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

Five feet is roughly the length of a picnic table. That was the distance between a hiker and a mother grizzly with two cubs on the Rockwall trail this week, and it happened because he was walking quietly. The bears live there and are seen most days without trouble.

Elsewhere in the parks, a working dog has stopped working. Leroy spent seven years finding people who could not find themselves, one search running 22 kilometres and most of a day. Handler Logan Bennett now goes out alone.

Not everyone has a Rockwall-sized day in them. An hour on horseback beside the Bow River near Cave and Basin requires nothing beyond turning up, and returns you to town with the evening intact - the answer we give relatives who arrive with an afternoon and no plan.

Canmore, meanwhile, has acquired a hotel built around a Nordic spa. Hot pools, cold pools, saunas, steam, and mountain views. It solves the specific problem of legs that have done too much.

See Banff’s Lakes Before You Visit | Moraine Lake | Moraine Lake Rockpile | Lake Louise | Peyto Lake | Bow Lake

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This is the one we send visiting family on when they've only got an afternoon spare. An hour beside the Bow River near Cave and Basin, no riding experience required, and you're back in town in time for dinner.

Still got an afternoon free? This fits it

🐻 The Rockwall's Resident Grizzly. A mother grizzly and two cubs are seen almost daily on Kootenay's Rockwall trail without incident. This week, a quiet hiker surprised them at five feet. The whole encounter lasted under a minute.

🐕 Leroy Hangs Up the Harness. Parks Canada's service dog has retired after seven years alongside handler Logan Bennett. He tracked 156 people, found 57 who were lost, and once followed a trail 22 kilometres over nine hours.

🥁 Highland Games Return to Canmore. The 35th annual games run September 5-6 at Centennial Park, with tickets available in advance or at the gates. New this year is the Sunday Hooley, adding a third night of music to the weekend.

🚁 Fires Lit Next to the Rescue Base. Canmore RCMP have responded repeatedly this summer to unsafe fires near Alpine Rescue's helicopter station, the base that answers emergency calls across roughly 4,000 square kilometres of southern Alberta.

🎿 Banff Ski Deals End August 31. SkiBig3 is offering up to 40% off ski-and-stay packages for 2026-27, with a five-night minimum. Last season Sunshine finished with 1,025 cm, its second-snowiest on record.

🌦️ A mixed weekend gives way to a bright start to September - Saturday brings a mix of sun and cloud with a 60% chance of showers at 21°C; Sunday cools with more showers, dipping to 16°C, before Monday flips to fully sunny at a milder 21°C. That sunshine sticks around into next week. Full Forecast Here

🏞️ Moraine Lake and Lake Louise remain their own logistical puzzle. This round-trip shuttle picks up in Banff and Canmore, gives you an hour and twenty minutes at each lake, and takes the parking question off the table entirely.

🛶 Lake Louise Canoe Tour and Moraine Lake - A long day out from Banff or Canmore taking in Emerald, Louise and Moraine, with Moraine access sorted for you and queue-jumping at the Lake Louise boathouse.

📷 Banff Photoshoot Experience - Two to three hours with a licensed local photographer, moving between up to three spots chosen for the light that day and ending with an edited digital gallery. Priced per group rather than per person.

🚣 Jasper Family Rafting on the Athabasca - Basing yourself in Jasper? This two-hour round trip runs five miles downriver to Old Fort Point through five sets of splashy Class 2 rapids. Wetsuits and booties are provided; transfer from town included.

🚨 Can elk attack people? Yes - stay at least 30 metres back, particularly when they are protecting calves or during rut.

🏠 Is housing easy to find in Banff? Housing is very hard to come by - vacancy rates are near zero. Many workers rely on employer-provided accommodation, so it is worth asking when job hunting.

🚶 Can you walk to Canmore's easy trails from the town centre without a car? Several of the best easy hikes in Canmore start right in or near the town centre, so a car isn't always necessary - ideal if you're based locally or on foot.

Canmore's newest hotel has a Nordic spa: hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms, all with mountain views. After a day on the trails, it is exactly where you want to end up before dinner.

Find out more

Yesterday’s Question: Which of these popular recreation areas bordering Banff is not a national park?

✅Answer: 3) Kananaskis - 73% Correct

While it offers similar mountain scenery, Kananaskis is managed by the Province of Alberta rather than Parks Canada. Planning a visit? Find out which park pass you’ll need.

📅 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

12:00 | Ellen Anderson Penno - Author Signing | Cafe Books | Canmore

13:00 | Summer Fundraiser + Raffle | Sheepdog Brewing | Canmore

14:30 | 2026 Backlot Bash | Canmore Brewing Co | Canmore

18:00 | Sadie-Lee | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore

19:30 | Balkan Greek Dinner Show | Balkan Restaurant | Banff

19:30 | Kaimerata Concert | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore

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

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

20:00 | Banff Pride Launch Party | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff

21:00 | DJ Najee | Tavern 1883 | Canmore

22:00 | New Originals | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff

22:00 | Matt Beatty | The Drake | Canmore

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