🌎 Canmore Wants It Off Google

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Just a quick update on the Bow Valley Insider Awards. We’ve officially tallied the votes and ordered the physical awards. We’re hoping they arrive next week, and then comes the fun part: we want to hand-deliver as many as possible to the winning businesses. We also really want those moments to be a surprise, so we’re keeping the winners under wraps for just a little longer. But don’t worry, we’ll reveal everything publicly later this month and make sure everyone knows which local businesses officially earned the Insider stamp of approval.

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

CANMORE KEEPS TRYING TO REMOVE THIS VIEWPOINT FROM GOOGLE MAPS

What’s Happening? A Canmore dog park has unintentionally become a parking spot for people visiting a popular Three Sisters viewpoint. The off-leash area is near Alpine Helicopters, with the viewpoint across Bow Valley Trail, on the opposite side of the busy road.

Visitors are parking beside the dog park (map here), then crossing Bow Valley Trail on foot to reach the viewpoint. The Town says it has been trying to address problems around the area for years.

The Problem Isn’t Just The Parking. Longtime Canmore resident Lorna Hartley said the situation has become hard to miss. She’s seen visitors wander into the off-leash area, leave gates open and, in some cases, apparently use the area as a bathroom.

But it’s the road crossing that worries her most.

“I feel like it’s so dangerous that they’re crossing the road there,” she told Bow Valley Insider.

The Internet Is Sending People There. Mayor Sean Krausert told Hartley that social media and online mapping have helped drive people to the spot. The viewpoint also appears on AllTrails, the popular hiking app.

The Town has repeatedly asked Google to remove its “Three Sisters Viewpoint” marker, but Krausert said it keeps reappearing.

“The situation is very much caused by social media encouraging people to visit the area and Google showing it as a viewpoint,” he said.

And The Location Is Complicated. The land across Bow Valley Trail includes property owned by CPKC, the railway company, before transitioning into provincial park land. Krausert said a crosswalk at that section of road isn’t an option, and the Town previously blocked parking on the CPKC side of the bridge because people had been camping there.

So, What’s Being Done? There’s no fix yet, but the area is getting more attention. The Town is exploring new signage, and Municipal Enforcement has added the location to its enforcement schedule.

Hartley said Canmore RCMP has also opened a file over the safety concerns and told her a meeting is planned. Bow Valley Insider was unable to independently confirm those details with RCMP before publication.

The Bigger Point. Hartley doesn’t want this framed as locals versus visitors. She wants the increasingly popular viewpoint managed safely without sacrificing access to a community dog park.

“Obviously people are frustrated and there is a concern with the safety,” she said. “Who is responsible for taking care of this?”

Read our full story 

WANT TO FURNISH YOUR HOME WITH CANADIAN-MADE PRODUCTS? START HERE

If you've been making an effort to buy more Canadian lately, your next sofa, dining table or mattress is a pretty good place to start.

And you don't have to leave the Bow Valley to do it.

Castle Mountain Home Furnishings carries a large selection of Canadian-made furniture, with options for just about every room in the house.

Looking for a new sofa or sectional? Canadian-made brands include Décor-Rest, Stylus and Van Gogh Designs. 

For the dining room, you'll find Canadian manufacturers like Bermex, Handstone, Amisco and Trica. 

Bedrooms can be outfitted with Canadian-made furniture from brands including Mako Wood and Canwood, while Kingsdown makes its mattresses here in Canada.

Even the patio can get the Canadian treatment, with CRP Plastics producing outdoor furniture domestically.

If buying Canadian is important to you, there are a lot more options in Canmore than you might expect.

Castle Mountain also offers free design consultations and free setup. 

The best way to see what's available is to browse their 14,000-square-foot showroom right here in Canmore.

Ready to get started? Book your free design consultation here. 

_{*Presented by Castle Mountain Home Furnishings.}

THE DIGEST

• 🥾 Canmore Mountaineer Becomes Oldest Woman To Summit Nanga Parbat. Liliya Ianovskaia was 50 when she started mountaineering. Now 66, she’s become the oldest woman to summit Nanga Parbat, the 8,126-metre Pakistani peak known as the “Killer Mountain.” Even more impressive: it was her 11th of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 metres. She’s now just three summits away from completing all 14, with much of her training happening right here on Grotto, Lady Macdonald and other Bow Valley peaks. Read our full interview. 

• 🛜 A Bow Valley Internet Provider Is Expanding Across Alberta. Bearspaw Networks started by improving internet access in Mînî Thnî. Today, the Nation-owned provider says its network covers about 85% of the reserve, and now it’s taking that experience beyond the Bow Valley. With $21.9 million in federal funding, Bearspaw will connect up to 1,099 households in four Alberta communities, with the projects expected to be finished by March 2028.

• ☄️ A Meteor Shower Will Peak Over The Bow Valley This Month. Every October, Earth passes through debris left behind by Halley’s Comet. When those particles hit our atmosphere, they burn up and create shooting stars. This year’s shower peaks overnight Oct. 21-22, when dark skies can typically produce 10 to 20 meteors an hour. A bright moon will make viewing trickier, with roughly 4 to 6:30 AM offering the best viewing window around Banff and Canmore. We rounded up the best places around the Bow Valley to watch.

• 🐺 Even A Little Backcountry Recreation Could Be Bad News For Wolverines. A new study spanning 80,000 square kilometres, including Banff National Park, found areas with more recreation and roads had fewer wolverines. Researchers expected the habitat could support roughly 500 to 600 animals, but estimated only about 300 live there. Winter recreation appears particularly disruptive, when skiers, snowmobilers and heli-skiers can travel far beyond established trails. Previous research suggests even three or four groups passing through an area over a couple of weeks can be enough for wolverines to start avoiding it.

You Probably Should’ve Reached Out Already

Not trying to be dramatic… but most of our partners book months in advance.

Oct? Gone.
Nov? 4 spots remaining
Dec? Filling fast

We only have so much space each month.

So if your competitor gets here first…

➡️ Fill out the form before they do

BANFF CLUB SAYS FREE-TO-USE SPORTS GEAR IS BEING STOLEN AND DAMAGED

What’s Happening? Keeping free sports gear at Banff Rotary Park is turning into an expensive game of replacement. The community park along the Bow River near the Banff Avenue bridge has a multi-use sports court, where the Rotary Club of Banff provides basketballs, pickleball equipment, and other gear for people to use for free.

But that equipment has repeatedly disappeared or been damaged, and the club is now wondering whether there’s a better way to keep the gear available.

How Much Are We Talking? Quite a bit. Rotary said almost a dozen pickleball setups, more than 50 basketballs, and numerous children’s toys have disappeared over time.

Most recently, the club put out eight or nine new basketballs and a new pickleball net during a community day. One week later, they were gone.

“It’s been steadily frustrating,” past president Dean Cooper told Bow Valley Insider.

And It’s Not Just Missing Gear. Cooper says the problems started after the redesigned park was completed just over a year ago. Some equipment has also been deliberately damaged, including punctured balls, broken pickleball paddles, bent poles and cut nets.

Most people, he stressed, treat the equipment properly and put it back when they’re finished. But it only takes a few people for the losses to add up.

Rotary is now considering whether a different system could help, including having people formally check equipment in and out.

Why Not Call The Police? Rotary has talked about it, but so far the club has questioned whether missing sports gear warrants pulling police resources from more serious incidents.

“Basketballs aren’t extraordinarily expensive,” Cooper said. “Pickleball nets are a little more expensive, but it just feels like there are better directions that local law enforcement can be directing their energy and time.”

Rotary Isn’t Giving Up. Cooper says the club wants to keep offering free equipment, but its resources aren’t endless. For now, Rotary is asking people to return gear when they’re finished, help with replacement costs if they can, and share ideas for a better way to manage the equipment.

“We’re not closed off to ideas from people,” Cooper said. “If anybody has an idea that they think would work, I’d love to hear it.”

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Georgetown Inn Has $17 Pub Pies. Monday’s special is built for fall weather: English-style pub pies for $17 each. The selection changes and can include Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Steak & Guinness or Halibut Pie. 11:00 AM - Close. Georgetown Inn, Canmore. $17 per pie.*

• Rocky Horror Hits The LUX For Banff Pride. The Rocky Horror Picture Show gets a full-participation Pride Week screening, with a prop kit, costumes and prizes adding to the cult classic’s usual audience antics. Better yet, all ticket sales support Banff Pride. 8:00 PM. LUX Cinema, Banff. $15. 

Tuesday

• Last Day To Bike The Vehicle-Free Bow Valley Parkway. This is your final chance to ride the seasonal vehicle-free section before traffic returns Wednesday. We rode the Parkway on Sunday, and the fall colours were looking pretty spectacular. Watch our video for what it currently looks like. 

• Four Punk Bands Take Over Pump & Tap Tuesday. Banff’s monthly Punk Night brings The Last Mile, Danger Box, Jonny Rocketman’s Atomic Tango and The Deadly Skulls to the stage for a mix of punk, metal and hardcore. This month’s Pride edition features LGBTQ+ artists and allies from across Western Canada. 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM. Pump & Tap, Banff. Free. All ages. 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• ⛷️ Free Ski Training Program Aims To Reduce Knee And ACL Injuries. Banff Sport Medicine Foundation has brought back its free, eight-week Ski Fit Ready program. A registered physiotherapist takes you through four progressively harder phases, with exercises and video demonstrations emailed every two weeks. The focus is getting stronger for ski season while reducing your risk of knee and ACL injuries. Free to join, with optional donations supporting future improvements to the program.*

• ⛸️ Canmore’s Learn-To-Skate Program Is Open For Fall Registration. The Canmore Skating Club’s CanSkate program teaches the basics for kids learning to skate, whether the eventual goal is hockey, figure skating, speed skating or simply getting comfortable on the ice. Monday sessions started Oct. 5, while Thursday sessions begin Oct. 8, with registration remaining open until Oct. 16 and Oct. 20 respectively. Classes run 4:45-5:30 PM at the Canmore Rec Centre and cost $155, with family and multi-day discounts available. Details here.*

• 🪄 Two Canadian Magicians Are Coming To Banff For One Night. Travis Bernhardt and James Jordan are bringing 90 minutes of magic, comedy, juggling and general “how did they do that?” to the Rose & Crown on Oct. 29. Bernhardt has toured award-winning magic shows across Canada and created magic for TV and film, while Jordan mixes magic with juggling and comedy. Doors open at 7 PM, show at 7:30 PM. All ages. Tickets currently only $32.71.*

• 🔒 Elevation Place Climbing Gym Is Closed Until Thursday. If the climbing wall is part of your routine, plan around this one. The Elevation Place climbing gym is fully closed Oct. 5-7 for scheduled maintenance. Contractors are servicing top anchors and lead hangers and testing ground anchors throughout the facility. The gym is expected to reopen Thursday, Oct. 8.

• 🚐 Roam Transit Is Switching To Its Fall And Winter Schedules. If you regularly take Roam, it’s worth checking your route before heading out. Fall and winter schedule changes are rolling out across Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise as summer service winds down, with some routes ending and others changing frequency. Also, if you’re planning to take Roam to Johnston Canyon, service will pause starting Oct. 13 while the area is closed for rockfall work. 

• 🚧 Hidden Lake Campground Is Closed After A Grizzly Entered Campsites. Parks Canada has closed the campground until Dec. 1 after a grizzly entered campsites and investigated tents and gear. The closure is intended to reduce risk to visitors and the bear. Important distinction: the trail to Hidden Lake remains open, so you can still hike there. You just can’t camp.

• 🏞️ This Is The Final Week To Visit Moraine Lake Before Seasonal Access Ends. Moraine Lake Road closes for the season Oct. 13, making Oct. 12 the final day for regular shuttle and commercial access this year. After that, winter conditions and avalanche terrain make reaching the lake impractical for most visitors, and there are no services until spring. If you’ve been meaning to squeeze in one last fall visit, this is the week.

CIVIC NEWS

• Banff Residents Have Until Friday To Apply For Town Committees. Want a say in local decisions? The Town is recruiting residents for boards and committees covering housing, development, policing, public art, community grants, the library and more. No previous board experience or Canadian citizenship is required. Applications close Friday, Oct. 9 at 4:30 PM.

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, October 5th, 10:00 PM: Brent Lee. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

• Tuesday, October 6th, 10:00 PM: Jesse Peters. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

SPORTS

• Banff MMA Fighter Jonah Ellis Wins His First Title. The 22-year-old Banff fighter won his first MMA title Saturday in Lethbridge, defeating Sam Khan. Ellis has spent five years training at Dark Horse Martial Arts after taking up the sport shortly after moving to Banff. 

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.