🎥 Netflix Picks Banff

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Ben is taking today off, which is notable because he hasn't been away on a publication day since... about this time last year. So today, the rest of us have been trusted with the big red Publish button. If this email somehow doesn't land in your inbox at exactly 7:00 a.m., just know there's probably a Monday morning meeting with our names on it.

- Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Madalyn Beach

NETFLIX WANTS PEOPLE TO VISIT CANMORE & BANFF

What’s Happening? Netflix has launched an interactive map that lets viewers explore the real Canadian filming locations behind some of its most popular movies and TV shows, and the Bow Valley is one of its biggest stars. (Our team spent way too much time playing with it, and it's genuinely fun to explore.)

The Bow Valley On Screen. The new Netflix in Your Neighbourhood map pinpoints filming locations across Banff, Canmore and Kananaskis, allowing fans to see exactly where scenes were shot.

One of the biggest local showcases comes from the upcoming Korean romantic comedy Can This Love Be Translated?, with stops including Banff's Central Park Pedestrian Bridge, Quarry Lake, and Upper Kananaskis Lake. Fortress Mountain also appears in the documentaries The Dinosaurs and Our Living World, while Nakoda Lakeside Lodge, Stoney Park Campground, and the Elbow River Launch all make appearances in other Netflix productions.

Each filming location also doubles as a travel guide, with recommendations for nearby restaurants, hikes, attractions, and local businesses.

More Than A Travel Map. The launch is another example of "set-jetting," the growing trend of travellers visiting destinations they've first discovered through film and television.

But it also arrives as Netflix and other streaming services continue pushing back against Canada's new Online Streaming Act. Supporters argue foreign streaming platforms should contribute more toward funding Canadian-owned productions, while critics say companies like Netflix already invest heavily in Canada by filming here, creating jobs and introducing Canadian destinations to global audiences.

Netflix hasn't connected the new map to that debate directly. But it does reinforce one of the company's long-standing arguments: that productions filmed in Canada generate economic and tourism benefits beyond the screen.

According to Netflix-commissioned research, viewers who watch Canadian content are 2.1 times more likely to rank Canada as their top travel destination than those who haven't.

For Bow Valley residents, many of these locations are everyday sights. For millions of Netflix viewers, they're places they've only ever visited through a screen.

Read our full story

“I’M NOT PREGNANT. WHY WOULD I GO THERE?”

It is one of the most common assumptions in the Bow Valley. If you are not pregnant, why would you go to a clinic with “maternity” in the name?

The reality looks very different.

Doctors say the majority of appointments have nothing to do with pregnancy. People come in for lingering colds and viral illnesses. Back, knee, shoulder, and joint pain after years of skiing or climbing. Skin concerns like rashes, eczema, or acne. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, or simply feeling off. Prescription renewals. Work notes. Chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or cholesterol.

In other words, everyday family medicine.

New patients are often surprised to learn the clinic sees men and women of all ages, has multiple physicians on staff, and offers same day or short notice appointments once you are registered. Many were previously relying on walk ins or the ER because they thought they did not have another option.

That full spectrum care is already happening at Mountain Maternity and Family Practice, which says it is accepting new patients. 

Fill out this quick form, and Dr Brendan Flowers and his team will personally follow up.

It is a family medicine clinic that also does maternity, not the other way around.

_{*Presented by Mountain Maternity & Family Practice.}

THE DIGEST

• 🚗 Two Killed On Highway 93 South. Two people were killed Wednesday evening after RCMP say a westbound vehicle crossed the centre line while negotiating a corner and collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle near Simpson Monument in Kootenay National Park. Both vehicles were occupied only by their drivers, who died at the scene. "This was a tragic incident that resulted in the loss of two lives," said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Brett Urano. Police say no criminality is suspected, and Highway 93 was closed for more than seven hours. 

• 🐺 Huge Wildlife Corridor Protected Near Banff. One of Canada's largest private conservation deals has permanently protected 45,000 hectares of forests stretching through B.C.'s Elk Valley, securing a key wildlife corridor connecting Banff National Park to Montana's Glacier National Park. Conservation groups say the landscape helps grizzly bears, wolverines, lynx, bighorn sheep and other species move through the Rockies, while reducing the risk the land could one day be subdivided or heavily developed. Here’s everything we know.

• 🔥 Extreme Fire Danger Returns To Banff. Banff National Park's fire danger has climbed back to Extreme as wildfire smoke from South of Lytton, BC, drifts into the Bow Valley, prompting an air quality warning expected to last through the weekend. There are currently no active wildfires in the park, but Parks Canada warns any new fire could spread rapidly under the current hot, dry conditions. Campfires remain allowed only in designated fire pits, and visitors are being urged to follow all fire restrictions.

• 🐻 Grizzly Chases People Near Chiniki Lake. Stoney Nakoda Nation is warning people to use extra caution around the east end of Chiniki Lake and Chiniki Lake Road after a grizzly sow reportedly charged at and chased several Nation members while protecting her cubs. Chiniki Lake Road intersects Highway 40 near the turnoff to Barrier Lake, placing the area just off one of the main routes into Kananaskis (map here). Officials say the bear has been seen repeatedly in the area.

How Our Instagram Videos Stack Up

In the last 30 days:

• Rocky Mountain Outlook: 0 views
• Town of Canmore: 976 views
• 106.5 Mountain FM: 7,428 views
• Overheard Podcast: 27,206 views
• Tourism Canmore Kananaskis: 100,435 views
• Banff & Lake Louise Tourism: 593,100 views
Bow Valley Insider: 2,569,710 views

We’ve built one of the largest digital audiences in the Bow Valley for locals and weekenders.

Now we help businesses tap into it.

➡️ Fill out this quick form and let’s see if it’s a fit.

CANMORE RESIDENTS SAY THEY'D DRIVE LESS IF THIS CHANGED 

What's Happening? Canmore residents are calling for safer walking and cycling routes, better public transit and improved winter maintenance as the Town updates the long-term transportation plan that will guide how people get around for years to come.

Safety Was The Biggest Theme. Hundreds of residents, businesses and community organizations participated in the Town's transportation engagement this spring, with 402 people completing an online survey and 176 individuals contributing ideas through an interactive map. Their feedback consistently pointed to safer intersections, slower vehicle speeds, clearer signage and pathways that better separate pedestrians, cyclists and e-bikes. 

Many said Canmore already has one of the community's biggest strengths in its pathway network, but they want it to keep pace with growth through safer connections to neighbourhoods like Three Sisters and Elk Run.

Leave The Car At Home? The survey found public transit was the mode residents most wanted to use more if the transportation system better met their needs, followed closely by cycling and walking.

Participants called for more frequent Roam Transit service, better connections between neighbourhoods and routes that don't always require travelling through downtown. They also said pathways, sidewalks and crosswalks need more consistent snow and ice clearing if the Town wants people to walk and bike year-round.

Different People, Different Challenges. The report found transportation issues weren't the same for everyone. Women were more likely to raise safety concerns, older residents were more affected by winter conditions and conflicts on shared pathways, while people living farther from downtown said transit was harder to access.

Drivers, meanwhile, most often pointed to parking availability as their biggest challenge, while younger and lower-income residents were more likely to say the cost of owning a vehicle was becoming a barrier.

Looking Ahead. This is only the first phase of public engagement. The feedback will now be used to prepare a draft transportation plan, with residents getting another opportunity to comment later this year. 

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Friday

• Sip & Sizzle Patio Party. Canmore Brewing is celebrating the release of its newest beers with a patio party featuring free beer samples, hot dogs, sausages, lawn games, and live music. Friday also includes $6 happy hour pints from 4-7 PM, making it a pretty solid excuse to head straight from work to the brewery. Friday & Saturday. Live music 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Canmore Brewing Company. No cover.*

• Dog-Friendly Beer Garden Party. Dogs, craft beer, and a good cause. Bow Valley SPCA and Grizzly Paw are launching this year's Benefit Brew, Muzzle Up Hazy IPA, with an afternoon of games, Paw-lympics, prizes, a pet photo booth, and plenty of four-legged friends. Bring your pup and help support local animals while you're at it. 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Grizzly Paw Beer Garden, Canmore. No cover.*

Saturday

• Try Your Luck At The Banff Legion. Looking for an old-school Legion night? Banff Legion is hosting a meat draw, plus Chase the Ace, where ticket sales build a growing jackpot until someone draws the ace of spades. Stick around afterward for live music from southern Alberta musician Mike Burns, whose setlist ranges from '50s rock to Top 40 country. 4:00 PM. Banff Legion. No cover.*

Sunday

• Country Night At The Drake. Dust off the boots, or don't. Canadian country artist Troy Toma is bringing a mix of country, roots, bluegrass, and rockabilly to The Drake's Screamin' Retriever Pub. Whether you're there to dance, sing along, or just enjoy some live music with a drink, it'll be a lively Sunday night. 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM. Drake's Screamin' Retriever Pub, Canmore. No cover.*

FEDERAL MP BRINGING POP-UP OFFICE TO BANFF

Need help untangling a federal issue? MP William Stevenson is hosting non-partisan pop-up offices in Banff on July 13, giving Bow Valley residents a chance to connect directly with federal staff. Whether you need help with immigration paperwork, CPP, Employment Insurance, veterans services, CRA questions, or simply want to share your perspective on issues affecting the Bow Valley, the team will be available for drop-in support and conversation.  

📍July 13, 10 AM to 12 PM, Fenlands Banff Recreation Center, Community Meeting Room, 100 Mount Norquay Road, Banff. 

✉️ Contact MP Stevenson’s Office: 1-800-268-7117 or [email protected]

_{*Presented by The Office of MP William Stevenson.}

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🥾 One of Canmore’s Best Hikes. If Mount Collembola has been sitting on your hiking bucket list, our resident hiking writer, Janine, just published a detailed guide to the challenging 16.6-km route, featuring more than 1,400 metres of elevation gain, a short scramble near the summit, and spectacular 360-degree views over the Bow Valley. Read our full guide. 

• 🩺 Free Local Injury Prevention Resource. If you're the kind of person who'd rather prevent an injury than rehab one, the Banff Sport Medicine Foundation has quietly built one of the best free health libraries around. It includes expert-written guides, videos, and exercise programs covering everything from climbing, skiing, running, and pickleball to shoulder mobility, knee pain, concussion recovery, strength training, and healthy ageing. It's a great local resource whether you're training for your next adventure or just trying to stay active without getting hurt. Check it out here.*

• 🌷 Your Neighbour’s Flowers Are Probably Better Than Yours. And there’s a decent chance they came from Wendy’s Garden Centre. Every summer, Wendy quietly supplies many of the overflowing baskets and patio flowers you see around Canmore, from storefronts to front porches that make people slow down mid-walk. Her new location across from Elevation Place in the old car dealership lot is now packed with hanging baskets, flowering shrubs, herbs, veggie starts, and trees that actually work in Bow Valley conditions (map). Open daily 9 AM- 6 PM (5 PM Sundays), rain or shine.* 

• 📅 Hosting a Local Event & Don’t Need a Full-Day Venue? Not every event fits neatly into an 8-hour rental. Maybe you’re running a 2-hour workshop, hosting a half-day training, or testing a new class before committing to a full series. The Canmore Opera House in Spring Creek is built for that kind of flexibility, with hourly, half-day, and full-day options depending on the season. You still get the full setup, stage, AV, tables, chairs, bar, and mountain views, without overpaying for time you don’t need. It’s a smarter way to host smaller or first-time events. Inquire here.*

• 🍽️ Valbella’s Ready-To-Go Summer Meals. Planning a picnic or just don't feel like cooking? Valbella's July Grab N' Go specials are built for both. The Picnic Basket Special comes loaded with deli favourites for two to three people, while the Stampede Breakfast Special brings together everything needed for a proper cowboy breakfast. They're only available this month, and you can order online for home delivery throughout the Bow Valley, Calgary, Cochrane, and Airdrie.*

CIVIC NEWS

• Bear Street Parkade Repairs Begin. Banff's Bear Street parkade will remain open during three months of structural repairs and drainage upgrades. Up to 35 of the parkade's 218 public stalls will be closed at a time between July and September as crews repair concrete, improve drainage, and extend the life of the 33-year-old structure.

LIVE MUSIC

• Friday, July 10th, 2026, 5:00 PM: DJ Tenax.  Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

• Saturday, July 11th, 2026, 10:00 PM: DJ Najee.  Location: Tavern 1883, Canmore. No Cover.

SPORTS

• Canmore Olympians Getting A $10K Boost. Canmore Olympians Pascale Paradis and Xavier McKeever are welcoming a new US$10,000 grant from the International Olympic Committee for athletes who competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Both say it's a meaningful step toward easing the financial burden of elite sport, though it covers only a fraction of the roughly $30,000 a year many athletes spend to compete internationally.

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.