Hi Everyone! Here's What’s Happening This Week!

Fitz is the bold one. He's always first out of the den, always checking what's around the next corner. Turner is quieter - he figures out the puzzle feeders and carries them back to share with his brother.

Last September, their mother was killed near Diamond Valley. They were found alone, too small to survive, and brought to the Calgary Zoo, which had just lost its last two grizzlies after years of care. Read the full story and watch the videos. Have tissues ready. It ends well, but you'll need them.

If you're driving between Banff and Lake Louise after dark, note that the Bow Valley Parkway is closed nightly from 8 pm to 8 am until June 25 - the eastern 17 km between Johnston Canyon and Fireside. The animals that use it at night are exactly the kind you'd rather not meet on a dark road.

We've also launched The Banff Guide on YouTube this week - 4K drives, walking tours, and a Moraine Lake shuttle guide. If you find it useful, please subscribe. It helps more than you'd think.

For something closer to ground level, a horseback ride along the Bow River near Cave and Basin takes about an hour and fits neatly into most Banff days.

There is plenty happening this week. Dive into the event listings below, or check out the detailed events page on our website.

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We’ve finally got the YouTube channel off the ground. We’ve spent the winter getting the channel together to help you plan your 2026 trip from the comfort of your sofa.

A quick favour: YouTube won’t let us monetise the channel until we hit 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of "watch time." If you find our updates useful, please subscribe to the channel here before you dive in.

The Math:
Given that, as of writing, there are 50,206 of you reading this, if everyone watches just five minutes of our new videos this morning, we’ll hit that 4,000-hour target by breakfast.

The Main Event: The Icefields Parkway (3.5 Hours)
No talking, just the world’s most beautiful drive from Lake Louise to Jasper in 4K. Put this on the big screen, pour a brew, and enjoy the views.
Watch the Full Parkway Drive →

The Practical Bit: Moraine Lake Shuttle Guide
If you are wrestling with the Parks Canada reservation system, watch this 6-minute walkthrough before you book.
Watch the Shuttle Booking Guide →

Virtual Walks & More
We’ve also uploaded 4K walking tours of Banff Town, Lake Louise, and Moraine Lake and more.
Explore the Full Video Library →

🐻 Meet Fitz and Turner. Last September, a mother grizzly was killed near Diamond Valley. Her two cubs - far too young to survive alone - were found and brought to the Calgary Zoo. The zoo had just said goodbye to its last two grizzlies after nearly 90 years of care. The timing was brutal and somehow perfect.

Fitz is the bold one, always first out of the den, always exploring. Turner is the quiet one - he figures out the puzzle feeders and carries them home to his brother. Read this one. You'll cry a little, smile a lot, and then spend twenty minutes watching cubs play on the zoo's social media. They're making their public debut this spring. Go see them.

🌨️ Banff's weather can't make up its mind this week - and it's not about to start now. Sunday brings periods of snow or rain at 6°C, Monday sneaks up to 10°C with a chance of showers, then Tuesday slides back down to 6°C with full-on showers. Full Forecast Here

🚗 Bow Valley Parkway Closes at Dusk. The 17-km eastern section between Johnston Canyon and Fireside is off-limits nightly from 8 pm to 8 am until June 25. The montane corridor it runs through is critical habitat for wolves, cougars, and bears.

🎸 Blues-Rock Hits Canmore Brewing on Wednesday. Victoria guitarist Jesse Roper brings his 16-stop North American tour to Canmore Brewing Company on April 15. He got over stage fright after someone broke into his truck and signed him up for an open mic.

🚁 Drones Drop Explosives in Jasper This Winter. A Canadian company tested its drone-based avalanche control system in Jasper National Park this season - flying explosives up slopes and detonating them remotely. The Icefields Parkway still racked up its most closure hours in recent memory.

🔥 No Random Campfires in Jasper. Jasper National Park reminds visitors that open fires outside designated pits are illegal across all national parks - and backcountry campsites have no designated pits at all.

If Moraine Lake is on your list for the summer, note that on Wednesday, the 15th, is Parks Canada shuttle booking day. 8.01 am on Wednesday will be too late. Book your ticket before you make any other plans. We walk you through what you need to do in this video.

Eating out every meal in Banff adds up fast, and the town is not exactly short of opportunities to spend forty dollars on a burger. These three properties give you a kitchen, which changes the economics of a longer stay considerably.

🏡 Baker Creek by Basecamp - A cluster of cabins tucked into the trees along the Bow Valley Parkway, about halfway between Banff and Lake Louise. The kitchen means you can stock up in town and cook in - which, when you're sitting next to a wood-burning fireplace after a day on the trails, is no hardship at all. Read The Reviews And Book

🏘️ Tunnel Mountain Resort - Condo-style units with full kitchens, a short drive from Banff Avenue. It's not in the centre of Banff, but the space and self-sufficiency more than compensate - particularly for families who have no interest in negotiating a restaurant with tired children at the end of a long day. Read The Reviews And Book

🦌 Moose Hotel & Suites - Right on Banff Avenue, with suite options that include full kitchenettes. You get the central location without surrendering the ability to make your own breakfast. The rooftop pools are a genuine bonus rather than a marketing afterthought. Read The Reviews And Book

🚪 What happened to Room 873 at Banff Springs? It was sealed off after disturbing reports - the door simply no longer exists, and the full story raises more questions than answers.

🐾 How likely is it that I'll see a cougar while hiking in Banff? Cougar sightings are genuinely rare - most hikers never see one despite spending weeks in the Rockies. They're solitary and highly elusive, but knowing what to do in cougar country is still worthwhile.

🚌 What is Roam Transit and which areas does it serve? Banff National Park's public bus network links Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, and key attractions across the Bow Valley - making it easy to explore the Rockies without a car.

🛶 Lake Louise Guided Canoe & Moraine Lake Tour - Canoe access at Lake Louise without the queue, then on to Moraine Lake - closed to private cars, so joining a guided tour like this one is the practical way in. Six hours, pickups in Banff or Canmore, groups capped at 14.

🚡 Jasper SkyTram - Seven and a half minutes to 2,263 metres, six mountain ranges, marmots on the boardwalk. The SkyTram has been running since 1964 and is still the longest aerial tramway in Canada. Go early or late - midday gets busy. Bring a windproof layer.

🍂 Banff Larch Valley Guided Hike - The larches turn gold for a brief window each autumn, and this guided hike into Larch Valley is a great way to do it - transfer from Banff or Canmore, lunch included, trekking poles provided. 8.8km with 565m of elevation gain, so come with decent boots and reasonable legs.

For a classic Banff experience, this guided horseback ride is hard to beat. Over the course of an hour, you’ll ride beside the Bow River and through a beautiful part of the valley near Cave and Basin, with mountain views all around you.

It works well for first-time riders and anyone looking to add something memorable to their trip. We often recommend it to visiting friends and family; and because it only takes an hour, it’s easy to fit into a Banff visit.

Reserve now to enjoy a scenic horseback ride in Banff

Yesterday’s Question: Which nearby lake is often paired with Lake Minnewanka on the same outing from Banff?

✅Answer: 4) Two Jack Lake - 65% Correct

Two Jack Lake is just nearby, so many visitors combine the two on the same outing. See more ideas in our Lake Minnewanka Guide.

📅 Today’s Events are listed below. To view future events, visit our website.

BANFF EVENTS | CANMORE EVENTS | JASPER EVENTS | BANFF HAPPY HOURS | CANMORE HAPPY HOURS |

📅 Submit Here (8 days before event date)
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If you’re curious about the grand stone “castle” overlooking Banff, this is it. The Fairmont Banff Springs has welcomed travellers for more than a century. It sits just above the Bow River, a short drive from downtown, with mountain views in every direction and walking trails and viewpoints right outside the door.

Book now and experience one of Banff’s most iconic places to stay.

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