Canmore

The operator of the historic chalet has refused to sign a new lease because Parks Canada is seeking a percentage of her business’s gross revenue.

The store is expected to open to the public before the end of July.

Nomi Whalen's accomplishments included being a founding member of the Alberta Human Rights Commission, serving as an alderman on Calgary's city council, and her many years as a marriage commissioner. During her time guiding couples through their nuptials, she conducted more than 6,000 wedding ceremonies. 

“When it happened, it was the end of an era, but it allowed everyone to get on with their lives.”

For more than two years, local organizers have been lobbying the provincial government to reinvest in the aging facility, or risk losing international sporting events that generate millions of dollars of economic activity in the Bow Valley.

"Well, I was there for a couple of days and all of a sudden my dad hands the phone to me. It was the mine boss. ‘Would you like a job for a week or two?’ He asked. Well, I stayed for about six years.”

In the 40 years since the coal mines shut down, Canmore has seen a dramatic change – but from Mineside to South Canmore and over to Teepee Town, a surprising amount of 1979 Canmore remains

If you’re a longtime Canmore resident, there is a good chance you have had your hair done at Elli’s Hair West. If not yourself, you definitely know someone who has.

Despite being founded as a railway town in the fall of 1883, Canmore came to be known for its coal mining and in particular for the fact the semi-anthracite coal found in the Cascade Coal Basin burned hot with little smoke – making it ideal for generating steam

Each year, those who worked for the mines, and their families, gather for the Miners' Day parade and reunion to celebrate Canmore's mining heritage and recognize that miners didn’t just dig coal – they built communities