What was largely welcomed during the COVID-19 pandemic has now become a smoldering polarizing topic in Banff.
The Banff Avenue pedestrian zone will likely head to a plebiscite after a petition of 1,019 people – 11.5 per cent of Banff’s population – was deemed valid under the Municipal Government Act.
It’s one of the items at the top of the list of ongoing contentious community issues such as the railway lands redevelopment proposal, a souring relationship between the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, people trying to get photos of The Boss and Split Lip and what serves to be another busy tourism season.
Regardless of the outcome, the petition can serve as a reminder for elected officials to not dismiss residents’ opinions as potentially being a minority or a handful of angry people.
People against the pedestrian zone have long said there are numerous issues such as evacuation route concerns, diminishing quality of life on neighbouring streets to Banff Avenue since tourist and commercial traffic is diverted there and inequailty among businesses.
It can give some businesses an upper hand since not all will have access to create their own patios, while traffic flowing onto adjacent streets – especially for vehicles trying to cross the bridge to get to Sulphur Mountain or the recreation grounds – are legitimate concerns.
The evacuation concerns have been among the highest for people, particularly coming off a wildfire season like no other in Canadian recorded history. Now that 2024 looks to be a summer of drought, those worries will only be heightened.
Many of those concerns were brushed aside or dismissed, but they’re very real. It turns out many Banff residents also felt strongly about one or all of those concerns and how they relate to the pedestrian zone.
Parks Canada has stated it is supportive of the pedestrian zone, but the sidewalk restaurant patios and outdoor merchandise displays are against federal legislation. However, they remain open to talks with the Town and those issues will likely be largely ironed out before or shortly after the pedestrian zone opens in the coming weeks.
Council will give consideration May 13 for first reading to either revoke its pedestrian zone decision or head to a plebiscite. With a council majority already having supported the continuation of the pedestrian zone, the most likely scenario will go to a plebiscite within 90 days of first reading to have residents vote on the issue.
A plebiscite may turn the polarizing topic over to community residents, but it can exclude important voices in Banff due to the community’s international population and some likely not meeting the requirements to vote.
Though relatively common in European communities – especially post-Second World War – pedestrian zones slowly gained traction in North America. The COVID-19 pandemic put it into hyperdrive with public health recommendations and mandates emphasizing the need for people to keep their distance from one another.
Communities such as the Kensington Market and the Distillery District in Toronto, Stephen Avenue in Calgary and Granville Street in Halifax have all been successful in welcoming pedestrians.
In neighbouring Canmore, its pedestrian zone has largely been a hit in the community. There’s been few rumblings of pushback and the likelihood of it continuing well into the future.
The Banff pedestrian zone has especially been popular for visitors, but it also aligns with council-approved policies that look to get people out of personal vehicles and use more active modes such as cycling, walking and using public transit. If we could build ourselves out of congestion, we would’ve done so decades ago and the reality is all forms of transit have to be welcomed.
The Banff Avenue pedestrian zone is ultimately a positive to the community and should be continued.
But if it’s going to continue, the concerns brought by residents and Parks Canada have to be listened to, examined and answers sought.
