🥾 New Lake Minnewanka Rules

Good morning, Bow Valley!

A new backpack is fun. New mountain skills are even better. If you've been looking at bigger Bow Valley hikes and wondering how to make the jump safely, our 2-Day Scrambling Skills Clinic is built for exactly that. You'll learn practical skills from Leviathan Mountain Guides that you'll use for years, not just one weekend. There are only 3 spots left, and registration closes on Friday. Details here. Got questions? Hit reply!

- Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Madalyn Beach

FOUR HIKERS REQUIRED ON LAKE MINNEWANKA TRAILS DURING BEAR SEASON

What's Happening? If you're planning to hike beyond Stewart Canyon Bridge at Lake Minnewanka, you'll need at least three friends. Through Sept. 15, Parks Canada requires anyone entering the backcountry trail system to travel in groups of four or more as female grizzly bears feed on buffaloberries (map here).

Where The Rules Apply. The restrictions begin only after hikers cross Stewart Canyon Bridge. Visitors can still enjoy the Lake Minnewanka shoreline and day-use area without the minimum group requirement, but anyone continuing toward Aylmer Lookout or Aylmer Pass must follow the seasonal regulations.

Hikers must travel in groups of at least four, stay within three metres of one another and carry bear spray. Dogs and bicycles are prohibited beyond the bridge, and anyone who fails to comply can face fines of up to $25,000.

Why Four People? Lake Minnewanka borders one of Banff National Park's designated grizzly bear core areas, where female bears frequently raise cubs. Between mid-July and September, hillsides fill with ripening buffaloberries, a critical food source before hibernation. Parks Canada says a single grizzly can consume up to 250,000 buffaloberries a day, roughly the equivalent of a person eating about 60 hamburgers.

As bears feed in dense berry patches, hikers can unknowingly approach at close range. Research has consistently shown larger hiking groups are less likely to experience aggressive encounters because they're noisier and easier for bears to detect from a distance.

The Rules Came After Serious Attacks. The seasonal restrictions weren't introduced arbitrarily. Between 1998 and 2005, five grizzly attacks occurred near Aylmer Pas. According to Parks Canada, every incident involved hikers travelling alone or in small groups.

Rather than permanently closing the area, Parks Canada adopted seasonal group-size requirements to lower the chances of those encounters.

Backcountry Access Has Returned. The annual restrictions also come just weeks after Parks Canada temporarily closed much of the Lake Minnewanka backcountry following an unrelated wildlife closure. As we previously reported, the closure was prompted by black bears displaying food-seeking behaviour, including one incident in which a camper returned from a day hike to find their tent ripped apart. That emergency closure has since been lifted.

Read our full story

THIS ISN’T JUST A MUSIC FESTIVAL. IT’S HOW CANMORE DOES SUMMER.

For one August long weekend, Centennial Park becomes Canmore’s unofficial living room.

Blankets cover the grass. Kids dance in front of the stage. Friends “quickly” grab food and disappear for 45 minutes. Music drifts across the park while the Three Sisters quietly steal the backdrop.

The Canmore Folk Music Festival returns August 1 to 3 for its 49th year, bringing more than 30 artists to town, including Sarah Harmer, William Prince, Wild Rivers, Begonia and The Felice Brothers.

But the lineup is only part of the experience.

Folk Fest also has unexpected workshop collaborations, food truck dinners, sunset singalongs, discovering an artist you had never heard of that morning, and Little Folkies, a dedicated family area with crafts, games, storytelling, performances and activities for kids. 

Either way, this is one of those weekends that reminds you why summer in Canmore feels special.

Weekend passes and single-day tickets are still available. Grab yours and make Folk Fest part of your summer.

_{*Presented by Canmore Folk Fest.}

THE DIGEST

• 🔥 Lightning Sparked A Small Wildfire Near Emerald Lake. Parks Canada says a lightning-caused wildfire near Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park was quickly extinguished after it was reported Sunday. With forests continuing to dry out, officials are urging campers to use designated fire pits only, keep fires small, use only park-supplied firewood, and report any signs of wildfire immediately. The reminder comes as Alberta Wildfire says lightning has already sparked more than 170 wildfires this year, and some can smoulder undetected for days before they're discovered. 

• 🚩 Golden Lands In B.C.'s Air Quality 'Red Zone'. This isn't a Bow Valley story, but it's an interesting one from our neighbours to the west. New provincial data has placed Golden in the highest-risk category under Canada's Air Quality Management System after fine particulate pollution exceeded national health standards. Even after removing the effects of wildfire smoke, researchers found local winter emissions like wood burning, idling trains, vehicle exhaust and slash burning continue to push pollution levels higher. Officials are now expanding wood stove replacement incentives and other air quality measures. 

• ⛷️ A Day In The Life Of Canada's XC Ski Team. Ever wondered what training for the national cross-country ski team actually looks like in the summer? Canmore's Amelia Ells and Aislin Simpson take you behind the scenes at the Haig Glacier in Kananaskis, where athletes hike to a remote hut, spend three hours skiing on ice and snow, cool off in glacier runoff, tackle a dryland workout, and end the day with a mountain sunset. It's a fascinating glimpse into one of the most unique high-performance training environments. Watch it here. 

• 🏠 Lac Des Arcs Gets Limited Short-Term Rentals. MD of Bighorn council voted to allow a small number of short-term rentals in Lac Des Arcs after all, rejecting a staff recommendation to ban them entirely. The new land-use bylaw caps rentals at 10% of homes (about nine properties), with council arguing they could help residents offset mortgage costs while limiting impacts on the community. The bylaw also raises the cap to 40% in Dead Man's Flats. Here’s all the changes.

What Happens After Someone Sees Your Ad?

Do they:

A) Click
B) Buy
C) Forget you existed 3 seconds later

Most businesses don’t know.

We do.

We track leads and actual customers.

Because “awareness” doesn’t pay the bills.

➡️ Let’s make your marketing measurable

CANMORE RESIDENTS CALL FOR STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR PARKS AND TRAILS

What's Happening? Canmore residents overwhelmingly support the town's parks and trails, but they're also sending a clear message: as the community grows, don't let those spaces lose the wild character that makes them special. Public engagement on the Town's updated Open Spaces and Trails Plan found protecting natural areas emerged as residents' top priority, even as many also called for better amenities and trail connections.

Growth Is Raising The Stakes. Canmore is updating its long-term parks and trails plan as it prepares for decades of growth. The permanent population has increased from about 11,760 in 2016 to roughly 17,200 today and is projected to reach 27,000 by 2050, alongside about 4,000 part-time residents and between three and five million annual visitors.

Despite those pressures, residents expressed strong appreciation for the existing trail network, particularly its connectivity and opportunities to experience nature.

'Keep Them Wild.' When asked what the Town's proposed guiding principles were missing, the most common response wasn't more amenities or new trails. It was protecting the natural character of existing ones.

Residents repeatedly described wanting parks and trails to remain "natural," "wild" and "undeveloped."

"I love that our trails are not commercialized," one participant wrote. "Keep them wild please."

Many worried additional paving, lighting and infrastructure could gradually erode wildlife habitat and the experience of being immersed in nature. Those comments aligned with the survey, where 90.8% of respondents supported making ecological integrity the foundation of future trail planning, the highest-rated guiding principle.

Balancing Protection And Growth. Residents weren't opposed to improvements altogether. They also requested more washrooms, dog amenities, tennis and pickleball courts, better trail connections and safer pathways for pedestrians, cyclists and e-bike users. Quarry Lake was repeatedly identified as an overcrowding hotspot, while others raised concerns about parking, visitor behaviour and balancing tourism with residents' access to local spaces.

The feedback will now be used to prepare a draft Open Spaces and Trails Plan before another round of public consultation. 

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Wednesday

• Banff Farmers Market. Come for the fresh produce, stay for the baking, handmade art, jewellery, pottery, preserves, and small-batch treats. It's one of the best places to support local makers and soak up a summer afternoon in Banff, even if you only planned to "have a quick look." 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Central Park, Banff. Free.

• Disco-Themed Ecstatic Dance. Looking for a dance floor without the nightclub? This disco-inspired Ecstatic Dance session features a live DJ, 90 minutes of music, and a welcoming atmosphere where everyone is encouraged to move however they like. No experience required. 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. The Yoga Lounge, Canmore. $15.

Thursday

• Friends of the Canmore Library Book Sale. Browse thousands of gently used hardcovers, paperbacks, children's books, and audiobooks while supporting local library programs and community initiatives. It's a great excuse to refresh your bookshelf before summer winds down. 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM. Canmore Library. Free.

• Live Folk-Country Music at the Opera House. Folk-country duo The Janzen Boys make their Canmore debut with an intimate, all-ages performance at the historic Canmore Opera House. Expect two sets of songs, stories, and rich harmonies in one of the Bow Valley's most unique music venues. Doors: 6:30 PM. Show: 7:00 PM. Canmore Opera House. 

WHY PLUMBING IN THE BOW VALLEY ISN’T LIKE CALGARY

Plumbing here plays by different rules.

You’ve got freezing temperatures that push pipes to their limit. Water that’s packed with minerals from the surrounding limestone. And homes with layouts that aren’t always… straightforward.

That combination adds up.

Hard water leaves scale inside your pipes and hot water tank, slowly reducing efficiency and increasing wear. Cold snaps put stress on exposed lines and outdoor fixtures. And older homes often come with outdated systems that weren’t built for today’s demands.

It’s why plumbing issues here tend to show up differently and escalate faster than people expect.

Cool Runnings Plumbing works in these conditions every day. They know what typically fails, what lasts, and what needs attention before it becomes a problem.

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.}

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🏃 One Day. Four Peaks. The Canmore Quad returns this weekend, challenging runners to tackle Grotto, Lady MacDonald, EEOR, and Ha Ling in one roughly 52-kilometre, 4,700-metre day. You can race solo or split the peaks with a team, but with temperatures expected to climb into the high 20s, staying hydrated and knowing your limits will be just as important as fitness. 

• 💊 Your Friend Is Visiting You, and They Forgot Their Meds. Now What? Your friend rolls into town, you pick them up, and somewhere between unloading bags and planning the weekend, they realize… their medication is still sitting at home. Most people assume they’re stuck or spending hours trying to track down a clinic. They’re not. Pharmacists here can often extend prescriptions or coordinate a quick transfer so nothing gets missed. At Banff Value Drug Mart, this is something the owner and pharmacist, Varun, handles regularly, especially with visitors and seasonal workers.*

• 🚧 Grassi Lakes Remains Closed. Still hoping to hike Grassi? Not yet. The day use area remains closed while crews remove unstable rock and address ongoing rockfall hazards above the site. We've had quite a few readers ask us for alternatives. Our picks right now are Heart Creek Bunker and Grotto Canyon. Neither ends at a lake, but both are unique hikes (with similar difficulty) that are well worth the trip.

• 🙋 Help Keep Equine Therapy Affordable. Bow Valley Equine Adaptive is looking for a few more volunteers for its casino fundraiser on July 24-25. The organization uses horseback riding and horsemanship to help children and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges build confidence and independence. Just a handful of volunteer shifts remain, and this single fundraiser helps support programs for the next three years. 

• ⚡Planned Power Outage In Banff. If you're near 555 Cougar St., plan ahead. FortisAlberta has scheduled a power outage from 9 AM to 5 PM today, while crews relocate and upgrade a transformer. Affected customers have already been contacted directly, but if you're working from home or have appointments in the area, it's worth knowing before the lights go out (map here).

CIVIC NEWS

• Banff Boosts Employee Pay Target. Banff council has voted to raise its wage target from the market midpoint to the 55th percentile in an effort to attract and retain staff. The move is expected to cost about $955,000, roughly $205,000 more than simply bringing wages back to the Town's previous target. Supporters say it's needed to address chronic staffing shortages, while opponents questioned whether the additional spending is necessary before seeing if the existing pay target would solve recruitment challenges.

LIVE MUSIC

• Wednesday, July 22nd, 10:00 PM: DJ Bunny Hops. Location: HIgh Rollers, Banff. No Cover.

• Thursday, July 23rd, 10:00 PM: Halo. Location: Rose and Crown, Banff. No Cover.

SPORTS

• Banff Eagle Commits To Augustana. After three seasons with the Canmore Eagles, Banff defenceman Haruki Morikawa has committed to the University of Alberta Augustana for the 2026-27 season. The AJHL described Morikawa as a dependable, team-first player who could be counted on in every situation. He'll continue both his hockey career and post-secondary education in Camrose. 

That’s all, folks!

We’ll see you back here on Friday, 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.