On April 7th the Town of Banff approved a Development Permit to relocate the historic Walter Painter Residence from 505 Buffalo Street to The Banff Centre. The relocation of the Painter Residence will involve moving the house from its existing foundation at 505 Buffalo Street to a site in the Leighton Artists’ Colony at The Banff Centre. Intermittent closures of the relocation route between Buffalo Street and St. Julien Way are planned. NEW: The date of the move of the Painter Residence to The Banff Centre has changed. The move is now scheduled for Tuesday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 14.Late in the afternoon on Tuesday, May 13th, crews will load the Painter Residence to large truck, and move it onto Buffalo Street. This will require a one-block overnight detour on Buffalo Street between Muskrat and Otter Streets. Access to adjacent properties will be maintained. On Wednesday, May 14th, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., the truck will move the house up Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Road to The Banff Centre. As the truck passes driveways along Buffalo Street on Wednesday morning, vehicle access to and from these properties will be temporarily blocked. Property owners may wish to park vehicles on adjacent streets overnight.The house is scheduled to be moved onto Buffalo Street in the late afternoon of Tuesday, May 13th, and moved to The Banff Centre on Wednesday, May 14th between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Vegetation removal along Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Drive will begin in early May and is expected to take 4-5 days to complete. Intermittent delays to vehicle and pedestrian traffic are expected during work periods. Removal of municipal infrastructure (signage, a garbage bin, concrete barricades, traffic control devices) will begin the week of May 12th.
Delays to traffic are not anticipated as a result of this work. No electrical or telephone poles will be taken down for the relocation and both Fortis and Telus have confirmed that there will be no planned interruptions to power and/or telephone service for residents during this time.
Following completion of the move, the Town of Banff will work in coordination with The Banff Centre, on a rehabilitation plan for Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Drive. Implementation of the plan will begin this spring and will be completed by fall 2008. Rehabilitation will entail replanting in key sections along Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Drive, as well as replacement of Town infrastructure.
The historic Walter Painter Residence is an ‘A’ ranked heritage resource. Its significance is tied to both its association with Walter Painter and its relationship to Buffalo Street, the Bow River, the Banff Springs Hotel, and the Town as a whole.
While it is acknowledged that the relocation of the Painter Residence will result in the loss of an estimated 120 trees (approximately 50 trees on Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Drive, including a number of smaller trees which must be removed for road maintenance, and approximately 70 trees on site at The Banff Centre), it is worth noting that the community will benefit from having this significant heritage resource preserved in Banff for years to come.
Furthermore, by reusing an existing building the Town is working to minimize the amount of waste generated through demolition that would otherwise be destined for our landfill. As a responsible partner in the Francis Cooke Class III Landfill, the Town has an obligation to ensure that it does its part to conserve what finite space is available. More information: