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

Pursuit Attractions posted $51.6 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2026 - up 37% on last year - and has committed $300 million to mountain upgrades before 2030. The Banff Gondola and Jasper SkyTram are both part of that portfolio. The upgrades will be worth watching.

Elsewhere in the region, plans to reopen Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis are gaining shape - 12 ski lifts, 2,500 accommodation units, and up to 10,000 daily visitors across a 15-year build. A UN water expert reviewing the proposal noted he is not sure where the water will come from.

One thing that does not wait for announcements: ticks are active in the Rockies any time temperatures climb above 4°C, which is most days now. Light colours, long sleeves, DEET, and check yourself and your dog before you get back in the car.

Today’s activity pick is the Banff Wagon Ride and Cowboy Cookout - a horse-drawn ride along the Bow River, a fire, and a BBQ steak lunch. It is what it sounds like, and that is not a criticism.

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

Plan Your Visit To Banff For August | September | October

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Staying here puts you right at the start of the Johnston Canyon trail, so you can head into the canyon before the crowds arrive, or enjoy it later once the tour buses have gone. It also avoids the challenge of finding parking, which often fills early during busy periods.

Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows sits along the Bow Valley Parkway about 20 minutes from Banff, making it a convenient base between Banff and Lake Louise. After a day exploring the canyon and nearby sights, you can return to a peaceful forest setting with a café, market, and bistro on site.

Reserve now to stay right beside the Johnston Canyon trailhead.

🌦️ The mountains are playing it cool this week - showers and dropping temps tell the story. Wednesday stays mild with a mix of sun and cloud and a chance of showers, high 17°C. Things cool off sharply by Thursday and Friday, both topping out at just 10°C with cloud and a chance of showers lingering. Full Forecast Here.

💰 Gondola Company Posts Record Quarter. Pursuit Attractions - which runs the Banff Gondola and Jasper SkyTram - pulled in $51.6 million in Q1 2026, up 37% year-on-year, and has committed $300 million to mountain upgrades before 2030.

🪲 Tick Season Is Here. They're active in the Rockies through late autumn once temperatures climb above 4°C. Long sleeves, light colours so you spot them, DEET repellent. Check yourself and your dog when you get home.

🏔️ Shuttered Ski Hill Eyes 10,000 Daily Visitors. A Fortress Mountain Resort expansion would make the Kananaskis site - closed since 2006 - one of Alberta's largest four-season resorts, with 2,500 accommodation units and 12 ski lifts across 15 years of construction. A UN water expert says he doesn't know where the water will come from.

🥕 Banff Farmers Market Returns Wednesdays. The Banff Farmers Market runs on Wednesdays from 10 am–6 pm at Central Park from May 20 to September 30. Produce, artisan food, jewellery, and pottery with Cascade Mountain as the backdrop. Parking near the market is extremely limited - walk, cycle, or take Roam Transit.

🖼️ Portraits Come Home at the Whyte. The Whyte Museum reopens two exhibitions this summer, including works Peter and Catharine Robb Whyte painted during a 1920s visit to Stoney Nation. Many subjects remained unknown for a century. When staff showed the portraits at the Bearspaw Youth Centre in Mînî Thnî, one was finally named.

If Jasper is on your list this season, the Maligne Valley wildlife tour and Spirit Island cruise covers the valley route, a stop at Medicine Lake, and a 90-minute cruise to Spirit Island - transport and timing handled for you.

🤔 Is it better to live in Banff or Canmore? Banff has strict residency restrictions, so living in Canmore is the more realistic option for most people.

🏚️ What was Bankhead, and why is it called a ghost town? It was a coal mining town inside Banff National Park that was abandoned in the early 1920s - the Bankhead Ghost Town is all that remains.

📅 When are elk most dangerous? Spring and autumn are peak risk periods when elk behaviour changes dramatically.

🥾 Private Hiking Tour - Banff Region - A guided hike with a bit more substance to it. Choose from four trails, including Bow Glacier Falls and Stanley Glacier - your certified guide handles the natural history commentary while you handle the elevation gain. Up to ten people.

🦇 Canmore Cave Tours - Fancy exploring underground Canmore? This six-hour caving adventure into Rat's Nest Cave starts with a rappel into the dark and involves crawling, scrambling, and squeezing - bring old clothes and expect to get filthy.

🚙 Calgary to Banff SUV Tour - Flying into Calgary? This private day tour takes in Banff, Lake Louise, and Canmore in one 8.5-hour run - a practical option if you want the highlights without renting a car.

The crowds at Lake Louise are not a secret, and the park's own vehicle reservation system exists precisely because too many people learned the hard way that showing up and hoping for the best does not work. Staying local removes the problem entirely.

🌿 Moraine Lake Lodge - Moraine Lake road is closed to private vehicles in peak season, full stop. Everyone else is up at dawn, queuing for a shuttle with no guarantee of a space. Guests here simply walk out the door. It is, by some margin, the most logical place to sleep in the entire valley. Read The Reviews And Book

🏨 Lake Louise Inn - Solid, well-priced by local standards, and positioned right in the village with easy access to the lake, the ski area, and the Moraine shuttle stop. Not the flashiest option on the list, but if you want a reliable base without paying for a postcard view you'll mostly be away from anyway, it makes a strong case for itself. Read The Reviews And Book

🌲 Paradise Lodge & Bungalows - Sits in the forest, close enough to walk down before the coaches arrive. The bungalow format gives you space and quiet that a standard hotel room simply cannot replicate, and waking up to that setting without having driven two hours to get there is the point. Read The Reviews And Book

Yesterday’s Question: Which mountain is this gondola summit station located on, overlooking Banff and the Bow Valley?

✅Answer: 3) Sulphur Mountain - 80% Correct

The Banff Gondola station sits on Sulphur Mountain. Find out more about gondolas in the Canadian Rockies.

If you’d like to experience a little of Banff’s ranching history while enjoying a BBQ steak lunch in the mountains, this wagon ride is a fun way to do it. You’ll travel by horse-drawn wagon along the Bow River before stopping at a backcountry cookout spot, with time to relax by the fire before the ride back.

Reserve now to enjoy a wagon ride and cowboy cookout

📅 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 |

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