First time Visiting Canada

Are you planning on visiting Canada but you don’t like googling all the information on multiple different sites? Well, it won’t be that easy because some of it you just simply need to go to check on the other website but let us give you the information you need!

Immigration status – tourist visas

That is the most important thing to check before visiting.
Most people need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada – not both. Some people may only need their valid passport. Find out if you need a visa to travel to Canada.

Bringing alcohol & cigarettes

Here you can click the link to make sure you know all the information about what amount of alcohol, tobacco you can bring to Canada, but generally you can’t bring more than 2 litres of alcohol (up to 1.5l of wine; up to 1.14l of liquor and up to 8.5l of beer).

Park Pass & Conservation Pass, what’s the difference?

You do not need a Park Pass or Conservation Pass to enter Canmore but you need the Park Pass to enter the National Parks including: Banff, Lake Louise, Yoho area. You can purchase your pass online here before you arrive or upon entering the park gates.
To experience Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley Corridor you now need a Conservation pass the pass can be purchased in-person at Kananaskis Visitor Information Centres (Barrier, Elbow and Peter Lougheed) and the Canmore Nordic Centre Day Lodge or online
By purchasing a pass you’re helping keep this special part of Alberta beautiful and protected for generations to come while supporting conservation efforts in the area

Driving in Canada

If you are a US Citizen there is no need to have an international driving licence but otherwise you would need one from your country before you arrive.
We drive on the right side in Canada and speed limits are shown in a metric system. Speed limit in the parks is 90 km/h, on the highway 100 km – 110 km/h and in town you can drive up to 50 km/h but it depends, somewhere it’s just 30 km/h.
Here are few rules you may not know about driving in Canada, let’s keep you out of paying fines!:
– Buckle up! Everyone in the car needs to wear their seat belt.
– It’s illegal to text while driving
– Turning right on a red light is ok, unless there is a sign which prohibits it. Be sure all pedestrians are safe.
– 4-way stops: you can find a lot of intersections that are 4-way stops, in this situation the first car to stop, goes first
– Do not drink & drive!
– Watch out for Wildlife, they’re everywhere.

Language

It is known that Canada has two official languages – English and French. But it is mostly English in Alberta !

Weather – Its Cold!

Every Province or Territory is a bit different and because we are in Southern Alberta that is where we will focus. Canmore is a mountain town, so the weather can be a bit unpredictable and we also the famous Chinook wind, so that’s why it can happen that we can experience 4 seasons in one day.
Generally, winter is pretty cold, it can be less than -25C degrees and it’s about 5-6 months long – usually from October/November till March/April.

Climate

Though Canmore’s climate is relatively mild compared to some other regions of Alberta, the weather throughout the Canadian Rockies and around Canmore is extremely variable, due to our high altitude and the rugged mountain topography.
Canmore has an average high of −3.1 °C (26 °F) to average low of -14.9°/5.2° in January, with relatively low humidity. Do note it is not unusual to have a two-week cold snap during December or January where temperatures plummet into the -30º C (-22º F) range.
Generally, Winter is pretty cold and is about 5-6 months long – usually from October/November till March/April.
Fortunately, Canmore regularly enjoys a pleasant winter weather phenomenon called a Chinook. The warm winds of the Chinook produce spring-like temperatures in a matter of hours, and the moderating influence can last for days or even weeks.
Spring (April-June) is warmer and perfect for Spring Skiing.
Summer (July – August) Summers are short but the days are long with daytime temperatures ranging from 18 °C (64 °F) to 22 °C (72 °F).
The sun does not set until 9:00- 10:00 pm in June / July ….welcome to the North!Fall is a really magical season in Canmore. It starts in September and continues till late October or even to November. Trees start to show their beautiful colours around the end of September. And larch season is super popular in the surrounding area of Canmore.
There’s only one thing left to do……