🛞 Hwy 1 Drivers Blow Tires

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Ben here - On Friday, we published our larch hikes guide and, as happens whenever we share hiking spots, heard concerns about contributing to overcrowding. It’s something we think about a lot, so I decided to share an actual response I sent to a reader explaining where we draw the line. Here’s exactly where we stand on publishing hiking guides.

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

DRIVERS REPORT FLAT TIRES AFTER HITTING HIGHWAY 1 CONSTRUCTION AREA

What’s Happening? If you were heading from Calgary to Banff mid-last week, you might want to check your tires. Alberta Transportation says it is reviewing a Highway 1 construction site near Jumping Pound after motorists reported getting flat tires while travelling west toward the Bow Valley on Sept. 15. 

What Drivers Are Reporting. Drivers pointed to a raised section of pavement where the highway transitions onto a bridge (location here). A post shared in a Bow Valley road conditions Facebook group warned that the raised section was difficult to see while approaching it and said several vehicles were pulled over with flat tires. 

“You can’t see it until you are on top of it,” the original poster wrote.

Several commenters said they experienced the problem firsthand. One driver said it was still dark when they hit the section and ended up with two flat tires requiring a tow. Another daily commuter said they hit it while travelling around 50 km/h, describing “the loudest bangs I’ve heard.”

One commenter reported seeing seven vehicles pulled over around 8:30 a.m., though Bow Valley Insider could not independently verify that number.

The Province Is Looking Into It. The work is being completed by Carmacks Enterprises on behalf of Alberta Transportation. Bow Valley Insider asked Carmacks what caused the raised section and whether crews had repaired it or added additional warnings, but a project manager redirected those questions to the province.

“Transportation and Economic Corridors is reviewing the situation with the contractor,” a department spokesperson said.

The province did not explain what caused the raised pavement or confirm whether it has since been repaired. It reminded motorists to obey construction signage and posted speed limits.

For What It’s Worth. Members of our team drove through the area yesterday and confirmed the construction-zone speed limit drops to 50 km/h. Given the reports above, we’d highly recommend sticking to it.

Read our full story

THE PART OF YOUR RENOVATION YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MESS UP

New tile. Fresh cabinets. Updated fixtures.

That’s the fun part of a renovation.

What most people don’t think about is what’s happening behind the walls. The plumbing that everything depends on. Because if that’s done wrong, you’re not just redoing a sink… you’re opening up walls, fixing leaks, and dealing with problems that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

And it’s not just about making it work. It has to meet code, drain properly, vent correctly, and handle the demands of how you actually use the space.

Cool Runnings Plumbing handles full rough-in and finish work for renovations, new builds, and basement suites across the Bow Valley. The focus is getting it right the first time, so everything behind the scenes works exactly the way it should.

Reach out to Cool Runnings Plumbing if you want a quick look at what’s going on behind the scenes before it turns into something bigger.

_{*Presented by Cool Runnings Plumbing.}

THE DIGEST

• 🪧 Banff’s $1.3-Million Welcome Sign Park Is Finished. Nearly a year after Banff’s famous letters moved from Norquay Road to the train station, the park surrounding them is officially complete. The privately funded project added pathways, landscaping and seating, turning the former roadside photo stop into a dedicated gathering space beside Banff’s largest public parking lot. The sign was relocated primarily over pedestrian safety concerns, after visitors were regularly parking illegally and crossing the busy entrance road for photos. The bigger goal is also to encourage more visitors to park at the station before heading downtown. 

• 🏃 85-Year-Old Hasn’t Missed This Banff Race Since 1979. Melissa’s Road Race returns to Banff this weekend, and Jim Frey has been showing up since 1979, when it was only his second road race. Forty-seven years later, the Calgary runner has never missed one, even participating virtually during COVID. Along the way, he’s completed nine marathons, competed in triathlons and returned to running after a broken femur and hip replacement. Frey will be back in Banff Sept. 26, with a new goal: make it to 50 consecutive races. Read our full interview.

• 💰 Canmore Hospital Foundation Raises $1.9 Million. The Foundation had one of its strongest years, putting $782,656 into hospital equipment and programs, including new gynecology equipment, a portable X-ray machine, urology equipment and staff training. Roughly $336,000 went toward women’s health alone, expanding the procedures available locally. Another $41,000 funded 20 healthcare scholarships for Bow Valley residents, while $230,000 went into the Foundation’s endowment. The bigger shift? Having money ready means some urgent equipment requests can now be approved within hours rather than waiting for a new fundraising campaign. 

• 🛠️ Jasper Park Lodge Unveils $100-Million Renovation. One of the Rockies’ most iconic hotels just got a major refresh. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has completed a $100-million renovation covering more than 330 rooms, suites and cabins, along with the Main Lodge and public spaces. There’s also a new restaurant and wellness facilities, including a glacial plunge and sauna experience. The resort, which traces its roots to 1915, was largely spared during the 2024 Jasper wildfire, despite flames reaching the edge of the property. The investment follows another Rockies hotel overhaul: Banff’s Rimrock recently completed its own $115-million transformation. 

Want more customers?

Every feature we run goes through:

• Research
• Interviews
• Copywriting
• Editing
• Distribution
• Tracking

This isn’t “throw up a post and hope.”

It’s structured, strategic, and built to convert.

➡️ Work with a team that actually has a process

A $34.6-MILLION NATIONAL WILDFIRE FACILITY HAS BEEN BUILT IN BANFF

What’s Happening? A $34.6-million wildfire facility has been built in Banff, replacing and significantly expanding a national equipment hub that has operated here since the 1990s. The roughly 1,800-square-metre facility stores, maintains and deploys specialized firefighting equipment to wildfires in national parks and, when requested, incidents across Canada.

Wait, Banff Is A National Wildfire Hub? Yep, and has been for decades. Parks Canada told Bow Valley Insider that Banff was originally chosen because of its central location and access to major transportation routes, making it easier to move equipment to mountain national parks and elsewhere in Canada.

Banff also has longstanding fire-management operations and expertise, allowing equipment storage, maintenance, training and wildfire logistics to operate from the same location.

What’s Actually Inside? Think less fire hall, more giant wildfire toolbox. The cache holds pumps, thousands of metres of hose, sprinkler systems for protecting buildings, chainsaws and other hand tools, portable weather stations, emergency communications equipment, protective gear, medical supplies and equipment for supporting firefighting camps.

The new facility is about two-thirds larger than the previous hub and includes more than 500 square metres of storage, maintenance and wash bays, workshops and dedicated pump-testing rooms. A backup generator keeps it operational during power outages.

And It Could Help Banff Directly. During a significant wildfire near Banff or Lake Louise, Parks Canada says the cache could provide pumps capable of drawing water from lakes and rivers, hose and sprinkler systems to protect communities and critical infrastructure, firefighting tools and equipment for crews in the field.

But the equipment can travel much farther. Parks Canada has responded to 50 requests for assistance over the past five years, sending personnel and equipment to incidents including fires in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Idaho.

How Quickly Can It Move? When additional equipment is requested, staff in Banff assemble the supplies and arrange transportation. Parks Canada told Bow Valley Insider that most requests are processed and prepared for deployment within 24 hours, although actual delivery depends on distance, transportation and other operational priorities.

The facility is expected to serve national and local wildfire operations for roughly 50 years.

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Karaoke Night. The Drake’s weekly karaoke night is back Monday. Pick your crowd-pleaser, attempt something wildly ambitious or cheer on your friends from the safety of a pizza. No talent requirements here, just a willingness to grab the mic. 10:00 PM. The Drake Screaming Retriever, Canmore. Free.*

Tuesday

• Kananaskis Conservation Pass Is Free. Kananaskis Country celebrates its birthday Sept. 22, and Alberta is waiving the usual $15 daily Conservation Pass for the day. So, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to squeeze in a fall hike, bike ride or scenic drive, this is a pretty good one. Regular camping and facility fees still apply. All day. Kananaskis. Free. 

• Canmore Winter Job Fair. Looking for work this winter? The Job Resource Centre’s Winter Job Fair brings employers from across the Bow Valley together under one roof, including Sunshine Village, Nakiska, Mount Norquay, Roam Transit, SkiBig3, Rocky Mountain Soap and The Grizzly Paw. Bring your resume and come ready to chat about seasonal and longer-term opportunities. 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM. Malcolm Hotel, Canmore. Free. 

• Bad Decisions Comedy Tour Comes To Canmore. Comedians Nelson Mayer, Chris Basso and Scott Porteous are taking over The Drake for 90 minutes of stand-up inspired by life’s less-than-brilliant decisions. Between them, the touring trio has credits from Canada’s Got Talent, APTN, Prime Video and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. The Drake, Canmore. $20.*

ONE OF BANFF’S BEST LUNCH VIEWS REQUIRES ZERO HIKING

Normally, getting a lunch view like this in Banff requires hiking boots, a few hours of climbing and probably a sweaty shirt.

At Mount Norquay, you can take a chairlift instead.

The open-air sightseeing chairlift carries you nearly 7,000 feet up the mountain, where you’ll find Cliffhouse Bistro, a restored 1950s tearoom overlooking Mount Rundle, the Town of Banff and the Bow Valley below.

We ate there ourselves this summer, and the food isn't just an excuse to enjoy the view. The menu includes Alberta beef, loaded share plates, burgers, salads and tea-infused cocktails that nod to the building’s history as a tearoom.

Before or after lunch, you can wander over to the viewpoint, take in the scenery and then let the chairlift handle the trip back down.

Bow Valley residents can also contact Norquay Guest Services about a special local rate. Parking is free, or you can take Norquay’s complimentary shuttle from downtown Banff.

Not a bad way to spend an afternoon in your own backyard.

Plan your sightseeing chairlift and Cliffhouse visit here.

_{*Presented by Banff Norquay,}

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🕺 Community Square Dance Returns To Canmore. The Biosphere Institute is bringing its annual community square dance back to Canmore Creekside Hall on Nov. 13. No experience is needed, with a caller teaching the steps before the dancing gets underway. There’ll also be a live band, snacks, a cash bar, silent auction and 50/50 draw. Proceeds support the Institute’s local climate action and human-wildlife coexistence programs. Early bird tickets are available until Sept. 25.*

• ✨ The Juniper Opens Christmas Party Bookings. Yes, it’s only September, but apparently office Christmas party planning waits for no one. The Juniper is offering holiday packages with mountain views and buffet, plated or five-course menus, plus options for different dietary needs and hotel rooms for anyone staying the night. Packages start at $49 per person, if you’d rather get this one off the office to-do list early.*

• 🔥 Prescribed Fire Could Begin Near Lake Louise Today. Parks Canada says it could begin burning parts of Point Camp Meadows and Singing Meadows as early as Sept. 21, if conditions are right. The backcountry sites sit roughly 10 to 30 kilometres north of Lake Louise in the Pipestone Valley. The burn is intended to restore open meadows, encourage native grasses and shrubs and make the landscape more resilient to future fires. Sections of the Pipestone, Little Pipestone and Molar Pass trails are closed for public safety. See closure map. 

• 💰 Canmore’s Terry Fox Fundraising Rock Star. A huge shoutout to Michelle Fuller and her team, Fullers Fighters, who raised $20,875 of Canmore’s $24,479 Terry Fox fundraising total. That’s about 85% of all the money raised locally. Even while receiving treatment in Edmonton following a serious fall in August, Michelle kept the campaign going. A pretty incredible effort from Michelle, her team and everyone who donated. Wishing her a smooth recovery and sending plenty of Bow Valley love her way. 

• 💡 Introduction To Drag Workshop Series. Pine Tree Players and Fake Mustache are launching an Introduction to Drag workshop series this fall, covering everything from character and improv to makeup, wigs, costumes and stagecraft. No drag, theatre or improv experience is needed. Across three workshops and a dress rehearsal, participants will create a character and performance from scratch before taking the stage for a live showcase Oct. 16.*

• 🚲 Applications Open For Free Winter Cycling Gear. Community Cruisers is looking for Canmore and Banff residents who want to keep biking once the snow arrives. Its Bike All Winter program provides free or subsidized winter tires, lights and fenders, plus winter riding training and a mentor. In exchange, participants commit to giving winter cycling a real shot from November through March. The volunteer-run program has been around since 2020, and applications are open until Oct. 15. 

CIVIC NEWS

• Banff Electricity Bills Are Going Up $5 A Month. Starting Jan. 1, Banff is increasing its Fortis franchise fee from 8% to 12%, adding about $5 a month to the average residential electricity bill. The extra money will be set aside to bury overhead power lines, something the town says can reduce outage and wildfire risks while improving access for emergency vehicles. Banff still has roughly 11.5 kilometres of overhead lines, and the work isn’t cheap: even a relatively simple residential street can cost $100,000 to $200,000. 

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, September 21st, 10:00 PM: Brent Lee. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

• Tuesday, September 22nd, 10:00 PM: Jesse Peters. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

SPORTS

• Banff Bears Fall Five Points Short Of Provincial Rugby Title. The Bears’ undefeated season ended in heartbreaking fashion Saturday, falling 34-29 to Edmonton La Crude in the provincial final. Banff trailed by 19 points before storming back in the final minutes to force extra time, but couldn’t finish the comeback after 110 minutes of rugby. It was the Bears’ only loss all season.

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.