Charged with a criminal offence in Banff?
Dahlem Criminal Defence can help you.
Banff Criminal Defence Lawyer
Dahlem Criminal Defence will defend your Banff criminal charges.
(Updated for September 2022) Regular in person court sittings have resumed. There are new rules for court attendance for people charged with criminal offences.
Are you charged with an offence and have to appear in court in Banff? Dahlem Criminal Defence can defend your charges in Banff for you. As experienced criminal lawyers, Dahlem Criminal Defence makes the process easy for you.
Banff is 100 km west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway, a beautiful mountain town. It is in the Bow Valley and is the main tourist centre for the Banff National Park. Banff does not have its own Provincial Court. All charges from a criminal offence in Banff will appear in Canmore Provincial Court. This includes National Parks Act violations, traffic offences, or any other provincial offence.
Tyson Dahlem is a criminal defence lawyer. Tyson has practised criminal law in Banff and the Bow Valley for over 18 years. He has detailed knowledge of the Canmore Court. He also has comprehensive experience with Banff law enforcement and Bow Valley issues.
If you live in Banff, Dahlem Criminal Defence is a lawyer near you. Dahlem Criminal Defence is the only criminal lawyer you need. We make dealing with the courts in Canmore easy. Everything related to your charges is dealt with online, through your phone. Tyson makes dealing with your charges in Banff easy, and with the least stress.
If you need a criminal lawyer in Banff, contact Dahlem Criminal Defence now. We will answer your questions. We offer a free first consultation.
What goes into court in Banff?
As a tourist town, people go to Banff to have fun and enjoy themselves. For foreign visitors to Banff, please note that only marijuana and its derivatives are legal in Canada. All other commonly available drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), methamphetamine and fentanyl are illegal. There is a heavy police presence in Banff bars and nightclubs. The Banff RCMP catch a surprisingly large number of people in the act of consuming drugs, which often results in criminal charges.
The RCMP Integrated Traffic Enforcement Unit operates on the Trans-Canada Highway and is there primarily for drug interdiction.
The Banff National Park is policed by Park Wardens. Park Wardens are federal police officers who can and do lay criminal charges. Please obey all trail closure signs inside the Banff National Park. You may think that you won’t get caught jumping a barricade. However, these barricades are watched by remote trail cameras which send notifications to the wardens when someone crosses the barricade. In 2019, hundreds of people were fined for jumping the barricade in Johnston Canyon and each fine was about $1000.
The Canmore Courthouse
Provincial Court
Canmore
Suite 101, 800 Railway Ave
Canmore, AB, T1W 1P1

Sitting Times for Provincial Court (Criminal) in Canmore
Traffic Court and other provincial statute matters - The 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month at 9:30 am (Courtroom 001), with first appearances at 9:30 am at the Case Management Office (CMO) from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Criminal Docket Court (out of custody) – Every Wednesday, 9:30 am until completed in Courtroom 001.
Criminal Docket Court (in custody) – Every Wednesday, 9:30 am until completed in Courtroom 001.
Criminal Court – Trial – Every Tuesday, 9:30 am until completed in Courtroom 001; also every third Monday, 9:30 am until completed in Courtroom 001.
It is also possible for special sittings to be scheduled on Fridays and Mondays where the court is not normally sitting. These can only be done by special arrangement and are intended for more complex, multi-day matters.
Sitting Times for Provincial Court (Family & Youth) in Canmore
Family and Civil Court sit on every second Monday from 9:30 am until concluded.
There is no separate youth court in Canmore. It sits at the same time and place as regular criminal court.
Court Coverage Area and Police Jurisdictions
The geographical area serviced by the Provincial Court in Canmore is enormous. All matters from the British Columbia border to Scott Lake Hill and south to Kananaskis Country go to court in Canmore. This includes all matters from Lake Louise, the Icefields Parkway, Banff, Canmore, Exshaw, Dead Man’s Flats, and Kananaskis Country.
Provincial Court in Canmore does not have permanent local staff. The judges, clerks, and sheriffs travel to Canmore from Calgary for each sitting. In addition, the Crown Prosecutors travel to Canmore from Calgary for each sitting. They are part of CARRRO, which is Calgary-Rural and Regional Response Office, which is a unit in the Alberta Prosecution Service.
Because of the large area covered by Provincial Court in Canmore, the high volume of traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway, and the very large numbers of tourists visiting Banff, Canmore and the Banff National Park, the criminal court in Canmore is quite busy. There are RCMP detachments in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, and Kananaskis Country. In addition, the RCMP Integrated Traffic Enforcement Unit frequently patrols the Trans-Canada Highway. The Integrated Traffic Enforcement Unit is there primarily for drug interdiction and impaired driving enforcement. The Banff National Park is policed by park wardens who are police officers, and they can charge you with offences in addition to giving out tickets.