⛑️ Complex 12-Hour Cave Rescue

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Today, we want to give a big birthday shout-out to our very own Fortune. You’ve seen her byline across Bow Valley Insider for more than two years. She does a little bit of everything around here, from writing and editing to coordinating story tips and research. She also works every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday night so the rest of us can wake up to Bow Valley Insider the next morning. We hope you have a wonderful birthday, Fortune! 

And if you missed the news over the weekend: finally, 12 weeks after the rockslide on the Canmore Hill, Hwy 742 is back open. That also means Grassi Lakes and the Reclaimer trail are accessible again, and getting out toward Spray Lakes just got a whole lot easier. The repair came with a $1.1-million price tag. 

- Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Brendan Nogue, Alexia Chambers

NEW TECHNOLOGY HELPS RESCUERS FREE CAVER TRAPPED FOR 12 HOURS IN CANMORE CAVE 

What's Happening? A man trapped deep inside Canmore's Rat's Nest Cave was freed after a roughly 12-hour rescue involving 25 rescuers and five agencies. The Aug. 15 operation also marked the first real-world use of a new communication system that can send text messages through hundreds of metres of solid rock, potentially saving rescuers hours underground.

How Did He Get Stuck? Rat’s Nest Cave sits beneath Grotto Mountain near Canmore. While portions are used for commercial tours, experienced cavers also explore more technical areas.

Around 11:30 a.m., the man became lodged upright in the “Psych Squeeze,” a tight vertical passage several metres deep and outside the commercial tour route. Guides initially tried to free him before specialized rescuers were called.

Crews drilled away protruding rock and built a rope system to slowly pull him upward. Progress was measured in “inches per hour,” with rescuers also managing risks including compression injuries, hypothermia and exhaustion.

It Took Until 10 P.M. The man was finally freed about 10½ hours after becoming stuck. He was then able to travel through much of the cave under his own power, with rope assistance, emerging shortly before midnight. He didn't require further medical treatment.

Thirteen cave rescuers, 10 Canmore firefighters and two Kananaskis Mountain Rescue members participated, while another 13 cave rescuers remained on standby.

Here's Where The New Technology Comes In. Cellphones and conventional radios don't work through solid rock, so cave rescuers have traditionally had to crawl or hike through passages just to relay information.

The new system sends digital text messages using low-frequency radio technology and has successfully transmitted through at least 500 metres of solid rock.

"It's just such a huge difference," Alberta/BC Cave Rescue provincial coordinator Christian Stenner said, estimating it may have saved hours of communication delays during the rescue.

Why Text Instead Of Voice? The team's older radios could produce garbled or incomplete audio. Digital messages remove that ambiguity.

That allowed Stenner, stationed at the cave entrance, to quickly learn the man had been freed and could walk, meaning a stretcher and additional rescuers weren't needed.

Read our full story for a closer look at the rescue operation.

WAIT… THERE’S A LOCAL GARAGE DOOR COMPANY?

When something goes wrong with a garage door, many Bow Valley homeowners instinctively call a company in Calgary.

What many don't realize is they've had a local option right here in the valley for nearly 30 years.

Alpine Doors has been serving the Bow Valley since 1997. Today, it's a second-generation family business run by Colin and Katrina Bowes, with a local team that lives, works and is raising families right here in Canmore and Dead Man's Flats. Every service call helps support local jobs, local families and a business that's deeply invested in this community.

Whether it's a garage door that's making strange noises, a broken spring, an emergency repair, routine maintenance or a brand-new installation, Alpine Doors handles residential and commercial overhead doors throughout the Bow Valley.

The funny part? One of the first questions new customers often ask is, "Wait... you're local?"

The answer is yes, and they always have been.

If your garage door needs attention, consider keeping your next service call local. You can learn more about Alpine Doors and request a free quote here.

_{*Presented by Alpine Doors.}

THE DIGEST

• 🍰 Calgary’s Alforno Bakery and Café Is Coming to Canmore. Calgary-based Alforno is opening at 8th and 8th, at the end of Canmore’s Main Street, by the end of 2026.  It’ll be the company’s ninth location and first outside Calgary, serving house-made pastries, breads, sandwiches and Italian-inspired coffee, plus a small kitchen with a slightly more elevated food menu than its typical café locations.  Alforno is part of the family-owned Teatro Group and is already recruiting locally. Here’s what we know. 

• 🍂 A ‘Super’ El Niño Could Mean A Warmer, Drier Bow Valley Winter. If you're already thinking about ski season, this isn't exactly the forecast you were hoping for. Environment Canada says there’s a good chance this winter’s El Niño could be stronger than anything observed in at least 100 years, potentially bringing temperatures about 2°C above normal and less precipitation to the Rockies. That could mean a lower-than-usual snowpack, particularly from November through February. 

• 📘 New Book Tells the Stories of the Rockies’ Original Tourism Guides. Long before highways, trail signs and established backcountry camps, visitors exploring the Canadian Rockies relied on guides and outfitters to get them there and back safely. Banff historian Ted Hart’s new book, Trailblazers, profiles six of the people and families who helped build the region’s early tourism industry, including Tom Wilson, the Brewsters and Jimmy Simpson. It’s packed with stories from an era of horses, unmapped routes and some questionable backcountry decisions. Here’s our full conversation with the author. 

• ⚖️ Conservationists Want More Enforcement After Kananaskis Investigation Dropped. Fisheries and Oceans Canada spent two years investigating an unauthorized bridge built over the Highwood River, finding “reasonable and probable grounds” that federal law was broken and critical habitat for threatened bull trout was damaged. But despite investigators wanting to pursue charges, the department ultimately dropped the case, citing limited resources and other priorities. Conservation groups say the case highlights a broader enforcement problem, noting the last Alberta conviction under the federal Species at Risk Act was in 2019. 

Over The Last 12 Months…

1.9M+ Bow Valley Insider editions sent
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We’ve become the #1 digital media brand for Canmore, Banff, and Calgary weekenders.

And we use that reach to drive real business for our partners.

➡️ Want to see what a partnership looks like? Fill out the form

CANMORE APPROVES $4.65-MILLION HYBRID BUS PURCHASE DESPITE CHEAPER DIESEL OPTION

What's Happening? Canmore is buying three larger hybrid-electric buses for $4.65 million to replace aging buses. Council approved the purchase unanimously, but not before debating whether the Town should instead buy diesel buses that would cost roughly $1.28 million less.

First, Why Bigger Buses? Canmore's local transit system has grown well beyond early expectations. When service launched, the goal was 100,000 annual rides within five years. Route 5, which serves the Cougar Creek and Three Sisters areas, surpassed 370,000 rides in 2025. 

The current 30-foot buses carry 44 passengers, while the new 40-foot models will carry 72, a 64% increase in capacity.

They're also replacing buses that run about 18 hours a day and are becoming harder to maintain because their manufacturer is no longer in business.

The $1.28-Million Question. Three diesel buses would cost about $3.38 million and require no additional funding from Canmore, with federal funding and existing transit reserves covering the full cost.

Coun. Jen Marran proposed switching to diesel, questioning the extra $1.28 million. Her amendment failed, with Marran the only vote in favour, though she ultimately supported the hybrid purchase.

Why Pay More For Hybrids? Supporters pointed to lower emissions and fuel use, Canmore's climate targets and the efficiency of hybrids on routes with frequent stopping and starting. One unknown remains: whether lifetime fuel savings will offset the extra $1.28 million.

Mayor Sean Krausert acknowledged the trade-off. "We need to make sure that we not only talk the talk but walk the walk," he said. "And there's a cost to that."

So, Who's Paying? About $2.93 million is expected from a federal grant, while another $968,000 will come from existing transit replacement reserves. That leaves roughly $756,000 for Canmore.

The Town hasn't decided where that money will come from, but staff identified a $4.7-million transportation reserve, supported in part by paid-parking revenue, as one possibility. The funding decision will return during this fall's budget process.

When Will We See Them? The three buses are expected to arrive in the first half of 2028. Canmore will also need to contribute an additional $23,000 annually toward future bus replacements beginning in 2029.

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Bake Some Cookies in Banff. If you could use a fresh-baked cookie, Banff’s Cookie Kitchen is happening this afternoon. You’ll bake alongside local cookie experts, swap recipes and learn a few tricks for ingredient substitutions and reducing food waste. No registration required, and the $3 admission includes ingredients, tea and coffee. 2:00 PM-4:00 PM. Pioneer Room Kitchen above the Banff Public Library. $3. 

• Bingo in Exshaw. Bingo’s switching nights this week at the Exshaw Legion. Head over Monday with doors opening at 5 PM, for an evening of cards, calls, and the eternal hope that this is finally your lucky night. A low-key Bow Valley classic, with just enough competitive energy to keep things interesting. 5:00 PM. Exshaw Legion. No cover.*

• Monday Night Beers and Live Music. Music Mondays are still rolling at the Grizzly Paw Beer Garden, with free live music, lawn games and $2 off draft beer. Basically, if you need an excuse to stretch the weekend by one more night, this is it. Grab a pint, find a spot outside and enjoy one of those late-summer Canmore evenings while we’ve still got them. 6:00 PM-9:00 PM. Grizzly Paw, Canmore. No cover.*

Tuesday

• $20.50 Steak Night in Canmore. Here’s a genuinely good dinner special: Sandtraps at the Canmore Golf & Curling Club serves a centre-cut sirloin steak cooked to your liking on garlic toast, topped with onion rings and served with house-cut fries and salad. 11:00 AM-9:00 PM. Sandtraps, Canmore Golf & Curling Club. $20.50. 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🫶 Heart Mountain Rescue’s Big Fundraiser Is Saturday. We know many of you already donated to Heart Mountain Rescue’s summer campaign, and thank you again. Now, if you want to celebrate in person, the rescue is taking over Sheepdog Brewing this Saturday from 1-4 PM with beer, food, live music, games, and adoptable dogs. It’s also where the summer raffle will wrap up and winners will be drawn. There’s still time to grab a raffle ticket, with proceeds supporting veterinary care and supplies for homeless dogs. Bow Valley Insider will be there Saturday too, so come say hello!*

• 🪵 Why There’s A Giant Pile Of Sawdust At The Canmore Nordic Centre. If you’ve spotted the massive sawdust piles at the Nordic Centre, there’s actually a pretty cool reason for them. Underneath is snow made last winter and stored through the summer beneath an insulating layer of sawdust. This fall, crews will uncover it and spread it across Frozen Thunder, creating an early-season cross-country ski track so athletes and recreational skiers can get back on snow. 

• 🐻 Berry Season Is Bringing Bears Closer to Bow Valley Trails. It’s prime feeding season, and WildSmart says bears are currently focused on dogwood berries across the Bow Valley and Kananaskis. That means bears can have their heads down feeding close to popular trails, increasing the chance of surprise encounters. Mountain bikers and trail runners should be especially alert, slow down around blind corners and make plenty of noise. If you find a bear feeding along a trail, don’t try to sneak past. Give it at least 100 metres and turn around or wait for it to leave. 

• 🏞️ Two Weeks Left for the Canada Strong Pass. We’re officially in the final stretch. The Canada Strong Pass ends two weeks from today, on Sept. 7, meaning regular Parks Canada admission resumes Sept. 8. For Bow Valley locals, if you’re confused like us about when your annual pass now expires, there’s an easy way to check. Passes that were valid during the free period have been automatically extended. For example, a pass originally expiring this September is now good until January 2027. Parks Canada has a handy calculator to check your expiry date 

• ✒️ Canmore Tattoo Shop Goes International. Electric Grizzly Tattoo is featured in the latest issue of Tattoo Life, an international tattoo magazine published in five languages and distributed across 48 countries. The feature profiles owner Derek Turcotte, the Canmore studio and its international team of artists, while digging into how living and working in the Rockies influences their craft. Pretty cool to see a local tattoo shop sharing the pages with artists from Sydney, Vietnam, Germany, Denmark, and beyond. 

CIVIC NEWS

• Grassi Lakes Bus Service Could End After This Summer. Roam Transit is considering ending its summer Route 12 extension to Grassi Lakes, Quarry Lake and the Canmore Nordic Centre after provincial funding runs out this year. Instead, the bus would stay in Canmore year-round, roughly doubling summer frequency to every 30 minutes. The trade-off: three popular recreation areas would lose transit despite Route 12 ridership climbing 32% from May through July. 

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, August 24th, 10:00 PM: Karaoke Monday. Location: The Drake, Canmore. No Cover.

• Tuesday, August 25th, 10:00 PM: Doug Robb. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

SPORTS

• Canmore Athletes Bring Home National Medals. Two local athletes are back from the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games with some new hardware. Golfer Shane Stewart won silver in his division despite a challenging week of cold, wet conditions, while rhythmic gymnast Meg Ohsada earned bronze at her first national Games. Congrats, Team Canmore! 

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.