Second home leisure landscapes and retirement in the Canadian Rocky Mountain community of Canmore, Alberta

International second-home retirement markets differ significantly from domestic ones, leading to distinct ownership patterns, leisure behaviors, and planning needs. A study of Canmore, Alberta, a gateway to Banff National Park, used social surveys, multivariate analysis, and GIS visualization to reveal key landscape attributes and sociocultural amenities valued by both second-homeowners and the broader community. The research challenges assumptions about retirement migration in amenity-rich environments, providing insights into how group differences influence future second-home retirement planning in Rocky Mountain regions.

McNicol, B. J., & Glorioso, R. S. (2014). Second home leisure landscapes and retirement in the Canadian Rocky Mountain community of Canmore, Alberta. Annals of Leisure Research, 17(1), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2014.885845