What does the Chamber of Commerce really do?

This week, Dan sits down with Sarah and Simon from the Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce to talk about what happens behind the scenes when local businesses need support, connection or someone in their corner.

We get into membership, advocacy, mentorship and what it takes to build a stronger business community in a place as unique as the Bow Valley. We also look ahead to the Business Excellence Awards on November 12, including how nominations work, what separates these awards from Best of the Bow and why recognizing someone’s hard work can mean more than you might realize.

This episode is brought to you by the Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation. We’re thrilled to have their support as we celebrate the people, businesses and community leaders helping move the Bow Valley forward.

A huge shoutout to Wolfe Canmore for giving us a home for this conversation. Their team was amazing and truly rolled out the red carpet for us.

Thank you as well to all the sponsors helping bring this year’s Business Excellence Awards to life. Nights like this don’t happen without local businesses stepping up to celebrate other local businesses.

And, as always, a big thank you to our longtime sponsors DrinkShaft and Defending Awesome for continuing to believe in Overheard and helping us tell more stories from across the Bow Valley.

Know a business, organization or person doing great work around here? Nominate them. A little recognition can go a long way.

Like, subscribe and come celebrate the people who make the Bow Valley what it is.

See You Next Tuesday!!

What does it take to climb all 58 of the Canadian Rockies’ 11,000-foot peaks?

This week on the Overheard Podcast, we’re joined by Canmore-based alpinist and former Canadian biathlete Haldan Borglum. After spending nearly two decades competing at the highest levels of biathlon, Haldan stepped away from elite sport and turned his focus to the mountains, completing one of the most demanding alpine projects in Canada in just over two years.

We trace that journey from his childhood and years on the biathlon circuit to discovering mountaineering, learning the technical skills required for the Rockies’ biggest objectives and realizing that a record-breaking pace was within reach. We also dive into the final expedition to Tusk Peak and Mount Clemenceau, where changing plans, mechanical failures and difficult decisions ultimately led to a solo finish on the last mountains of the project.

Along the way we discuss endurance, risk, suffering, preparation, decision-making, what drives someone to chase goals of this scale and why the work behind the scenes is often far greater than anyone ever sees.

If you enjoy stories about adventure, perseverance and the people pushing the limits right here in the Canadian Rockies, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Important Disclaimer.

The activities discussed and depicted in this episode involve significant objective hazards and should not be attempted without the appropriate training, experience, equipment and preparation. Haldan Borglum has spent years developing the technical skills, judgment and fitness required for these expeditions.

While we would never discourage someone from pursuing their goals, it’s important to understand that decisions made in the mountains carry real-life consequences. No summit is worth compromising your safety. Whether you’re heading out for a short hike or a technical alpine objective, always prioritize preparation, good decision-making and returning home safely.

This episode was recorded before the July 30 avalanche on Broad Peak. We extend our sincere condolences to the climbers, Sherpas, their families and everyone affected by this tragedy.

This episode is brought to you by Drinkshaft, the Bow Valley’s number one grab-and-go nitro cold brew.

If you’re enjoying the Overheard Podcast, don’t forget to like, subscribe and share the show. Around 70% of our viewers aren’t subscribed, and every subscription helps us continue bringing you conversations with the incredible people shaping the Bow Valley and beyond.

Like every week,

See You Next Tuesday!!

Climate change is usually talked about through numbers, emissions and policy. But what happens when we start talking about how it feels?

In this episode of the Overheard Podcast, recorded live in Banff, we sit down with Cory Beaver immediately following the Braiding Knowledges workshop hosted by the Biosphere Institute to explore the connection between climate change, mental health and our relationship with the land.

Together, we unpack climate anxiety, grief, responsibility, Indigenous knowledge and the role community plays in carrying challenges that are simply too big for one person to hold alone. We also explore what Îyârhe Nakoda teachings can offer to a conversation that is often dominated by Western perspectives, and why caring for the land begins with changing the way we relate to it.

This is the first of eight episodes we’re proud to produce in partnership with @BiosphereInstitute, made possible through the support of the Town of Banff. Over the coming months we’ll be exploring local stories, ideas and people working toward a more resilient future for the Bow Valley.

If you enjoy conversations like this, don’t forget to like, subscribe and share the episode. It helps us continue bringing important local stories to a wider audience.

See you next Tuesday!!

Metalheads can look intimidating from the outside, but Kasey Nolan says the community behind the music is often one of the most welcoming places you can find.

Kasey is a Banff-based musician, independent promoter and the founder of Beauty In Chaos Productions. For more than a decade, he has helped create space for punk, metal and alternative music in the Bow Valley, connecting local artists with bands from across Alberta and beyond.

He is also the founder of Canmore AMPfest, an all-ages festival built to showcase the full range of alternative music while giving artists and audiences a place to come together outside the usual bar and nightlife circuit.

In this conversation, we get into what first pulled Kasey toward punk and metal, how Beauty In Chaos Productions began and why he felt the Bow Valley needed a festival of its own.

We also talk about what makes AMPfest different from a traditional metal show, why the lineup stretches from fingerstyle guitar and electronic music to punk, hardcore, metalcore, black metal and melodic death metal, and what connects all of those artists despite how different they may sound.

Kasey explains why keeping the festival all ages has always mattered, what artsPlace makes possible as a venue and how much work goes into organizing a full day of live music behind the scenes.

Most importantly, we talk about the assumptions people make about punk and metal shows, why the scene is more inclusive than many people realize and what first-time attendees can expect when they walk through the doors.

Canmore AMPfest returns for its fifth year on July 25, 2026, at @artsplacecanmore.

The lineup includes:

@eyeofhorusofficial

@lushclot

@company_of_wizards

@per.velum

@umiyokai

@sorguinazia

@beyondsuffering

@regalfoul

@soggymoccasinsofficial

@victorialiesband

@jonnyrocketmansatomictango

@timmymannmusic

@kyle_pullan

@quantummonastery

Tickets are $40, with $20 youth tickets available through artsPlace Canmore.

Canmore AMPfest is supported by Beauty In Chaos Productions @kaseynms, @banffpunknights, Heavy Metal A Way Of Life, The Pro Image and our good friends at @defendingawesome.

This episode is brought to you by @drinkshaft, the Bow Valley’s number one grab-and-go cold brew.

Thanks to Kasey for taking the time to join us and explain the work, community and chaos behind AMPfest.

See you next Tuesday.

What does the Bow Valley taste like?

Chef Tracy A. Little has spent years trying to answer that question through Sauvage, her Canmore restaurant built around wild ingredients, ethical sourcing and food that feels connected to the place it comes from.

In this episode, Tracy takes us through the full story, from growing up in northern Alberta and learning to hunt, fish and forage with her father, to professional kitchens, taking over Tapas in Canmore and eventually turning it into one of the most distinctive dining experiences in the Bow Valley.

We talk about how foraging accidentally became the foundation of her entire way of cooking, what people walk past every day without realizing it is edible and where the line sits between responsible harvesting and simply taking from the land.

Tracy also opens up about the realities behind building Sauvage, what success actually feels like once the awards, television appearances and recognition begin stacking up, and the personal cost of living what other people might see as the dream.

We also get into her experiences on Chefs vs. Wild, Top Chef and Top Chef Canada, what cooking shows get wrong and whether she would ever put herself through it all again.

This is a conversation about food, ambition, sacrifice and the strange realization that the restaurant may never have been the dream. Creating things was.

This episode is brought to you by Drinkshaft, the Bow Valley’s number one grab-and-go nitro cold brew. Cold, non-alcoholic and built for early mornings, long days and doing summer properly.

Overheard merch is available now with help from Defending Awesome, a full-service print and design shop right here in the Bow Valley.

Find the full lineup at overheardpodbanff.com.

See you next Tuesday.

Cave Arcade make the kind of music that sounds like summer slipping away in real time.

Right after their performance at the Banff Centre Amphitheatre, we sat down with the Canmore indie-rock band to figure out how four guys from the mountains ended up making music soaked in reverb, surf-rock influence and just enough sadness to keep it interesting.

We get into where the name Cave Arcade came from and what it was like releasing their first EP in 2020 at possibly the strangest time to launch a new band.

The group also breaks down how their sound has changed from those early recordings to their latest release, “Emperor,” and how growing inside a small community has shaped both the band and the music.

We also talk about the moments that have meant the most to Cave Arcade, what the Banff Centre Amphitheatre brought out of both the band and the audience, and what it feels like onstage when all four members are completely locked in.

This conversation was recorded immediately after a performance that felt bigger, louder and more immersive than anything we expected from a band we were meeting for the first time.

This episode is brought to you by Banff Centre and its Summer Arts Festival, bringing free live music, performances and experiences to the Bow Valley all summer long.

See you next Tuesday!!

Side Hustle started as a family playing music together during the pandemic. Somewhere along the way, the experiment became a real band, and after seeing them take over the Banff Centre Amphitheatre, it is pretty clear they are not treating this like a casual side project.

They are a family band in the truest sense, but they completely over-deliver when you put them on a premium stage. The chemistry is natural, the musicianship is tight, and there is something genuinely special about watching people who know each other this well build a performance together.

We caught up with Side Hustle right after their set to talk about the music that was already present in their family, how the pandemic pushed them into playing together, whether being related makes the creative process easier or simply more honest, and how the band has changed their relationship away from the stage.

We also get into the value of keeping traditional music alive, what the Banff Centre Amphitheatre brings out of performers, what comes next for the band and whether this side hustle could ever become the main gig.

A quick note on the sound: we thought we had enough isolation to keep the background music under control, but more of it came through than we expected. We still wanted to put this interview out because Side Hustle are simply too cool not to share, and the performance they had just delivered before sitting down with us was incredible.

This episode is brought to you by Banff Centre and the Summer Arts Festival.

See you next Tuesday.

The Motown 6 may have Motown in the name, but Jo and Arif made it clear their sound goes much further than that.

This is really a band about soul in the broadest sense. Feeling the music, reading the room and creating the kind of live show where the audience becomes part of what is happening.

We talked about where that sound comes from, how they built it and why playing live still matters so much, especially in a setting as surreal as the outdoor stage at Banff Centre. Mountains behind you, people spread out on the grass and a full band trying to make the whole thing move together.

We also got into AI and where it fits into music. The technology is not going anywhere, but neither is the pushback. There is already a growing appetite for music that feels human, imperfect and made by people in a room together, and Jo and Arif do not see that slowing down anytime soon.

There are two more free outdoor shows happening tomorrow, so make your way up to Banff Centre, get away from the downtown craziness and experience the Summer Arts Festival for yourself.

The full schedule is available on the Banff Centre website.

See you next Tuesday.

Kayla Williams had barely stepped off the Banff Centre stage with the Yacht Daddies before sitting down with us for a full conversation about yacht pop, big summer energy and the kind of live show that makes you feel like there should be a yacht floating down the Bow River.

We get into what makes the sound work, the personality behind it and why this style of music feels especially right when the sun is out, the drinks are cold and nobody is taking themselves too seriously.

Kayla and the Yacht Daddies were in Banff as part of the AMP Sessions, a run of free live shows happening throughout the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival. It is a pretty great excuse to get out of the downtown craziness, head up the hill and catch something you probably were not expecting to see in Banff.

Watch the full conversation, then check out the Banff Centre website for the rest of the summer lineup.

See you next Tuesday!!

Miss Rizz has a personality big enough to fill the best stage in Banff, and this full conversation gives you the complete experience. @marissagell

To Miss Rizz, karaoke is not just about picking a song and hoping you remember the words. It is an experience, a way of life and, under the right circumstances, a chance to transcend on stage in front of a room full of strangers.

As the host, she takes the pressure off everyone else. She brings the energy, works the crowd and is willing to take the brunt of whatever happens so you can relax, grab the microphone and sing your little heart out. Whether you can actually sing is completely beside the point.

In this conversation, we get into the Miss Rizz character, what makes a great karaoke night and why getting on stage with a supportive room behind you can be one of the best ways to spend an evening in Banff.

Karaoke at CLVB ’33 is free and takes place every other Thursday at 9 p.m. as part of the 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival. Miss Rizz hosts the remaining summer dates on July 23, August 6 and August 27. @BanffCentre

CLVB ’33 runs throughout the summer with karaoke, comedy, live music, DJs and other events. It is an intimate, casual venue with great sound and it is absolutely worth the short walk up the hill when you need a break from the downtown crowds and Banff Avenue craziness.

Watch the full conversation, find your song and prepare to transcend.

See you next Tuesday!!