🐎 Banff Skijoring, One Last Time

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Our video producer Megan was in Banff Saturday running the 10K at Melissa’s Road Race (she crushed it). But while she was frolicking around town, she also made a quick video showing off the new parkette at the Banff sign, complete with new benches, firepits, and pathways. If you’re curious what it looks like now, check out the video here.

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

BANFF’S FINAL SKIJORING EVENT IS COMING TO THE BIG SCREEN

What’s Happening? Remember the horses racing down Banff Avenue, pulling skiers over jumps as thousands watched from the sidewalks? The skijoring event in January 2026 turned out to be Banff’s last, but you’ll get another look at it in Days Off, a new ski film that captured the event from behind the scenes.

There’s More Than The Street Show. In Days Off, filmmaker Katie Burrell follows Skijor Canada founder Sam Mitchell and the crew behind the event over four days. From building the course to holding safety meetings, the film shows what it took to get horses, skiers and spectators onto Banff Avenue.

Also in the film? Burrell giving skijoring a try. After a practice run, she joined the public event and learned her horse had a faster gear once it reached the crowd. “Those horses are moving. It was wild,” she told Bow Valley Insider.

So Why Was It The Last One? January’s event drew crowds and gave downtown businesses a busy weekend. It also showed how quickly Banff can fill up when everyone arrives for the same thing. About 23,900 vehicles entered town that Saturday. That’s fewer than on some summer days, but the number arriving and leaving within single hours set records. Roam Transit had its busiest day ever and still couldn’t keep up with demand.

Locals weren’t of one mind about it, either. In a Bow Valley Insider survey of 651 readers, 54% said the impacts outweighed the benefits, while 46% said the event was worth it.

One Last Ride. Banff & Lake Louise Tourism announced in June that skijoring wouldn’t return. After reviewing the event, it said another edition would need major changes, including ticketing and controlled access, and wouldn’t be economically viable.

Burrell said the cancellation didn’t change the film because it was always focused on Mitchell and the skijoring community. But it now captures something nobody realized was disappearing when the cameras were rolling. 

Days Off is scheduled to screen in Calgary on Dec. 12. 

Read our full story and watch the trailer.

WE CHECKED INTO ONE OF CANMORE’S MOST UNEXPECTED HOTEL ROOMS

First, the deal: Bow Valley Insider readers can save 15% on stays booked by Nov. 30 using code BVINSIDER15. Enter the code before selecting your dates.

Now, the stay.

We recently checked into Creekside Villa, a 12-room boutique hotel tucked along Benchlands Trail in Canmore. We stayed in the Lady Macdonald King Loft, a two-level suite with a king bed and a pretty spectacular view of the mountain it’s named after.

Inside, the warm wood, retro décor and record player gave the room plenty of personality. There was also a cozy downstairs sitting area, mini fridge and a skylight directly above the bed. It had everything we needed without feeling like another cookie-cutter hotel room.

But Creekside Villa offers more than a place to sleep. Guests can unwind in the steam room, relax with a drink on the outdoor patio, or join wellness classes led by local practitioners, from yoga and meditation to breathwork and sound baths.

Whether you’re visiting Canmore or planning a staycation, it’s worth putting on your radar.

Book your stay.

_{*Presented by Creekside Villa.}

THE DIGEST

• 🤔 A Park Near Cochrane Is Facing A Familiar Bow Valley Problem. Glenbow Ranch, which is between Calgary and Cochrane, sits outside our usual coverage area, but the challenge will sound familiar: how do you make room for more visitors without loving a landscape to death? Alberta is planning for the possibility that annual visits could grow from about 115,000 to more than 1 million over the next 20 years, with more trails, access points, and a possible 100-vehicle parking lot being considered. The draft plan also proposes restrictions and protections for sensitive grasslands and wildlife habitat. Public feedback on the plan is open until Oct. 27.

• 💲So, What Does A Week In Banff Actually Cost? We priced out different seven-night Banff trips, from budget to luxury, using current hotel rates, food prices, transportation, and activities to see what’s realistic in today’s money. The totals ranged from about $812 for a budget January trip to $17,685 for a luxury July trip, excluding airfare. Even a hostel bed jumped from $413 in January to $1,151 in July, while the mid-range hotel we found went from $1,139 to $4,649. The takeaway? When you visit and where you sleep matter a lot more than skipping a few coffees to save money. See the budgets and where the money goes. 

• 🦌 Do Bow Valley Elk Have An Accent? If Banff and Canmore’s bull elk sound a little different from their cousins elsewhere, there could be a reason. U.S. research found elk populations in Colorado, Wyoming and Pennsylvania have distinct regional “dialects,” though whether Bow Valley elk have an accent of their own hasn’t been studied. The study comes as the fall rut is underway locally, when bulls become more aggressive and unpredictable. WildSmart told Bow Valley Insider they recommend staying at least 100 metres away. Separate Canadian research found elk accounted for 1,803 of 2,878 aggressive wildlife incidents studied. 

• 🏆 Banff Just Beat The Grand Canyon And Yosemite. Banff National Park ranked fourth in a new comparison of North America’s most-visited national parks, with about 4.56 million visits in 2025-26. That put it behind only Great Smoky Mountains, Zion and Yellowstone, and ahead of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. There’s an important caveat, though: the Canadian and U.S. numbers use different reporting periods and slightly different ways of counting visits, so it’s not an apples-to-apples ranking, but it’s still impressive. Jasper was the only other Canadian park in the top 20, coming in 16th.

This Video Partnership Made Them $6,915 From One Video

This past June, we partnered with Boundary Ranch in Kananaskis to promote their trail rides.

We did the full experience, filmed it from our POV, and shared the video with our 75,000+ followers on Instagram and Facebook.

The results?

174,000+ views
1,200+ comments
2,500+ shares

But the number that matters most: $6,915 in sales.

And that figure is based only on purchases made using the coupon code. It doesn’t include people who became customers later, told friends about Boundary Ranch, booked another experience, or remembered the video when planning a future Kananaskis trip.

➡️ Want a campaign like this for your business? Fill out this quick form.

WHAT DOES DOWNTOWN CANMORE NEED MOST?

What’s Happening? Downtown Canmore has a new person at the helm at a pretty important time. Former Canmore councillor Karen Marra has taken over as Executive Director of the Downtown Canmore Business Improvement Area (BIA), as businesses continue to wrestle with what Main Street should look like in the years ahead. 

First, What Is The BIA? It represents downtown businesses and landowners, promotes the area and advocates its priorities with the Town. Marra is its fourth executive director in less than four years, and she says her first-year priorities are fairly practical: get more businesses involved, build partnerships and put on a few well-attended downtown events. A New Year’s Eve event is already in the works.

But The Bigger Questions Aren’t New. Parking and public washrooms are already coming up in Marra’s conversations with businesses. BIA chair Renée Meggs has also questioned parts of Canmore’s long-term downtown direction, including efforts to reduce single-vehicle use and the possibility of making Main Street pedestrian-only year-round. 

And Parking Is Clearly On Readers’ Minds. In a recent Bow Valley Insider poll, 89.51% of 410 respondents said Canmore should explore “intercept parking,” essentially giving drivers somewhere to park before reaching Main Street and continuing by transit, walking or cycling.

There’s a pretty big asterisk, though. Readers raised questions about where a parking lot would go, who would pay for it, how frequently transit would run and whether seniors and people with disabilities would still have convenient access to downtown. 

So, What Does Downtown Actually Need? That’s the bigger conversation Marra is stepping into. More parking? Better washrooms? More events? Fewer cars? A different Main Street?

Canmore doesn’t have one answer yet. But between a new BIA leader and the Town planning transportation through 2040, those questions are moving well beyond the hypothetical. 

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Last Day To See Canmore Art Show. If you haven’t stopped by yet, today is the final day to catch the Canmore Art Guild’s September Show, featuring work from local artists and oil painter Patti Dyment. The gallery is inside Elevation Place, so it’s an easy detour if you’re already heading that way. Until 5:00 PM. 700 Railway Ave, Canmore, Free. 

• $19 Smash Burger Tacos at Canmore Golf & Curling Club. Sandtraps is combining burgers and tacos for its Monday special. You get two 3 oz burger patties with cheddar, house burger sauce, and lettuce, each smashed into a soft flour tortilla, plus your choice of side. 4:00 PM to close. Canmore Golf & Curling Club. $19.*

• Karaoke At The Drake. The Drake’s weekly karaoke night is back. Pick the song you know by heart, attempt something wildly ambitious, or grab some pizza and watch everyone else take their turn at the mic. 10:00 PM. The Drake Screaming Retriever, Canmore. Free.*

Tuesday

• Canmore Kid Makes His NHL Debut. Canmore’s Will McLaughlin is expected to suit up for the Vegas Golden Knights as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The 18-year-old defenceman will wear No. 44 as he gets his first taste of NHL action. 8:30 PM. Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights. ESPN. 

• Oysters And Prosecco At Fat Ox. Tuesday’s special at Fat Ox gets you six East Coast oysters and a glass of prosecco for $19. The oysters come with fresh horseradish, Calabrian peppers and classic mignonette, with your choice of Giusti Rosalia Corvezzo or Pink Organic Prosecco. Fat Ox, Banff. $19.*

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 📶 Bow Valley Business Networking Heads To Kananaskis. The Bow Valley Chamber’s October Bevvies & Business is taking networking outdoors at Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. The evening starts with a welcome drink, followed by an easy guided walk along the paved Village Trail, then appetizers, refreshments and savoury s’mores around the firepits. Dress for the weather, though the event will move indoors if conditions don’t cooperate. Oct. 15, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM. Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. $15 members, $40 non-members. Pre-registration required.*

• 🥧 Thanksgiving Pre-Orders Are Open At Valbella. It’s exactly two weeks until Thanksgiving, and Valbella is taking pre-orders for everything from fresh free-range turkeys and bone-in hams to stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin, apple and maple pecan pies. There are also smaller options like stuffed turkey breast if you’re not feeding a full house. Bow Valley, Calgary and Cochrane orders must be placed by Monday, Oct. 5. Orders will be shipped Friday, Oct. 9. Get your Thanksgiving spread here.*

• 🚧 Quaite Valley Backcountry Campground Is Closed For Construction. One of Kananaskis’ more accessible backcountry campgrounds is closed until further notice while Alberta Parks upgrades the site. Quaite Valley has 20 campsites and can be reached from near the Heart Creek trailhead off Highway 1, making it a popular option for newer backpackers and trips between Lac des Arcs and Barrier Lake. The good news for day hikers: Quaite Creek Trail is expected to remain open while crews work. 

• 🦴 We Tried a Full Osteopathy Session in Canmore. We recently did a full treatment session with Clement Rhein from Osteopathy For All. We headed to their Main Street office to learn what an osteopath actually does, how they look at connections throughout the body, and why the spot that hurts isn’t always where the problem starts.  Watch the full video.  Whether it’s knee pain, headaches, neck pain or chronic discomfort, their approach focuses on finding the underlying cause rather than only treating the symptoms. You can book a free assessment with Clement here.*

• 🚌 Ride Roam? They Want Your Feedback. If you took Roam this summer, now’s your chance to tell them what worked and what didn’t. The new customer survey asks about specific routes, including service frequency, overcrowding, schedules, transfers, ticketing and the reservation system. Feedback will be used to help improve future operations, so regular commuters and occasional riders alike can weigh in. You can also enter to win Roam swag. Take the survey here (What is the swag? We have no idea, so please calibrate your excitement accordingly).

CIVIC NEWS

• Expect Traffic Delays On Bear And Lynx Streets Today. The Town of Banff is warning of significant delays Sept. 28 as crews prepare Bear and Lynx streets between Buffalo and Wolf streets for paving next week. Traffic will be reduced to one alternating lane, with periodic detours, and the road will become uneven and very bumpy. Business and driveway access will remain open, but drivers are encouraged to use another route where possible. Cyclists and pedestrians should also use extra caution or avoid the area. Check the map.

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, September 28th, 10:00 PM: Brent Lee. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

• Tuesday, September 29th, 10:00 PM: Jesse Peters. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

SPORTS

• Canmore Coach Honoured For Grey Cup Legacy. Wolverines head coach Randy Fabi is being honoured alongside Winnipeg’s 1988 and 1990 Grey Cup championship teams as part of the Blue Bombers’ 2026 Hall of Fame celebration. Fabi played on the 1988 championship team. His current players marked the occasion by wearing his No. 73 on their helmets during a recent game against Drumheller.

That’s all, folks!

We’ll see you back here on Wednesday, 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.