Biking
Canmore and its surrounding area are a biker's paradise. You can mountain bike at the Canmore Nordic Centre, which has hosted world-class mountain bike events. A short distance away you can cycle on a paved bicycle path through Kananaskis Valley. Near Banff you can try a trip to surrounding lakes or ride the Bow Valley Parkway. Biking in Canmore is always a fresh air experience.
Hiking/Fishing
Banff National Park has over 1,600 km of hiking trails. These trails vary in length and degree of difficulty from short self-guiding trails along the Bow and Ice field Parkways to major hikes to high alpine huts, lakes and glaciers. All overnight backcountry users are required to pay obtain a $6.00 per person per night Wilderness pass. This fee is used for the up keep of all backcountry trails and campgrounds.
Fishing in the National Park is exceptional. All varieties of trout inhabit numerous lakes, streams and rivers. The season runs from late May until the last weekend in October and the Bow River remains open year round. Bait fishing is illegal and there are limits on the amount of fish you can keep. Licenses are mandatory and fines are heavy if you are caught without one. Licenses are available at the Park Warden office and other selected locations.
Skiing/Snowboarding
The Banff-Canmore area has the good fortune of being one of the most popular ski destinations in North America. Five world-class ski areas are accessible by car within 45 minutes driving time or less from either of these communities. All areas are over 5000ft in elevation at the base and the highest has a top elevation of 9000 ft. This high elevation combined with some 30 ft of total snow accumulation annually and a cool winter climate allow these areas to operate from mid November to late May.
Lake Louise Ski Area: Canada's Largest ski area with 4000 acres of skiable terrain, 77 runs, ten lifts with over 500cm of snow annually. Snowboard Park.
Sunshine Village Ski Area: 2200 acres of skiable terrain with14 lifts, on-hill accommodations, Snowboard park. Over 30 ft of snow annually.
Banff Mount Norquay: Banff's Family Ski area with 162 acres of skiable terrain, 25 runs, five lifts, Snowboard Park. Average snowfall 300cm.
Nakiska Ski Area: Host to the 1988 Winter Olympic Games with 28 runs, 35 acres of Glades, 5 lifts, 80% snowmaking. Average snowfall 250cm.
Canmore Nordic Centre: A Sports Park for all Seasons. World-Class Cross Country Skiing in the winter season and exhilarating Mountain Bike Trails in the summer.
All ski areas have ski schools and snowboard schools as well as full service rental and equipment shops, restaurants, bars, daycare facilities and other services.
Tennis
There are three plexipave tennis courts at the Lions Park in Canmore and an active social tennis club. Banff has a club at the Banff Springs Hotel with five artificial grass courts plus there are a dozen hard courts spread throughout
the town. Tennis season runs from April through to October.
Team Sports
• Bow Valley Eagles Jr. A Hockey Club (AJHL)
• Banff/Canmore Speed Skating Club
• Canmore Figure Skating Association
• Canmore No-hit Men's Hockey League
• Canmore Minor Hockey Association
• Canmore Centennial Hockey Club (Old Timers)
• Canmore Minor Soccer Club
• Canmore Curling Club
• Seniors Curling
• Canmore Mixed Slow pitch League
• Bow Valley Little League
• Canmore Swim Club
• Canmore Volleyball Club
• Bow Valley Men's Basketball
• Bow Valley Pub Dart & Pool League
Continuing Education Banff & Canmore
The Bow Corridor Continuing Education Council offers all courses for Banff and Canmore. With the overwhelmingly diverse nature of our communities, there is an exceptional spectrum of continuing educational services and programs available.
Banff
The Banff Continuing Education Courses are held at various locations throughout the town. Most are held at the two public schools near the downtown core, plus at the Banff Centre.
The Banff Centre provides an extensive array of continuing educational courses encompassing the arts, the performing arts and centre for management.
In 1933 a small cadre of visionaries, lead by Ned Corbett of the University of Alberta's Extension Department, convinced officials to support the establishment of a summer theatre training program in Banff funded by a grant from the Carnegie Foundation, and the "School of Drama" was first offered that summer.
Out of this, the Banff School of Fine Arts, or The Banff Centre for the Arts was born. Donald Cameron, the first Director, transformed the vision of the founders over the next 33 years into an internationally acclaimed artistic institution. He raised money, scrounged old buildings, and persuaded Parks Canada to provide a spectacular site on which to create a campus that would do justice to the school he dreamed of building.
Canmore
The Town of Canmore provides Continuing Education Courses at all three of the public schools within the town site. All courses and the Bow Corridor Community Classes catalog can be obtained by contacting the offices at (403) 762-8114, or write to PO Box 748, Banff, Alberta, Canada TOL 0C0.
Junior Activities
Canmore has an abundance of activities for the younger people. Small samplings are as follows:
