Policeman’s Creek Webcam – Ha Ling Peak Above Canmore

The Policeman’s Creek Webcam looks out from the Drake Pub and Inn in downtown Canmore, Alberta, at the spot where Policeman’s Creek meets the top of Main Street. A divided road with a planted median runs away from the lens toward a crosswalk, spruce and aspen trees fill the left side of the frame, and a wooden patio with tables and green umbrellas sits in the lower right below a blue multi-story building. Behind the rooftops, Ha Ling Peak and its gray rock neighbors rise above the town, with a second ridge on the right beyond a deep notch in the skyline. Low cloud often hides the summits, and then the street takes over, with people heading for the boardwalk, cars at the crosswalk and, as the operator CanmoreAlberta.com points out, the occasional elk.

About Policeman’s Creek

Policeman’s Creek runs through the middle of Canmore, and a raised boardwalk follows its banks for about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). The usual starting point is the Big Head sculpture near the Drake, the same corner this camera watches, and from there the boardwalk heads through downtown toward the Malcolm Hotel in Spring Creek. Several entry points let you shorten the walk. Songbirds and ducks use the water, and elk or deer sometimes wander along it.

The creek takes its name from the North-West Mounted Police post on its bank. The NWMP Barracks went up on Main Street in 1893 and served as the officers’ home, their workplace and the town jail. The building was restored in 1989 and is now in the care of the Canmore Museum.

Ha Ling Peak, the mountain in the stream’s title, stands immediately south of town at 2,407 meters (7,897 feet), roughly 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above downtown. Locals once called it the Beehive. In 1896 Ha Ling, a Chinese cook working for the Canadian Pacific Railway, took a 50 dollar bet that he could climb it, and the Medicine Hat News of October 22, 1896 reported that he set off at 7 a.m. and was back in time for lunch, leaving a flag on top. A later name, made official in 1980, was dropped in 1997 as derogatory, and the peak has carried his name ever since.

Canmore was founded in 1884 and grew around coal. The No. 1 mine opened in 1887, and Canmore Mines Ltd. closed the last one in 1979. Nine years later the town hosted the Nordic events of the 1988 Winter Olympics. It counted 15,990 residents at the 2021 census and sits in the Bow Valley about 81 kilometers (50 miles) west of Calgary.

Weather and Climate in Canmore

Winters are long and cold. Over the ten years from 2016 to 2025, daytime highs averaged about -5 to -6 C (21 to 23 F) from December through February, with nights around -14 to -16 C (3 to 7 F). In those months the median, the patio and the lower slopes of Ha Ling Peak are usually white, and the summits often hold their snow after the street has cleared. Spring comes slowly: April highs average 6 C (43 F) with frosty nights near -5 C (23 F), and May reaches about 12 C (54 F).

Summer is mild. July and August highs average about 22 C (72 F), and nights drop to around 8 C (47 F). June is the wettest month. Autumn turns quickly, with September highs near 16 C (61 F) and October near 7 C (45 F), when the aspens on the left of the frame go yellow, as they had on October 9, 2026. The stream runs around the clock, but the mountains drop out of view after dark, so daylight is when Ha Ling Peak is worth watching.

Things to Do Near Policeman’s Creek

The boardwalk is the obvious first walk. Start at the Big Head sculpture beside the Drake and follow the creek past a replica of the old Canmore Opera House to the Malcolm Hotel, then loop back along Spring Creek Drive to Main Street. That Main Street loop takes 20 to 30 minutes, and adding the stretch toward 17th Street by Bridgette Bar makes it closer to an hour. The trail stays open all year.

For something bigger, the trail up Ha Ling Peak starts at the Goat Creek day use area off Spray Lakes Road. The maintained path climbs 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) to the saddle, and the last section to the summit crosses loose, rocky ground with no maintained trail. The Canmore Nordic Centre, venue of the 1988 Olympic Nordic races, is the town’s main hub for cross-country skiing and mountain biking. The Banff townsite and Banff National Park are a 22 kilometer (14 mile) drive up the valley.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More live views from Canmore, Banff National Park and Calgary.

• Spring Creek Webcam
• Lake Louise Webcam
• Calgary Peace Bridge Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Policeman’s Creek located?

Policeman’s Creek flows through downtown Canmore, Alberta, Canada, in the Bow Valley about 81 kilometers (50 miles) west of Calgary. This camera sits on the Drake Pub and Inn at the top of Main Street, beside the creek.

What can you see on the Policeman’s Creek Webcam?

A divided road with a planted median leading to a crosswalk, trees along the left edge, a patio in the lower right and Ha Ling Peak with its neighboring ridges on the skyline. People and cars pass through the scene all day, and now and then elk do too.

Does the Policeman’s Creek Webcam show the Three Sisters?

Not this stream. It is aimed at Ha Ling Peak, as its title says. CanmoreAlberta.com runs a separate Three Sisters view from A Bear and Bison Inn.

Is there snow in Canmore right now?

The webcam is the quickest way to check: look at the median and the patio. Average daytime highs sit at or below freezing from November through February, so snow on the ground is likely in those months, and the summits can stay white well into spring.

What is the weather like in Canmore by month?

January highs average about -5 C (23 F) with lows near -14 C (7 F). April reaches about 6 C (43 F), July and August about 22 C (72 F) with cool nights near 8 C (47 F), and October about 7 C (45 F). June is the wettest month.

How long is the Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk?

About 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) along the creek. The short Main Street loop from the Big Head sculpture takes 20 to 30 minutes, and adding the stretch toward 17th Street makes it closer to an hour. It is open all year and suits all abilities.

Why is it called Policeman’s Creek?

It is named after the North-West Mounted Police post that stood on its bank. The NWMP Barracks, built in 1893, still stands on Main Street and is looked after by the Canmore Museum.

How far is Canmore from Banff?

The Banff townsite is a 22 kilometer (14 mile) drive up the Bow Valley from Canmore.

Source: CanmoreAlberta.com