Bear 142 Caught On Video
Bear 142 wrestles with her cub, Banff loses its rescue dog programme, and a cougar warning affects Bill Milne Trail. Plus, a Johnston Canyon icewalk for your winter plans.
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Bear 142 and her cub are having a wrestle, and we've got the video. Filmed on the Bow Valley Parkway on 25 May, the footage opens our new Wild Moments section, with Jill sharing a little of Bear 142's history.
Parks Canada has ended its search and rescue dog programme, which last operated in Banff. Its final dog, Leroy, helped find more than 50 people in seven years. That's a considerable amount of work behind a short announcement.
The Bill Milne Trail cougar warning follows a deer kill between Mashee Way and Evan-Thomas Day Use Area. We've included the details below. If that's on your walking route, check the latest advisory before setting out.
For later in winter, the Johnston Canyon evening icewalk takes you to frozen waterfalls by headlamp, with a guide, ice cleats and hot chocolate included. Plan around the construction closure through 11 December, and wait for confirmed reopening.
For now, watching the bears is the easier outing.
Plan Your Visit To Banff For November | December | January | February
Wild Moments
Bear 142 takes on a playful cub
We're starting Wild Moments with a family encounter from the Bow Valley Parkway: Bear 142 play-fighting with her cub.
Filmed on 25 May in Banff National Park, the video runs for just under two and a half minutes, with Jill introducing some of Bear 142's history alongside the footage.
This new section will bring you wildlife videos from around the Rockies, featuring our own recordings and other creators' work, with a little background to help you understand what you're watching.
📰 Banff Life
🚗 Banff arrivals rise, bridge traffic falls. A record 1.77 million vehicles entered Banff in July and August, yet Bow River Bridge crossings fell 4.4% from 2025. Local Roam ridership rose 15%.
🎃 Your Rockies Halloween events guide. From pumpkin walks and trick-or-treating to ghost tours and costume parties, browse the full Halloween events list for Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Jasper, with times, prices and booking details.
🐕 Banff loses rescue dog programme. Parks Canada has ended its search and rescue dog programme, which last operated in Banff. Its final dog, Leroy, helped find more than 50 people during seven years of service.
🐾 Cougar warning on Bill Milne Trail. A cougar killed a deer between Mashee Way and Evan-Thomas Day Use Area. The cougar warning remains in effect until further notice. Travel in groups and keep bear spray accessible.
🏔️ Climbers rescued on Mount Andromeda. An 18-hour Parks Canada rescue on 5 October brought two injured climbers to safety. High winds limited helicopter operations, so rescuers climbed above them and carried out a 100-metre rope rescue.
🏞️ Jasper Park staff face job uncertainty. Parks Canada has identified 208 of its 422 Jasper employees as affected by workforce reductions. Some positions may change or disappear; receiving a notice doesn't necessarily mean losing a job.
Plan your Trip with Jill
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30-Minute Video Call: Answers to key questions.
50-Minute Video Call: Detailed trip advice.
Custom Itinerary: Your trip planned day by day.
📝 New and updated on The Banff Guide
We've been working on a few guides to help with your next Rockies outing. Our Banff and Canmore ghost stories bring together local legends for Halloween reading.
Our guide to Banff in November covers early skiing, seasonal closures and festive events.
Looking further ahead, In Search of Christmas Spirit explains Banff's free Christmas light walk and how to book, with the first general ticket release on 2 November at 10 am.
Icefields Parkway & Abraham Lake Ice Bubbles
Leave the winter driving to a local guide on this eight-hour trip along the Icefields Parkway. Explore Abraham Lake's frozen bubbles and walk to the Peyto Lake viewpoint, with Banff pickup, hot drinks, ice cleats and hiking poles included. Snowshoe and skate hire cost extra.
☀️ Planning Next Summer?
🚣 Float through Canmore. Give your legs a break with a guided Bow River float through Canmore. No paddling experience is needed, and your guide shares local history and geology along the way.
🏞️ Explore Yoho and Golden. Visit Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge and Takakkaw Falls on a guided day trip from Banff. Return transport is included; Golden Skybridge admission and adventure activities cost extra.
🐎 Ride beside Banff's Bow River. This one-hour guided horseback ride passes the Cave and Basin area, with basic riding instruction and helmets included. Riders must be at least eight; weight and footwear restrictions apply.
❓ Your Questions Answered
When can I visit Banff with fewer crowds?
For a quieter trip, I'd look at weekdays in April or May, or late October and November. Avoid holiday weekends and check the events calendar before booking: festivals, Christmas markets and ski-opening weekends can bring a rush even outside summer.
The trade-off is what you can do:
- April and May: spring skiing, mountain views and walks at lower elevations, but higher trails remain snowy, and Lake Louise can still be frozen. Moraine Lake's normal shuttle season hasn't started.
- Late October and November: quieter sightseeing and time around Banff and Canmore, but Moraine Lake shuttles have finished, and winter activities open gradually as conditions allow.
If turquoise lakes and summer activities are your priority, I'd consider weekdays in June instead of July or August. Allow for snow on higher trails, particularly early in June.
Don't assume September will be quiet. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake remain popular, and Larch Valley reaches its busiest period during autumn colour season.
Our guides to Banff in May, October and November explain the seasonal compromises so you can choose around what you want to see.
⭐ Readers' Choice: Top Posts From Last Issue
🏞️ Moraine Lake Questions, Answered. This video guide tackles 5 common questions about visiting Moraine Lake. Watch on YouTube.
🍽️ Banff restaurant earns global rankings. Balkan Mediterranean Restaurant placed fourth worldwide for vegan and vegetarian dining in Tripadvisor's 2026 awards.
🌲 Parks Canada plans staffing cuts. The agency expects to cut 500 full-time-equivalent jobs nationwide amid $145 million in budget reductions over three years.
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🥾 Out on the trails
Tunnel Mountain
You don't have to head far from Banff for views across the Bow Valley. Tunnel Mountain is a steady climb through the forest, with the town below and Mount Rundle across the valley. From the lower trailhead on St. Julien Road, allow around two hours for the 4.8 km return hike.
Read our Tunnel Mountain hiking guide
🎸 Events, Activities & Live Music
Here's what's happening today. Planning ahead? See our FULL EVENT CALENDAR for the rest of the week's events and beyond.
Thursday, October 29
Kev
All Day | Taste for Adventure | Banff Town | Banff
All Day | Natural Drawing: Beyond Basics | The Banff Centre | Banff
11:00 | Art Show and Sale: Meg Nicks | Canmore Art Guild | Canmore
13:30 | Park Distillery Tour | Park Distillery | Banff
17:00 | Chess Night | Canmore Public Library | Canmore
19:00 | Magic Show | Rose & Crown | Banff
19:00 | Poker Night | Canmore Legion | Canmore
19:30 | Poetry Slam Night | artsPlace Canmore | Canmore
19:30 | Ain't We Got Fun | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore
19:30 | Balkan Greek Dinner Show | Balkan Restaurant | Banff
20:00 | Trivia Night | The Drake | Canmore
21:00 | DJ Styler Nazo: Requests Night | High Rollers | Banff
22:00 | Dean Lonsdale & The Ramifications | Rose and Crown | Banff
22:00 | The Last Waltz: Chest Fever | Melissa's Missteak | Banff
📅 Got A Local Event To Share? Submit Here (3 days before the event date)
👋 That's All For Now 🎬
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Jill & Kevin | Editors | The Banff Guide
