🦅 Eagles Take Over Kananaskis

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Our Bow Valley Insider Try Biathlon event is happening on Tuesday at the Canmore Nordic Centre. If you’ve ever been curious, this is your chance to learn the basics from local high-performance athletes, try the same practice rifles they use (or even a real .22 biathlon rifle), and wrap things up with a fun mini relay challenge. It’s just $10 and a pretty unique way to spend an evening. Sign up by Sunday night here.

— Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Sneha Kainth, Madalyn Beach

KANANASKIS EAGLE MIGRATION SLOWS AFTER 287 SIGHTINGS THIS MARCH

What’s Happening? A strong start to golden eagle migration season in Kananaskis has slowed sharply, but it’s not the birds, it’s the weather messing with what observers can see.

What This “Eagle Count” Actually Is. If this is your first time hearing about it, here’s the quick version: every spring (March 1 to April 22), volunteers set up near Mount Lorette and count migrating raptors as they follow the Rockies north. It’s one of the most important monitoring sites in western North America.

And it’s not just a few birds. On good days, you can see dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of golden eagles riding ridge winds overhead.

So far this March, 287 golden eagles have already been recorded.

A Wild Start, Then a Drop-Off. Early March kicked off with a surge, 53 eagles in the first five days, nearly double typical levels. Since then, counts have dipped to about two-thirds of the long-term average as snow, cloud cover, and high winds rolled back in.

“The migration seems to have been turned upside down by the weather,” the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation told Bow Valley Insider, noting early warmth pushed birds north quickly before conditions shut things down again.

Observers say the slowdown doesn’t necessarily mean fewer eagles. It likely means fewer visible eagles. Low clouds can hide birds entirely, while strong ridge winds can push them higher or reroute them out of sight.

Why Weather Runs the Show. Golden eagles rely on updrafts along mountain ridges to travel efficiently. When conditions are right, steady southwest winds and clear skies, they funnel through predictable routes and put on a show.

When conditions aren’t? They fly higher, take different paths, or don’t move much at all.

When to Go Watch. Once this stretch of cloud and rain clears, it’s worth making the trip out to Mount Lorette (park at Troll Falls and get on the Hay Meadows trail). Best bet: mid to late afternoon. Read our full story to time it right and catch the migration at its peak.

A FAMILY WINTER DAY IN CANMORE THAT’S EASY TO PULL OFF

One of the tricky parts of winter plans is finding something that actually works for everyone. Kids want movement. Parents want options. Grandparents want something social without committing to a full day outside.

That’s why Canmore’s Silvertip Resort is where winter comes to play. 

You can send the kids tubing for a few laps. Someone else can head out for an easy cross-country ski. If the weather turns or people want to stay warm, the golf simulator gives everyone a place to hang out indoors without feeling like the day is over. And when it’s time to slow things down, the outdoor fire pits are an easy place to regroup and sit for a while.

The key is that no one has to do the same thing at the same time. Everyone gets their version of winter, then you come back together at Stoney’s Grill for a meal or a drink, without shuttling around town.

That kind of flexibility is rare, and it’s what makes winter days here actually work for families.

Explore all of Silvertip’s Winter Experiences here. 

_{*Presented by Silvertip Resort.}

THE DIGEST

• ❄️ Avalanche Risk Shuts Down Key Routes. Parks Canada has closed the Sunshine Village access road today (March 20) due to extreme avalanche risk. The closure limits access to essential staff and guests with lodge reservations, with ski operations expected to return on Saturday (March 21). Both Highway 93 South toward Radium and North toward Jasper are also closed, with reopening currently estimated for Saturday at noon. The Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden is also closed and is not expected to reopen before 8:00 PM today. 

• 🏘️ Banff Starts Building 90 New Homes at Wolf Street. Banff has officially broken ground on its biggest Town-led affordable housing project in more than a decade, with 90 homes and a new community space now underway at 50 Wolf Street. The $41.5 million build will include below-market rentals and price-restricted ownership units, with the first homes expected by late 2027. 26 million will be financed through debt, repaid through unit sales and rental revenues. Applications are already open through Banff Housing Corporation. Our full story covers who qualifies.

• ⛷️ Local Ski Days Turn Early Turns Into $33K for Jasper Recovery. More than 500 locals hit the slopes in December for SkiBig3’s Community Ski Days, raising $33,600 for Jasper’s wildfire recovery efforts. The three-day event offered discounted lift tickets across Louise, Norquay, and Sunshine, with 100% of proceeds going to the Jasper Fire: Caring Community Fund. “A win-win,” said SkiBig3 president Pete Woods. The fund supports housing, essentials, and recovery efforts.

• 📜 New Whyte Museum Piece Explores Banff’s Hidden Internment History. The Whyte Museum has just published a new deep dive into Banff’s WWI internment camps. The piece traces how more than 600 prisoners were held at Castle Mountain and forced to build early park infrastructure under harsh conditions. “The scars of confinement and betrayal haunt many Ukrainian Canadians to this day,” the article notes. It’s a sobering look at a part of Banff’s past that often goes overlooked. 

• 🏫 Banff Schools Get Extra Classroom Support as Needs Rise. Banff Elementary and Elizabeth Rummel School will receive new “complexity teams” to help support students with academic, behavioural, and social needs. Each team includes a teacher and two educational assistants, part of a province-wide rollout targeting high-priority schools. Local questions have already been raised about why Exshaw School was not included.

We recently chatted with a local community group.

They were running workshops and needed more people to sign up. It cost $30 per person.

They told us they spent $500 on print ads to promote it.

Only two people signed up because of the ads.

That means they spent $500 to make $60. Tough math.

Print can work sometimes. For this group, it didn’t. The point is this: your marketing should clearly pay for itself.

If you want to talk about marketing with results, fill out this quick form.

DOCTORS WANT TO TRAIN IN THE BOW VALLEY, BUT THERE’S NO PROGRAM

What’s Happening? The Bow Valley is attracting strong interest from medical trainees, but without a full residency program, most doctors still pass through rather than put down roots.

Demand Is There, Capacity Isn’t. Each year, roughly 10 family medicine residents rotate through Canmore and Banff for short-term placements lasting 8 to 24 weeks. Additional residents in emergency medicine, anesthesia, and obstetrics also cycle through in smaller numbers.

But demand far exceeds supply. “The Bow Valley is a very popular location… the residency program receives more requests for rotations there than can be accommodated,” said Dr. Melinda Davis.

Why Training Location Matters. There’s a direct pipeline effect: train locally, stay locally.

“Recruitment data has consistently identified that one of the top reasons a physician chooses to work… is that they were trained” in that type of community, said Dr. Rithesh Ram.

That’s why some are pushing for expansion.“If residency spots were made available, they may be quite appealing and competitive… for people who ultimately want to work and live in the Bow Valley,” said Dr. Siavash Zare-Zadeh, President of the Professional Association of Resident Physicians of Alberta.

What’s Holding It Back? The barriers are structural, not philosophical:

• Supervision: More local physicians are needed to train residents

• Space: Clinics and hospitals have limited teaching capacity

• Scope of care: Full specialty programs require exposure only available in larger centres

• Housing: A major constraint in both Canmore and Banff

“Rental housing continues to be a significant concern… and this issue is ever greater in Canmore and Banff,” Ram said. Davis added that full specialty programs “would not be possible… solely in the Bow Valley.”

The Stopgap Solution. Alberta is offering up to $125,000 to family medicine residents who commit to rural practice, including in the Bow Valley. “You can incentivize some people… to see: Can I practise here?” said Zare-Zadeh.

Bottom Line. Despite growing demand and provincial investment in rural medicine, the Bow Valley remains a stop along the path of medical training rather than a destination.

Read our full story to understand why the Bow Valley still has no residency program.

THINGS TO DO

Friday

• Live Music + $6 Pints at Canmore Brewing. Liam Daisley takes the stage with a stripped-back mix of acoustic rock, indie, and country. Expect an easygoing set that blends covers with original songs. 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Canmore Brewing Company. No cover.*

• Square Dance Night. No experience needed, just show up and follow along as caller Leslie Gotfrit walks you through it with live music from local musicians. There’s a bar on-site, and proceeds support the Pine Tree Players theatre production. 7:00 PM. Miners’ Hall, Canmore. Last-minute tickets.*

• Friday Night Comedy. Touring comedian Nick Burden teams up with Rob Morgan for a stand-up show. Burden is known for sharp crowd work and a no-filter style, with experience performing across Canada and internationally. Expect a lively set with plenty of audience interaction. 7:30 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. $21.25-$25.*

Saturday

• World Day for Glaciers. An afternoon of speakers, live music, and film screenings focused on glaciers, climate, and mountain environments, featuring local voices and youth speakers. 1:00 - 4:00 PM. Elevation Place, Canmore. Free.*

• Salsa Social: Dance Class + Party. A beginner-friendly Latin dance night kicks off. No experience or partner needed, just show up and join in. It’s one of the Bow Valley’s go-to dance nights for a reason. 8:00-11:30 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. $17 in advance or $20 at the door.*

Sunday

• Terra Spencer: Folk & Roots. Nova Scotia songwriter Terra Spencer brings her warm, story-driven folk sound to the stage, blending deft guitar, gospel piano, and a voice that leans more intimate than showy. 7:30 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. $17.50-$35.*

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🚧 Lake O’Hara Shuttle Draw Closes Soon. If you’re planning a day trip to Lake O’Hara, you’ll need to enter Parks Canada’s shuttle random draw before March 23 at 11:59 PM. Day-use access without an overnight stay is only available through the lottery. If you don’t get a spot, your fallback is the full 10km walk-in, and bikes aren’t allowed on the road.

• 💼 Local Clinic Hiring Summer Content Creator. Banff Sport Medicine Foundation is looking for a Bow Valley-based student to create short-form video content this summer. The role runs 12 to 16 weeks between May and August, with flexible hours (24 to 40 hours per week) and pay ranging from $18.50 to $20/hour depending on experience. Applicants must be enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary program and have experience with digital content tools. Check the full application.*

• 🚧 Bow Valley Parkway Bridge Closed Due to Damage. Parks Canada has closed the Bow River bridge along the Bow Valley Parkway between the Trans-Canada Highway/93 South interchange and Castle Junction due to structural damage. This is the bridge you cross right after exiting Highway 1 toward the Rockbound Lake trailhead. Access to Rockbound Lake remains open, but you’ll now need to detour via Highway 1A just past Banff. 

• 📝 Tourism Research Seeks Input from Bow Valley Locals. A former Lake Louise guide is inviting residents to share their perspectives on tourism in Banff National Park. He’s completing a master’s thesis and gathering input on environmental, social, and economic impacts. The anonymous survey takes about 8 minutes. It won’t directly change policy, but will inform future research.

• ❄️ Avalanche Hits Valley Bottom Near Emerald Lake. We’ve been flagging rising avalanche risk all week, and this is what that looks like on the ground. Banff National Park shared a photo from Emerald Lake showing an avalanche that ran full path to the valley bottom. The debris pile was stacked well above head height. 

CIVIC NEWS

• Campaign Finances Released. Campaign finance disclosures for the 2025 Canmore election are now public, offering a clearer look at how candidates raised and spent money. Mayor Sean Krausert reported $10,950 in total revenue and $10,669.41 in expenses, with most funding coming from individual donations. Full disclosures here.

LIVE MUSIC

• Friday, March 20th, 2026, 10:00 PM: JT Band. Location: The Drake Pub, Canmore. No Cover

• Friday, March 20th, 2026, 7:00 PM: Swanee & Charlie Butler. Location: Mineshaft Tavern, Canmore. No Cover

• Friday, March 20th, 2026, 10:00 PM: Halle Ponton. Location: The Rose & Crown, Banff. No Cover

• Saturday, March 21st, 2026, 9:00 PM: Colin McDonald. Location: Tavern 1883, Canmore. No Cover

• Sunday, March 22nd, 2026, 8:00 PM: Arn Live. Location: Banff Ave Brewing Co., Banff. No Cover

SPORTS

• Canmore Eagles Earn League Award Nominations Ahead of Playoffs. The Canmore Eagles are heading into playoffs with momentum, earning four AJHL award nominations. Head coach Andrew Milne is up for coach of the year, while Aidan Tkachuk (most dedicated player), Cohen Daoust (top forward), and Alex Scheiwiller (MVP and top goaltender) were also recognized. The team now turns its focus to playoffs, opening against the Calgary Canucks tonight (March 20) at 7 PM in Canmore.

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.