CANMORE - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 162

FLORA AND FAUNA
Even though much of the valley floor is developed, large tracts of land are protected by
Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, making the surrounding area a delight for nature
lovers. Lowlands on either side of the Bow River are lined with stands of poplar, while
the drier mountainsides support extensive stands of Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, and
lodgepole pine.
The forested valley floor provides habitat for many larger mammals, including around
100 elk, most often sighted on the Canmore Golf Course and along the west side of
the Bow River. Other larger mammals present include white-tailed deer, coyotes, black
bears, and grizzly bears, all of which are regularly sighted within town limits. Bighorn
sheep are common on rocky outcrops above Spray Lakes Road. Cougars inhabit the sur-
rounding wilderness but are rarely sighted.
Smaller mammals present in the Bow River and its adjacent sloughs include a healthy
population of beaver, as well as muskrat and mink. Red and Columbian ground squir-
rels and least chipmunks inhabit the forests around town, while at higher elevations
golden-mantled ground squirrels and pikas find a home.
Birdlife around Canmore is prolific. Mallard ducks are a popular attraction on Police-
man's Creek in downtown Canmore. Several active osprey nests can be seen along the
banks of the Bow River; other permanent residents include great horned owls, jays, and
ravens.
HISTORY
The Hudson's Bay Company explored the Bow Valley corridor and attempted, without
success, to establish a fur trade with Stoney natives for most of the 1840s. In 1858, an ex-
pedition from the east, led by Captain John Palliser, sent back discouraging reports about
the climate and prospects of agriculture in the valley. A few decades later the Canadian
Pacific Railway (CPR) chose the Bow Valley Corridor as the route through the mountains,
and the first divisional point west of Calgary was established in 1883. It was named Can-
more for the 11th-century Scottish king Malcolm of Canmore.
Coal Mining
The CPR was delighted to discover that the valley was rich with coal, which it could use
in its steam engines. Mining on the lower slopes of the Three Sisters and Mount Rundle
commenced in 1886, attracting hundreds of miners and their families. Within a few years
numerous mines operated around Canmore. In 1899 the CPR moved its divisional point to