Canmore’s vacancy tax bylaw deemed valid by Alberta judge

The Rocky Mountain town of Canmore will soon begin taxing homeowners who leave their residences empty for more than half the year.

The new tax is part of the town's bid to reverse course on a cost-of-living crisis that has turned the once blue-collar town into an pricey mountain enclave. But the tax has upset many of Canmore's homeowners who use their properties seasonally or on the weekend, and who will be forced to pay about three times more in property taxes than the average primary-resident.

Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert says the tax is not an attack on second homeowners.

An Alberta judge this week ruled that the town is within its rights to move forward with the tax after a group had argued it was outside the town's authority.

Ron Casey, a former Canmore mayor, said the idea has been tossed around since for years. But he says some of the anger is due to the fact that the town doesn't appear accountable to how it spends the new revenue, though Canmore says it will be spent on affordable housing. Canmore will start collecting the levy next year.