❄️ End Of An Avalanche Era

Good morning, Bow Valley!

We got tagged in a ton of photos and videos over the past few days, and honestly, it was pretty fun seeing what everyone got up to. You’ve got to love this time of year when you can ski, climb, and golf all in the same weekend. Play safe out there, neighbours.  

- Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Madalyn Beach

ALBERTA BRINGING NEW RULES TO TOURISM FEES

What’s Happening? Alberta is introducing new rules for destination marketing fees, the extra charges often added to tourism businesses in places like Canmore and Banff. The province says the changes are designed to crack down on hidden fees, stop businesses from pocketing tourism charges, and create stricter oversight around how the money is collected and spent.

Not The Same As Alberta’s Tourism Levy. The new rules are separate from Alberta’s provincial tourism levy, which increased this year from 4% to 6% on hotels and short-term rentals. That levy functions more like a provincially collected hotel tax and goes into government revenue, with only a portion directed toward tourism promotion. Destination marketing fees, by contrast, are voluntary industry-run fees used to fund local tourism organizations like Tourism Canmore Kananaskis and Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.

Why It Matters Here. These fees are a major funding source for local tourism organizations. In Banff and Lake Louise, about 85% of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism’s funding comes from its destination marketing fee, helping support tourism projects across the region. The organization reported roughly $17.8 million in revenue in 2025.

What Changes. Under the new rules, tourism businesses could still choose whether to charge a destination marketing fee. But if they do, the money would have to flow through provincially approved third-party trustees instead of staying in a business’s general revenue stream.

“While most businesses operate in good faith, some businesses engage in deceptive practices where they charge destination marketing fees and keep the proceeds to pay their bottom line,” Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko said during the province’s announcement.

The legislation also introduces provincial inspections, investigations, administrative penalties, and potential fines up to three times the improperly obtained amount.

Support From Tourism Organizations. “We’ve been advocating for clearer rules around destination marketing fees for quite some time,” said Rachel Ludwig, CEO of Tourism Canmore Kananaskis, adding the changes help ensure “visitors know exactly where their money is going.”

The Fine Print. The legislation also targets “drip pricing,” meaning mandatory tourism fees would need to be clearly disclosed upfront during booking instead of appearing later in the checkout process.

Read our full story.

TESTED ON BEN’S DIRT

Meet Zoe, easily the best cleaning lady in the Bow Valley (we don’t say that lightly). Before we recommended her, she tackled our publisher Ben’s place, which was leaning more “wildlife habitat” than “home.” She crushed it. Now she’s taking on new clients for everything from regular cleans to move-outs to the deep stuff. Book a quick chat to see if she’s the right fit for your space.

_{*Presented by Zoe’s Cleaning.}

THE DIGEST

• 🛎️ Rose & Crown Finally Changed the Menu. We Went. After 40 years of pub fare, Banff’s Rose & Crown has rolled out a major menu overhaul, and yes, we went hungry. The lineup leans into oversized shareables, and some dishes are genuinely massive. Standouts included the pretzel-crusted Dirty Bird fried chicken with smoky Athabasca sauce, the rich cast-iron gouda mac and cheese, and the Hot Dog Tower loaded with five fully dressed dogs. The colossal Caesar arrived with sliders, onion rings, and bacon-wrapped scallops literally sticking out of the glass, while the white chocolate bread pudding stole the show. Here’s our write-up (with pics).

• ❄️ The Military Is Ending Avalanche Control At Rogers Pass. After more than 60 years of using artillery to trigger controlled avalanches along Rogers Pass, the Canadian Armed Forces says it will end its support for the program when its agreement expires in August 2027. The military says the aging artillery guns are being phased out as part of broader defence modernization efforts. The program protects a 43-kilometre stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway through Glacier National Park. Parks Canada says discussions on a replacement system are ongoing, with radar, helicopters, and possibly drones expected to play a larger role in the future.

• 🐻 The Viral “Walking Grizzly” Video Was Real. A video showing a grizzly bear family walking along the road in Kananaskis, including one cub briefly walking upright on its hind legs, went viral over the weekend after many viewers assumed it was AI-generated. But the person who filmed it says the footage is very real. “People saying it's AI, it's not!” photographer Rocco Rennie wrote online, adding that he and his group filmed the bears before a hike and later saw them again being escorted down the highway by an Alberta Parks vehicle. See for yourself. 

• 🚁 Search Crews Say These 3 Mistakes Keep Triggering Mountain Emergencies. After Kananaskis rescue crews responded to a record 445 incidents last year, search and rescue officials are warning hikers about three common mistakes: going off-route, wearing improper footwear, and underestimating cold mountain water. Officials say several recent rescues involved hikers leaving established trails and becoming stranded in steep or snowy terrain. Crews also warn that glacier-fed rivers and lakes can trigger cold shock within seconds, even on warm days.

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GRIZZLY BEARS ARE BEING PUSHED INTO SMALLER CORRIDORS, STUDY FINDS

What’s Happening? A new study tracking more than 100 grizzly bears across the southern Canadian Rockies found that roads, towns, and industrial development are increasingly restricting how bears move through the landscape. 

A Landscape That Looks Wild… But Isn’t. Researchers analyzed two decades of GPS data from 109 collared grizzly bears across an 85,000-square-kilometre region spanning southwestern Alberta and southeastern B.C. They found even existing infrastructure is already limiting how bears move.

Researchers found highways were one of the biggest barriers limiting bear movement across the region.

Both male and female bears consistently avoided crossing highways, while towns and developed valleys increasingly acted like bottlenecks funneling bears into smaller movement corridors.

Drawn To Danger. One of the study’s more surprising findings is that bears are sometimes attracted to the very places that put them at risk. In areas with fewer natural food sources, bears were more likely to spend time near roads and highways, where disturbed ground creates more vegetation growth.

Researchers describe this as an “ecological trap,” where animals are drawn toward food-rich areas that also expose them to vehicle collisions and human conflict.

Connectivity Is Quietly Breaking Down. Across a key study region in southeastern B.C., researchers found bears had a harder time moving between important habitat areas compared to landscapes without roads, towns, and other human development. 

“Additional footprints of proposed mines and expanded human settlements… were predicted to further decrease functional connectivity for grizzly bears,” the study states.

Researchers warn that if movement corridors continue shrinking, some grizzly populations could become isolated, limiting access to food, mates, and genetic diversity.

Why It Matters. The study points to wildlife crossings, protected corridors, and reducing attractants near developed areas as potential solutions, but warns restoring lost corridors can become “difficult, and sometimes impossible.”

Read our full story.

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Textile Workshop. A hands-on textile art night for 2SLGBTQIA+ participants exploring identity and connection through embroidery, collage, sewing, and recycled materials while creating a collaborative bighorn sheep mosaic. 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. $10.*

• Women’s Ball Hockey. Keep the hockey legs moving without the ice at this casual drop-in sticks-and-pucks session in Banff. Open to women, with a focus on staying active, having fun, and getting a few shots in. 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM. Fenlands, Banff. Drop-in fees apply. 

Tuesday

• Trail Running Film Festival. Canmore’s trail crowd gets its own movie night with films focused on adventure, endurance, wilderness, and the wonderfully odd world of running very far on purpose. Prizes and giveaways throughout the night. 7:00 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. $30.*

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 📝 Silvertip Gondola Feedback Closes Soon. If you’ve been meaning to weigh in on the proposed Silvertip Gondola, this is your reminder. Alberta’s engagement on the required land designation changes closes May 14. The questionnaire focuses on whether Crown land near Silvertip should be designated as an All-season Resort Area, plus related changes to the Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park boundary. Survey here.

• 🤝 Hosting a Gathering This Summer? Don’t Host It at Home.  Summer in Canmore means more reasons to get people together, but not everyone wants to clean the house, move furniture, and play host all day. The Canmore Opera House in Spring Creek gives you the space without the stress. Perfect for family reunions, graduations, milestone birthdays, and casual summer get-togethers, it seats up to 120 and comes fully equipped with tables, chairs, a bar setup, and more. You get creekside paths, mountain views, and a fire pit… and none of the post-party cleanup at your place. Inquire here.*

• 🛍️ Hangtime Flea Market Returns To Banff This Month. Mark your calendars for May 31. Hangtime Flea is bringing its traveling secondhand market to Banff’s Rose & Crown patio with vintage clothing, mountainwear, jewelry, handmade goods, and local vendors from across the Bow Valley. The market focuses on sustainability, thrifting, and keeping good stuff out of the landfill. Expect food, drinks, and plenty of “just browsing” turning into carrying home another jacket.*

• 🔔 Alerts For Bow Valley Communities. Last week, your phone may have received a practice alert, and if you did, that’s a good thing. Canmore, Banff, the MD of Bighorn, and Parks Canada all use “Voyant Alerts,” a mass notification system that sends emergency updates directly to residents and visitors during situations such as wildfires, floods, or evacuation orders. If you didn’t get the practice alert, you can sign up here. 

• 🛝 We Tried Banff’s Viral Giant Metal Slide. Last week, we mentioned how Banff’s giant metal spiral slide had reopened after repairs. Since then, a photo of the 32-foot structure has gone viral online, with commenters debating everything from how hot it gets to whether someone should “send a cop down it… for science.”  We went to check it out ourselves, and yes, it’s very fast. Here’s our full video experience. Somehow, it’s already racked up more than 100,000 views.   

CIVIC NEWS

• Canmore To Decide Future of Livability Tax This Week. Canmore will make a final decision on its livability tax changes on May 12, waiting for recommendations from its Property Tax Task Force. Council also rejected a motion to explore cancelling or delaying the program. Supporters argue the town still faces a massive housing funding gap, while critics say the provincial changes warrant a broader rethink before moving ahead.

• Bighorn Spring Road Work Begins. A few road updates for MD of Bighorn residents as spring maintenance season ramps up. Street sweeping starts May 11 and runs through May 21, beginning in Harvie Heights before moving through Dead Man’s Flats, Lac des Arcs, Exshaw, and Benchlands. Residents are asked to watch for signage and move vehicles to avoid towing or tickets. In Exshaw, Heart Mountain Drive will also close May 14-15 for watermain work, though local access will remain open.

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, May 11th, 10:00 PM: Brent Lee. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

• Tuesday, May 12th, 9:00 PM: DJ Styler Nazo. Location: High Rollers, Banff. Free.

SPORTS

• Canmore Eagles Officially Clinch Centennial Cup Playoff Spot. The Canmore Eagles are officially through to the playoff round at the Centennial Cup after a dominant 5-1 win over host Summerside on Sunday. Goaltender Alex Scheiwiller helped backstop the victory as the Eagles continued their impressive run on the national stage after already opening the tournament with back-to-back wins. 

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.