Press Releases

Crowsnest Pass Confirms New Municipal Office Location at Crowsnest Commons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 July 10, 2025

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass has confirmed a lease agreement with Shift Real Estate for new municipal office space at the Crowsnest Commons development site. Construction is expected to begin soon, with the move anticipated for Fall 2026.

The new facility will bring all core municipal services, currently spread across the community, back under one roof. Community Services, which relocated several years ago due to space limitations, will rejoin the broader administration, making it easier for residents to access services in one location.

The current municipal building, now approaching 50 years old, no longer meets the needs of staff or the public. Renovating the space has become increasingly impractical due to aging infrastructure and the presence of asbestos, which makes even modest upgrades costly and difficult to carry out. Space limitations also pose challenges during public hearings, where attendees have, at times, spilled into hallways - raising safety concerns and limiting the public’s ability to fully participate.

In response, Council approved the move as part of the 2026 Capital Plan. This new facility represents both a practical investment and a meaningful step forward in how the Municipality serves the public. It will be the first new public building in over 35 years.

The new space is designed with accessibility, safety, and long-term growth in mind. Planned features include:

• A centralized location for all municipal administration
• Expanded and accessible Council Chambers with increased public seating and enhanced technology
• Safer, more functional meeting spaces for residents and staff
• Infrastructure to support modern service delivery
• Potential space for community use, such as meeting or conference rooms

Its location within the Crowsnest Commons site also directly supports the broader vision for current and future development in the area. The Municipality’s early commitment to the site helped the developer meet key thresholds to begin construction last fall. This supported timely progress at Crowsnest Commons and helped bring public services and new businesses into a growing area sooner, creating a more active, accessible hub for all residents.

The Municipality is proud to take this step forward and will continue to share updates as the project progresses.

Press Release - Results on the Non-Binding Vote of the Electors on a Question

For Immediate Release - November 26, 2024

The electorate of the Crowsnest Pass has spoken in favor of the Grassy Mountain Project, receiving a 71.73 % yes vote with approximately 54% of the electorate voting at our Non-Binding Vote of the Electors on a Question. The Crowsnest Pass has gone to the polls and made their decision, and your Mayor and Council will take your position forward to upper levels of government and through the regulatory process.

This vote was about hearing from and getting direction from the electorate, the people that voted us in and trusted us to represent the Crowsnest Pass. It is about clearly understanding what the community wants on the Grassy Mountain Project.

We are not the decision maker on this mine, and we are only one of the stakeholders, but we are an important one, we are the community that this mine primarily will draw from for housing, road, rail and the workforce. We hear from people on both sides of the issue regularly, and we know this is important to you and there are passionate voices on both sides, so it was important for us to know where the community stands, and you have spoken, and we have heard you and we will take what you have told us forward and continue to advocate for this mine.

Mayor and Council of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass

The Vote of the Electors was done in accordance with the Local Authorities Elections Act which sets important election provisions including voter eligibility and rules of residence.

Non-Binding Vote of the Electors on a Question

At the September 10, 2024 Council Meeting Council passed a motion to hold a Non-Binding Vote of the Electors on a Question within the next 90 days.  The Vote of the Electors process is similar to a plebiscite or referendum and is held in accordance with the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA). 

The question that will be asked on the ballot is “Do you support the development and operations of the metallurgical coal mine at Grassy Mountain.” 

Councillor Ward put forward the motion with the following comment “In the last 10 years Northback and its predecessors have attempted to develop a coal mine to the north of our community.  Many individuals, organizations and levels of government have expressed an opinion on whether the project should move forward or not and its time the residents of the Crowsnest Pass were taken into consideration on this issue.” 

Read his full statement in the Council Package of September 10, 2024, item 10a.

Residents of the Crowsnest Pass who meet the criteria in the LAEA Section 47 will be eligible to vote which includes being at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen that resides in Alberta in Crowsnest Pass on voting day.  If a person has more than one residence, the rules that govern which one is their place of residence under the act is detailed in section 48.

The vote on a question will take place within the next 90 days.  Details on the voting dates and times will be released once confirmed.