❄️ Drones Now Blow Up Avalanches

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Well, most of Canmore went dark for about an hour yesterday, with Fortis Alberta reporting a power outage that impacted more than 3,700 customers, essentially all of downtown, Railway Ave, and Bow Valley Trail.  It started around 4 PM and wrapped up about an hour later, so if you were anything like us, it turned into an early excuse to close the laptop and take the afternoon meeting outside (we ended up hiking Exshaw Mountain). Fortis hasn’t said what caused it yet. 

— Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Madalyn Beach

DRONES TESTED FOR AVALANCHE CONTROL IN JASPER

What’s Happening? A Canadian company is testing drones that drop explosives to trigger controlled avalanches, offering a potentially safer and more flexible tool for managing mountain hazards.

How It Works. Developed by Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions (AVSS), the system sends drones to pre-programmed locations where they drop small explosive charges onto slopes, then collect data to measure how effective each blast is.

The first real-world trials took place this winter in Jasper National Park after Transport Canada approved testing in August 2025. The goal is simple: trigger small slides before they become dangerous ones. 

Why This Matters. Avalanche control is what keeps corridors like the Icefields Parkway open. But the current toolkit has gaps. Helicopters can’t fly in poor visibility. Fixed cannon systems require permanent infrastructure. Hand-set charges mean sending workers into risky terrain.

Drones could slot into those gaps.

“The goal with using drones was to open up efficiency opportunities when alternatives have limitations,” Josh Ogden, CEO of AVSS, told Bow Valley Insider, pointing specifically to storm conditions when helicopters are grounded.

Not a Replacement. This isn’t about replacing helicopters or existing systems. It’s about adding another option when conditions aren’t ideal.

“A reliable tool that provides flexibility to practitioners,” Ogden said.

So far, the tech works, but AVSS says more flight data is needed to understand where it’s most useful operationally.

The Bigger Picture. Avalanche Canada reported three fatal incidents in Alberta over this past winter. More risk = more pressure to improve how control work is done.

The Bow Valley hasn’t seen this tech yet, but it’s being considered. The long-term goal is integration into existing programs used by governments, ski resorts, and transportation agencies.

For now, drones are in the “prove it” phase, but they’re quickly becoming another tool in the avalanche control playbook.

Read our full story. 

A SMART BUY IN TODAY’S CANMORE MARKET

New home prices in Canmore’s downtown core are now pushing $3M+ for half duplexes and $2M for fourplex units. That’s what makes 249B Three Sisters Drive stand out.

What’s in it for you? More space, no condo fees, and real value for the price. A combination that’s getting harder (and pricier) to find.

And it’s not just a numbers play. Inside, the home delivers where it counts; warm wood ceilings, oversized windows that flood the space with light, sleek Fulgor Milano appliances, and a walkout basement that adds flexibility for guests, family, or entertaining.

In a desirable location, walk to your favourite cafés and restaurants, wander down to the Bow River or Engine Bridge, or head straight to the Nordic Centre when you want to get your cardio on.

In a market where “more for less” is becoming a rare find, this one delivers.

Whether you’re putting down roots or securing a mountain home base, it’s worth a closer look.

Connect with Alex & Lori for more details.

_{*Presented by Mitchell Kocian Real Estate..}

THE DIGEST

• 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️ Banff Half Marathon Emissions Rise With 3,100 Runners. The 2025 Banff Half Marathon generated 1,598 tonnes of emissions, driven mostly by how participants travelled, not the race itself. Travel, especially driving and flying, made up the bulk, even as carpooling hit 59% and cycling rose 250%. Emissions per runner held steady, but total impact climbed with a 43% increase in participation. The event remains carbon neutral through offsets, meaning emissions are balanced by funding projects that reduce or remove carbon elsewhere. For destination races, getting people here remains the toughest piece to solve. 

• 🍽️ Bow Valley Lands Three Spots on Canada’s Top Brunch List. As we already know, you don’t need to leave the valley for a top-tier brunch. OpenTable’s 2026 list includes three local standouts: Bluebird in Banff, Bridgette Bar in Canmore, and The Italian Farmhouse in Bragg Creek. The rankings draw from more than a million diner reviews and booking data. Calgary also dominated with 10 spots. OpenTable is a solid benchmark, but we’ve been collecting our own data from locals, so stay tuned for a list driven by real local picks, not just reviews. 

• 🐟 Banff Trout Comeback Hits 18,000 Eggs. A local restoration effort just cleared a big early hurdle. Parks Canada placed about 18,000 Westslope Cutthroat Trout eggs into Cascade Creek, with more than 97% successfully hatching. It’s part of a three-year plan to rebuild a self-sustaining population of a species now at less than 10% of its historic range. The creek itself has been heavily restored, from water flow to habitat and plant life. Fishing remains banned here until 2030, as the bigger test now is whether these fish can survive and reproduce on their own.

• 🏞️ Moraine Lake Access Opens Again Through Roam Super Pass. If you missed the Parks Canada shuttle reservation last week, there’s another way to get to Moraine Lake. Roam Transit opened Super Pass reservations for June yesterday, covering the 8X route to Lake Louise plus the connector to Moraine Lake. Passes are $15 and include a full round trip plus unlimited transit for the day. As of last night, spots remain, but most prime morning times (6 AM to 10 AM) are already gone. Planning for July? Reservations open May 25, so time your booking window accordingly.

Step Into the Marketing Ring…

In this corner:
✅ Access to 20,000+ Bow Valley Locals
✅ Scroll-stopping copy written in our voice
✅ Trackable results you can brag about

And in the other:
🛑 Print ads your customers flip past with their morning coffee

Ready to fight smarter?
➡️ Partner with Bow Valley Insider and join the winning team

8 IN 10 JOB APPLICANTS ASK ABOUT HOUSING, BOW VALLEY EMPLOYER SAYS IT’S LIMITING HIRING

What’s Happening? With the major hiring fairs in Banff and Canmore wrapping up, employers are filling summer roles, but housing remains the biggest hurdle, limiting who can actually take those jobs.

More Jobs, Same Problem. Job postings are up 12% year over year, and employers like Basecamp Resorts say demand is even higher this spring, with 43 open roles across departments.

But the labour pool isn’t keeping up. Fewer applications are coming in, and finding qualified candidates is getting harder.

The Housing Filter. Here’s the stat that says it all: about 8 in 10 applicants ask about staff housing, and for many, it’s the deciding factor.

“Housing availability has a significant impact on our ability to recruit and retain staff,” Basecamp told Bow Valley Insider. In practice, that means jobs exist, but only for people who can find a place to live. With one-bedrooms still topping $2,000 per month, that’s a tight filter.

What Employers Are Doing. Some are adapting. Earlier hiring timelines, better wages, and flexible schedules are all on the table.

“Employers who engage early and offer clear housing solutions are seeing success,” said Katie Dolson from the Job Resource Centre. Still, not everyone can offer staff accommodation, and those who can often have a clear advantage.

A Smaller, More Reliant Workforce. Basecamp says about 34% of its workforce is on temporary working arrangements, highlighting continued reliance on non-local labour.

At the same time, changes to federal temporary worker programs mean fewer international workers are available, tightening things further.

The Bigger Picture. This isn’t new, but it’s getting more pronounced. The Bow Valley has jobs. It just doesn’t have enough places for workers to live. And as summer demand ramps up, that gap is becoming harder to ignore.

Read our full story for the numbers behind the hiring crunch. 

THINGS TO DO

Friday

• Live Music and $6 Pints at Canmore Brewing. Ease into the weekend with Andy Perrin’s acoustic set, blending rock, pop, alternative, and country with live looping, alongside. $6 pints during happy hour. 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Canmore Brewing Company. No cover.*

Saturday

• Tote Bag Painting Night. Looking for a low-pressure creative night out? This casual paint night lets you design your own tote bag to take home. Led by a local artist, the evening is beginner-friendly and all supplies are included. Come with friends or fly solo. 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Canmore Brewing Company. $14.*

• Dance Performance Explores Japanese History. Enemy Lines, a live dance work by choreographer Mayumi Lashbrook, comes to Canmore, exploring fear, injustice, and the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War through personal and historical storytelling. 7:30 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. $35.*

Sunday

• Earth Month Clean Up. Looking for a simple way to give back this Earth Month? Join a town-wide clean-up with neighbours. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Canmore with local partners, volunteers will help tidy public spaces around town. 9:30 AM. Meet in the lot between Canadian Tire and Save-On-Foods in Canmore. Cleanup supplies will be provided.*

• Local Choir and Concert Bands Take Over Silvertip. Spend an afternoon with local musicians. Valley Winds Music Association brings jazz, choir, and concert band favourites to Silvertip, featuring the Concert Band, CHORDillera choir, and Jazz Band in a community performance. 2:00 PM. Silvertip Resort, Canmore. Tickets $35 in advance, $40 at the door, free for kids under 12.*

• Canmore Folk Fest Documentary Premiere. A new film celebrates the people, stories, and community spirit behind nearly five decades of the Canmore Folk Music Festival. The premiere includes live performances by local musicians and serves as a fundraiser for Rocky Mountain Live, a volunteer-run platform supporting music across the Rockies. 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Canmore Brewing Company. $11.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🚲 Try Before You Drop $10K on a Bike. Rebound Cycle in Canmore just launched a program that removes the biggest gamble in mountain biking: buying blind. Their entire inventory is now demo-ready, meaning you can test premium bikes from 10+ brands back-to-back on real trails at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Ride the exact bike you’re considering, then decide if it’s worth it. No guesswork. After nearly 30 years in the game, they’ve built one of the more unique demo setups in Canada. Ride it first, then buy it. Check their inventory here.*

• 🎨 Artist Call For Live Painting Event. Local artists with quick hands and bold ideas are invited to step into the ring for this fast-paced live painting showdown. Creative Combat challenges artists to create original work in just 20 minutes while raising funds for Bow Valley arts programs. Selected artists receive a $200 honorarium, materials, and optional mentorship. Applications are open to emerging and established artists of all backgrounds. Deadline to apply is May 21.*

• 🌦️ Stop Trusting Weather Apps for Mountain Conditions. If you’re still checking standard apps before a hike, you’re probably missing what actually matters. Standard apps pull data from lower elevations, which can be wildly different from what you’ll face higher up. Tools like SpotWX let you check conditions at specific elevations and compare multiple forecast models for a clearer picture. In the Bow Valley, where conditions can shift fast with elevation, better forecasts mean better decisions before you even hit the trail. Read our full guide.

• ⚽ Canmore United Is Recruiting for Summer Soccer. Looking to play competitive soccer this summer? Canmore United is adding players for the Bow Valley Soccer League season. Training is already underway at Millennium Park, running Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30-9 PM. The team also plans to hit a couple of summer tournaments. Interested? Reach out to the club.

• 🧊 Thin Ice Warning in Banff National Park. While it might seem obvious, warmer spring temperatures mean lake and river ice across the park is now unstable, unpredictable, and unsafe. Parks Canada is warning that ice conditions aren’t monitored, and there’s no such thing as “safe” ice this time of year. Avoid all frozen waterbodies, including keeping pets off the ice. 

CIVIC NEWS

• Canmore Considers Waiving Fees for Affordable Housing. Canmore is looking at cutting permit costs to help get more affordable housing built. Council approved a fee waiver for YWCA Banff’s Higher Ground project, then asked staff to develop a broader policy that could apply to future projects, including staff housing. The current waiver could be worth up to $700K, acting as a municipal contribution to help unlock grant funding. The goal is simple: lower project costs so operators can offer deeper discounts on rent.

LIVE MUSIC

• Friday, April 24th, 2026, 10:00 PM: With Intention. Location: Banff Ave Brewing Co. $10.

• Saturday, April 25th, 2026, 3:00 PM: Free Dance Party Featuring The Ducks. Location: Canmore Legion. Free.

• Saturday, April 25th, 2026, 6:00 PM: Tyler Wood. Location: Patrinos, Canmore. Free.

SPORTS

• Canmore Eagles One Win From AJHL Title. A 5-3 win over the Whitecourt Wolverines on Wednesday gives the Eagles a 3-1 series lead in the AJHL finals, with a chance to clinch on Saturday. Cohen Daoust led the charge with two goals, while Aidan Tkachuk and Hudson Landmark each put up three-point nights. Canmore jumped ahead early and held on despite a late push from Whitecourt. One more win, and they bring the championship back to the valley.

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.