🚁 52 Heli Missions. Who Pays?

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Good morning, Bow Valley!

Still figuring out what to do this weekend? We’ve got one idea for you. This is the last full weekend to bike the vehicle-free section of the Bow Valley Parkway before it reopens to traffic on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Some of our team will be heading out Sunday, and with the fall colours looking pretty spectacular right now, the timing is about as good as it gets. Here’s our guide on exactly how to do it.

-Ben S., Cassandra Stefanic, Fortune Whelan, Brendan Nogue, Alexia Chambers, Keith Fernandes

STARS FLEW 52 MISSIONS ACROSS THE BOW VALLEY LAST YEAR. WHO PAYS FOR THEM? 

What’s Happening? When something goes seriously wrong on a Bow Valley highway, at a local hospital or kilometres into the backcountry, STARS can be part of the response. Now, the air ambulance service is asking more local municipalities to help pay for it.

What Does STARS Do Here? When a rockslide struck hikers at Bow Glacier Falls in June 2025, two STARS helicopters joined roughly 100 emergency personnel responding to the remote scene. One landed near the patients while the other staged near Bow Lake. Two people died, three were injured and 13 people were rescued.

STARS transport physician Dr. Paul Tourigny helped assess patients scattered across the scene. “Triage at the scene was challenging because of how all of the potential patients were spread out,” he later said.

Jackie Seely, a donor relations and development officer with STARS, said getting critical care to patients quickly can determine whether they survive and how well they recover.

How Often Does STARS Come To The Bow Valley? Its 2025-26 records list 15 missions to the Banff area, 16 to Canmore, 10 to Kananaskis Village and 11 to Lake Louise. A separate report to Bighorn council counted 117 missions from 2021 through 2025, including 42 transfers from Canmore Hospital. 

How Is STARS Funded? STARS does not charge patients. In Alberta, its direct operating costs reached $38.4 million in 2025-26. The province covered 41%, while donations, fundraising and the STARS lottery covered the remaining 59%.

More than 95% of Alberta’s rural municipalities also support STARS. MD of Bighorn has contributed since 1990, while Cochrane has now been asked for $1 per resident annually for three years.

Neither Banff nor Canmore has previously been asked to contribute directly, but a request to Canmore is expected to go to council.

Does Municipal Funding Affect The Response? STARS says municipal funding requests are generally based on population, not mission volume. That matters in the Bow Valley, where patients may be residents, highway travellers or backcountry visitors.

If a municipality declines to contribute, Seely said it won’t affect the response.

“If we can reach the patient, we will get there.”

Read our full story

A SPA DAY… FOR YOUR EYEBALLS

Dry eyes aren’t just annoying, they’re exhausting. The stinging, burning, gritty feeling? That’s your corneas begging for backup.

At Canmore Family Eyecare, Dr. Jo offers something beyond the usual drops and hot compresses: a high-tech, in-clinic treatment that’s basically a spa day for your eyes.

Using gentle radiofrequency heat and intense pulsed light, these treatments target the root cause: clogged or underperforming glands that affect your tear quality. It’s warm, soothing, and surprisingly relaxing.

Bonus? It also helps stimulate collagen and reduce inflammation around the eyes, hello, brighter skin.

It’s the only clinic in the Bow Valley offering this level of dry eye care, and winter is when symptoms hit hardest.

Bow Valley Insiders get 10% off their dry eye consultation and treatment.

Start by booking a free 15-minute phone consultation to find out whether the treatment is right for you. 

_{*Presented by Canmore Family Eyecare.}

THE DIGEST

• ⛽️ Field, B.C. Will Have No Fuel During Sunday Power Outage. If you’re travelling from the Bow Valley toward B.C. this weekend, heads up. A planned power outage will affect more than 7,000 BC Hydro customers from 7 AM to 9 PM MST on Oct. 4. Field will have no fuel or EV charging, while Radium Hot Springs pools and the Kootenay East and Yoho West gates will close. Yoho’s visitor centre will remain open, but without washrooms or Wi-Fi. Travellers should fuel up, charge and grab supplies beforehand.

• 🚧 Johnston Canyon Is Closing For More Than A Month. Starting Oct. 13, Parks Canada will close the day-use area, parking lot, washrooms and main Johnston Canyon Trail through late November for rockfall safety work. Crews will remove unstable rock and debris, install rock bolts and complete other remediation work, with another phase planned for fall 2027. The good news: you can still reach the Upper Falls, Ink Pots and beyond using Moose Meadows, about two kilometres west. We detail the alternate route here.

• 🐻 A Bear Cub Got A Very Unusual Boat Ride. This isn’t from the Bow Valley, but we figured a bear rescue was worth venturing outside our usual boundaries. A family on Okanagan Lake spotted an exhausted cub swimming in the middle of the lake, its back legs no longer moving and its nose dipping underwater. After calling conservation officers, they got a rope around the cub, pulled it aboard and spent about an hour warming the shivering bear. Officials then directed them toward shore, where it was released and headed onto land.

• 💰 Haven’t Claimed Alberta’s $100 Yet? You Have Another Month. The province extended its Energy Rebate deadline to Oct. 31. To qualify, you generally just need to be an Alberta resident who was 18 or older as of July 1, filed a 2025 tax return and has a household income of $225,000 or less. Importantly for the Bow Valley’s many shared households, unrelated adult roommates are considered separate households and can each apply. Basically, if you haven’t applied yet, there’s $100 sitting on the table.

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CANMORE RCMP SAYS IT HAS “TURNED A CORNER” AFTER YEARS OF STAFFING CHALLENGES

What’s Happening? Canmore RCMP says it has “turned a corner” after several years of staffing challenges that, at one point, left as many as 11 members unavailable. More existing positions are now filled and members are returning from leave, easing pressure on frontline officers and allowing a specialized investigative unit to return.

But Canmore Isn’t Getting More Police. Staff Sgt. Greg Tulloch, commander of the Canmore RCMP detachment, told Bow Valley Insider the improvement doesn’t come from adding positions.

“We aren't adding any more police to the detachment establishment,” he said. “Staffing hasn't really changed at all.”

Instead, vacancies created by transfers are being filled, while members who were away on medical, parental or other leave are returning. Three constables, a corporal and a sergeant were expected to join the detachment over the summer and fall.

What Did The Shortage Look Like? When staffing was particularly tight, RCMP temporarily shut down its two-person General Investigation Section and reassigned those officers to frontline policing.

The detachment also changed schedules, used overtime and reservists and occasionally brought in officers from neighbouring detachments. For a period overnight, when calls typically dropped to near zero, officers responded from home rather than actively patrolling.

Tulloch said residents may not have noticed the strain because maintaining frontline service was the priority.

“We were doing all those things the entire time,” he said. “We just had to work harder, longer and a lot more man hours per person.”

Now, Investigative Capacity Is Coming Back. The General Investigation Section has reopened with one member, and Tulloch said a second is expected within weeks.

That should also free up capacity for work that had been put on what Tulloch described as a “side burner” while staffing was stretched.

Bottom Line. Tulloch said he hasn’t seen evidence that expected police services were missed because of the shortages, but keeping up required considerably more effort internally.

“I think we've turned a corner and things, at least from our perspective, should start feeling a lot better.”

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Friday

• Rose & Crown Is Serving Pride Specials. Banff Pride is on the menu with two Taste the Rainbow specials running Oct. 2-12: a $12 Gin Lavender Lemonade and a $6 strawberry and dark chocolate Berliner with a brûléed crust. Proceeds from both support the Banff Pride Society’s year-round programming. 2:00 PM - Close. Rose & Crown, Banff.*

• Banff Pride Marches Through Downtown. The Pride March & Flag Raising brings locals, visitors and allies together for an all-ages kickoff to the festival. The march starts at the Bear Street parking lot, travels through downtown to Central Park, and finishes with the Pride flag raising. 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM. Downtown Banff. Free.*

Saturday

• Canmore Fire-Rescue Is Hosting A Free Pancake Breakfast. Head to the fire hall for Canmore Fire-Rescue’s annual breakfast, fire-safety tips and a look around the station. This year also includes a traditional community push-in ceremony for Canmore’s new fire truck at 9 AM sharp. Bring reusable dishware if you can, along with a donation for the Canmore Food Bank. 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Canmore Fire Station, 1200 Steward Rd. Free. 

• Rockzilla Plays Banff. Edmonton three-piece Rockzilla takes the stage with a mix of modern and popular rock, big riffs and a progressive edge. Expect a loud, high-energy Saturday night set with plenty of reasons to leave the table and hit the dance floor. 10:00 PM. Rose & Crown, Banff. $5 cover.* 

Sunday

• Banff Fire-Rescue Opens Its Doors Sunday. The Fire Hall Open House includes breakfast, fire hall and engine tours, a chance to meet local firefighters and Sparky, plus a live vehicle extrication demonstration. This year’s safety focus is lithium-ion batteries, including those found in e-bikes, phones and laptops. 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. 201 Beaver St., Banff. Free. 

• Canmore’s Curling Club Is Hosting An Open House. Curious about curling or ready for another season? The Canmore Golf and Curling Club is opening its doors Sunday. Drop by to register for leagues, ask questions, reconnect with teammates or learn more about getting involved this winter. 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM. Canmore Golf and Curling Club. Free. 

WINTER IS COMING. YOU’VE STILL GOT TIME FOR ONE MORE SUMMER ADVENTURE.

Ski season is creeping closer, and your summer adventure list is probably running out of weekends.

But there’s still time for one more.

Mount Norquay’s Via Ferrata is open until October 11, giving you one last chance to spend a few hours climbing high above Banff before Norquay switches gears for winter.

No previous climbing experience is required. We tried it for the first time recently. Watch the video here.

You’ll climb ladders and metal rungs, traverse exposed rock faces and cross suspension bridges, all while clipped into a fixed safety cable and travelling with a certified guide. There are five routes to choose from, ranging from 2-2.5 hours to nearly six hours.

And if you’ve been meaning to try it, procrastination has actually paid off.

Bow Valley Insider readers can save 20% on Via Ferrata bookings through October 11 with code NQ-BOW-VALLEY.

Book your Via Ferrata experience here.

_{*Presented by Banff Norquay.}

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🧗‍♀️ Canmore Climbing Gym Opens Registration For Its Winter Training Program. The gym’s six-month Adult Training Program opens for registration Oct. 8, with weekly coached sessions focused on strength, power and endurance. It’s aimed at adults who want structured training and long-term progression rather than competition. Climbers around V3/5.11 are recommended, though it’s not mandatory. Sessions run Tuesday or Thursday evenings, with full gym access and additional training resources included.*

• 🍱 Thanksgiving Pre-Orders Close Monday Morning. Still figuring out dinner? Valbella is taking Bow Valley orders until Oct. 5, with fresh free-range turkeys, several hams, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and Pie Junkie desserts available. Orders will be delivered to the Bow Valley Friday, Oct. 9, while warehouse pickup is available Oct. 8-9. One note: the Turducken Roll is already sold out, so procrastination does have consequences.*

• 🙏 Canmore Biathletes Are Raising Money For Their International Season. The Biathlon Alberta Training Centre is fundraising to help offset the cost of competing internationally, which can top $30,000 per athlete each season. The big fundraiser is a Nov. 13 banquet at the Canmore Nordic Centre’s new biathlon building, with tickets going on sale Oct. 9. There’s also a 50/50 raffle and online silent auction. We’re giving you the heads-up now and will remind you when tickets go live. Grab a friend, enjoy a great banquet dinner and get to know some of our local athletes representing Canada.*

• ⛷️ Banff’s Big Ski And Sports Swap Returns This Month. Got old gear to sell or gaps in the winter setup? Banff Alpine Racers’ Ski and Sports Swap runs Oct. 14-18 at the Banff Train Station. Locals can consign skis, snowboards, boots, bindings, winter clothing and more for $2 per item. Shopping opens Oct. 17 from 12-5 PM with $10 admission, followed by free entry Oct. 18 from 9 AM-1 PM. 

• 🚧 Two West Bragg Trails Face Year-Long Partial Closures. Sections of Elbow Valley Trail and Sugar Daddy are closed for public safety from Oct. 1, 2026 through Oct. 1, 2027. The closure runs along Elbow Valley Trail from Iron Springs to Sugar Daddy, and Sugar Daddy from Elbow Valley Trail to Snagmore. The province’s map shows exactly which sections are affected. 

CIVIC NEWS

• Banff Backs Canadian Unity, Canmore Set To Consider Its Own Resolution. Banff council made its position clear last week, wearing red and white and publicly supporting Canadian unity ahead of the Oct. 19 referendum. Mayor Corrie DiManno said Banff’s place within Canada’s first national park made it especially important to speak up. Now Canmore council is preparing to weigh in too. On Oct. 6, council will consider a resolution supporting a united Canada.

LIVE MUSIC

• Saturday, October 3rd, 2026, 10:00 PM: Styler Nazo.  Location: The Drake, Canmore. No cover.

SPORTS

• The Canmore Eagles Just Launched Their Own Podcast. Eagles fans have a new way to keep up with the team. Eagles Weekly, hosted by the voice of the Eagles Kris Klein, will feature weekly game recaps, player and coach interviews and a look at what’s ahead. Two episodes are already live, featuring captain Aidan Tkachuk and forward Cohen Daoust. New episodes are planned weekly throughout the season. Listen to Eagles Weekly on Spotify 

That’s all, folks!

We’ll see you back here on Monday, same time, same place! 

Heads Up: We sometimes feature paid promotion from local businesses and organizations we trust. When you see a little asterisk (*), that means it’s a sponsored post. We only work with partners we think our readers will actually care about.