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How long have you lived in Banff? Where did you move here from?

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I have been here for 50 years. I was born in Calgary and when I was 6 our family got involved in Banff. My parents bought Harmony Gift Shop in 1971, we opened the Canada House Gallery in 1974, and officially moved from Calgary to Banff in 1977. I started grade 7 at Banff Community High School and graduated in 1983. I lived in Europe for a year, studied at UBC (BA Anthropology), traveled for another year and has since returned home.

What is your professional background and your experience working with local government?

My life’s work was at the Canada House Gallery. I started out as a window cleaner and sidewalk sweeper, making enough money to go through the morning. I rose through the ranks, studied anthropology at UBC and worked summers at the gallery. After graduating from high school, I returned to Banff full time and took charge of Canada House. In 1994, we expanded the area around the corner and took over the A&W.; In 2016, the Canada House Gallery expanded again to take over the Enterprise car rental space. We had a vision and built a single destination business. In 2018 Eric and I sold the gallery and retired.

Over the past 23 years, I have served on numerous boards and committees to advocate for our community, tourism, the arts and culture. I have served with Parks Canada, the Town of Banff Administration and Banff Lake Louise Tourism on various boards and working groups. These include the Banff Arts Committee, Banff Cultural Walk, Banff Alpine Runners, Banff Play School and Banff Lake Louise Tourism. I have been chairman of the Banff Grants Committee, I have been a member of the board of directors, and I am now vice-chairman of the Municipal Planning Commission. I appreciate so much all of the community members who share their time, perspective and expertise on these tips and for all that I have learned from them.

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Additionally, since retiring in 2018, I have watched Board and Governance and Finance meetings, including the January 2020 Comprehensive Service Review where budgets are discussed, debated and set.

These experiences allowed me to better understand the governance and logistics of the City’s procedures and regulations. I was inspired by these experiences to become more involved and contribute to the Banff community on a larger scale.

What do you think of the biggest issues Banff will face over the next 5 years? And what is your platform?

The full financial impact of Covid will be felt in 2022-2023 as the tax revenue generated by hotels will be significantly reduced. This fiscal shortfall will affect the amounts the City can spend on services, capital projects and contribute to capital reserves.

At the same time, the province has demanded that our corporate and residential tax split ratio, currently 6.23: 1, increase to 5: 1 over the next 5 years. Which means that housing taxes will increase.

The future Council will have to take very difficult financial decisions. The Council must be frugal to get through the next two years until our tourism economy returns to full health. We need to reduce our spending to reflect lost tax revenue and minimize increases for residential taxpayers.

Housing remains a constant challenge for our residents. The key is to secure the land at nominal cost and use a cost recovery model. Plans will be made for housing on Cave Ave on lands secured by Parks Canada similar to Ti’nu. There is also a residential reserve on Tunnel Mountain Drive near Tatanga II which can be upgraded. The board needs to be creative in finding and using suitable sections of land to support accessible housing.

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What do you think is the solution to the Banff housing situation for long term residents and temporary residents?

As mentioned above, Council needs to get creative with Parks Canada and closely review the land use regulations for areas that can accommodate development. Ti’nu is an extremely successful affordable rental development and has laid the groundwork for future accessible housing developments. Ti’nu’s cost recovery model ensures that the project will not be tax-funded for years to come.

In addition, the land use planning by-law continues to be updated to encourage housing development and the densification of our core.

The land adjacent to the hospital is ready for the development of senior housing. I would like to consider building 2 levels of senior housing above the Legion. In addition, the commercial services district needs to be the subject of a restructuring plan for the area and could be a source of residential development.

Banff will undergo compression. Our limited borders and the need to increase the number of housing units will result in the concentration of our residential areas. We have to be creative and think of new ways to meet the needs of the inhabitants.

Banff is a resort town, a host to the world, with the challenges of coexisting with the protected wildlife and environment in Banff National Park. If elected, what’s your plan to monitor post-Covid crowd control as more and more international visitors return?

It is a complicated problem. Banff depends on tourism, however, too much traffic can put our destination, our community and our environment at risk.

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A united approach with Parks Canada with a coherent communication strategy is necessary. With some attractions within the city limits of Banff and some in the surrounding national park, a cohesive and collaborative strategy with Parks is needed.

Sustainable tourism is a challenge in many global destinations, so it is essential to observe and learn how other communities like Haida Gwaii, Venice, Santorini, Barcelona and Iceland balance tourism with environmental concerns.

We may need to implement some sort of filter to deal with crowds, such as a ticketing / booking / seasonal pricing system for certain areas, or a tourist tax to fund garbage cleanup. We will have to create more strategies to alleviate traffic jams. Maybe a dedicated bus / bike lane going south across the bridge and north on Mountain Avenue to encourage people to use public transportation. I am also in favor of increasing the fee for paid parking for visitors (not residents).

We saw Banff’s economy collapse when Covid hit and unemployment rates soared to 85%, some small business owners said they were forced to close due to high rents in Banff. What supports and initiatives has the City put in place to protect a community built on tourism if we were to face another lockdown?

I think the City has done an admirable job getting involved in supporting the community with its emergency social services team. They helped residents answer questions about mental health, Employment Insurance, meal and grocery services, housing, immigration issues, child care information. children and young people. The City has also coordinated with the YWCA, the Banff Center and hotel operators to provide isolation spaces for those who test positive for Covid. These efforts have grown rapidly to respond to the threat of Covid. I am confident that in the face of a new and different threat, our community would work together quickly to support each other as we did with Covid.

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Much of the financial assistance that locals relied on fell within the purview of the federal and provincial governments when they intervened with commercial rent relief, PCU, SSUC, mortgage assistance and small business support. companies.

Why are you motivated to run for the Board in 2021? Why are you passionate about the future of Banff and why do you think the residents of Banff should trust you to make the big decisions about the town’s future?

I love my city and my community. I feel very fortunate to have the experience, knowledge of Banff and the time to contribute to my community. I also think it is my civic duty to stand up and work for my community now that I am retired from the Canada House Gallery. I am connected to many different micro-communities within Banff. I grew up here, we raised our kids here, my parents got old and died here, I was in business here. I belong to gyms, play golf, do yoga, play pickleball, walk my dog, cycle, ski. I volunteer in a multitude of ways that allow me to help and stay in touch with various segments of our population. All these activities allow me to meet and know so many different inhabitants from various sectors. I feel so lucky to be able to represent these locals on Council.

With my deep love of the community, I am confident that I will contribute to the present and future of Banff with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective. It takes a community to raise a child. I feel so lucky to have grown up in such an amazing community and can’t wait to give back to the place I call home.