Good news for Bow Valley residents and visitors alike! In Canmore, effective April 1, both the Rose & Crown and the Drake Inn pubs will become smoke-free!! Now, for those of you from Toronto and Vancouver, “big deal”, right? Well, these two pubs are a bit ahead of the curve in Alberta, as Calgary is only mandated to become smoke-free in 2008. While Canmore has lagged behind Banff in introducing a by-law to this effect for well over a year, it’s commendable to see business owners teaming up to make a point, as well as looking out for the health of their patrons and staff members.

If you enjoy a couple – or a bunch! – of pints and some great food, my first recommendation is definitely the Rose & Crown, at the corner of Railway Avenue and Main Street. They’ve got the best “pub grub” in town and just introduced a new menu this last Monday. I totally recommend their Banquet Burger (held over from the last menu and quite possibly the best beef burger in town), while my better half totally enjoyed the new Sirloin Quesadilla. The Rose offers both a pub atmosphere in one room and a dining room in another. And if you’ll be pubbin’ in the summer, the Rose enjoys sun on its patio longer than any other place in town (and is a little quieter, as it overlooks Policeman’s Creek). Year-round, a couple of pool tables are available for your amusement, in case the people-watching isn’t enough. The Rose & Crown offers a great selection of beer on tap and their awesome servers will be the delight of your day; in fact, in my humble opinion, the service exceeds that of any pub or restaurant in town. Can you tell it’s our favourite?

If you’re interested in live entertainment, the Drake offers live bands most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as well as a dance floor to get yo’ funk on. It can get a little crazy when some of the favourite local bands are around, so you might want to arrive early to root yourself at a table to make the most of its fun and lively atmosphere! You’ll also find pool tables downstairs. Trolling? I have to guess that this would be the place – and hey, there’s a motel attached!! The Drake also offers bi-level patio seating in the summer, but loses the sun a little earlier than others. The Drake is located across the street from the Rose (do I see a mini pub crawl in your future?).

Also of note, pub-wise, is the reopening of the Sherwood House Pub, slated for the Victoria Day weekend. The Sherwood House is a Canmore landmark and has been seriously missed for nearly two years, now. Submerged into the pits of hell by the interim Bolo House management, it sounds like the reclaimed Sherwood House will come back to make the most of its hot patio (some would say “the hottest”) for the summer, offering a streamlined, “gourmet” pub menu. Then, once sunny (etc.) summer is over, they’ll close for some significant renovations in the fall and treat us all to more of a grand opening in December. Woohoo! The Sherwood House is located at the corner of Main Street and 8th Avenue.

Clearly, the Molson Canadian trademark slogan rings true (at least in Canmore): “There are two seasons in Canada; winter … and patio”. This week’s warm weather and sunshine in the Bow Valley have obviously had an effect on my psyche and thus a young woman’s fancy turns to thoughts of havin’ a pint in the great outdoors (while viewing beautiful mountains, feeling that cool alpine breeze and so on…)!! Meanwhile, plan to enjoy the improved, smoke-free facilities at your disposal! Bravo to the respective management of the Rose & Crown and the Drake!!

~ One of Seven