The now famous winter-sports resort of Canmore, only 3 km (2 mi.) east of the boundary of the Banff National Park by the TransCanada Highway and in the Bow River valley, lies under the shadow of the majestic Three Sisters. During the 1988 Winter Olympics the cross-country and biathlon skiing events were held
here. Now the 60 km (40 mi.) or so of ski-runs along the Smith-Dorrien Highway and the Nordic Center on Mount Rundle are open to serious and amateur sportsmen alike.
In summer Canmore, framed by snow-covered mountain peaks, is a starting point for tours of the Rocky Mountains lasting one or several days. Other leisure activities are mountain climbing, cycling, horse-riding, fast-water and other canoeing, fishing, golf and helicopter flights.
The town of Canmore grew up in 1883 when coal was discovered in the area and mining started. Now the coal mines are closed and Canmore survives mainly as a year-round tourist resort, a base for some fantastic excursions to the Kananaskis area and into the Banff National Park.