The Canmore Hotel has been a Main Street fixture since 1890, standing through booms, busts, and enough live music to keep the mountains humming. Established in 1890, this Canmore historic hotel is the town's oldest surviving building, a municipal heritage resource, and an ever-changing social hub that's gone from rowdy miners' bar to buzzing Canmore downtown hostel with a penchant for live music.
It's also been home to French counts with legal troubles, a five-foot-one publican who could out-tough any miner, and jam sessions that rattled the windows for decades. In short, it's the ultimate Canmore comeback story.
A Count, a Dream, and Several Legal Headaches
Our tale begins in 1889 with Count Eugene de Rambouville, a French nobleman with a mysterious past and, apparently, no fear of municipal bylaws. He started building the Canmore Hotel as a squatter on land he didn't own – proving that even aristocrats can have a little frontier cheekiness.
By 1890, the hotel was open for business, serving coal miners and railway workers who needed a pint and a place to brag about their pickaxe skills. The Count's tenure was short-lived, thanks to charges for selling liquor without a permit and a spectacular mortgage default in 1895. Rumour has it he skipped town faster than you can say “room service,” leaving behind the only survivor of Canmore's four original grand hotels.
Enter Mary Rodda: The Woman Who Ran the Bar and the Town
Fast-forward to 1928, when newlyweds Alfonso and Mary Rodda took over. Alfonso had the height, Mary had the grit. Standing barely five-foot-one, she commanded the rowdiest miners like a seasoned general – often literally standing on chairs to restore peace.
When Alfonso passed away in 1952, Mary shocked the Alberta liquor world by securing a bar license in her name, making her one of the province's first female bar operators. In a time when women were told they “shouldn't be behind the bar,” Mary replied, “Watch me,” and promptly kept the beer flowing for another 16 years.
During her reign, the Canmore Hotel became the heart of the community. It housed hydroelectric project workers, hosted countless local celebrations, and ensured nobody in town went without a story to tell.
From Beer Wells to Guitar Amps
The Canmore Hotel has always been about good company, but in more recent decades, it's also become synonymous with live music. Local lore says the stage has seen everything from indie folk to punk rock – and yes, there was that one show by Vancouver punk legends D.O.A. that ended in a flood.
Sunday jam sessions led by Bow Valley favourite Murf Martin became an institution. And after a major 2018 renovation, the ground floor reopened as “The Ho” – Canmore's largest nightclub – complete with a rocking sound system and a line-up of acts that keep the dance floor full.
Restoration: How a Historic Hotel Became a Modern Hostel
The Canmore Hotel's modern era kicked off in 2006 when Heritage Property Corporation (HPC), a specialist in heritage redevelopment, took ownership. Their early mission wasn't about swinging hammers – it was about laying the groundwork to protect the building's historic character while making a future restoration financially possible. Those plans had to wait, first thanks to a booming construction market that kept trades in short supply, and later because of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.
When the economy finally steadied, HPC pushed ahead with a long-term strategy that paid off in a big way on October 20, 2015. That's when the Canmore Hotel became the first building in town to receive a Municipal Historic Resource designation. The deal came with a rezoning to a direct control district and a 15-year municipal grant – about $8,500 annually – offsetting property taxes on the $1 million in increased value expected from the renovation. In plain terms: the building's heritage elements would be legally protected, and the path to redevelopment was officially open.
With those protections in place, HPC handed over the reins in December 2016, selling the hotel to new owner Robby Aurora. Aurora's team took on the hands-on work, launching extensive renovations in early 2017. When the doors reopened on September 17, 2018, Half Hitch Brewing was running the main floor, giving the bar fresh energy. Less than a year later, in August 2019, it rebranded again, returning to its famous nickname – “The Ho.”
The renovation struck a careful balance between safety, comfort, and authenticity. The verandah, facade, and other defining features stayed intact, while the interior gained modern fire systems, accessibility upgrades, and private bathrooms.
By reopening day, the Canmore Hotel had been reborn as the Canmore Hotel Hostel. The upstairs featured 15 hostel-style rooms with 80 beds, while the downstairs pulsed with a live music venue and a lively bar – a modern operation rooted firmly in over a century of history.
The Next Chapter: Expansion on the Horizon
The Canmore Hotel's knack for reinvention isn't slowing down. In 2024, the owners submitted application PL20240310 to expand the property to 56 hostel units and eight commercial spaces. The catch? The design requires variances to the Land Use Bylaw for things like building footprint, roofline, and projections – and that's where some eyebrows in town have started to rise.
Heritage elements will remain untouched on paper, and a heritage consultant is involved to help guide the work. But with changes of this scale, there's no avoiding the fact that the feel of the building – the atmosphere that has defined it for over 130 years – could shift dramatically. The verandah may still stand, the facade may still face Main Street, but the context around it could be very different.
If approved at the August 19, 2025, town council meeting, the Canmore downtown hostel will have more space for guests and businesses, but also more traffic, more noise, and more of a modern footprint in a space that has always stood apart because of its authenticity.
Potential Pros
- More Availability: Easier to book a stay during busy summer weekends or festival dates.
- Added Services: New commercial units could bring more on-site food, retail, or activity options.
- Tourism Boost: A larger facility could draw more visitors to Canmore's downtown core.
Possible Cons
- Loss of Original Character: Even with heritage elements preserved, the extensive changes may alter the building's historic presence.
- Busier, Less Intimate: More rooms and businesses could mean more crowds and less of the small-town feel.
- Construction Disruption: Any major build will mean noise, dust, and temporary interruptions for current guests and neighbours.
Fun Facts to Impress Your Travel Companions
- Before fridges, beer kegs were cooled in a basement well fed by naturally cold groundwater.
- The original paint scheme was “Palo Cream” with “Saddle Brown” trim – very frontier chic.
- Of the four original hotels in Canmore, this is the lone survivor.
- The verandah has always had a bench out front – though today's is a faithful replacement.
- No, it's not haunted. Save your ghost-hunting energy for Banff Springs.
Why This Canmore Historic Hotel Still Matters
The Canmore Hotel is more than just a place to crash – it's a living archive of the town's grit, humour, and constant evolution. It's where a French count gambled his fortune, where a petite powerhouse broke the liquor license glass ceiling, and where guitars still howl late into the night.
Whether you're drawn by the music, the history, or the promise of a pint on that famous verandah, this Canmore hotel continues to deliver the kind of character you just can't build new.
(If you’re interested in the wider picture, take a look at our article on the planned downtown Canmore changes being proposed by the town.)