⛑Three Nights Trapped: Climbers Rescued

Good morning, Bow Valley!

Now is a great time to keep an eye out for buying summer gear that people leaving the Bow Valley need to sell–more details below.

In today’s Bow Valley Insider:

• Three climbers get stranded on top of peak for three nights 

• Bear cub gets relocated from downtown Canmore 

• Canmore has a new waste management system

+ Canmore cave tour tickets go on sale for scary Halloween event

Let’s get to it!

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

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CLIMBERS STRANDED FOR 3 NIGHTS ON HOWSE PEAK

What’s happening: Three experienced climbers summited the Northeast Buttress on Howse Peak but could not descend due to an electrical storm, leaving them stuck there for three nights. The timeline went as follows:

Friday evening: Being caught in lightning, snow, rain, and wind, the climbers removed metal gear and hung it at a distance before making temporary shelter for the rest of the night. 

Saturday: A call for help to Parks was made, but the raging storm would not allow the helicopter to rescue them. However, the helicopter dropped a survival pack of camping gear, food, and clothes to endure a second night.

Sunday: A break in the weather allowed the helicopter to rescue one climber but only drop supplies to the remaining two who were forced to survive a third night near the summit. 

Monday: The two climbers were finally able to descend the glacier to a safe space where the helicopter took them to their vehicles. 

This same storm left another two climbers on Mount Birdwood for two nights before being saved by Kananaskis Mountain Rescue.

Lessons: Safety specialist, Grant Statham, says even though the climbers were equipped and experienced, there are lessons to be learned in this situation. He says when doing a technical climb like this when a storm is in the weather forecast, it’s faster to go as a group of two rather than three.

Rescue stats: Between June 1st and September 7th, Parks Canada received 128 calls for help, with rescuers responding to 64 of those calls. This was a normal summer volume.

THE DIGEST

• 🧸Crowds of onlookers gathered in Canmore to see a young bear perched in a tree near The Tin Box. Fish and Wildlife officers tranquilized the bear in order to relocate it. 

• 🤝Bow Valley Victim Services Association (BVVSA) is now part of a new Southern Alberta super board for victim services, but BVVSA’s director worries the super board won’t provide key services like trauma victim transportation, education programs, or support for first responders.

• ⛔Grassi Lakes is closed until further notice due to construction.  This includes the hiking and climbing trails.

• 🦇Canmore’s Rat’s Nest Cave beneath Grotto Mountain will be the location for a horrifying Halloween adventure from October 31 to November 2. Canmore Cave Tours will be holding three nights of terror by allowing people to watch the cult horror film The Descent within the cave (gulp!). Would you do this? 

• 🎨Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is hosting the Banff Energy Conference between September 22nd and 24th where energy company CEOs will gather to hear from industry experts on this year’s theme of the future of energy and advancing change.  Premier Danielle Smith will be one of the special guests. 

CANMORE’S NEW WASTE HAULING DEAL SLASHES EMISSIONS

What’s happening: A new waste contract will cut Canmore’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 60%, the largest single environmental action taken by the town. 

The details: The deal shifts waste hauling to Calgary’s Spyhill landfill, replacing the long-standing West Dried Meat Lake site near Camrose. This move is expected to save 1,200 tonnes of GHGs annually, largely due to the Calgary landfill’s methane gas capture technology.

Why it matters: The shorter 200 km trip to Calgary, compared to the previous 700 km roundtrip to Camrose, reduces both emissions and costs. The Calgary landfill also captures methane, a gas 25 times more harmful than CO2.

Financials: The cost per tonne of CO2 emissions will drop from $1.37 to $0.82, with the overall contract costing Canmore $500,000 annually.

Looking ahead: The deal runs until 2026 with potential extensions to 2028. Some council members hope future contracts will go through a competitive bidding process to ensure the best value.

THINGS TO DO

Wednesday

• Wednesdays are for wings! The Drake is doing $7.50 per pound of wings plus cheap drinks.

• Help take care of your trails! Friends of Kananaskis are looking for volunteers to help with Bow Corridor trail brushing between 9am and 3pm in Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park. Registration is required.

• Connect with local businesses over a drink! Bevvies & Business hosted by Wild Life Distillery is for Bow Valley Chamber members and anyone wanting to become a member for a chance to network with each other. Tickets are $10 in the Wild Life Distillery Tasting Room in Canmore, 5pm-6:30pm. 

• Join The Plastics for Movie Night! Canmore Library is showing Mean Girls for Wednesday Movie Night for free at 7pm Friends of the Library Program Room.

• Who wants to save some money? Settlement services are holding a Money-Saving Tips in the Bow Valley workshop online, 4pm-5pm, which will include information on discounts, free programs and saving money on activities, clothes, food and more. 

• Listen to a 20-year treasure-hunt investigation! Randi Beiderman will be discussing Schindler’s Listed, the book about her husband’s quest to find his father’s gold that was buried in Poland before he was deported to a Nazi concentration camp. This Author Talk will be free at Banff Library, 7:30pm-8:30pm.

Thursday

• Canmore public skating is back! Anyone 55+ are welcome to public skate in Canmore Recreation Centre, 10:15am-11:15am. 

• Learn how businesses impact the Bow Valley's environment at the Climate and Business conference. Keynote speakers will discuss the relationship between business and the landscape. Held at Banff Centre on Thursday for events and dinner, with tickets priced at $30.

• Learn the world of ceramics at a pottery class! Pottery Adventure is a 3 week course starting Sept 19th at Artsplace to learn and create your own ceramics with a certified instructor. Classes are 6:30pm-8:30pm and costs $130 for the course.

• Become a better leader and communicator! Mountain Mumblers Toastmakers Club is held most Thursdays at The Iron Goat Pub, 7pm, to help members reach their leadership and communication goals, learn confidence and comfortably public speak. 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 🙋🏻‍♂️The Bow Valley Adult Learning Centre is seeking board members to help drive their vision of lifelong learning. Contact them at [email protected].

• 🛶You can get a canoe for next year as The Banff Canoe Club is selling ex-rental canoes. The canoes are Clipper Yukon, 16'8" long, and weigh 70 lbs for $700. 

• 🍽️The beloved Dead Man’s Flats restaurant, One98Eight, had its grand opening in downtown Canmore and has just launched a brunch menu. 

• 🤩National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on Sept 30th. The Town of Banff is offering free events, including community conversations, a reflection walk, and a movie. Register now.

• 🧁Volunteer bakers are needed for a bake sale fundraiser at Exshaw Legion on Saturday 21st, 10am-4pm.  

• 👨‍🍳Volunteer chefs are also needed for The Canmore Young Adult Network’s Pasta Night on Tuesday, October 8th, 4pm at Canmore Miners Union Hall, 

• 🧻The Eagles Nest Shelter, the short-term emergency housing for women and their children, has called for any toiletry donations like gels, lotions, hair and dental products, and sanitary items.

• 🚲Want to bike year-round but not sure where to start? The Bike All Winter program offers Banff and Canmore residents training, winter bike prep, subsidized tires, lights, fenders, and a mentor. Apply by October 15th.

• 🌿Graymont is offering funding through the Graymont Carbon Reduction Fund for grassroots projects focused on resource conservation, energy efficiency, and natural carbon sinks. Apply by October 25th. Contact Amanda Kelly at [email protected].

CIVIC NEWS

• MD of Bighorn is inviting the community to complete their Community Engagement and Satisfaction Survey and share their thoughts directly to the council. The survey closes on Sunday, September 29th.

• The Banff Housing Corporation Board has its monthly meeting at Banff Town Hall at 8:30am today.

LIVE MUSIC

• Wednesday, September 18th, 6pm-9pm: Steph O’dette at Farm and Fire.

• Wednesday, September 18th, 10pm: Elevate 360 with six local DJs. Location: Melissa’s Missteak. $5 entry.

• Wednesday, September 18th: Wednesday Jam Night. Location: Tommy’s Neighbourhood Pub. No cover.

• Thursday, September 19th, 7:30pm: Chick & Chang are four singer-songwriter storytellers of Folk & Roots music. Location: artsPlace, Canmore. $27 a ticket. 

• Thursday, September 19th, 10pm: Thirsty Thursdays with DJ Wolfie Beatz. Location: The Drake. No cover. 

SPORTS

• Canmore Nordic Centre is holding Canmore Women’s Enduro on Friday and Saturday, during which participants will mountain bike race down certain hills. Public use of the enduro trails during this time is discouraged to ensure safety of the riders. 

• Canmore local, Holly Phillips, who started her rugby dream at 15 years old for Banff Bears is on a healing path toward the 2025 Rugby World Cup after her ankle snapped at a training camp.

That’s all, folks!

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