Rural Economic Drivers In The Crowsnest Pass Region

Crowsnest Opportunity Development Cooperative (CODC)

CODC was formed in 2013 as a pilot initiative developed by the Rural Alberta Development Fund and coordinated by Alberta Community Cooperatives Association. The Crowsnest Pass, along with two other rural communities, were selected to develop a community cooperative to give local investors an opportunity to stimulate economic growth in their own backyard. The CODC has a vision that puts the power back in the community members’ hands to invest directly into their own community. This type of investment vehicle creates a win/win situation for all parties.

This initiative was a pilot project of “Unleashing Local Capital” in conjunction with Alberta Community and Cooperative Association and Community Futures Network Alberta.

For more details about the CODC, please click here.

Crowsnest Pass Doors Open & Heritage Festival

This annual event coincides with the Heritage Day long weekend and provides opportunities for residents and visitors to explore the extensive heritage of the community. The event offers a wide variety of activities to celebrate our unique culture, history and heritage.

The Crowsnest Pass Doors Open and Heritage festival attracts thousands of people to the area and is widely regarded as the community’s premiere festival.

For more information about the Crowsnest Pass Doors Open & Heritage Festival, please click here.

Mountain Bike Destination Attraction Initiative (Rural Development Initiative)

With funding from Rural Development Initiative (RDI), as well as private and public community partners, Community Futures Crowsnest Pass worked to develop a Mountain Bike Tourism Cluster.The initial two-year project established a 10-km loop of mountain bike trails and a mountain bike skills park. An area trails master plan was developed by the International Mountain Bike Association (I.M.B.A.) that identifies a formal network of approximately 145km of single-track trails. This initiative will help Crowsnest Pass to become an adventure and mountain bike destination.

To date, a total of 19 km of single track trail has been built and another 3 km of OHV trail was improved and integrated into the existing trail network.

This project is attracting mountain bike and tourism dollars as well as opportunities for business development.