barracks had been built on Main Street and were later vacated in 1927. The building was extensively restored in 1989 and is now under the care of the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre.