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Canmore. Pop. 12,005. Province – Alberta AB. Currency – Canadian Dollar, Language – English. Time Zone – GMT minus 7 hours. Nearest Main Airport – Calgary International Airport YYC. Best time to go – year round destination for winter sports and summer activities. Canmore is situated in the Bow Valley and east of Banff National Park. The town was founded in 1884 and became a centre for coal mining, an industry which lasted into late 1970’s. After the demise of the coal mining operations Canmore was faced with a serious economic decline. However, the announcement that Calgary was to be the host for the 1988 Winter Olympics gave Canmore a major shot in the arm, with the town designated as the venue for the Nordic Ski-ing events. The Canmore Nordic Centre has continued to be active and is regularly used by the Canadian biathlon and cross-country ski teams, in addition to providing winter and summer recreational facilities to the general public. The town has continued to rebrand itself as a centre for other outdoor activities with climbers, kayakers, canoeists, and mountain bikers, being regular visitors. Nature lovers will be impressed with the variety of animal life around Canmore and bears, cougars, coyotes, squirrels, elk, deer, rabbits, and a wide variety of birds can be spotted in the area. The town has also been used as a venue for movies such as Brokeback Mountain, Legends of the Fall, Shanghai Noon, and Snow Dogs.