🍂 Larch Chaos Caught on Video

Good morning, Bow Valley!

For all you larch lovers out there, we checked out the Highwood this weekend and, yep, it was pure chaos at Pocaterra and Arethusa. We caught it on video (posted below). The funny part? Ten minutes down the road, we had an entire mountain to ourselves. Amazing what happens when you skip the obvious spots.

— Fortune Whelan & Ben S.

BANFF AND CANMORE BRACE FOR WINTER HIRING CRUNCH

What’s Happening? Banff and Canmore are gearing up for another packed winter season, and once again, there is no shortage of jobs available. 

Winter Workforce. Sunshine Village, which runs on about 200 staff in the off-season, expands to roughly 800 in winter once you add lift operators, instructors, and kitchen crews. Lake Louise is hiring up to 450, thanks in part to new terrain and a new lift.

The Roles Everyone Wants (and Does Not). Being a liftee is a dream job. Working in the back-of-house kitchen is not. Employers say food and beverage roles and skilled trades remain the hardest to fill, with turnover stubbornly high.

Pay Is Not the Only Issue. Banff and Canmore’s housing market makes recruitment tougher, with affordable staff accommodations in short supply. Many seasonal hires come from elsewhere in Canada or arrive on working holiday visas from other countries.

Sweetening the Deal. Employers lean on perks like ski passes, summer golf or canoe access, subsidized housing, and flexible shifts. Average wages across all Bow Valley postings rose from $22.61/hour in fall 2024 to $24.44/hour this spring, though hospitality roles sit lower, typically $16–$22/hour. By comparison, Alberta’s broader hospitality average is about $28/hour, pulled higher by supervisory and specialized roles in Calgary and Edmonton.

Cost of Living Pressure. Canmore was recently ranked Alberta’s most expensive community, with prices 69% higher than Edmonton and shelter costs nearly three times Edmonton’s levels. Rising wages and perks rarely keep pace, leaving many workers struggling to balance mountain-town pay with mountain-town costs.

Tourism Rising. Banff welcomed about five million visitors in 2024, with numbers up another four percent this year. The demand is clear; the challenge is finding enough hands to keep the lifts spinning and kitchens humming.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TEST YOUR KID WILL TAKE THIS YEAR

Math, reading, spelling… sure. But can they see the board?

One in four school-aged kids has a vision problem, and many do not even realize it. Blurry vision can show up as squinting, headaches, poor focus, or even “acting out.” It is easy to miss, and even easier to misdiagnose.

That is why Canmore Family Eyecare recommends annual eye exams for all kids under 19, especially with myopia (nearsightedness) on the rise. Early detection matters. It is not just about sharper vision today, but about protecting their long-term eye health as well.

Dr. Jo, Dr. Jared, and their team offer specialized myopia control treatments that go beyond regular glasses, with kid-friendly lenses and daily contacts that have been proven to slow progression.

Book your free 15-min phone consultation to discuss your child’s eye health.

_{*Presented by Canmore Family Eyecare.}

THE DIGEST

• 🍂 Larch Madness Hits the Highwood. Our video from the weekend showed Kananaskis jammed with cars from Pocaterra to Arethusa, with people parallel parking on the highway and lots overflowing. We mentioned it would likely be busy last week, but we weren’t expecting that busy (gulp). The wilderness is still out there if you skip the obvious spots, so don’t be discouraged. The video has already racked up nearly 1M views. Watch it here.

• 🏆 Summit of Excellence Award to Glaciologist Alison Criscitiello. The Banff Centre’s Summit of Excellence Award is one of Canada’s top honours for contributions to mountain life. This year it goes to Dr. Alison Criscitiello, Director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab, who collects ice cores from glaciers like Mount Logan to uncover centuries of climate history before they disappear. She also co-founded Girls* on Ice Canada to inspire young women in science and adventure and is a celebrated writer and climber.

• 🚴 Canmore’s Matt Hadley Honoured On Screen. Mountain biker and trail builder Matt Hadley is the focus of a new documentary premiering this weekend at the Edmonton International Film Festival. Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story follows his recovery after a 2019 rockfall led to an amputation, and how he’s since reshaped trail design in Canmore with a stronger focus on accessibility. Directed by local filmmaker Kim Logan, the film shows how Hadley continues to inspire the community and adaptive athletes far beyond the Bow Valley.

• 🐦‍⬛️ Banff’s Viral Raven Returns. The Bow Valley’s black-and-white “cookies and cream” raven is back, spotted yesterday at Sentinel Pass above Moraine Lake. If you’re not familiar with this story, the rare bird has racked up plenty of fame online over the years, with viral photos popping up on Reddit, Alberta Birds, and local Facebook groups. 

• 🤍 Mountain Bike Community Mourns Darren Markland. The Bow Valley biking world is remembering Dr. Darren Markland, a well-known ICU doctor and passionate rider who died Sept. 21 in a mountain biking accident near Nordegg. Markland was admired for his trail presence, advocacy, and relentless passion for the outdoors. His passing comes just days after the death of Jordan “Phil” Goheen, which we reported last week, another rider well known in Alberta’s biking community, underscoring a heartbreaking stretch for local cyclists.

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MORE HOMES IN BANFF THAN THE PAST DECADE COMBINED

What’s Happening? Banff has entered a period of accelerated housing development. In just the past 18 months, 429 new homes have been built or are in the works, more than the town managed in the entire previous decade.

What’s Driving It? Big bylaw changes. The Town of Banff scrapped parking requirements for new housing (builders don’t need to add parking stalls), boosted density (more units allowed per lot), suspended subdivision fees (cheaper to split land), and created incentives for secondary suites (helping homeowners add legal rental units). Combined with $4.6 million from Ottawa’s Housing Accelerator Fund, the changes unlocked projects from both private developers and the town itself.

The Numbers

• 429 net new homes since January 2024 are somewhere in the pipeline.

• Within that total: 205 are still under review, 154 are conditionally approved, and 70 have been fully issued development permits.

• On the building side, only 18 homes are finished and occupied.

• The town is also in early talks on another 200-plus units, including a 94-unit project by Caribou Properties (though details are sparse).

Who’s Building What. The town is pushing ahead with its own $41 million Wolf Street affordable housing project, but the private sector is now driving the majority of growth. About 60% of new applications are for secondary suites, often carved out by individual homeowners. Without the bylaw shift on parking, most would not have been possible.

Why It Matters? Banff is required to deliver 240 new homes by 2027 under the Housing Accelerator Fund. At the current pace, planners expect to beat that target.

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• First All-Candidates Forum in Canmore. The 2025 Municipal Election Forum, hosted by the Canmore Business Alliance, is your chance to meet the candidates, hear their platforms, and ask questions before voting day. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn where each hopeful stands on key community issues and shape the conversation about Canmore’s future. 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM. Malcolm Hotel, Canmore. Free. 

Tuesday - National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

• Truth & Reconciliation in Canmore. Join artsPlace for a day of learning, listening, and building stronger relationships with Indigenous Peoples. Activities include a Healing Salts Workshop, Ribbon Skirt Sewing, a film screening of Return to the Falls, and a panel discussion on honouring residential school children. Registration is required for workshops. 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. Free.*

• Stoney Nakoda Film Screening. Explore the complex history of the Stoney Nakoda people’s portrayal in tourism and Hollywood at Stories We Have Earned. Through Elder interviews, the film reveals how participation in events like Banff Indian Days offered rare chances to practice traditions under government restrictions. 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM, includes a post-screening Q&A. Lux Theatre, Banff. Free. 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🥧 Thanksgiving at Home with The Fat Ox. Enjoy a ready-to-heat Thanksgiving feast for $68 per person (minimum two). Chef Joe’s menu includes stuffed turkey breast, classic stuffing, gravy, sides, and cranberry sauce, with optional pumpkin pie. Pick up on Saturday, October 11, from 11 AM – 4 PM. Order by Monday, October 6, at noon.*

• 💝 Christmas Spirit Campaign Needs Our Help. The Bow Valley Christmas Spirit Campaign is back, aiming to raise $105,000 to support more than 1,200 locals in Canmore and the MD of Bighorn with grocery and gift card hampers. A donation of $75 buys a child a toy card, $125 supports a single parent, and $450 feeds a family of four. Let’s come together to make sure every neighbour feels joy this holiday season. Donate online here.*

• 🙋🏻‍♀️ Hear From Candidates on the Environment. The Biosphere Institute is hosting All-Candidates Forums on the Environment ahead of the municipal elections. Banff’s forum is Oct. 1 at the Catherine Robb Whyte Building and Canmore’s is Oct. 2 at the Seniors’ Association. Both run 7–9 PM, with livestreams available. Expect questions on wildlife corridors, trail crowding, wildfire risk, climate action, affordable housing vs. conservation, food security, and even the proposed Calgary–Banff train. Details here.*

• 🦅 Skip the Larches. See Golden Eagles Instead. Thousands of Golden Eagles are soaring above Kananaskis on their fall migration. From late September through October, the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation counts raptors at Hay Meadows near Mount Lorette as they glide south at over 100 km/h. It is one of the best places in the world to see them, and unlike Pocaterra, you can just show up, look up, and chat with the expert volunteers. Details here. 

• 🚌 Roam Transit Winter Service Changes. Starting September 29, 2025, Roam routes will shift to fall and winter schedules. Banff, Canmore, and Lake Louise riders will see new departure times and seasonal adjustments. Check specific start and end dates for each route and plan ahead for reduced service on select lines.

• 🙎🏻‍♂️ Town of Banff’s Former Conservation Head Joins Y2Y. Bill Hunt, who retired in 2021 after 11 years as Banff’s resource conservation manager, is taking on a new role with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. As senior director of conservation programs, he’ll focus on protected areas, Indigenous-led projects, climate resilience, and wildlife coexistence across the 3,400-km Yellowstone to Yukon corridor.

• 🎨 Show Your Art at Banff Public Library. Local artists are invited to display their work free of charge in the library’s gallery space. Applications are accepted year-round, with exhibit length based on resources and submissions. The library values originality, quality, and thoughtful use of space, offering a welcoming venue to share creativity with the community.

CIVIC NEWS

• Council to Review Human Use Framework & Finances. Banff Town Council meets today to discuss a Human Use Management framework planned for 2026, aimed at protecting ecosystems and enhancing visitor and resident experiences. Council will also review the 2025 financial update, Squirrel Street housing funds, proposed waste and recycling rate changes, and naming the new Muskrat–Glen pedestrian bridge. Watch here. 

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, September 29th, 2025, 10:00 PM: Brent Lee. Location: Banff Rose and Crown. No Cover.

• Tuesday, September 30th, 2025, 7:30 PM: Mia Kelly & Blair Dunlop. Location: artsPlace, Canmore. $35 / members $29.75 / youth $17.5.*

SPORTS

• Wolverines Take Silver at Home Tournament. The Canmore Collegiate senior girls volleyball team battled to a silver medal at their home tournament, falling to Olds in a three-set final. With a rare all-Grade 12 roster, this season is their last shot at a provincial run. Coach Reegan Downer says zones are within reach, something Canmore hasn’t achieved since 2009.

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.