🌠Rare Comet Over Alberta

Good morning, Bow Valley!

We’re seeing some awesome pictures of the Northern Lights from a couple of nights ago on our Instagram.  If you weren’t aware, you can get notifications about their location and visibility by downloading the Aurora app or joining various Alberta Facebook pages.

In today’s Bow Valley Insider:

• A comet will soon soar over the Bow Valley

• Osprey nest will be relocated from Lake Louise

• Banff backcountry area is closed until Nov 18th for a bison hunt

Let’s get to it!

— Fortune Whelan, Shireen Ahmed, Lauren H., & Ben S.

COMET OF THE CENTURY COMING OVER ALBERTA

What’s happening: A comet will be visible over the Bow Valley starting on October 10th. 

In case you missed grade 4 science: A comet is a dirty chunk of ice flying through space.  It’s only noticeable by humans when it’s close to our sun. The sun thaws the comet, which spews gas and dust, creating something that looks like a bright star. They are leftovers from the creation of the solar system, so they are over 4.5 billion years old!

When can you see it? It should be visible in the early evening in the southwest part of the sky, starting very close to the horizon on October 10th and moving higher in the sky over several weeks until October 24th. It might even be bright enough to see during the day if you have binoculars. 

What to look for: A really bright, fuzzy-looking star with a glowing tail behind it.  If you capture a good pic, please tag us on Instagram so we can share it! 

Elevate Your Thanksgiving Dinner This Weekend! 🦃🍂

Why settle for the same old when you can experience Thanksgiving with a gourmet twist? Gather your family at Table Food + Drink from October 12-14 for an unforgettable three-course feast featuring an elevated take on holiday classics.

Picture this: Citrus-brined turkey breast with chorizo pecan stuffing and cranberry orange cardamom compote, or perhaps you’re craving Alberta pork belly porchetta with roasted butternut squash risotto. No matter your choice, every bite is packed with rich, seasonal flavors.

And yes, they’ve got dessert covered, too! Treat yourself to their signature sugar pie or indulge in a rich vegan chocolate mousse.

Don’t miss out on this limited-time Thanksgiving menu—reserve your table today by calling 403-609-5441.

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THE DIGEST

• 🚧Parks Canada has closed a backcountry area in Banff National Park's Red Deer River Valley until Nov. 18 for an Indigenous bison hunt. The closure ensures public safety during the ceremonial harvest. Eight bison are allocated for the hunt.

• 🙌🏻MD of Bighorn has completed a massive oral history project that is now freely available on YouTube for others to learn about Bow Valley stories from the past. Several locals were interviewed to share the history of early ranching, wildfire management, the first Art Foundry, tourism, and more. 

• 💝The provincial government has committed $8.85 million in funding to Indigenous Tourism Alberta over the next five years. This will help grow Indigenous tourism experiences like the Blackfoot Crossing River Ranch Lodge, the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino in Kananaskis, and the Hideaway Adventure Grounds. 

• 🌌The Northern Lights have been spectacular over the Valley this summer. They were out dancing again this week, and local cat influencer Gary, with his 615k followers, loved the show! 

• 🗣Provincial ministers testified before the House of Commons on Monday, asking the federal government to pay for the cost of the Jasper wildfire. The province is arguing the fire originated on federal land in Jasper National Park and then spread to the town. 

LAKE LOUISE POWER GROUNDED SO BIRD NEST CAN FLY

What’s happening? AltaLink will shut off power from midnight to 6 a.m. on October 9 to relocate an osprey nest in Banff National Park. Areas west of Sunshine Village to Lake Louise will be affected, while the Banff townsite and Sunshine ski resort won’t.

Why the outage? Ospreys love building nests on power lines, which can cause outages or wildfires. To prevent this, AltaLink is moving the nest to a safer spot on the same structure using an artificial platform.

Ospreys and power lines. Ospreys are loyal to their nests and often return year after year. By relocating the nest safely, both the birds and the power system are protected.

Another power outage to report: If you were one of the 1,775 properties in Banff last night that lost power, this outage is unrelated to the planned osprey nest relocation.  The banff outage occurred after strong winds knocked a tree onto a power line. 

THINGS TO DO

Wednesday

• Say goodbye to Banff’s Farmer Market for the season! Between 10am and 6pm is the last Banff Farmers Market for 2024. Head to Banff's Central Park to stock up on your favorites. 

• Learn how to spot scams! SLAM is the Bow Valley Adult Learning Centre’s program to help people recognize scam and phishing emails, calls, and texts. This free workshop will be in Canmore Provincial Building between 5pm and 7pm.

• Ever wondered how 3D printing works? There is a free, 3D Printing Information Session at Canmore Library, 6pm-7pm, to learn about the history, how it works, and how you can use it. 

• Switch up your style! As part of Banff Pride, there’s a Community Clothing Swap at Mason Hall in Banff, 7pm-9pm where you can trade unwanted clothes for wanted pieces! 

• Learn self-defense through Adult Karate! Try It- Adult Karate is perfect for beginners to the sport or to anyone who wants a new fitness routine. Class is $10 at Kyokushin Karate on Banff Ave.

Thursday

• Join a Communal Tunnel Mountain Hike for World Mental Health Day! Get active and raise mental health awareness with the Get Together and Get Outside hike. Three laps: 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm, meeting at Lower Trailhead on St. Julien Road.

• Bow Valley Builders and Development Association is holding their October Member Luncheon with the Mayor of Banff, Corrie DiManno, at The Pavilion at Silvertip Resort, 11:30am-1pm. 

• Take a free yoga class to celebrate Pride! Flow with Pride Community Class is a free, 1 hour yoga session where 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies can come together at Flow State, 4pm-5pm.

• Practice your French while playing French board games! Bilingual Board Night is a free session open to all levels of French-speakers hosted by ACFA at 820 8 St #201b in Canmore, 5pm-8pm.

• Can’t read my poker face? Join Poker Night at the Canmore Legion from 7pm.

• Need some comedic relief? Attend Comedy Night hosted by Scott Dumas and Cackling Crow Comedy at Tavern 1883, 8:30pm-11pm. Tickets are $10.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🔖Defending Awesome Jasper Sticker sales raised $600 for the Jasper Community Fund. Skål Club of the Canadian Rockies, in partnership with Skål Canada, has raised over $76,000 through various fundraisers, with all proceeds going to the Jasper Community Team Society’s Caring Community Fund.

• 🫴Speaking of fundraising, Melissa’s 2024 Road Race donated $13,500 to the Day Care Society of Banff.

• 🥬The Bow Valley Artisan Market winter dates have been released. The annual market is held at the Bow Valley Garden Centre on five dates starting on October 26th. To be a vendor, email [email protected].

• 👏Congratulations to Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, who have been given the 2024 Banff Summit of Excellence award for their decades of dedication to the conservation and documentation of wildlife and the Canadian Rockies landscape. 

• 🎸The Canmore Folk Music Festival is now accepting artist applications for 2025. Applications close January 6, 2025 and they’re looking for local Alberta talent and touring artists. 

• 🎙️Ever heard about the Banff Springs Hotel Hauntings? This half-hour podcast delves into the hotel’s paranormal activities from a tragedy long ago!

• 📢alert! Get $10 off when you spend $100 or more at The Market Bistro in Canmore using code MARKET10 at checkout.

• 👀Flip City Films is seeking Jamaicans of all ages for a documentary celebrating Jamaican culture, especially those with knowledge of the Blue Mountain region, Patois, and Jamaican heritage.

• 🎿Banff Sports Medicine is doing a free 8-week Ski Fit Ready Exercise Program to help you get in shape and reduce the risk of knee and ACL injury. Sign up here.  

• 🧑🏻‍💻CrossFit Canmore is returning for a second year in February 2025 for their workout competition, which includes cash prizes! Registration for the Rocky Mountain Winter Classic is now open. 

• 🛠️Construction Advisory for the Kananaskis Village Ice Rink from October 15th for facility replacements. Some parts of the parking lot will be closed until further notice.

CIVIC NEWS

• Kananaskis Improvement District and MD of Bighorn invite residents, employees, and visitors to provide feedback during a virtual public information session on October 9th, 2024. This feedback will support the development of the Transit Plan.

• The Land and Property Rights Tribunal granted a one-day adjournment to Canmore’s off-site levy appeal hearing after the town requested more time to review 400 pages of developer rebuttals. The hearing, now scheduled from Oct. 7-9 and 14-18, involves disputes over levy costs impacting development projects in Canmore.

LIVE MUSIC

• Wednesday, October 9th, 6pm-9pm: Open Mic Night. Location: Wild Life Distillery, Canmore. No cover.

• Wednesday, October 9th, 6pm-9pm: Steph O’dette at Farm and Fire.

• Wednesday, October 9th, 10pm: Banff Latin Fiesta at Melissa’s MisSteak, Banff. Tickets are $10. 

• Thursday, October 10th, 7pm: Munch Music with Toddy. Location: Mason Hall, Banff. Tickets are $20. 

• Thursday, October 10th, 4pm-6pm: Steph O’dette at Bison Patio.

• Thursday, October 10th, 7:30pm: Miscellany of Folk. Location: Arts Place, Canmore. Tickets are $35.

SPORTS

• Edmonton Oilers cut five players, including Canmore local Noah Philp, who was demoted to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield despite an impressive showing in the preseason. 

• The Rundle Women’s Hockey League (RWHL) in Banff is expanding for the second time in five years, adding two more teams for the 2024-25 season. With 104 players, the league promotes inclusivity, community, and mental well-being through competitive yet friendly games. Interest remains high since its founding in 2019.

• Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame 2024 Induction Celebration formally inducted the Class of 2024 at the Banff Park Lodge on September 17th

That’s all, folks!

We’ll see you back here on Friday, same time, same place!