Hi Everyone! Here's What’s Happening This Week!
Turns out you don't need to leave the park for Alberta's best table. OpenTable's new diner rankings put four of the province's top eight hotel restaurants inside the Fairmont Banff Springs, with three more in Lake Louise - seven of eight inside Banff National Park.
In Jasper, the Athabasca Hotel - built in 1928 to house a bar for the Calgary Brewing and Malt Company - has new owners. Decore Hotels has taken over the building, and sixty rooms are getting private bathrooms for the first time.
If a glacier tour is on your list, the Columbia Icefield's Ice Explorer and Skywalk pairing rewards some planning - an all-terrain vehicle out onto the Athabasca Glacier, then a walk onto a glass floor 280 metres above the valley. Time slots fill fast in July, so reserving ahead helps.
Moraine Lake's shuttle system catches most visitors out sooner or later - unless you're staying at Moraine Lake Lodge, the only way to drive straight to the lake. Guests also get the place mostly to themselves once the day-trippers and the last shuttles clear out.
Canmore Easy Hikes | Bow River Loop | Quarry Lake | Three Sisters | Policeman’s Creek | Larch Island
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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.
🏔️ Fresh from the Rockies
East End of Rundle Reflection, Canmore
🍽️ One Hotel, Half of Alberta's Best. OpenTable's diner rankings put four of Alberta's top eight hotel restaurants inside the Fairmont Banff Springs alone, with three more in Lake Louise - seven of eight, split across just three hotels, all in Banff National Park.
🐻 Regina Couple Killed in Bear Attack. Jay and Deb MacDonald were found dead near their cabin at McTavish Lake in northern Saskatchewan on Wednesday. Wildlife officials have euthanised a black bear suspected in the attack.
🍺 Jasper's Oldest Hotel Changes Hands. The Athabasca Hotel, built in 1928 to house a bar for the Calgary Brewing and Malt Company, has been sold to Decore Hotels. Sixty rooms are getting private bathrooms for the first time.
💧 Banff's Lakes Get Colour-Coded Rules. Parks Canada has split park waters into three Water Activity Zones to fight invasive species. At Lake Minnewanka, paddleboards are banned, but inspected motorboats are allowed.
🌫️ Golden's Air Quality Rated Worst. The town now sits in Canada's highest air-quality risk zone, with wintertime wood smoke, idling trains and traffic - not wildfire - behind it. The monitor sits beside the hospital helipad, one of Golden's cleaner spots.
🌤️ Banff trades in the thunder for a three-day stretch of sunshine - Sunday brings a mix of sun and cloud at 24°C, Monday turns fully sunny with a high of 22°C, and Tuesday climbs back up to 26°C under more sun and cloud. Grab the sunglasses; the storms are taking a break. Full Forecast Here
⭐ Most Popular Last Issue
🦌 Cruise to Spirit Island: The Maligne Valley route starts at Medicine Lake's shore before a 90-minute cruise across, with wildlife along the way and transport and timing handled start to finish. Book the Spirit Island cruise
🚣Activities You Might Enjoy
🏔️ Columbia Icefield 5 Lakes Tour: Peyto, Lake Louise & the Skywalk - Twelve hours along the Icefields Parkway takes in turquoise Lake Louise, wolf-shaped Peyto Lake, and the Columbia Icefield's glass-floored Skywalk before two hours aboard an Ice Explorer on the glacier itself.
📸 Luxury Banff Day Tour: Norquay, Minnewanka & the Gondola - A nine-and-a-half-hour sweep of Banff's essentials: Mount Norquay Lookout, Lake Minnewanka with an optional cruise, the Banff Gondola's six-range summit views, and Bow Falls to finish - plan the day around every classic viewpoint in one go.
🧗 Mount Norquay Via Ferrata: Cables, Ladders & Suspension Bridges - No climbing experience needed for this route of steel cables and ladders bolted to the cliff face, crossing a 30-metre suspension bridge en route to views over the Bow Valley - choose your route, 2.5 hours or the full 4-hour ridge climb.
❓Your Questions Answered
🏔️ Where does Roam Transit go in Banff? It covers the main destinations most visitors want, including Banff town, Canmore, Lake Louise, and popular hiking and sightseeing spots.
👨👩👧 Is the Canmore Engine Bridge suitable for families and wheelchair users? Several access points to the Canmore Engine Bridge are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, making it a genuinely family-friendly outing for all ages and abilities.
🏘️ Can bears enter towns like Banff and Canmore, and what should you do if you see one? Yes - bears do move through both towns, especially in berry season. Report sightings to authorities, keep your distance, and never approach or feed them.
Moraine Lake Lodge is one of the only ways to skip the shuttle system entirely; guests can drive straight to the lake. Stay here, and you also get the place almost to yourself once the day-trippers and the last shuttles have gone.
🏕️ Quiz
Which mountain town centre is shown in this photo?
Yesterday’s Question: What is the name of Banff’s iconic castle-style hotel?
✅ Answer: 3) Fairmont Banff Springs - 73%
The Fairmont Banff Springs is one of the Rockies’ most storied hotels and a landmark worth knowing. Learn more in our Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Guide
🎸Events, Activities & Live Music
📅 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
Sunday, July 19
13:00 | Anne of Green Gables | Centennial Park | Canmore
14:00 | Live Music | Big Dog Smokehouse & BBQ | Canmore
15:00 | The Cheezie Musical | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore
18:00 | Sunset Festival @ Banff Gondola | Banff Gondola | Banff
19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper
20:00 | The Nico Tobias Band | The Drake | Canmore
21:00 | Sunday Funday: Party | High Rollers | Banff
21:30 | Locals Night with DJ Palf | Melissa's Missteak | Banff
22:00 | Brent Lee | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
Monday, July 20
16:00 | Visual Arts Open Lecture Series | The Banff Centre | Banff
19:00 | Brotherhood | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper
20:00 | Monday Trivia | High Rollers | Banff
20:00 | Live Music Night | Three Bears | Banff
22:00 | Brent Lee | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
Tuesday, July 21
All Day | Lux Cinema - Cheap Tuesday | Lux Cinema Banff | Banff
19:00 | Trivia Tuesday | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore
19:30 | The Cheezie Musical | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore
19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper
21:00 | DJ Styler Nazo | High Rollers | Banff
22:00 | Jesse Peters | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
📅 Got An Event To Share?
📅 👉 Submit Here (3 days before the event date) for a FREE LISTING
👋 That’s All For Now 🎬
Another week of mountain magic awaits!
We're so glad you're here for the ride.
Keep exploring and sharing, and we'll see you in the next issue with another full lineup of Banff happenings.
Jill & Kevin | Editor | What’s On Banff
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