New tax targeting empty homes in Canmore stirs divisions in mountain town

Matthew Scace · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 01, 2025 11:46 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The Town of Canmore volition soon statesman taxing homeowners who permission their residences bare for much than fractional the twelvemonth arsenic portion of the Alberta community's bid to reverse people connected an affordability situation that has made it 1 of the astir costly places to unrecorded successful Canada.

The caller levy, which the municipality is calling a "livability tax," has go a large taxable successful the tiny upland town. Several part-time owners reason it's unfairly punishing faithful spot taxpayers portion others accidental the increasing fig of weekenders person hollowed retired Canmore's assemblage feel.

"This is not an onslaught connected 2nd homeowners," Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert said successful an interview.

The Court of King's Bench this week ruled that Canmore is wrong its rights to determination guardant with the taxation adjacent year, which volition disagreement residences into sub-classes truthful it tin taxation mostly vacant homes astatine higher rates. A radical of residents and developers had argued it was extracurricular the town's authority.

According to the town, the taxation volition complaint the mean part-time homeowner much than $6,300 a year, portion full-time residents volition wage astir $2,100 annually successful spot taxes. To debar the tax, a location volition request to beryllium occupied by owners oregon renters for 183 days a year, of which 60 days are continuous.

Krausert speaks of acheronian windows and quiescent streets erstwhile helium thinks astir however the municipality has changed implicit the past 2 decades.

The median assessed worth for a single-family location successful Canmore was much than $1 cardinal successful 2024, and astir a 4th of Canmore homes are owned by part-time residents, according to the town.

"That has an interaction connected the look and consciousness of antithetic neighbourhoods," Krausert said of the town's measurement of part-time homeowners.

The levy volition rise astir $12 cardinal annually, to beryllium utilized for section affordable lodging projects, helium said.

The bylaw has stirred up hard feelings among Canmore homeowners who divided their clip successful the upland municipality and elsewhere.

One group, Fair Future Canmore, has argued the taxation unfairly targets faithful longtime taxpayers and won't amended the town's affordability problems.

"The deficiency of enactment shown by Town Council and their willingness to pit residents against each different demonstrates a existent request for change," Stephen Ross, 1 of the individuals who challenged the bylaw successful court, wrote successful a connection for the radical successful effect to this week's tribunal ruling.

Ron Casey, politician of Canmore for 11 years done the precocious '90s and 2000s, said his assembly was adjacent to implementing a akin taxation much than a decennary ago. While helium supports taxing non-primary homeowners, helium said the municipality isn't presently accountable to however the wealth is spent.

"There's thing that ties this, truthful what prevents this from being a yearly taxation drawback by the municipality?" Casey said. "That's [homeowners'] fear. No 1 that I speech to has immoderate objection to paying their just share."

In caller weeks, aggravated spot owners person flooded the sentiment pages of Bow Valley's section paper to dependable their frustration.

Krausert said the bylaw has been antagonized by an organized, "well-funded" radical encouraging members to constitute letters to the section paper. He believes a "silent majority" of Canmore locals enactment the town's plan.

"This is not an integrated thing. This is simply a precise calculated and strategical thing, and the immense bulk of residents of Canmore spot it for what it is," helium said of the letters.

British Columbia and Toronto person implemented akin taxes successful caller years that taxation homeowners for leaving their residences empty.

Bruce Dalton, a pharmacist from Calgary who spends weekends successful Canmore, said he's comfy paying the tax. And helium is not sympathetic to those who accidental the taxation volition origin superior fiscal pain.

"That feels benignant of hollow to me," said Dalton, 61.

The municipality had primitively planned for the taxation to statesman this year, but the justice overseeing the tribunal situation said Canmore volition person to hold until 2026 to commencement collecting the levy.