📈 Record Roadkill in Alberta

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Our top story today looks at how garbage in the Bow Valley is rising with more day-use visitors. If you’re feeling motivated to do something about it, a spring clean-up is happening along Highway 40 on May 2. Volunteers will tackle about 50 km of roadside between the Trans-Canada Highway and Highwood Gate as part of a seasonal cleanup in Kananaskis. Sign up here to volunteer (you’ll be asked to create an account first). We hope to see you there!

— Fortune Whelan, Ben S., Sneha Kainth, Madalyn Beach

BANFF WASTE COSTS JUMP 38% AS DAY VISITORS RISE

What’s Happening? Banff is expanding its pedestrian waste operations as day-use tourism grows, with costs rising 38% since 2024 as more visitors spend the day in town and generate garbage in public spaces.

More Day Trips, More Garbage. Town officials say the increase is tied largely to visitors who drive in for the day rather than staying overnight. These visitors often bring their own food and spend time in parks, streets, and public areas, which means more waste ending up in pedestrian bins.

Waste collected from roughly 230 public garbage and recycling units rose from about 140 tonnes in 2024 to 150 tonnes in 2025, according to town data.

As Bow Valley Insider reported in December, litter and human waste in public spaces have already been flagged as a growing operational challenge for Banff staff. During a December council presentation, operations director Paul Godfrey said crews are seeing more diapers, fecal matter and general litter across the townsite, a trend he linked in part to the rise in day-use visitors.

The “Town Run.” To keep up, Banff has expanded its Town Run service, the crews responsible for emptying bins, maintaining waste stations, and stocking dog waste bags around town.

During peak tourism season from May through October, crews now service bins and clean high-traffic areas daily from 6 AM to 11 PM. At the height of summer, teams may empty 175 to 250 bins per day, compared with 60 to 80 bins in the off-season.

Maintaining the system required about 4,930 staff hours in 2025, equivalent to roughly 2.3 full-time positions.

Costs Rising. The expansion has significantly increased operating costs. The Town Run program cost $330,625 in 2024, rising to $400,785 in 2025, with the 2026 budget projecting $454,835. Most of those costs are tied to labour, with wages and benefits expected to reach $389,450 in 2026.

Looking Ahead to Summer. The town expects pressure on the system to continue this year as the federal government brings back the Canada Strong Pass, offering free admission to national parks from June 19 to Sept. 7.

UPCOMING FILM SCREENINGS AT BANFF CENTRE

Iron Winter | Friday, March 20 | 7 PM | Margaret Greenham Theatre | $14

Iron Winter, winner of the Grand Prize at the 2025 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, will be screened at a special local showing. The film follows 18-year-old Batbold and his friend Tsaaganna as they guard a herd of 3,000 horses during the harshest winter on record in Mongolia’s Tsakhir Valley. Blending striking cinematography with a deeply personal story, the documentary explores survival, tradition, and the pressures facing ancient herding cultures as modern life and climate change reshape the landscape.

🎥 Watch trailer

🎟️ Learn more and get tickets 

_{*Presented by Banff Centre.}

THE DIGEST

• 📈 Alberta Roadkill Hits Record High in 2025. More than 7,400 animals were reported killed on Alberta roads last year, the highest total ever recorded by the province’s Wildlife Watch carcass monitoring program and about 13% higher than 2024. Deer made up the majority, including 470 moose and 138 elk, along with dozens of bears, badgers, snakes, and birds of prey. Researchers say the real number could be much higher since many injured animals leave the roadway before dying. 

• 🏠 71 Campsites Reserved for Jasper Residents and Workers This Summer. Parks Canada will reserve 71 campsites in 2026 to help Jasper residents, workers, and contractors find temporary housing as the town rebuilds after the 2024 wildfire. The sites at Whistlers Campground and Sleepy Hollow will run from May 6 to Oct. 12 and are allocated using a priority system based on housing need and recovery involvement. Officials say the temporary campsites are a short-term bridge while permanent housing projects move forward.

• 📘 Banff Literary Arts Director Lands on CBC’s “Most Anticipated” Book List. A new book by Banff’s Derek Beaulieu is getting national attention ahead of its release next month. Do It Wrong: How to Be a Poet in the 21st Century has been named one of CBC Books’ 50 most anticipated nonfiction titles of the year. The short essay collection encourages poets to break rules, experiment, and build stronger writing communities. Beaulieu, who lives in Banff, is director of literary arts at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and previously served as poet laureate in Banff.

• 🏂🏾 Teen Snowboarder Injured in Snowmobile Collision at Sunshine Village. A teen snowboarder was taken to Alberta Children’s Hospital in serious but stable condition after colliding with a snowmobile Saturday afternoon at Banff Sunshine Village. Emergency crews responded around 2:15 p.m., taking over care from on-site medical staff before transporting the youth by ground ambulance to Calgary. The collision happened near the top of the Banff Ave run below the WaWa lift. RCMP say the circumstances of the crash are still under investigation, and the ski resort has also launched its own review.

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BANFF PAYS OUT $400K+ TO RESIDENTS FOR E-BIKE PURCHASES

What’s Happening? Banff’s e-bike rebate program has proven far more popular than expected, with demand running three to four times higher than early projections and hundreds of residents opting for electric bikes instead of cars.

Pedal Power Takes Off. Since launching in 2022, the program has helped fund 826 e-bikes, with the town paying out $435,913 in rebates. Participation has grown steadily each year, including 261 rebates issued in 2025 alone, worth more than $133,000.

How the Program Works. Residents can receive 50% of an e-bike’s purchase price up to $500, with larger rebates available for lower-income households through the Banff Access Program. The initiative is funded entirely through the town’s visitor pay parking system, which generates roughly $6.5 million annually, making the rebate program a relatively small slice of that revenue.

Why E-Bikes Work in Banff. Town officials say several factors are driving demand. E-bike prices have fallen in recent years, making them more accessible. And Banff’s steep streets make electric assist especially appealing for daily commuting, errands, or hauling groceries uphill.

As town communications director Jason Darrah put it, e-bikes help residents “avoid the challenges of parking and traffic” while making it easier to get around without a car.

Program Tweaks. Council has made several adjustments since launch. In 2024, Banff added safety certification requirements for e-bikes and expanded eligibility to include ex-rental bikes sold by local shops, allowing residents to purchase well-maintained fleet bikes at lower prices.

What’s Next. With hundreds of applications now arriving each year, the town is considering outsourcing program administration to the cycling nonprofit Community Cruisers to reduce staff workload.

Officials say the rebate program is part of a broader effort to reduce reliance on cars in Banff, alongside other initiatives like a planned car-share program launching later this year. We’ll have more on that in a future story.

Read our full article on Banff’s surging e-bike demand.

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Cabin Yoga. A drop-in class for those returning after injury, managing health conditions, or simply wanting a slower, mindful practice. With props provided and a breath-focused approach, it’s designed to build resilience, support healing, and gently ease people back into yoga or sport. 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM. Canmore Opera House. Details.*

• Documentary: The Matt Hadley Story. Trailblazing, a documentary by filmmaker Kim Logan, follows Canmore trail builder and mountain biker Matt Hadley after a devastating accident leads to the loss of his leg. Set in the Rockies, the film explores resilience, community, and redefining life in the mountains. 8:00 PM. artsPlace, Canmore. $12.75-$15.*

Tuesday

• Jameson Block Party in Banff. The Rose & Crown is throwing its first-ever Jameson Block Party to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in true Irish style. Expect $9 Jameson Ginger & Lime, $15 Irish Zombies, and $8 Jameson shots, plus the kind of lively pub energy that makes Banff nights memorable. Bring your crew, wear something green, and get ready to toast the night. 2:00 PM. Banff Rose and Crown. No Cover.

WHEN NO ONE IS TRACKING YOUR HEALTH

In the Bow Valley, a surprising number of people still don’t have a family doctor. Some feel healthy. Others rely on walk-ins or the ER when something pops up. The problem is what gets missed in between.

Doctors at Mountain Maternity and Family Practice say one of the biggest risks is lost follow-up. Abnormal blood work. Imaging results that never get reviewed. Preventive screenings that quietly fall through the cracks. Those gaps often show up later as more advanced illness, sometimes in the ER, when the problem is harder to treat.

Family doctors are also the ones watching patterns over time. Repeated headaches. Ongoing anxiety. Subtle changes that don’t look urgent in a single visit but matter when seen together. Walk-ins and emergency care are excellent at ruling out immediate danger. Long-term health needs someone keeping an eye on the full picture.

The clinic says they are accepting new patients and that registering is quick. For many locals, it’s less about finding care and more about realizing what consistent care actually prevents.

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

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

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🎤 Songwriters’ Circle and JUNOs Watch Party in Canmore. Local music lovers might want to block off the afternoon of March 29. CBC is hosting a songwriters’ circle and JUNOs watch party at The Drake Screaming Retriever starting at 4 PM. Tarik Robinson from Key of A will host Bow Valley musicians Amelie Paterson, Mister Bird, and Nurdjana, who will perform and chat about their music. After that, Calgary Eyeopener’s Mack Meyer will lead a JUNOs watch party with trivia, prizes, and CBC swag. The event is free, but you do need to RSVP, as space is limited, and light food will be provided.*

• 🍱 Valbella Dinner Deals. Valbella Gourmet Foods has two grab-and-go dinner bundles ready for an easy meal at home. Their Pulled Pork Night ($18) feeds three with slow-cooked pulled pork, buns, pickles, cheese slices, and coleslaw. Or try the Coal Miner Steak Sandwich kit ($15) for two with coal miner steaks, mini baguettes, and garlic aioli. Meals are ready to take home, and weekly delivery is available across the Bow Valley and Calgary. Order here and support a great Canmore business.*

• 📅 Plan Ahead: Alberta Parks Camping Dates Are Coming. Alberta Parks has opened the reservation calendar for three big weekends: Canada Day bookings start March 28, August long weekend opens May 2, and Labour Day opens June 6, all at 9 AM. If you’re hoping to snag a site for one of these long weekends, set up your Parks account now and be ready when the gates open.

• 🎬 Actors Wanted for “Murder at Lake Louise.” A three-day immersive event at the Lake Louise Inn is looking for performers for the upcoming Murder at Lake Louise mystery experience. The show needs six energetic actors to stay in character while mingling with guests, dropping clues, and driving the story forward over meals and events. Roles pay $250–$500, and include a hotel stay, meals, and a gas allowance.

• 🍽️ Elita Reopens as Crazy Hats Arts and Food Lounge. The former Elita Restaurant on Main Street in Canmore has quietly reopened under a new name: Crazy Hats Arts and Food Lounge. The same owners and chefs are behind it, but the concept now blends an arts and crafts gallery with food, drinks, and desserts. The team is also planning weekend DJ nights, dance parties, and raves.

CIVIC NEWS

• Canmore Creates Cross-Agency Public Safety Group. Canmore has launched a new Public Safety Working Group bringing together town staff, RCMP, schools, transit, and community organizations to coordinate responses to local safety concerns. The group held its first meeting in January, with early discussions focused on e-bike and scooter safety and issues at bus stops. Officials say the goal is to get key partners sharing information and working together on solutions rather than tackling the same problems separately.

LIVE MUSIC

• Monday, March 16th, 2025, 6:30 PM: Irene Poole. Location: Murrieta’s, Canmore. No Cover.

• Tuesday, March 17th, 2025, 7:30 PM: Union Duke. Location: artsPlace, Canmore. $35 / members $29.75 / youth $17.50.

SPORTS

• Eagles Playoff Tickets Go On Sale. Playoff hockey is coming to Canmore. Round one tickets for the matchup between the Canmore Eagles and the Calgary Canucks go on sale Tuesday at 9:00 AM. Expect the rink to be loud as the Eagles chase postseason glory. If you want a seat for the action, set your alarm because these usually go fast. Tickets.

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.