08/13/2024
Statement from A Better Banff Ave 📣
Our priority today is to thank everyone we spoke to, and those we didn’t get to, who came out to vote YES for A Better Banff Ave. Seeing a record vote turnout is a win. We are grateful for that.
Just 134 votes made the difference between yes and no.
As we wrap up our campaign, there are a few points we’d like to leave you to ponder:
1️⃣ To us, the pedestrian zone has become a lightning rod for community concerns about over-tourism, evacuation routes, traffic management, housing, and more. We’re concerned there’s a belief by some that when the ped zone goes away, those problems go away. We really see the ped zone as one solution to get people out of cars, and as a stepping stone to more immediate conversations about traffic management and developing innovative solutions to issues that are impacting us all.
2️⃣ We don’t see this as a residents versus business issue. We are all part of this community. Banff business owners who helped to fund this campaign are residents. Many are generational Banffites. They work hard. They raise their families here. They contribute to the community. They are the backbone of our one industry economy. We want to be clear that there are many non-business owners who are part of this coalition. To say otherwise is simply false.
3️⃣ We are a national park community. Our town exists to serve millions of visitors who travel here every year. The visitors we rely on will continue to come. Federal and Provincial targets have been set to increase tourism in Canada. We need to be implementing creative, progressive solutions to manage our town in ways that serve residents and visitors. We see this vote as a step backward on our sustainability journey.
4️⃣ The Town of Banff is unique and not just because of our mountain environment. Our community is made up of a lot of people who do not hold Canadian citizenship and were not allowed to vote. We hope this is something that will change in future. All our residents deserve a voice.
5️⃣ For those who were willing to share with us why you were voting no, we appreciated hearing your points of view. Common themes emerged in those face-to-face discussions. Many voiced that they like the ped zone, yet had concerns about traffic, parking, tourism levels and evacuation routes and even how the Town of Banff is responding to community feedback. We hope this movement that has been created—whether you’re a yes or a no—will lead people to take action toward developing and supporting solutions. None of them will be perfect. Trial and adaptation has been working in Banff with good outcomes.
As for us—we’ll keep advocating for the things that matter to the Friends of A Better Banff Ave. Our volunteers, local supporters and local businesses will keep championing initiatives that support active lifestyles and broader goals that will help us secure our position as a world-class, sustainable destination. Our quality of life depends on this. 🫶
