Canmore is seeing high parking use, so expect more fees in town and at Quarry Lake next year

The Town of Canmore is raising parking fees and adding new areas where payment will be required.

Those parking at Quarry Lake or in Canmore's Downtown will see prices go up. A couple of spots in the downtown previously spared from fees will also be added to the mix. All of the changes will take effect May 15, 2024.  

Councillors approved changes as part of budget deliberations on Dec. 5, 2023.

During a finance committee meeting back in November, administrators presented parking capacity data collected over two years. The town's goal is to keep parking utilisation under 80 per cent, but already during peak periods and on weekends, the town is seeing parking capacity meet or exceed those thresholds.

The town's manager of engineering Andy Esarte said the goal with parking fees is to keep ahead of demand – pointing out Banff has also raised fees. He said if the parking demands they've seen continue, managing availability in the future might mean aggressive fee increases down the road. 

"What we are seeing is just general growth in the valley,"  Esarte said.

"The approach here is just to be proactive. We are seeing an increase in visitation, it doesn't just manifest in parking demand, it manifests in congestion and traffic." 

Some parking rates doubled

During peak season, which runs between May 15 and Oct. 15, town centre parking rates will increase by $1 per hour, going from $3 to $4 an hour. This same approach will also apply on weekends and holidays throughout the year. 

On hot days, the Quarry Lake parking lot fills up. To encourage people to give up parking spots sooner, or pick another way to get there, hourly fees are doubling for that popular spot in peak-season. 

In 2023 the hourly rate was $5, in 2024 that will go up to $10 per hour. All lot users have to pay for a minimum of 2 hours to park at Quarry Lake, which means parking there will now cost at least $20. 

The minimum fee is in place, Esarte told councillors in November, partly because administration wants this cost to help offset operating costs associated with Quarry Lake as an amenity. 

In 2024, the province and town are launching a bus route that will take passengers to the lake, which Mayor Sean Krausert said should help people pick transportation alternatives.

Two new spots are being added to the town centre paid parking zone on either side of the scenic Bow River to help ease congestion. 

There's been a noticeable uptick in parking by Riverside Park and the town's boat launch. Both of these spots are steps away from the Canmore Engine Bridge which has always been a draw, but has attracted more visitors since being featured on the Last of Us series.

"Both of those areas are incredibly busy," said Krausert.

"I'm hoping this will bring a bit more order to these areas." 

Parking will be further limited in the area, as the town is adding a residential permit parking zone to the nearby neighbourhood.