⛷️ Banff Resorts Up 20%+

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Just a quick heads up: We are taking a few days off over Christmas. Despite everything this year, including staff changes, sick days, and travel days, our lil’ team still published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday without missing a beat. This week, we are giving ourselves a breather. We will spend Wednesday and Friday with friends and family, and maybe even get some sleep. I (Ben) am currently writing this at 2:30 AM, so you can probably guess how needed that is. We will still be checking email if you need us, but the next edition will land in your inbox next Monday.

— Fortune Whelan & Ben S.

CANADIANS STAY HOME, BRITS AND AUSSIES POUR IN: BANFF’S SKI SEASON TAKES OFF

What’s Happening? Canadians are heading south less this winter, and everyone else seems to be heading here. Early-season storms have turned Banff’s ski resorts into outliers across North America, and travel patterns are shifting in real time because of it.

A Winter Canada Actually Wants to Stay For. Reporting shows Canadians have been scaling back U.S. travel through most of 2025. A weak dollar, political friction, and underwhelming early snow in parts of the U.S. have cooled demand for places like Whitefish and Kalispell, where businesses are reporting fewer Canadian visitors and lower spending. That timing could not be better for the Bow Valley, where this December looks like something out of the 2017 ski season, a year locals still talk about.

By The Numbers. At Lake Louise, all 13 lifts, 146 runs, and three terrain parks are now open, backed by a 136-centimetre base and more than 360 centimetres of snowfall so far. Sunshine Village is running a 216-centimetre upper-mountain base and recently picked up over a metre of snow in a week. Even Norquay, which historically opens more cautiously, is rolling into the holidays with expanded terrain and 140 centimetres of upper-mountain snowfall.

Who’s Coming Instead? With the snow looking this good, more than just Canadians are taking notice. SkiBig3 reports:

• Canadian sales up 10%

• U.S. up 9%

• U.K. up 20%

• Australians up 25%

A viral Instagram clip of bare slopes in Park City, Utah, didn’t hurt. Thousands of commenters pointed north, saying this is exactly why they booked Banff instead of rolling the dice on early-season U.S. snow.

The Bottom Line. If the storms keep lining up, the Bow Valley could be heading into one of its strongest holiday snow seasons in years.

OUR JANUARY VIDEO SHOOTS SOLD OUT. FEBRUARY SPOTS ARE OPEN.

January is already fully booked for our social video features, and we are now scheduling February. If you are planning a Valentine’s Day promo or want to get your business in front of locals before the spring rush, now is the time to grab a spot.

Here is what you get. We come to your business, film several short and engaging videos, post them to our 44,000+ followers across Facebook and Instagram, and add you as a collaborator so the posts also appear on your feed. We also send you the raw files to use however you like. Plus, you will be featured inside our email publication to more than 16,500 Bow Valley neighbours.

In 2025, we became the number one local media account for residents in Canmore and Banff, generating more than 22 million video views. If you want to reach locals ahead of Valentine’s Day, this is your window.

If you are interested, fill out this quick form, and we will reach out with more details.

THE DIGEST

• 🎁 Last-Minute Gifts You Can Still Grab Locally. There are only three days left until Christmas, and if you’re still hunting for something thoughtful, we rounded up ten great options you can buy right now in Canmore and Banff. From handmade art and small-batch treats to spa passes and trail-friendly gear, everything is local, easy to pick up before the 25th, and keeps your dollars in the community. Read the full round-up here.

• ⛸ Most of Canmore’s Outdoor Rinks Are Now Open. On Friday, we reported that every Town-run rink was still closed, and the 7th Ave Pond wouldn’t open at all this season. Good timing or good influence, but over the weekend, crews brought almost everything online. Six of seven Canmore surfaces are now open, with only The Pond still closed for 2026. Banff also opened Sundance Park and Rotary Park for the season.

• 🏨 Rimrock Banff Announces Luxury Reopening in Summer 2026. The redesign includes refreshed mountain-view rooms, four new dining concepts, and an expanded wellness program. And like nearly every luxury hotel in the Bow Valley these days, the spa is the main selling point: saunas, glacial plunges, and hydrothermal circuits. The Rimrock appears to be positioning itself to compete directly with Chateau Lake Louise’s new Basal Glacial Spa. If the Rimrock is looking for someone to test-drive the hydrothermal circuit, our hand is raised. Will we get an invite? Locals can only hope.

• 🚗 Cold Weather Doesn’t Change Vehicle Idling Rules in Canmore or Banff. A viral Facebook thread this weekend insisted cold snaps create idling loopholes. The bylaws say otherwise. In Canmore, parking-and-idling past five minutes is illegal. In Banff, only commercial vehicles face an idling ban, despite all the “idle free” signage around schools and rec centres. No temperature exemptions, no warm-up allowances, just the same rules at -5 or -30. Read our full breakdown of the vehicle idling rules.

• 🐰 Bunff the Lost Bunny Hits the Ski Trails. Parks Canada just dropped a new update on Bunff, the stuffed bunny left on a shuttle this summer who accidentally became Banff’s cutest celebrity. This time, Bunff strapped on classic skis and toured the Great Divide Trail, complete with XC-ski safety tips for visitors. Whoever at Parks Canada crafted those perfectly bunff-sized skis deserves a raise. They’re still hoping to reunite Bunff with the rightful owner, but until then, Bunff adventures on.

INSIDE CANADA’S AVALANCHE RESCUE DOG PROGRAM

What’s Happening? Our friends over at Canadian Geographic just published an incredible deep dive into Canada’s avalanche rescue dogs. The feature follows Milhouse, a two-year-old Labrador retriever in training, and pulls back the curtain on the national program that prepares dogs for the toughest search and rescue conditions in the country.

Inside the Training Grounds. The Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association (CARDA) trains roughly 30 operational dogs and a half dozen new recruits at any given time. Their annual spring training camp, held off grid near Merritt, British Columbia, brings together handlers, veteran dogs, and eager puppies.

The Program Demands A Lot. It takes nearly two years of training, physical conditioning, helicopter travel, long line practice, search endurance drills, and a strong tug drive, which is the foundation of CARDA’s reward system. Handlers typically invest about $20,000 of their own money and juggle avalanche work with day jobs as patrollers, paramedics, or forecasters.

Where You See Them in the Rockies. Avalanche rescue dogs do not train only in remote camps. Certified dogs and dogs in training also appear at major resorts in our region. Sunshine Village supports programming for certified avalanche dogs in training, and handlers are sometimes seen riding lifts with their dogs. Lake Louise has also worked with avalanche dog teams, with dogs photographed training alongside patrol in past seasons. Their presence at resorts is limited, but it gives teams a valuable real-world training environment.

Why These Dogs Matter. Avalanche dogs can clear a debris field in under 30 minutes, which is work that could take 20 human hours. Their noses are built for the job, with roughly 300 million scent receptors compared to our six million. Still, live recoveries are rare. Canada has only one documented case of a dog rescuing a buried victim alive, which happened in Fernie in 2000. Even so, their role is critical. As backcountry use climbs and user days increase, CARDA teams provide vital capacity when seconds matter.

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Patio Party Après Ski. If you’re in Banff, swing by for an outdoor après made for locals. Fire pits will be going, the satellite bar will be pouring, and DJ PF3D is spinning a laid-back set to ease everyone into the holiday week. 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM. The Fat Ox, Banff. Free.*

• Monday Night Trail Run Club. This free, drop-in run meets weekly for a rotating mix of scenic trails, hill work, and light intervals. Expect a fun, supportive atmosphere focused on movement and community. Just show up, lace up, and meet under the big Canadian flag. 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM. Nordic Centre Canmore. Free. 

• Christmas in Canmore, Done Right. We caught Bridget Ryan’s Joy to the World at Carter-Ryan Gallery and it is pure holiday fun. Between the sing-alongs, surprise guests, and hilarious storytelling, we were hooked. The last two performances are tonight and tomorrow. Get tickets here and use code BOWVALLEYINSIDER for 15% off. 7:30 PM. Carter Ryan Gallery, Canmore.*

Tuesday

• Sandtraps Tuesday Steak Special. Tuesdays at Sandtraps are all about comfort done right. Enjoy a charbroiled center-cut sirloin steak sandwich, cooked just the way you like it and served on garlic toast. It comes with house-cut fries, a fresh house salad, and two crispy onion rings on top. 11:00 AM - Close. Sandtraps, Canmore. $20.50 plus GST.*

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🚲 Gift a Winter Adventure with Rebound Cycle. Rebound Cycle invites locals and visitors to try fatbiking this winter. They offer a full fleet of Trek fatbikes for adults and kids, plus electric pedal-assist options for snowy adventures. Everything needed is provided, including knowledgeable in-house guides who know the best trails. Bow Valley Insiders can save 15% with the code BVINSIDER, valid until January 31, 2026.*

• 🥂 Christmas Dining at Banff Social. Banff Social is serving a three-course Christmas menu for $56 per person until December 25. Start with curried pumpkin soup or a winter salad with red wine poached pears. The main is a butter-basted turkey roulade with brioche apple stuffing, mashed Yukon potatoes, gravy, cranberry orange relish and glazed vegetables. Dessert is a warm apple and cranberry pie with brandy caramel butter sauce. The regular à la carte menu will also be available.*

• 🚛 Name Canmore’s New Zamboni. The Canmore Recreation Centre has a brand new fully electric ice resurfacer, and they want the community to help name it. The Zamboni uses a tenth of the energy of the old natural gas model, runs quietly, produces no fumes and requires far less maintenance. It also looks pretty slick on the ice. The town is taking name submissions now. Contest closes Tuesday, December 30 at 4 PM MST.

• 💡 Christmas Trivia at the Banff Legion. While the Legion will be closed December 22, 23, 25, 26, and January 1, everyone is invited to a free Christmas Eve Trivia Night from 7:00 to 9:30 PM. Expect Christmas-themed questions, prizes, and gift cards. Teams of 2 to 12 are welcome. The kitchen will be open, and children are welcome until 9:00 PM.*

• 🎬 Another TV Show Filmed in Canmore. Slaycation, the reality series where contestants take on fashion and lifestyle challenges while exploring new destinations, filmed its second season in Banff and Canmore. We’ve been watching and have already spotted Sulphur Mountain, CO+Kitchen, 4296, and the Nordic Centre. Here’s the trailer. Full episodes have been airing on Crave since December 12th.

• 🛎️ New Year’s Eve Jazz at Bankhead. Ring in New Year’s Eve 2025 with live local jazz from 7 PM to midnight at Bankhead. Enjoy a special three-course menu for $75 per person, including crab salad, bison ravioli, and beef striploin. Offered across two seatings: 7 to 9 PM and 9:30 PM to midnight. Reservations are required.*

CIVIC NEWS

• Net-Zero Facility Opens in Exshaw. The MD of Bighorn has opened a new net-zero operations facility near Exshaw, supported by a $10.8 million federal investment through the Green Municipal Fund. The building houses key municipal services and produces as much energy as it uses through solar power and geothermal heating. The project supports long-term sustainability, reduces emissions, and is expected to save up to $53,000 annually in energy costs.

• Banff Sets 2.9% Tax Increase for 2026. Banff residents can expect a 2.9% municipal tax increase in 2026, significantly lower than earlier projections near 8%. Council achieved the reduction by directing visitor pay parking revenue to fully fund Roam transit. The budget maintains investments in housing, transit, Indigenous relations, and the Fenlands.

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, December 22nd, 2025, 10:00 PM: Tunes with Tenax Location: High Rollers, Banff.  No cover.

• Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025, 9:00 PM: Local Wild Life DJs. Location: Tavern 1883, Canmore. No cover.

SPORTS

• Canmore’s Kris Mahler Scores Season-Best Finish. Canmore’s Kris Mahler delivered his best result of the season in ski cross with a sixth-place finish at the World Cup stop in Innichen, a course known for its technical, high-speed features. Mahler advanced cleanly through his heats and held competitive pace against the top racers. 

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.