🚗 Banff’s Traffic Experiment

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Since our last edition was sent out on Wednesday, more than 700 new readers have joined Bow Valley Insider. We assume to follow our flood coverage. Whether you've been with us for years or you're reading us for the first time, thanks for trusting us to help you stay informed. Welcome to the BVI community! 

- Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Madalyn Beach

BANFF TOURISM TRIES CARPOOL REWARDS TO CUT CONGESTION

What’s Happening? Banff & Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) is testing a new approach to one of the town's biggest summer challenges: traffic. As part of a summer pilot, visitors arriving with four or more people in a vehicle are being rewarded with free Whyte Museum passes in an effort to encourage carpooling and reduce congestion.

Rewarding Good Behaviour. Staff launched the first pop-up on June 13 along one of Banff's main entry routes, surprising carpoolers with free museum passes. Similar pop-ups are planned throughout the summer and fall.

"They were pleasantly surprised," BLLT’s director of public affairs, Christie Pashby, told Bow Valley Insider.

"The main goal this summer is to just get out there and do it, to test this new 'rewarding good behaviour' approach. It's meant to change the narrative and empower visitors to be part of the solution."

Why It Matters. On a typical summer day, more than 24,000 vehicles enter Banff, creating congestion somewhere in town. Yet Banff has only about 1,400 public parking stalls, including roughly 600 free spaces and 800 paid spaces. The largest free lot at the Banff Train Station is typically full before 10 a.m. during the summer. 

The carpool pilot is part of Banff's broader effort to rethink how it manages record visitation. Earlier this year, Banff moved its Canada Day parade to 10 a.m., reasoning that visitors from Calgary would have to leave much earlier to make the parade, helping reduce peak afternoon traffic. 

BLLT also announced on June 24 that it dropped its support for the annual skijoring event after concluding the crowds had outgrown the town's transportation and public infrastructure.

Looking Ahead. BLLT says the carpool pilot will help determine whether rewarding positive behaviour can influence how visitors travel into town.

"Long-term, we are definitely looking at things like decreasing the number of vehicles entering the town, among other key performance indicators," Pashby said.

Read our full story

NOT A GUY WITH A FLASHLIGHT

Most security stories in the Bow Valley sound the same. Someone doing a drive-by. A name on a clipboard. A hope that nothing happens.

Ten-8 Security is different. They are one of the few professional security companies actively operating in the Bow Valley with trained, licensed guards, branded vehicles, and real systems behind the scenes.

This is a full team, not a one-person operation. Guards document every visit. Doors get checked. Interiors and exteriors are walked. Issues are logged and reported. If an alarm goes off, they respond. And that matters, because police generally do not respond to residential alarms.

They handle everything from vacation home checks and snowbird properties to commercial lock-ups, mobile patrols, and overnight alarm response. They are on the road seven days a week, year-round, with clients who have trusted them for more than a decade.

If you are leaving town, locking up a business, or just want real eyes on your property, this is what professional security actually looks like.

Request a free security consultation here. 

_{*Presented by Ten8Security.}

THE DIGEST

• 🏗️ Alpine Club of Canada Plans Major Canmore Overhaul. The Alpine Club of Canada is moving ahead with long-term plans to modernize its Canmore headquarters, including more staff housing, a new maintenance building, upgraded visitor facilities, and parking for up to 140 vehicles serving both the clubhouse and nearby climbing trailheads. The organization says six employees lived in their vehicles last year because they couldn't find housing in Canmore. While neighbouring horse riders raised concerns about increased traffic and safety on Indian Flats Road, each phase of the project will still require separate approvals before construction can begin. 

• 🔎 Seven-Year-Old Finds Rare Fossil At Playground. Not a Bow Valley story, but we know plenty of our readers have a soft spot for fossils and Alberta geology. Seven-year-old Alyssa discovered a rare sea star fossil embedded in a Calgary playground boulder after spotting an unusual shape while exploring. Experts at the Royal Tyrrell Museum confirmed it could be 250 to 400 million years old. They believe the boulder had been sitting at the playground for more than 20 years and are now trying to determine where it originally came from. As for Alyssa, she knew exactly what to do: leave it untouched and call the experts. 

• 🏠 Banff's "Affordable" Homes Could Top $2 Million. A new independent report warns homes sold through one of Banff's affordable homeownership programs could average roughly $2.1 million within 10 years if current trends continue. Prices have been rising by about 10% a year, while local incomes have grown by just 3% annually. The report also comes as more than 530 households sit on the waitlist for homeownership through the program. Banff Housing Corporation, the Town's non-profit affordable housing agency, is now exploring changes to keep homes within reach for future buyers. 

• 📘 Canmore Mountain Guide Barry Blanchard Releasing New Memoir. One of Canada's most accomplished alpine climbers, longtime Canmore mountain guide Barry Blanchard, is releasing a new memoir this September. The Echo explores how fatherhood, ageing, and a traumatic brain injury reshaped his relationship with climbing after a career that included groundbreaking first ascents in the Canadian Rockies and around the world. Blanchard, a longtime Yamnuska Mountain Adventures guide and Order of Canada recipient, won the prestigious Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature for his first memoir, The Calling.

Thinking About Partnering With Us?

Here’s what Canmore Family Eyecare had to say:

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HWY 40 REOPENS, BUT RECOVERY FROM FLOODING IS FAR FROM OVER

What’s Happening? Kananaskis is beginning to reopen after last weekend's flooding, with the State of Local Emergency now lifted and Highway 40 fully reopened. But recovery is far from over, with dozens of trails, backcountry campgrounds and recreation areas still closed while crews assess widespread flood damage.

The Roads Are Back. Highway 40 is open in both directions, including across the Evan-Thomas Bridge and south toward Longview, restoring access throughout much of Kananaskis. Frontcountry campers with reservations as of July 2 are also being welcomed back.

The reopening marks a dramatic turnaround from earlier this week, when flooding and road washouts stranded campers overnight after both routes out of the Mount Kidd area became impassable.

Don't Pack Your Hiking Boots Just Yet. While driving access has largely returned, many of Kananaskis' most popular trails remain closed, including Troll Falls, Heart Creek, Ribbon Creek, Galatea Creek, Grotto Canyon, Buller Pass, Baldy Pass, Cougar Creek and sections of the High Rockies Trail.

Several backcountry campgrounds also remain closed, including Ribbon Lake, Three Isle Lake, Turbine Canyon and Aster Lake. Alberta Parks says affected campers will be contacted directly and automatically refunded. Check all camping closures here.

Some Good News. Businesses across Kananaskis Village have resumed normal operations, including the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Kananaskis Nordic Spa, Boundary Ranch and Kananaskis Outfitters. Mount Engadine Lodge is also reopening at 3 PM today after closing on July 1.

The Kananaskis Country Golf Course expects to reopen 18 holes on Monday. General manager Darren Robinson said the flooding mostly left behind silt, debris, and deadfall. Unlike the devastating 2013 floods, which carved channels through the course, destroyed cart paths and damaged irrigation systems, Robinson said this year's damage was "mostly cosmetic" thanks in part to riverbank restoration completed after the 2013 disaster. 

One More Trail Update. In Canmore, access to Lady MacDonald Trail has also been restored. However, the Cougar Creek pathway, debris retention dam, and Cougar Creek Canyon remain closed after severe erosion left creek embankments unstable.

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Friday

• Opera Night At The Banff Legion. Swap the concert hall for the Legion as Banff Centre's Summer Opera participants perform favourite arias and ensembles in a relaxed cabaret-style setting. Expect incredible voices, a live pianist, and an evening that's far more approachable than your typical opera performance. 8:00 PM. Banff Legion. Free.*

Saturday

• Watch Canada Take On Morocco. Looking for somewhere to catch the match? Banff’s Rose & Crown is opening an hour early for Canada's World Cup clash with Morocco, with the game on every screen and the sound turned up. Expect drink specials throughout the match, plus every Michelob Ultra or Modelo purchased earns you a chance to win a Team Canada prize pack. 11:00 AM kickoff. Rose & Crown, Banff. No cover.*

• Dirty Bingo Returns To Exshaw. If regular bingo isn't quite your speed, this adults-only version might be. Expect classic bingo, cold drinks, plenty of laughs, and prizes you definitely won't find in the supermarket aisle. Some of our team went to the last one, and it's genuinely a really fun night. 7:00 PM. Exshaw Legion. $10 cover.*

Sunday

• Join Canmore's Cowboy Choir. No auditions, no sheet music, and no pressure. Sue Chick Denton is leading an afternoon of country classics where everyone is welcome to sing along, regardless of experience. Donations support Rocky Mountain Adaptive. 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM. Canmore Brewing Company. By donation.*

LOOKING FOR LOW-MAINTENANCE NAILS THIS SUMMER?

Whether you're travelling, attending weddings, or simply want your nails to look polished without constant upkeep, Pika Nails offers a different approach. Ivana's Russian manicure technique is designed to create clean, natural-looking nails that hold up well between appointments. We recently stopped by her Canmore studio and documented our experience. Bow Valley Insider readers can claim $20 off when booking a gel nail manicure + pedicure by filling out this quick form before the end of July.

_{*Presented by Pika Nails.}

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• ✅ Banff Sign Returns To Its New Home. If you've walked past the Train Station in Banff this week, you may have noticed Banff's iconic photo sign has returned. The letters were temporarily removed while crews finished pathways, landscaping, and the new public gathering space around them. After a few weeks in storage, the sign was back in place in time to welcome Canada Day visitors to Banff.

• 🪴 Your Tomatoes Are Running Out Of Time. If you’ve been meaning to start a veggie garden “at some point,” this is your sign. Wendy’s Garden Centre in Canmore still has veggie starts, herbs, and patio-friendly edible plants ready to go, but the growing season clock is ticking in the mountains. Wendy’s setup across from Elevation Place has become a regular stop for locals looking to salvage their summer gardening ambitions before the end of July sneaks up on them (map). Bonus: she’ll also tell you what actually grows well here instead of letting you make expensive mistakes.*

• 💃🏼 Banff Bellydance Gets National Spotlight. CBC’s Ian Hanomansing, who you may know from The National, was in Banff on Canada Day and featured Banff Bellydance during his visit. The segment highlighted local performers Hala Jamal and Antonina Natalukha, who explained that bellydance takes practice to do well, but beginners can still try the basics. They even attempted to get Hanomansing to join in. He politely (awkwardly) declined, which may have been the safer national broadcast decision. Watch the clip. 

• 💐 Herrington's Flowers Finds A New Home on Banff Ave. If you've been wondering what happened to Herrington's Floral Design after it left the Fairmont, here's your answer. The longtime Banff florist is putting the finishing touches on a new storefront on Banff Avenue, next to BeaverTails. A grand opening date hasn't been announced yet, but the shop says it will soon be back creating luxury floral arrangements and gifts from its new downtown home. 

• 🚣 Big Weekend For Alberta Paddlers. If you're heading north of the Bow Valley this weekend, don't be surprised to see plenty of kayaks on the road. Sundre Paddle Fest runs July 3-5, bringing paddlers of all skill levels together for a weekend of camping, river trips, and social events on the Red Deer and Panther rivers. 

CIVIC NEWS

• Bow Valley Mayors Want A Better Funding Deal. Banff and Canmore mayors are welcoming a new provincial council that will look at how municipalities pay for major infrastructure. Both towns have long argued the current funding model does not reflect tourism pressure, with Banff hosting 4.5 million visitors last year while local taxpayers shoulder much of the cost for roads, utilities, transit, and public spaces. The province says the council will explore new financing tools, private-sector partnerships, and models used elsewhere.

LIVE MUSIC

• Friday, July 3rd, 2026, 5:00 PM: DJ Tenax.  Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

• Friday, July 3rd, 2026, 9:30 PM: Northern Quarter.  Location: Melissa’s MisSteak. No Cover.

• Saturday, July 5th, 2026, 10:00 PM: DJ Bunny Hops.  Location: Rose and Crown, Canmore. No Cover.

SPORTS

• Canmore Native Is NHL Draft's Final Pick. Canmore's Tyler Deakos is officially an NHL draft pick after the Montreal Canadiens selected him 224th overall, the final pick of the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old forward earned the opportunity after joining the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks midway through the season and putting up 17 points in just 19 games, continuing his rapid rise from the AJHL.

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.