Mountain View Inn

The Ravens know where the good take aways are

by scottishvisitor

Spotted the Raven in the parking lot in Kananaskis - rooting around in the back of a pick up truck. These birds are highly intellegent & after all the warnings of leaving food - a well for the Raven = Good Drive Thru - for the tourists lucky - not a bear.

Canmore Nordic Centre

by madamx

The Nordic Centre was a venue built for the 1988 Winter Olympics and has over 60 km of world-class cross-country and biathlon trails. If you are an advanced cross-country skier, these trails will be an enjoyable challenge, as they are designed to meet Nordic international competitive standards. There are some novice trials here and in Kananaskis as well (see my Kananaskis page, under sports travel tips).

In the summer, the trails become hiking and mountain biking trails. The most popular is the Goat Creek/Banff Trail, which is 17.5 km, and extends from the parking lot at the Banff Springs Hotel to the Spray Lakes Reservoir in Canmore. Most smart people do one way, having one car in Canmore and one in Banff, as it is downhill from Canmore to Banff.

WHAT BANFF SHOULD BE

by madamx

Canmore's original name was Chuwapchipchiyan Kude, or "The prairie where they shot the little pine" in Stoney Indian.

Since that was too hard to say fast five times, Donald Smith of the Canadian Pacific Railway renamed the area Canmore, after Malcolm Canmore III, who killed Macbeth the upsurper in the fight for the Scottish Throne in 1057.

Canmore's history is well-rooted in coal mining. The first major mine started operating in 1887, and carried on until the 1970's.

It was a quiet, sleepy town, known for more than a gas fill-up than anything else, until the 1990's when developers realized that Canmore had huge potential. The town is growing steadily, especially with development being curbed sharply in the Banff townsite.

Even with all the development, it's still a quaint town, and has that pleasant small-town atmosphere, where you notice when you walk down the street that people know each other.

""We're Blessed to Be in Canmore""

Canmore doesn't offer the excitement or crowds of Banff -- I look to it as a place to relax, maybe have lunch, then spend the afternoon browsing in the shops.

If you aren't into shopping, take in the local park, up at Quarry Lake or drive up the Spray Lakes Trail and take in the breathtaking scenery.

Once you visit, you will agree, that you are indeed blessed to be in Canmore