JANUARY
Canada’s Para Nordic Ski team rules out international competition until the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canmore Illusions Gymnastics Club donates a variety of used equipment to the Belize National Gymnastics Federation, which was used to set up the first club in the Central American country.
Rising rugby winger Krissy Scurfield is selected for Future Olympian funding through the RBC Training Ground. The Canmore athlete was one of 30 athletes chosen between ages 14 to 24 chosen nationwide. The speedy winger is on the national women's team for Rugby Sevens.
Canmore’s Kris Mahler wins gold at the ski cross world cup at Nakiska Ski Resort in Kananaskis Country. However, despite impressive world cup results, the local ski cross athlete does not meet the national criteria to attend the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Curling star John Morris and mixed doubles partner Rachel Homan are selected to represent Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in February.
The Bow Valley True Sport and Recreation Council calls on the towns of Banff and Canmore to work collaboratively to build a local field house.
Banff curler Anika Villemaire and Team Shannon win silver at the 2022 Alberta Optimist U18 Girls Provincial Championships.
FEBRUARY
Canmore brothers Brian and Robin McKeever are featured in a Super Bowl 56 ad that turns into an inspiring viral hit. The Toyota commercial showcased a 60-second TV spot “Brothers” on the story of the local Paralympic cross-country ski legends with its motto: Start Your Impossible.
Canada's ski cross team flees Russia amid Ukraine invasion. At least 12 athletes were set to compete in Sun Valley, Russia, including Canmore’s Kris Mahler, but Alpine Canada Alpin secured flights out of the country following Russia's bloody military invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
2022 BEIJING WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
View the Outlook's Olympic and Paralympic special preview feature here.
Alpine
Competing at his third Games, former Banff Alpine Racer Trevor Philp flew to 10th place in the men's super-G. Canmore’s Erik Read finished a Games-best 13th in men's giant slalom. In the mixed team parallel finals, Canada's four-person team, which featured Read and Philp, was defeated in the quarterfinals by Slovenia.
Biathlon
Scott Gow finishes fifth in the men’s 20 km, the best-ever result for a Canadian biathlete at the Olympics. He was one shot away from a silver medal. Christian Gow snagged an Olympic-best 12th place in the men's sprint, shooting 10-for-10 in the 10km race.
There was one more historic day for Biathlon Canada when the men's 4x7.5km relay claimed sixth spot, an Olympic-best result, beating Canada’s previous best record of seventh place at Sochi 2014. The team consisted of Scott, Christian, Adam Runnalls and Jules Burnotte.
Cross-Country Skiing
In the women's 4X5 km relay, Canada's Dahria Beatty, Katherine Stewart-Jones, Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt and Cendrine Browne finished ninth place. The top 10 finish was the Canadian women's highest placing at the Olympics since 2002, when the youngsters were inspired by the likes of Beckie Scott, Sara Renner, Milaine Theriault and Amanda Fortier, who finished eighth in Salt Lake City.
Antoine Cyr and Graham Ritchie finished in fifth place in the team sprint, the best-ever result for Canadian men.
Doubles Luge
Justin Snith placed seventh in doubles luge with teammate Tristan Walker of Cochrane, and sixth in team relay with single lugers Reid Watts and Trinity Ellis.
Mixed doubles curling
Canada was knocked out of medal contention by new Olympic champion Italy. The Canucks, John Morris and Rachel Homan, lost 8-7 in an extra end in a do-or-die game before the playoffs. Afterwards, Morris, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, hinted the Beijing Games might be his last as an athlete.
Speed Skating
Making his Olympic debut at age 21, Canmore speed skater Connor Howe finished fifth in the 1,500m, 12th in the 1,000m, and Canada’s men’s Team Pursuit finished fifth.
MARCH
The Canmore Nordic Centre receives $17.5 million for infrastructure repairs and upgrades that includes replacing the biathlon building.
The Masters World Cup comes to Canmore featuring more than 700 cross-country skiers from 18 countries between ages 30 to 89. Exshaw’s Bill Hamilton, 86, recovering from a broken back, completed a 15-km race at the event.
The U15 Canmore Eagles become Tier 1 provincial champions on home ice after defeating the Springbank Rockies.
The Bow Valley Grizzlies are Tier 3 champions of the Southern Alberta Women’s Hockey Association.
The Canmore Eagles Jr. A club upsets the Camrose Kodiaks in the first round of the AJHL playoffs. In the second round, the Eagles are swept by the Brooks Bandits.
Bow Valley Riptide Swim Club’s Benedek Purnhauser wins four medals at the Alberta championships. The local club also won the small club banner.
Russia and Belarus athletes are banned from the upcoming Winter Paralympics Games following the military invasion of Ukraine in late February. Many international sports federations also barred Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing.
2022 BEIJING WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES
Para Nordic Skiing
Canmore's Brian McKeever made history in Beijing after winning his 16th Paralympics gold medal overall, tying for most gold medals ever won by a winter Paralympian with Para alpine skier, Gerd Schönfelder.
The 42-year-old McKeever, with guides Russell Kennedy and Graham Nishikawa, cruised to victory in the men’s vision-impaired Para cross-country races the 20-kilometre classic, sprint, and middle distance freestyle.
Canada’s Mark Arendz and Natalie Wilkie tied for most medals won by Canadians in Beijing with four each.
Arendz won gold in the men’s standing 10km biathlon, silver in the standing biathlon, and bronze in the middle distance biathlon.
Wilkie won gold in the women’s 15km standing race. Canada’a Brittany Hudak brought home bronze in the race. Hudak claimed a second bronze in individual biathlon.
Wilkie would go on to win gold in sprint, and silver in individual. Wilkie was also the youngest Canadian to medal in Beijing at age 21.
Sit-skier Collin Cameron won bronze in the men's 18-kilometre Para cross-country ski and bronze in sprint.
Canada’s mixed relay team won bronze in the 4X2.5km relay. The team consisted of Cameron, Emily Young, Arendz and Wilkie.
In the open 4X2.5km relay, Hudak and McKeever with guide Kennedy finished sixth place.
Team Canada finished third overall in medals with 25 (eight gold, six silver, 11 bronze) with the Para Nordic Ski athletes hauling 14 (six gold, two silver, six bronze).
APRIL
A landmark $1.2 million donation by Canadian entrepreneur, Sanjay Malaviya, will deposit $5,000 per medal won to Canada’s Olympians and Paralympians in Tokyo and Beijing.
Synchronized skating team, Les Suprêmes, featuring Banff’s Martha Pietrasik, won gold at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships and set a world record with the highest score ever at worlds with 236.31 points.
Bow Valley athletes Natalie Wilkie and John Morris toss out the first ceremonial pitches at the Toronto Blue Jays opening weekend.
Banff alpine skier Liam Wallace finishes at the top of the NorAm Cup in points.
Canmore’s Noah Philp signs a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The prospect reported to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
Banff gymnast Leona Gentien wins gold in beam and silver on bars at the Western Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
MAY
Canmore MMA fighter Travis Erlam wins his amateur debut by unanimous decision at Unified MMA 44.
Evan McFeeters and the Brooks Bandits win back-to-back national junior A championships. The assistant coach, from Canmore, advanced to the national tournament after winning the AJHL championship. Shortly after, McFeeters is named head coach of the Sherwood Park Crusaders.
JUNE
The Rundle Mountain Road Festival returns to the streets of Canmore featuring more than 200 cyclists.
Two local runners podium at ASAA Provincial Track and Field Championships. Banff’s Anson Minty won bronze in the junior boys 200m dash, and Canmore’s Kahlen Anderson raced to bronze in the junior girls 3,000m.
Local club Dark Horse Martial Arts hosts its inaugural jiu-jitsu tournament, the Dark Horse Grappling Series, in Banff.
The Bow Valley Blues’ late rally falls short in the championship game. The U22 baseball team lost 8-6 to Calgary North 2.
Sunshine Village Ski Resort re-opened for summer skiing from June 28 to July 3 after a wet and cold spring and early summer. The resort reported over 900 centimetres of powder in the 2021-22 season, its most on record since 1956-57.
JULY
Local siblings compete in the reality TV show, The Amazing Race Canada. Jesse Cockney, a former cross-country skiing Olympian, and Marika Sila, an actress and influencer, finished as the show’s runners up.
Canmore triathlete Jordan Bryden wins silver in one of the nation’s toughest races, the Canada Man Xtreme Triathlon.
A new mixed curling duo makes headlines as John Morris and four-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Shannon Birchard announce they are teaming up and will go for a spot at the 2026 Winter Games.
Canmore's Robin McKeever is named head of Canada's cross-country ski team. Brian McKeever is named head coach of Canada's Para Nordic Ski team.
Volleyball Alberta names Canmore libero Evvia Belireau its female athlete of the year. Belireau, 17, represented her province on the national stage, winning silver with Team Alberta at the Canada Cup, and silver at the Canada Summer Games.
Canmore bodybuilder Andy Mabidi wins gold in the men’s classic physique open class C at the Alberta Natural Championships.
AUGUST
Four local athletes attend the Canada Summer Games in Niagara, Ont. Basketball player Corey Banks of Alberta finished fourth; rower Kiana Worobey had a pair of top five finishes; triathlete Kahlen Anderson had two top 20 performances; and volleyball player Evvia Belireau helped Alberta take silver.
Canmore’s Kim Purdy wins the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games in the 50-54 women’s category and is given the title of one of the fittest athletes on the planet.
Canmore’s Finn McLaughlin takes home silver with Team USA at the Five Nations Cup tournament.
International news breaks that the Lake Louise Alpine World Cup won’t be returning after 2022. Alpine Canada says no decision has been made.
Local golfer,14-year-old Adele Sanford, sinks a hole-in-one while playing at a tournament at the Canmore Golf and Curling Club.
SEPTEMBER
The Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame inducts eight: Barry Blanchard, Alex Kaleta, Rosanna Crawford, Brendan Green, Graham MacDonald, Glen Sather, Chic Scott, and Paul Stutz.
Banff Bears rugby men are Alberta champions after winning the big game 19-15 against the Bow Valley Grizzlies from Cochrane.
A local bike trail is named after legendary professional wrestler Chris Jericho, called “Chris Jericho’s Painmaker”, following his $2,500 donation to the Pedal For Pints fundraiser through the Canmore and Area Mountain Bike Association.
Mixed doubles curling team Marlene Albrecht and Matt Wozniak win the Qualico Mixed Doubles Classic in Banff and Canmore.
OCTOBER
A national record is set in Canmore at a Rubik’s Cube speedsolving event. Edmonton’s Kyle Santucci set the 3x3 cube record at Rockies Rager, averaging 5.93 seconds over five solves.
Canmore speedskater Connor Howe rockets to two national titles in long track for the 1,500m and mass start.
Canmore skipper Matt Stokes wins the 2022 Hal Davies Nova Scotia Offshore Sailor of the Year award after leading his crew aboard the Blue Jay as the fastest Canucks in the 2022 Newport to Bermuda Race.
CCHS soccer girls take bronze at zones.
Movie star Jon Hamm surprise visits the Canmore Eagles at a home game. The actor and mega hockey fan is in Alberta filming a television show.
NOVEMBER
Biathlon Alberta adds non-binary category to its race events.
Banff’s Ryan Smyth is inducted into the Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame.
Canmore’s Jacob Bernard-Docker is highly praised in his season debut for the Ottawa Senators, leading many to believe the defensive prospect will be a mainstay on the big club moving forward.
Canmore speed skater Connor Howe is the golden boy after winning world cup gold for the first time ever in the 1,500m long track race. The fast 22-year-old had also won silver in the race in the world cup season opener a week earlier.
CCHS JV boys take bronze at volleyball zones.
For potentially the final time, the men’s Lake Louise Alpine World Cup gets underway.
DECEMBER
For the foreseeable future, the women's Lake Louise Alpine World Cup hosts its final event. Many international ski stars express their desire to return to “The Lake”.
Canmore’s Evan McFeeters is named as assistant coach for Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge. Canada West played in the bronze medal game, losing 3-2 to Sweden in a shootout.
Biathlete Emma Lunder has the best world cup performances of her career with fourth and fifth place finishes in sprint and 10-km pursuit.
The Para Nordic Ski Team starts the year blazing, winning 22 medals at the season opener world cup.
Canmore speed skater Connor Howe wins silver in team pursuit and mass start races in back-to-back world cups in Calgary.
Hockey Canada implements mandatory face cages for junior A players. However, the CJHL engages in negotiations with the national governing body as many junior leagues choose not to abide by the rule.
