March begins springtime countdown in the Canadian Rockies
There hasn't been an official poll, but the most commonly asked question of Canmore locals by our visitors must go something like this:
"Do you ever get tired of the view? Don't you just begin to take it all for granted?"
I could be wrong, but the average recorded pause before an answer to this question lasts less than a second, as the "Canmorite" quickly assures the visitor that, in fact, the view is ever-changing, never boring, and as awe-inspiring most days as the first day he saw it.
I remember the first day I saw it. I was driving from my hometown of Squamish, British Columbia, located an hour of abysmally rainy winter weather north of Vancouver, to a new job in Cochrane, a small town just on the outskirts of Calgary. I set out for the 12-hour drive in the first few days of January, and pulled into Canmore as the just-set sun left a pink glow on mountains that were the pure definition of "rugged". Standing outside at the self-serve gas station, I hardly felt the minus 35 Celsius as I stood there with my mouth wide open.
The rest is history, as they say, for I quickly snapped up a newspaper job that came along in Canmore -- some eight years ago, a career change, a marriage, and endless mouth-wide-open days later.
That common visitor question, I've been thinking, is directly related to a very popular sentiment I've heard expressed by the newly initiated to Canmore. "I just can't believe how friendly the people are," you'll hear a visitor say as they share a few of their impressions on the area.
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While stellar skiing, scenery like none other in the world, great dining, unique shopping and an instant bond with the outdoors rate right up there, I think many of our community members do take their own friendliness for granted sometimes. But that just means it comes naturally.
The link between the awe-inspiring views and locals' friendliness really is quite simple: We have a very good life here, even when we work as many hours as city dwellers and share their everyday concerns. Living in such a beautiful place inspires the most ardent couch potato to get outside and enjoy it, and share that joy with visitors in town for a day or a month.
This edition of SolaraLife is offered to our readers in the friendly, community spirit that you will find when you next visit us.
- Shari Bishop Bowes, Editor, SolaraLife
Information and contributions for Solara Life can be requested via email: contact@solaralife.com
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