JANUARY
Banff prepared for the arrival of the Pinty’s All-Star Curling Skins game at the Banff Curling Club. Participants include Jennifer Jones and Brad Jacobs. Jacobs and his crew of Ryan Fry, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden won $65,000 in the final over John Morris and his rink of Pat Simmons, Carter Rycroft and Nolan Thiessen.
Ontario’s Rachel Homan and her team of Emma Miskew, Joanne Courtney and Lisa Weagle defeated the Jones rink in the women’s final.
Alex Harvey won Canada’s first world cup ski medal of the season, winning silver in the second stage of the Tour de Ski.
Alison Vest successfully defended her Canmore Tour De Bloc title at Elevation Place. Becca Frangos finished first in the junior girls division.
Wesley Savill won the annual50 km Lake Louise to Banff Loppet in 3:25:48. Mary Young of Canmore was the women’s winner.
Kevin Sandau edged Brian McKeever by three seconds to win the Lake Louise World Cup test event. Emily Nishikawa won the women’s race over Perianne Jones. Lake Louise was later removed as a world cup race venue by Ski Tour Canada.
Andrea Dupont defeated Heidi Widmer to win the Western Canadian Championships sprint. Michael Somppi won the men’s sprint over Julien Locke and Knute Johnsgaard.
Brian McKeever and guide Erik Carleton struck gold at the IPC World Championship in Cable, Wisconsin.
Biathlete Brendan Green had the best race of his career, finishing fifth on the world cup in Anthotz, Italy.
Banff’s Jan Hudec announced the end of his 2014-15 season after suffering a bone bruise in Val Gardena, Italy. Hudec only raced once in the 2015-16 season as well after injuring himself in training.
Eleven Bow Valley athletes made Alberta’s Canada Winter Games team, including skiers Maya MacIsaac-Jones, Ember Large and Peter Hicks. Speed skaters Connor Howe, Chloe Howe, Cassidy Peterson and Siobhan Mellors were selected in their sport, while Nate Gerwing, and Kendall Chong made the biathlon team.
Cody Monod and Stephanie Profitt made the alpine team.
FEBRUARY
Banff Hockey Academy clinched a playoff spot in the Heritage Junior B Hockey League with a 7-3 win over Stettler. In the playoffs, the team was defeated by the Okotoks Bisons in a two-game sweep.
Ice climbers Sarah Hueniken and Will Gadd scaled all 150 feet of frozen Niagara Falls in a once in a lifetime experience.
Michelle Katchur Roberts finishes third in the 2015 Dogtooth Dash in Golden, British Columbia.
Canada’s most decorated athlete in Olympic History, Clara Hughes, led an inspired group of Morley students through a ski camp at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
Ski cross racer Tristan Tafel finishes fifth in the Arosa World Cup track in Switzerland for his best result in two years.
Nathan Smith, Scott Gow, Christian Gow and Brendan Green teamed up to finish fifth in the biathlon team relay, the best result in Canadian history.
“We each executed solid performances during our legs of the relay and the end result was a personal best for Canada,” Green said.
Biathlete Aidan Millar finished eighth at world junior championships in the sprint, the best result of his career.
Local skiers Erik Read and Trevor Philp shone at the alpine world championships. Philp was part of Team Canada’s silver medal performance in Vail, Colorado, while Read posted a career-best 24th-place finish in the slalom.
Alex Harvey became the first Canadian to win two medals at world championships, grabbing silver in the classic sprint and bronze in the 30 km skiathlon. “It’s a great day for me,” Harvey said.
The 38th annual Kananaskis Cookie race was cancelled due to poor and unpredictable snow conditions, as warm weather wreaks havoc with the ski season.
Becca Frangos and Simon Yamamoto clinched spots on Canada’s youth world climbing championship team.
MARCH
Emma Lunder finished second as the IBU Cup arrived in Canmore for a week of races. Karolin Horschler was second and Marine Bolliet won third. Zina Kocher followed up the race with a silver medal of her own on March 1.
Maya MacIsaac-Jones won bronze in the 10 km skate mass start at Canada Winter Games in Prince George, BC.
The Canmore Eagles opened the AJHL playoffs against arch-rival Okotoks Oilers. The Oilers swept the Eagles in two games straight. Head coach Andrew Milne praised Lane Olson and Matt Forchuk for their strong play in a series that could have easily gone the other way.
Canmore’s Nathan Smith became the first Canadian man to medal at the biathlon world championships, winning silver in front of 18,000 fans in Finland. He followed it up with a world cup gold medal on March 21. It was the first win of his career.
Simon Donato set a new winter record for the Four Peaks challenge, finishing the Canmore Quad in 14 hours, 39 minutes.
The BCHS junior varsity boys captured the zone basketball title, clinching it with an 81-71 win over the Black Diamond Oilers.
Banff’s Elise Sethna was the top Canadian, while Alison Vest and Becca Frangos cracked the top six at the Canadian Open Bouldering Championships in Montreal.
Skiers Perianne Jones and Alysson Marshall announced their retirement from cross country skiing, while Devon Kershaw ended his season with a bout of the whooping cough.
APRIL
Riptides swimmers Neo Gleason and Emiko Osborne smashed two club records and brought back three provincial medals at the swim championships in Calgary. Osborne took silver in the 200m, bronze in the100m and 400m freestyle.
Canmore’s Eamon Walsh scaled the Eiger in Switzerland along with Carl Diehl of Hinton.
Banff’s Jan Hudec was named Alberta’s male athlete of the year, thanks to his Olympic bronze medal performance in Sochi, Russia.
Cross Country Canada made a coaching change, as Tor-Arne Hetland leaves the team, leaving Louis Bouchard and Justin Wadsworth to lead the squad moving ahead.
Sara Poidevin won the Cat 1/2 race in Walla Walla, Washington to kick off the cycling season.
MAY
Banff Olympian Heidi Widmer left the Canadian cross country ski team to race for Switzerland, stating she’s lost faith in the system. Executive Director of Cross Country Canada Devin McIntosh is asked to step down by the board.
The Town of Canmore studied its trail system in an attempt to support the 60-70 km of trail within the community.
The CCHS Crusaders boys soccer team outscore its opposition 34-3 over their first six games of the season, before clinching the division title.
Judoku McKenzie Morgan’s impressive career landed him an invitation to Texas to compete.
The Canmore Eagles announced the signing of Braden Saretsky from the Kimberley Dynamiters of the KIJHL. He joined Coy Prevost, who both went on to play prominent roles with the club. Goaltender Ryan Ferguson also announced his retirement from junior A hockey.
David Ford, 48, pushed to qualify for the PanAm games, and keeps his eye set on the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janerio.
Erin Morgan won gold at the Judo Open National Championships in Saint-Jean sur Richelieu, Quebec.
JUNE
The CCHS boys soccer team defeated the Cochrane Cobras 3-2 in the final match of the South Central Zone Championships at Rangers field. Riley Millar stopped the final penalty shot to clinch victory.
The BCHS boys rugby team dropped the zones championship 49-14 to Strathcona-Tweedsmuir on June 1 in Calgary. The team sought redemption at provincials in Edmonton, where it finished fourth
The BCHS women’s rugby team did win its zone championship, defeating Springbank 29-17. “We’re all over the moon, certainly,” said coach Cody Skrine.
The team went on to finish fourth at the provincial championships, losing 25-21 to Rimbey.
Leighton Poidevin won the 2015 Organ Grinder, as the mountain bike season commenced at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
Biathlon Canada High Performance director Chris Lindsay left the program for a new job with Own the Podium.
The Bow Valley Lady Macs played the first roller derby game in Lake Louise, losing to Calgary’s ‘The Bonnie Situation’ 148-106.
Bow Valley Riptides sent seven swimmers to the provincial championships in Calgary, as Cassidy Behm, Domenic Griesser, Kiana Worobey, Emiko Osborne, Neo Gleason, Nick Anderson-Young and Marin Williams all qualified for provincials.
The Banff Marathon finally goes off without a hitch, as Frank Wollstencroft crosses the course in 2:39:38. Meredith Kennedy of Kelowna wins the women’s category.
JULY
Canmore Bikefest launches a 10-day festival in the community, and aims to become a Crankworx-calibre event down the road. Crankworx attracts 10,000 fans every year to Whistler.
Gavin Conner is hired by the town of Canmore to revamp the Cemetery Skills Park, providing a much needed facelift to the park.
Canmore speed skating coach Ian Mellors is given the Speed Skating Canada award of excellence at a ceremony in Calgary. It’s the highest award the organization can bestow upon a coach.
Banff’s golden girl Liah Harvie and Canmore speedster Sara Poidevin both won gold at Canadian road cycling nationals. Harvie took top prize in the road race and criterium at junior road nationals, while Poidevin medaled in the crit and time trial at U23 road championships.
Erik Carleton won the Canada Day Run, arguably the most competitive ‘Fun Run’ in Canada due to the number of Olympians entered in the race.
Fraser Mills-Connery and Colin Croston battled for the provincial road race championship on Three Sisters Parkway, while the next generation of RMCC riders faired well throughout road championships, including Eva Poidevin, Sean Parker, Connor Howe and others.
Trail runner Adam Campbell finished second in the Hard Rock 100 mile ultramarathon in Colorado, finishing behind Kilian Jornet of France.
Olympic downhill skier David Anderson clocked 17 laps and Kara Lilly churned out 12 laps to win the 19th annual 24 Hours of Adrenalin at the Canmore Nordic Centre, attracting 5,000 bike enthusiasts to the event.
The Canmore Cohos used home pool advantage to power an incredible 50 medal performance at Elevation Place, as Carter Beamish, Ella Stokowski, Lina Clevenger, Tanner Douce, Alison Gourley, Bryanna Meggs, Karl Stoliker, Isaac Wilson and Rosie Wilson all earned top rankings.
AUGUST
Adventurers Simon Donato and Ryan Atkins set a fastest known time across Rundle Ridge in a harrowing, yet accidental attempt, finishing the run in 10 hours, 25 minutes.
Triathlete Neo Gleason finishes fifth at youth triathlon national championships in Quebec. Sean Parker won the Lake Chaparral Kids of Steel triathlon.
McKenzie Morgan won double bronze at Western Canada Summer Games in Fort McMurray, narrowly missing a trip to the gold medal round.
High temperatures and a lack of snow closed the Winsport High Performance Training Centre in Kananaskis Country for the season on Aug. 4.
The inaugural Glacier Grind – the first ultramarathon scheduled for a national park, is moved out of Glacier National Park due to bear activity.
Australian Sam Hume outsprints Cal Zaryski of Calgary to win the Xterra Canmore off-road triathlon at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Jess Simson of New Zealand won the women’s full distance.
FIS approves Canmore as a stop on the 2016 Ski Tour Canada.
Climbers Sara Frangos, Becca Frangos, Hunter McLaughlin, Simon Yamamoto and Alex Fricker are selected to compete for Canada at the IFSC youth world climbing championships in Italy. Becca reached the semi finals for Canada.
SEPTEMBER
The Banff Bears Rugby Club clinched home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and begin their match facing the Calgary Hornets.
Banff’s Liah Harvie was once again selected to race for Team Canada at the UCI road world championships in Richmond, Virginia. She finished 10th in the time trial as one of the top juniors in the world.
The Canmore Eagles planned to ice a rookie-laden lineup as they prepare for their season opener. Jonas Gordan, Braden Saretsky and Coy Prevost are all asked to play major roles on the team. Jakob Lavoie is voted team captain.
CAUSE Canada celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Canmore run, which continues to raise money for development programs in Central America and West Africa
OCTOBER
Geerthana and Savina Somas shone at the Canmore Fall Invitational, winning gold and silver respectively against a very strong field.
Trail runner Andy Reed finished 12th overall in the 100 mile Run Rabbit Run ultramarathon in Steamboat Springs.
Banff’s Tatum Monod won the International Freeski Film Festival best female short video for the second year in a row.
Despite a wrong turn, Jacob Puzey of Arizona won the 50-km Grizzly Ultramarathon at the Canmore Nordic Centre, while Team MitoCanada shattered the course record by 20 minutes, clocking a time of 3:42:56.
Xavier McKeever crushed the South Central Zones cross-country running championships in Sundre.
Biathlon Canada named Eric De Nys its newest high performance director, while Cross Country Canada hired Pierre Lafontaine as its new executive officer.
Bow Valley Wolverines hobbled into the playoffs with a 3-5 record, but crush High River in the first round of the playoffs and move on to face Olds.
NOVEMBER
Mount Norquay was the first ski hill to open for the season, firing up the chair lift on Nov. 5.
The Bow Valley Wolverines shocked the Olds Spartans, putting together a 30-20 victory. “I’ve never seen a more complete team effort,” said coach Wade Buckley. The Wolverines moved on to fall 37-26 to the Drumbeller Titans.
The Canmore Eagles got off to their best start in a decade as they sat tied for second place in the southern division. Lane Olson, Logan Ferguson and Matt Forchuk were unstoppable on offence for the Eagles.
Cross Country Canada announced its world cup team: Emily Nishikawa, Alex Harvey, Devon Kershaw, Ivan Babikov, Len Valjas, Graeme Killick, Jess Cockney and Michael Somppi start the year in Europe.
Biathlon Canada announced its first world cup team following competitive trials races. Rosanna Crawford, Megan Tandy, Zina Kocher, Julia Ransom get the nod for the women, while Nathan Smith, Brendan Green, Scott Gow, Christian Gow and Macx Davies are named to the men’s team.
Jane Gray skated to gold, while Geerthana Somas and Joel Braganza also medal at Skate Canada Sectionals in Calgary.
The OLS JV girls volleyball team won the school’s first zones banner.
DECEMBER
Nathan Smith and Rosanna Crawford made history, winning Canada’s first relay medal as they take silver in the single mixed relay.
Aksel Lund Svindal swept the Lake Louise downhill weekend, while Banff’s Jan Hudec pulls out of the super-G, nursing a sore knee. Hudec would later pull the plug on his season.
Alex Harvey won silver in Norway to spark Canada’s cross-country ski team.
Canmore Eagles Matt Forchuk and Logan Ferguson are invited to a Team Canada West try-out camp. Both are cut, but happy with their performance.
Skiers Dahria Beatty and Knute Johnsgaard punched their ticket to the world cup on the strength of NorAm wins in Canmore. Kevin Sandau also won two NorAm races, but elects to stay in Canada.
Lindsay Vonn swept Lake Louise with a dominant performance. It was her 19th world cup win in Lake Louise
Jane Gray broke through with a phenomenal performance, finishing fifth at sectionals to qualify for Canadian nationals for the first time in six years.
