From Flooding to Fire: How the Town of Canmore is preparing for climate change

The Town of Canmore developed a Climate Resilience Action Plan in 2016 to address vulnerabilities to extreme weather, particularly following a catastrophic flood in 2013. Using the Climate Resilience Express (CRE) tool provided by All One Sky, the town identified eight priority risks and three opportunities. The highest risks were forest fires, Bow River flooding, and mountain creek flooding. Implementation steps since 2016 include a Bow River flood risk assessment, the creation of creek mitigation plans, and the integration of adaptation actions into municipal budget planning. The document highlights the value of structured planning tools and the importance of incorporating detailed costing into adaptation strategies.

• The Town of Canmore's adaptation planning was driven by a catastrophic flooding event in June 2013, where seven mountain creeks overflowed due to torrential rain and rapid snowmelt, damaging infrastructure.
• To mitigate forest fire risk, the town prioritized updating the FireSmart mitigation strategy, improving communication with land managers, and updating the Land Use Bylaw and Engineering Design and Construction Guidelines.
• Adaptation strategies for Bow River flooding include installing backflow prevention valves in civic facilities, tracking real-time river flow, and conducting a formal flood risk assessment.
• Since 2016, the town has implemented several priority actions, including initiating a Bow River flood risk assessment, completing mitigation plans for mountain river creeks, and incorporating adaptation actions into budget planning.
• The town identified three primary climate-related opportunities: an extended construction season, increased summer recreation opportunities, and a competitive advantage for winter tourism.
• A key lesson for other municipalities is the need to incorporate detailed costing into adaptation plans to balance the costs of action against the benefits of avoided climate-related impacts.

APA

Rooban, A. (2019). From Flooding to Fire: How the Town of Canmore is preparing for climate change. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/from-flooding-to-fire-canmore.pdf

Chicago

Rooban, Anne. From Flooding to Fire: How the Town of Canmore is preparing for climate change. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/from-flooding-to-fire-canmore.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rooban |first1=Anne |title=From Flooding to Fire: How the Town of Canmore is preparing for climate change |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/from-flooding-to-fire-canmore.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rooban2019from, author = {Rooban, Anne}, title = {{From Flooding to Fire: How the Town of Canmore is preparing for climate change}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/from-flooding-to-fire-canmore.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }