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

Alberta's regulator has approved a westward expansion of the Vista coal mine east of Hinton, and it did so without holding a public hearing. Together, the operation could produce 15 million tonnes of coal a year for another twelve years, a short drive from Jasper National Park.

Elsewhere on the culture front, BISQFest runs September 3-6 at the Banff Centre, pairing string quartets with dancers, an accordion and a festival orchestra. Jan Lisiecki returns, having first played the campus during a pandemic-era online edition.

If you are heading up the Icefields Parkway, the Ice Explorer and Skywalk now run on timed slots, so turning up and hoping is no longer a plan. Booking ahead is the difference between standing on the Athabasca Glacier and looking at it from the parking lot.

For anyone still sorting out where to stay, the cabins at Baker Creek sit beside a glacier-fed creek on the Bow Valley Parkway, about fifteen minutes from Lake Louise. Falling asleep to running water is part of the arrangement.

Plan a visit to Johnston Canyon | Why you need to hike Johnston Canyon | Johnston Canyon Hike - Banff National Park in July | Take the Hop-on Hop-off Bus | eBike to the canyon

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Ride a massive all-terrain vehicle out onto the Athabasca Glacier, then walk out onto the Skywalk, a glass-floored platform suspended 280 metres above the valley below.

Book your time slot

⛏️ Coal Mine Near Jasper Expands. Alberta's regulator approved a westward expansion of the Vista mine east of Hinton without a public hearing. Combined, the operation could produce 15 million tonnes of coal a year for another 12 years.

🎻 String Quartets Take Over Banff Centre. BISQFest runs September 3-6, pairing string quartets with dancers, an accordion and a festival orchestra. Pianist Jan Lisiecki returns, who first played the campus for a pandemic-era online edition.

🌲 Healing Through Fire Nears Its End. Parks Canada interpreters and an Indigenous knowledge keeper lead a hands-on fire ecology session where you plant a tree and make art. Two dates remain, August 26 and September 2.

🪶 Stoney Nakoda Dancers at Sunshine. The Watäga dancers and singers perform song, dance and storytelling outside the Centennial Day Lodge on September 12, at 2 and 3 p.m. A sightseeing ticket is the only cost.

🐕 Off-Leash Tickets Down in Canmore. Tickets fell 41 per cent this year even as focused patrols increased 29 per cent, with warnings still outnumbering fines. Enforcement's hotspot is the stretch between Quarry Lake's two off-leash areas.

☀️ Sunshine and heat return for a two-day run this weekend - Friday goes fully sunny and hits a hot 29°C, Saturday holds that same summery heat, and Sunday cools back down with a mix of sun and cloud and a chance of showers at 22°C. Get out and soak it up while it lasts. Full Forecast Here

🐻 $1,500 Fine for Off-Leash Dog. A Seattle woman pled guilty in Canmore court after her dog ran loose near Grizzly 142. Hikers reported it, and a warden found the video on her own TikTok and Strava.

🦌 Banff Wildlife & Scenic Highlights Tour - Three hours through known wildlife corridors, with your guide adjusting the route on the day based on recent elk, bighorn sheep and bear sightings, taking in Lake Minnewanka, Bow Falls and Surprise Corner along the way.

🚴 E-Bike and Hike to Johnston Canyon - Twenty-six kilometres by e-bike along Vermilion Lakes and the Bow Valley Parkway, then wheels swapped for boots to hike the final stretch to Johnston Canyon's Lower Falls, where black swifts nest in the cliffs above.

🛶 Big Canoe River Explorer - A 1.5-hour paddle upstream on the Bow River in a 12-person voyageur-style canoe modelled on 18th-century fur trader boats, with a guide sharing local history along the way. Suitable from age two, with lemonade waiting on the shore at the end.

🎟️ Do I need a park pass to visit Banff in 2026? Yes, unless your trip falls in the free admission window from June 19 to September 7 - there is more to know before you go.

🚶 Can you walk to the Three Sisters Viewpoint trailhead from Canmore town centre? Yes - it's around a half-hour stroll from downtown, making it an easy addition to a day exploring Canmore on foot.

🔔 Who is Sam the Bellman? A 1960s hotel worker said to still help guests at the Banff Springs decades after his death - and his story gets even stranger.

These cabins sit right beside a glacier-fed creek, so falling asleep to running water is part of the stay. It's also about 15 minutes from Lake Louise, handy for an early start before the crowds build.

Find out more

Yesterday’s Question: Which lake is shown in this photo, famous for its turquoise water in summer and frozen bubbles in winter?

✅Answer: 3) Abraham Lake - 46% Correct

Abraham Lake is located outside the national park and is best known for its frozen ice bubbles in winter.

📅 Featured events for today are listed below. Visit our website for a complete list.

FULL EVENT CALENDAR | BANFF & LAKE LOUISE | CANMORE | JASPER NP
BANFF HAPPY HOURS | CANMORE HAPPY HOURS

16:00 | Live Music: Gord March | Sheepdog Brewing Canmore | Canmore

17:00 | Rooftop Sessions | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff

18:00 | Kerry Hunter | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore

18:30 | Live Musician Night | The Dusty Boot | Banff

19:00 | Bingo Night | Canmore Legion | Canmore

19:30 | Comedy: Dave Nystrom & Jarvis Zawatsky | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore

19:30 | OH, ANNE! | Canmore Collegiate High School | Canmore

19:30 | Free Range Country | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore

19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper

21:00 | Jam Night | The Stand Easy | Jasper

21:00 | Colin MacDonald | Tavern 1883 | Canmore

22:00 | Static | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff

22:00 | Reed Alton | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore

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