Dog Friendly Patios in Canmore

Yes, in the autumn of 2012, Alberta became the first province to officially allow dog-friendly patios. Since then, Alberta's helped to drive a nationwide trend towards dog-friendliness, paving the way for other provinces like Ontario and Nova Scotia to follow suit.

Prior to 2012, the only way for dog owners to bring their pups to patios was by leashing their dog to the perimeter of the restaurant's patios, which was sometimes the sidewalk. This was mainly due to the Alberta Health Service's concerns for health (allergies, sicknesses), safety (risk of being bitten), as well as restaurant presentation (in case dogs bark and disturb patrons).

Canada's very first dog-friendly patio, not far from Canmore, was Ranchman's Cookhouse & Grill; a restaraunt located in Calgary, Alberta. Working closely with Alberta Health Services authorities, co-owner Harris Dvorkin made all necessary investments to make their eatery dog-friendly. The restaurant's deck was rebuilt for a dog-only section, a dog walk area was added, hitching posts, and new sealant which could keep clean easier.

After Ranchman's became Alberta's first dog-friendly eatery in 2012, it surprisingly still took several years for the trend to take hold. Articles by outlets such as the CBC illustrate how restaurants began to ask Alberta Health authorities to also become dog-friendly around 2017 and 2018. Soon afterwards, provincial authorities outlined streamlined ways to become approved as dog-friendly, and that's when most pup-friendly eateries came online.

While we've tried to ensure the information here is accurate, we're not perfect and restaurant policies are always changing. For that reason, it's suggested to call ahead to ensure the restaurants you're interested in are dog-friendly.