🐻 When Dogs Run Into Bears

Good morning, Bow Valley!

It’s not often our two top stories line up this perfectly in a single edition of Bow Valley Insider, but today they do. Both involve off-leash dogs and what that can mean in mountain environments. One looks at the issue right here in Canmore, while the other digs into new research on what happens when dogs and bears cross paths.

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

OFF-LEASH DOG TICKETS DROP 41% IN CANMORE

What's Happening? Canmore is stepping up patrols for off-leash dogs, but officers are actually writing fewer tickets. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 14, off-leash tickets fell 41% compared with the same period last year, from 29 to 17, while warnings dropped 11%, even as focused patrols increased 29%.

More Patrols, Fewer Tickets. Municipal enforcement has conducted more than 40 focused patrols this year, targeting areas based on public complaints, officer observations and emerging problem spots.

Greg Burt, Canmore's supervisor of municipal enforcement, told Bow Valley Insider that officers emphasize education alongside enforcement. First-time incidents without other contributing factors will often result in a warning rather than a ticket.

Still, the fines aren't exactly pocket change. An off-leash violation starts at $250, increasing to $500 for a second offence and $1,000 for a third.

It's Also About Wildlife. Canmore has been installing new signage through Keep Wildlife Alive, a collaborative initiative involving governments and the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflict.

Dogs that actually harass wildlife face much steeper penalties: $750 for a first offence, $1,500 for a second and $2,500 for a third.

"It's for the safety of your dog. It's for the safety of your friends, your neighbours, your visitors [and] wildlife," Burt said.

There's One Particular Trouble Spot. Burt identified Quarry Lake as a recurring problem, specifically the stretch between its two designated off-leash areas. The dog park includes an off-leash meadow and a separate pond area where dogs can swim, but dogs must be leashed when travelling between the two zones. The off-leash boundaries are marked with signage. 

The Bigger Picture. Warnings have historically been more common than tickets in Canmore. In 2025, officers issued 107 warnings compared with 63 tickets for off-leash dogs. So far this year, only one second-offence ticket has been issued, the same number recorded during all of 2025.

Read our full story

THE $8,000 LEAK YOU DIDN’T SEE COMING

It usually starts small.

A bit of pressure that feels off. A faint buildup around a faucet. Maybe your hot water tank takes a little longer than it used to. Easy to ignore.

Until it isn’t.

In the Bow Valley, hard water slowly builds up inside your system, wearing things down from the inside. Older Poly-B piping can become brittle over time. And when something finally gives, it’s rarely a small fix.

We’re talking soaked drywall, torn-up flooring, and repair bills that climb fast.

The tricky part is most of this happens out of sight. Behind walls. Under floors. Quietly getting worse.

Cool Runnings Plumbing sees this all the time. The job isn’t just fixing the damage. It’s catching the warning signs early and stopping it from getting there in the first place.

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

• 🤍 29-Year-Old Banff Man Drowns at Johnson Lake. A 29-year-old Banff resident drowned at Johnson Lake Sunday night after going underwater and failing to resurface. RCMP responded around 9:09 PM, and the man was recovered from the lake a short time later and pronounced deceased. Parks Canada Visitor Safety worked alongside Banff Fire, RCMP, EMS and Alpine Helicopters on the recovery. RCMP says the death is not considered suspicious and no further details are being released. The drowning came roughly 12 hours after a 52-year-old Canmore man was found deceased in the Bow River near Canmore. 

• 🔥 Kootenay National Park Wildfire Now Under Control. Remember that wildfire we were talking about last week near Ottertail Pass. Good news: Parks Canada declared it under control on Aug. 17, meaning it’s not expected to spread beyond its current perimeter. More accurate mapping later revised the fire from 11.5 hectares to about seven hectares. A crew remains on site checking for hotspots, but other resources are being released. There’s no threat to public safety or infrastructure, and Parks Canada says this will be its final update. 

• 💸 Alberta Renews Avalanche Canada Funding. On Friday, we told you about our conversation with Avalanche Canada CEO Gilles Valade, who said Alberta’s funding had expired in March with no renewal in sight. Well, there’s already an update. The province has now committed $250,000 annually for another three years, meaning the programs Avalanche Canada warned could face cuts can proceed as planned. That’s the same funding level Alberta has provided since 2015, although Avalanche Canada had requested $300,000 annually to account for rising costs. Here’s everything we know about the deal.

• ⚡ E-Bike Battery Fires Are Getting More Attention. With e-bikes everywhere in the Bow Valley, this one feels worth flagging. Fire departments across Canada are reporting more lithium-ion battery fires, including 18 in Calgary so far this year. Banff alone has helped residents purchase 826 e-bikes through its rebate program since 2022. Fire officials say problems often involve damaged or modified batteries or incompatible chargers. The takeaway: use the approved battery and charger, and stop using batteries that swell, leak, overheat, or smell unusual.

Need to get the word out for an upcoming event or initiative?

Here’s what one of our current partners, Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, had to say:

➡️ Want results like this? Let’s see if it’s a fit

NEW STUDY EXAMINES WHETHER DOGS HELP OR HINDER PEOPLE IN BEAR COUNTRY

What's Happening? Speaking of keeping dogs on leash, as we covered in our first story today, new research offers some pretty compelling evidence for why it matters in bear country.  Researchers examined 326 dog-bear conflicts across North America spanning more than a century and found off-leash dogs can initiate encounters, bring bears back toward their owners and influence people to take risks they otherwise might avoid.

Sound Familiar? The findings come shortly after this summer's viral encounter involving Banff's Bear 142. Video showed an off-leash dog barking at the grizzly, returning to its owners, then approaching the bear again as the hikers backed away. Parks Canada later charged the two hikers, who are scheduled to appear in court Aug. 25. 

The Most Concerning Pattern. In 27 of the 326 conflicts, an off-leash dog encountered or flushed a bear, then ran back toward its owner with the bear following. 70 percent of those owners were injured.

Overall, 211 incidents involved off-leash dogs versus 37 involving leashed dogs. But researchers caution those numbers don't prove off-leash dogs are more likely to encounter bears because they don't know how many leashed or unleashed dogs travelled through bear habitat without incident.

Dogs Didn't Always Help, Either. Dogs warned their owners about a bear in only 30 incidents, or 9.2%, leading researchers to conclude they're unsuitable as an early-warning system.

And when owners were attacked, dogs didn't consistently come to the rescue. Of 111 dogs whose owners were attacked, 40 didn't intervene.

People Took Risks For Their Dogs. In 96 cases where a bear mauled a dog, 29% of owners rushed in to help, leaving 17 injured. In another 102 incidents, people tried distracting the bear by shouting, making noise or throwing objects, and 45 were injured.

Researchers said people's emotional attachment to their pets can influence how they respond during dangerous encounters.

What Does The Study Actually Tell Us? Researchers can't say whether simply bringing a dog makes you a specific amount more likely to encounter a bear. 

What they can identify are behaviours associated with more dangerous outcomes once an encounter begins. Their recommendations are straightforward: keep dogs leashed, carry an appropriate deterrent such as bear spray, travel in groups and consider leaving dogs behind in areas with frequent bear encounters.

Read our full story

THINGS TO DO

Wednesday

• Grizzly Paw’s Brewmaster’s Dinner. Grizzly Paw is serving up Maíz y Fuego, a five-course Mexican-inspired dinner from Executive Chef Sujan Shrestha, with a different house beer paired with each course. Chefs and brewers will walk guests through the pairings while everyone dines outside in the Beer Garden. Tickets include all five courses, beer pairings, taxes, and gratuity. 6:00 PM. Grizzly Paw Beer Garden, Canmore.*

Thursday

• Books & Brews Returns to Canmore Brewing. Bring along books you’re finished with, swap them for something new-to-you, and have a pint while you browse. There’s no entry fee, and everyone who attends gets a voucher for a $6 pint. Basically, clear some space on the bookshelf, refill it immediately, and have a beer while you’re at it. 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM. Canmore Brewing Company. Free to attend.*

• Outdoor Movie Night in Banff. Sundance Park becomes an outdoor theatre Thursday for a free screening of Shrek. Bring a blanket, some snacks and settle in at the pavilion, with live music and popcorn starting at 7 PM before the movie begins around sunset at 9 PM. 7:00 PM. Sundance Park, Banff. Free. 

• Live Rock at the Rose & Crown. Calgary rock band Static takes over Thursday night with hits spanning the ’60s through the ’90s. They’ve spent more than a decade filling dance floors, so expect plenty of familiar rock anthems and singalongs. 10:00 PM. Rose & Crown, Banff. No cover.*

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🏍️ 100+ Motorcycles Riding Through the Bow Valley. Around 100 motorcycles with The Rolling Barrage will receive a police escort through the Bow Valley today as part of a 22-day cross-Canada ride supporting people affected by PTSD. The group is travelling from Jasper to Okotoks and is scheduled to stop at the Stoney Nakoda Casino near the Highway 40/Trans-Canada junction from 3:10-4 PM. Expect brief interruptions to on-ramps and one eastbound lane as the group passes through Canmore. If you spot them, give them a wave.  

• 👨🏻‍💼 Banff Canmore Foundation Seeks New Executive Director. Banff Canmore Foundation (BCF), a leading community foundation connecting philanthropy with Bow Valley priorities, seeks its next Executive Director (ED). Reporting to the Board, they will provide strategic and operational leadership, advancing BCF’s mission, financial stewardship, philanthropic growth, and lasting community impact. As chief ambassador, you will build trusted relationships with donors, nonprofits, governments, Indigenous communities, businesses, and civic leaders. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, strategic executive, combining financial acumen, creative thinking, and commitment to community. Learn More.*

• 🐻 Bear Warning Issued at Three Sisters Campground. A heads-up if you’re camping or spending time around Three Sisters: Alberta Parks has issued a bear warning after multiple black bears were spotted in the campground. Meanwhile, the bear closure at Mt. Lorette Ponds along Highway 40 is still in effect after being issued Aug. 15 due to bear activity. The entire day-use area remains closed until further notice. 

• 🚌 Have Thoughts on Bow Valley Transit? If you’ve ridden Roam this summer, here’s your chance to tell them what’s working and what could be better. The 2026 Customer Experience Survey is asking locals and visitors about reliability, route frequency and the overall experience. Roam says the feedback helps track satisfaction and identify future service improvements. So if you’ve got thoughts about crowded buses, connections, schedules or your daily commute, now’s the time to share them. 

• ♻️ Canmore’s ReUse Hub Is Back Open. After a short pause, the ReUse Hub is back to keeping useful materials out of the landfill and getting them into the hands of people who can use them. Think leftover construction and renovation materials, plus select household items. You can drop materials off or browse what’s available for free. The Hub is open Thursdays from 3-6 PM, Saturdays from 8-10 AM and Sundays from 10 AM-12 PM at Unit E7, 110 Bow Meadows Crescent.

• 🟨 Canmore Had a Brief Gold Rush in 1895. Long before tourism took over, Canmore briefly thought gold might be its next big thing. Prospectors discovered gold-bearing quartz on the slopes of Ha Ling, attracting investors and plans for a mine, mill and 100-foot shaft. The excitement didn’t last. By 1896, the operation had largely disappeared from the record, with one historical account saying the deeper miners dug, the less gold they found. Local historian Rob Alexander has dug into the wonderfully weird story of Canmore’s short-lived gold rush.

CIVIC NEWS

• MD of Bighorn Residents Will Keep Canmore Recreation Rates. Residents of Exshaw, Dead Man’s Flats, Harvie Heights and Lac des Arcs will continue paying the same rates as Canmore residents at Elevation Place and the Canmore Recreation Centre. Under a new five-year agreement, the MD of Bighorn will contribute toward operating costs, starting at an estimated $113,500 in 2027. The amount will be adjusted annually based on population and inflation, while Canmore has agreed not to charge MD residents higher non-resident fees.

LIVE MUSIC

• Wednesday, August 19th, 10:00 PM: DJ Bunny Hops. Location: Rose and Crown, Canmore. No Cover.

• Thursday, August 20th, 6:30 PM: Andy Curtis & the Bow River Drifters. Location: The Dusty Boot, Banff. No Cover.

• Thursday, August 20th, 9:00 PM: Among Legends. Location: Sizzlers, Banff. Cover TBD.

SPORTS

• She Rode From Banff to Mexico With Her Dog. Canadian downhill racer Rachel Pageau took on the 4,400-kilometre Tour Divide from Banff to the U.S.-Mexico border with an unusual riding partner: her three-year-old Jack Russell, Cashew. Pageau had almost no bikepacking experience, but the pair finished in 25 days and 12 hours, setting the fastest known time for someone completing the route with a dog. Cashew ran alongside on slower sections and rode in a basket or backpack when speeds picked up.

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.