Moving To The Bow Valley

What you need to know before moving to Banff / Lake Louise / Canmore / Western MD of Bighorn / Kananaskis

The Bow Valley currently has very limited housing and childcare opportunities.

There are very few available private rentals, and only a few jobs offering employee housing. For the most current information about jobs offering employee housing, please contact the Job Resource Centre.

 

Who is this page for?

  • Newcomers to Canada who are thinking of moving to the Bow Valley

  • Volunteers helping refugees or displaced people

  • Service providers supporting resettlement

 

Last updated: 25 April 2024. For more information, please contact us.

 

About The Bow Valley

The Bow Valley region includes the communities of Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore, Western M.D. of Bighorn (Harvie Heights, Dead Man’s Flats, Exshaw, Lac des Arcs), Kananaskis, and the Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda community of Mînî Thnî.

  • The region is in Treaty 7 territory of the Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda Nations of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Wesley Nations, the Blackfoot Confederacy of Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika Nations, and the Tsuu T’ina Nation of the Dene people. Territory. This area is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.

  • About 24,000 people live in this region. Bow Valley residents come from more than 60 countries and speak many languages including English, French, Tagalog, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, German, and more. English is the most common language. 

  • The main industries in the Bow Valley region are tourism and hospitality.

  • Banff and Lake Louise are communities inside Banff National Park.

    • Lake Louise is a very small community (hamlet) with less than 1,000 residents.

    • There is a special law for the national park, so only people who work in Banff and Lake Louise can live in those areas.

 

Opportunities

The Bow Valley is a very welcoming community.

In a 2019 survey of immigrants living in the Bow Valley, 88% of respondents said they feel welcome in the community and 79% said they felt connected to the community.

The Bow Valley has:

  • Services for newcomers to Canada: This includes English classes and support for Work Permit holders, Permanent Residents of Canada, and Ukrainians who have come to Canada through the CUEAT program.

  • Job opportunities: Mainly in the tourism and hospitality industry. There are opportunities for people who are not fluent in English or who do not have a lot of work experience. Some employers also offer employee housing.

  • Community programs: The Bow Valley has many supporting agencies that can help with food, learning, affordability, social supports, and recreation

  • Parks and outdoor recreation: The Bow Valley is a beautiful mountain community with plenty of opportunities to live a healthy, active life.

  • Public transport: We have buses in Banff, in Canmore, and between Banff, Canmore, and Lake Louise.

  • Public education: There are schooling options for students from kindergarten to grade 12.

 

Challenges

Settling in the Bow Valley is difficult for many people.

The main challenges are:

  • Affordability: Rent and other essentials can be more expensive in the Bow Valley than elsewhere in Alberta.

    • The Town of Canmore has calculated that a single adult who is renting needs to earn $38.80 per hour to cover living expenses and actively participate in community.

    • Please see the Job Resource Centre’s Fall 2023 Labour Market Review for a list of average wages for common positions in the Bow Valley.

    • The average cost of a 1 bedroom rental apartment in the Bow Valley is dependent on location, but can range from $1700 - $2400.

  • Housing shortage: It is currently extremely difficult to find a place to rent or buy in the Bow Valley. This is especially true for families. There are about 15 advertisements from people looking for a place to live for every 1 advertisement from someone offering a rental on the Bow Valley Home Finder page.

  • Doctor shortage: There are currently no physicians accepting new patients in the Bow Valley. Walk-in doctor clinics have shortened hours.

  • Childcare: Childcare opportunities are currently extremely limited in the Bow Valley. There are long waitlists at daycare centres and day home spots only become available sporadically.


Other challenges to think about:

  • Interpretation: Some services are only available in English or French.

  • Faith & cultural communities: There are many churches in the Bow Valley, a Muslim Association, growing cultural organizations, and a very supportive community, but most cultural, faith, and diaspora communities are smaller in the Bow Valley than in big cities.

  • Access to cultural foods: Certain foods can be difficult to find or need to be purchased in Calgary.

 

Checklist For Newcomers

 

3 Things To Do Before You Arrive:

  1. Find a job

  2. Find a place to live

  3. Connect with local services

Find out more below.

1) Find A Job

Visit the Job Resource Centre’s Job Board. We strongly recommend you look for positions that:

  • Offer employer housing (staff accommodation)

  • List an English language level needed for the job

  • Include a 2023 Workplace Inclusion Charter signatory logo. Employers that have this logo have committed to help their foreign-born staff succeed in the workplace and the community. Learn more about the Workplace Inclusion Charter.

 

2) Find A Place To Live

  • It is very important to find a place to live before you come to the Bow Valley.

  • It is difficult to find housing in the Bow Valley, especially for families. Housing can be expensive. If you find a job with employee housing, you might be sharing with other people.

  • Most rentals do not allow pets.

  • Learn more about housing in the Town of Banff.

 

3) Connect With The Local Community

  • To welcome you to the Bow Valley community and to set you up for success, it is very important that local services know you are coming. They can help you settle into the area.

  • As soon as you have a job offer and housing, your first step is to contact the Settlement Services team.

  • Settlement Services in the Bow Valley is a free, confidential service funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They help newcomers adjust to life in Canada and succeed in the Bow Valley. They can help you find other services such as English language classes.

  • Please contact Settlement Services as soon as you know you are moving to the Bow Valley. They can help answer your questions and connect you with other services and the community.

Featured
Welcome to the Bow Valley! Newcomers Guide
Welcome to the Bow Valley! Newcomers Guide

The Bow Valley is a special place to live. Learn about the many local services here to help you settle in to your new home. Essentials for Permanent Residents, Temporary Foreign Workers, and all other newcomers and immigrants.

Everything immigrants and newcomers need to know about living in the Bow Valley.

Read More →

Frequently Asked Questions

 

I have a job offer, but nowhere to live in the Bow Valley. Where should I look for housing?

It is very important to find a place to live before you come to the Bow Valley. On Facebook, you can search for local groups like ‘Bow Valley Home Finder’. You can also check the local newspapers: Rocky Mountain Outlook and Bow Valley Crag & Canyon.

When you’re looking for a place to live, be careful to make sure that the listings are legitimate (real). Beware of rental scams.

 

If I move to the Bow Valley, can I become a Permanent Resident of Canada more quickly than if I live in other areas?

No. Living in the Bow Valley won’t make it easier or faster to become a Permanent Resident of Canada compared to living in another place in Alberta. It also won’t make it more difficult or slower.

There are several ways to become a Permanent Resident of Canada. Service providers in the Bow Valley can help you understand your options. Please start by contacting Settlement Services in the Bow Valley to learn more.

 

Where can I learn more about resources for newcomers to the Bow Valley?

 

I live in the Bow Valley and want to help displaced people. Where do I start?

Great! The Bow Valley has many kind and caring community members. To help create a welcoming and inclusive community for refugees and other displaced people, please start by reading this blog post. To learn more, please contact Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP).

 

Ask A Question

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Want more information? Use the form below to ask a question and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Protecting Your Information: We are collecting this personal information under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act, section 33(c). This information will be used for the purposes of the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP). If you have any questions about how we collect or use this information, read our Privacy Policy or contact Natasha Lay at bvip@banff.ca or on (403) 431-0705.

 We’re excited to welcome you to the Bow Valley!