News Releases

Council Updates

Posted on: March 27, 2018

Council briefs for March 26, 2018

Council gave first reading to Bylaw 393, a Land Use Bylaw amendment to update the Town’s fire risk zone map. A public hearing on the amendment has been scheduled for Monday, April 23 at 2 p.m. at Town Hall. The map was first adopted by council in 2006 and establishes fire hazard areas in the townsite, primarily to ensure wildfire risk mitigations through design management and recommended planting. Of the three factors that contribute to wildland fire – fuel, topography and weather – the factor that can be most easily influenced is fuel, through vegetation management and other mitigation measures. The risk to property and life posed by wildland fire can be reduced by addressing it through land use planning, and by using the tools available through municipal planning processes. In conjunction with ongoing efforts to continue to mitigate wildfire risks and make properties more fire-resistant, a review of the wildfire risk zones within the townsite was conducted and proposed map changes have been made to better reflect our increased understanding of wildfire management. The primary change to the map is the conversion of portions of previously designated Moderate Risk Zones to a High Risk Zones. The change does not impact the mitigation recommendations, as there was no difference to those recommendations between high and moderate. In addition to the public hearing, residents interested in learning more should attend the FireSmart Forum about wildfire protection and how to reduce wildfire risk to homes and properties on Monday, April 23 from 6 – 9 p.m. at the Max Bell Building, Banff Centre.

The Town is seeking public feedback on two proposals for on-road cycling/active mode routes—one on Tunnel Mountain Road and one on Buffalo Street. Council directed administration to gather feedback on proposals to slightly narrow driving lanes to add or widen paths for bikes and pedestrians. On Tunnel Mountain Road, the proposal is to create a new 1.5m painted cycling lane from approximately the 400 block of Otter Street to the intersection of Hidden Ridge Way by narrowing the driving lane. On Buffalo Street, the proposal is to widen the existing multi-use trail from the cemetery up to Surprise Corner. Details of both proposals and a comment box are available at http://banff.ca/trails. Both proposals are actions within the Trails Master Plan, which was adopted by council in February 2015 after extensive public consultation. Council also directed administration to explore options for a Banff Avenue and Bow Falls Road cycling/active modes route.

Council approved new street type definitions and directed administration to use the information to develop a set of design principles and concept cross section designs for each street type. This is part of streetscape design guidelines project, which is being undertaken to address the growing need to answer individual design requirements based on a more holistic streetscape approach. A guiding document for how streets could be designed in the future will better inform many infrastructure replacements projects and roadway reconstruction plans. There is a growing trend in North America to re-evaluate the use of land within streets and roadway right-of-ways. There has been a shift towards streetscape designs that accommodate various active modes of transportation as well as vehicles. In this initial phase, eight street types along with broad definitions of the street’s function have been developed which will be used to create multiple street cross sections as a foundation for a streetscape design guideline.

Council authorized the transition to a new visitor survey program, to be conducted every two years, beginning in 2019. The previous visitor experience survey, called Indexperience, has been discontinued and the Town’s partners in this project, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism and Parks Canada, have implemented their own survey programs. By using the same contractor and survey inceptors as Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, the Town can conduct an intercept/online survey during the summer using similar tracking data as the Indexperience survey. Questions will be specific to the Town and can help guide council about future infrastructure and service investments. Past visitor surveys have guided developments; for example, the 2008 summer results indicated that public washrooms needed improvement; council approved an upgrade to the Wolf Street washroom in 2011 and replacement of the Central Park washroom in 2015. The survey is approximately $8,000 US and will be funded by the existing operating reserve.

Council received a progress report on the Banff Community Housing Strategy – Year Three. Some highlights include:
  • The Banff Housing Corporation will significantly increase the size of its rental portfolio in the summer of 2018 with the opening of the 131-unit Ti’nu Apartment Complex.
  • Town-wide, there are 195 units currently under construction.
  • The vacancy rate in the Town of Banff remains at 0%.
  • The Parks Canada Banff Field Unit realty office process approximately 400 eligible residency requirements a year for change in ownership of a residential lease, a renewal of an expiring residential lease, a new residential lease is issued, and when financing is required on a leased property (new or renewed). There are also instances of requiring proof of eligible residency when formal complaints are brought to Parks Canada’s attention.
The full update can be viewed http://banff.ca/housing.

Council received a fourth quarter 2017 economic impact update. The overall province-wide economic impact from Banff for 2017 was $2.735 billion which is up from $2.245 billion in 2015. The average daily province-wide economic impact for 2017 was $7.5 million. Occupancy numbers provided by Banff & Lake Louise Tourism show July and August at 93% occupancy.
Facebook Twitter Email

Other News in Council Updates

Council briefs for November 13, 2023

Posted on: November 21, 2023

Council briefs for Oct. 23, 2023

Posted on: October 25, 2023

Council briefs for August 14, 2023

Posted on: August 18, 2023

Council briefs for May 8, 2023

Posted on: May 17, 2023

Council briefs for April 24, 2023

Posted on: April 28, 2023

Council briefs for April 10, 2023

Posted on: April 13, 2023

Council briefs for March 27, 2023

Posted on: April 3, 2023

Council briefs for March 13, 2023

Posted on: March 17, 2023

Council briefs for February 27, 2023

Posted on: March 6, 2023

Council briefs for February 13, 2023

Posted on: February 27, 2023

Council briefs for December 12, 2022

Posted on: December 14, 2022

Council briefs for November 28, 2022

Posted on: December 5, 2022

Council briefs for October 24, 2022

Posted on: November 4, 2022

Council briefs for October 11, 2022

Posted on: October 17, 2022

Council briefs for September 26, 2022

Posted on: September 29, 2022

Council briefs for September 12, 2022

Posted on: September 14, 2022

Council briefs for August 8, 2022

Posted on: August 15, 2022

Council briefs for June 13, 2022

Posted on: June 15, 2022

Council briefs for May 24, 2022

Posted on: June 8, 2022

Council briefs for May 9, 2022

Posted on: June 8, 2022

Council briefs for April 25, 2022

Posted on: April 29, 2022

Council briefs for April 11, 2022

Posted on: April 18, 2022

Council briefs for March 28, 2022

Posted on: March 31, 2022

Council briefs for March 14, 2022

Posted on: March 16, 2022

Council briefs for February 28, 2022

Posted on: March 2, 2022

Council briefs for February 14, 2022

Posted on: February 16, 2022

Council briefs for January 24, 2022

Posted on: January 26, 2022

Council briefs for January 12, 2022

Posted on: January 12, 2022

Council briefs for January 10, 2022

Posted on: January 11, 2022

Council briefs for December 13, 2021

Posted on: December 14, 2021

Council briefs for December 6, 2021

Posted on: December 10, 2021
CP crossing

Council briefs for November 22, 2021

Posted on: November 25, 2021

Council briefs for November 8, 2021

Posted on: November 10, 2021

Council briefs for November 1, 2021

Posted on: November 3, 2021

Council briefs for November 9, 2020

Posted on: November 10, 2020

Council briefs for October 26, 2020

Posted on: October 27, 2020

Council briefs for October 13, 2020

Posted on: October 16, 2020

Council Briefs for September 21, 2020

Posted on: September 23, 2020

Council briefs for September 8, 2020

Posted on: September 9, 2020

Council briefs for March 9, 2020

Posted on: March 11, 2020

Council briefs for February 24, 2020

Posted on: February 25, 2020

Council briefs for February 10, 2020

Posted on: February 11, 2020

Council briefs for January 27, 2020

Posted on: February 4, 2020

Council briefs for November 25, 2019

Posted on: November 27, 2019

Council briefs for November 12, 2019

Posted on: November 13, 2019

Council briefs for October 28, 2019

Posted on: October 31, 2019

Council briefs for October 15, 2019

Posted on: October 16, 2019

Council briefs for September 23, 2019

Posted on: October 7, 2019

Council briefs for September 9, 2019

Posted on: September 11, 2019

Council briefs for August 12, 2019

Posted on: August 14, 2019

Council briefs for July 15, 2019

Posted on: July 16, 2019

Council briefs for June 24, 2019

Posted on: June 25, 2019

Council briefs for June 10, 2019

Posted on: June 21, 2019

Council briefs for May 13, 2019

Posted on: May 15, 2019

Council briefs for April 23, 2019

Posted on: April 25, 2019

Council briefs for April 8, 2019

Posted on: April 11, 2019

Council briefs for March 25, 2019

Posted on: March 27, 2019

Council briefs for March 11, 2019

Posted on: March 12, 2019

Council briefs for February 25, 2019

Posted on: February 26, 2019

Council briefs for February 11, 2019

Posted on: February 12, 2019

Council briefs for January 28, 2019

Posted on: January 30, 2019

Council Briefs for January 14, 2019

Posted on: January 16, 2019

Council briefs for December 19, 2018

Posted on: January 16, 2019

Council briefs for December 10, 2018

Posted on: December 12, 2018

Council briefs for November 26, 2018

Posted on: November 27, 2018

Council briefs for November 13, 2018

Posted on: November 15, 2018

Council briefs for October 22, 2018

Posted on: October 25, 2018

Council briefs for September 24, 2018

Posted on: September 26, 2018

Council briefs for September 10, 2018

Posted on: September 12, 2018

Council briefs for August 13, 2018

Posted on: August 15, 2018

Council briefs for July 16, 2018

Posted on: July 18, 2018

Council briefs for June 25, 2018

Posted on: June 27, 2018

Council briefs for June 11, 2018

Posted on: June 13, 2018

Council briefs for May 28, 2018

Posted on: May 29, 2018

Council briefs for May 14, 2018

Posted on: May 15, 2018

Council briefs for April 30, 2018

Posted on: May 1, 2018

Council briefs for April 23, 2018

Posted on: April 25, 2018

Council briefs for April 9, 2018

Posted on: April 10, 2018

Council briefs for January 22, 2018

Posted on: January 23, 2018

Council Briefs for January 15, 2018

Posted on: January 16, 2018

Council briefs for January 8, 2018

Posted on: January 10, 2018

Council briefs for December 18, 2017

Posted on: December 19, 2017

Council briefs for December 11, 2017

Posted on: December 12, 2017

Council briefs for November 27, 2017

Posted on: November 29, 2017

Council briefs for October 10, 2017

Posted on: October 11, 2017

Council Briefs for September 25, 2017

Posted on: September 27, 2017

Council briefs for September 11, 2017

Posted on: September 12, 2017

Council briefs for August 14, 2017

Posted on: August 15, 2017

Council briefs for July 17, 2017

Posted on: July 19, 2017

Council briefs for June 26, 2017

Posted on: June 27, 2017

Council briefs for June 12, 2017

Posted on: June 13, 2017

Council briefs for May 23, 2017

Posted on: May 24, 2017

Council briefs for May 8, 2017

Posted on: May 9, 2017

Council briefs for April 24, 2017

Posted on: April 26, 2017

Council briefs for April 10, 2017

Posted on: April 11, 2017

Council briefs for March 27, 2017

Posted on: March 28, 2017

Council briefs for March 13, 2017

Posted on: March 13, 2017

Council briefs for February 27, 2017

Posted on: February 28, 2017

Council briefs for February 13, 2017

Posted on: February 14, 2017

Council briefs for January 25, 2017

Posted on: January 25, 2017

Council briefs for January 23, 2017

Posted on: January 24, 2017

Council briefs for January 9, 2017

Posted on: January 10, 2017

Council briefs for November 28, 2016

Posted on: November 29, 2016

Council briefs for November 14, 2016

Posted on: November 16, 2016

Council briefs for October 24, 2016

Posted on: October 25, 2016

Council briefs for October 11, 2016

Posted on: October 12, 2016

Council briefs for September 26, 2016

Posted on: September 28, 2016

Council briefs for July 18, 2016

Posted on: July 19, 2016

Council briefs for June 27, 2016

Posted on: June 28, 2016

Council briefs for June 13, 2016

Posted on: June 14, 2016

Council briefs for May 9, 2016

Posted on: May 10, 2016

Council briefs for April 25, 2016

Posted on: April 26, 2016

Council briefs for April 11, 2016

Posted on: April 11, 2016

Council briefs for March 29, 2016

Posted on: March 30, 2016

Council briefs for March 14, 2016

Posted on: March 17, 2016

Council briefs for February 22, 2016

Posted on: February 23, 2016

Council Briefs for February 8, 2016

Posted on: February 16, 2016

Council briefs for January 25, 2016

Posted on: January 26, 2016

Council briefs for January 11, 2016

Posted on: January 11, 2016

Council briefs for December 7, 2015

Posted on: December 8, 2015

Council briefs for November 23, 2015

Posted on: November 25, 2015

Council Briefs for November 9, 2015

Posted on: November 12, 2015

Council briefs for October 26, 2015

Posted on: October 26, 2015

Council briefs for October 13, 2015

Posted on: October 14, 2015

Council briefs for September 28, 2015

Posted on: September 29, 2015

Council briefs for September 14, 2015

Posted on: September 18, 2015

Council briefs for August 17, 2015

Posted on: August 24, 2015

Council briefs for July 20, 2015

Posted on: July 21, 2015

Council briefs for June 9, 2015

Posted on: June 10, 2015

Council briefs for May 25, 2015

Posted on: May 26, 2015

Council briefs for May 11, 2015

Posted on: May 12, 2015

Council briefs for April 13, 2015

Posted on: April 14, 2015

Council briefs for March 23, 2015

Posted on: March 24, 2015

Council briefs for March 9, 2015

Posted on: March 11, 2015

Council briefs for February 23, 2015

Posted on: February 23, 2015

Council briefs for January 26, 2015

Posted on: January 26, 2015

Council briefs for December 18, 2014

Posted on: December 18, 2014

Council briefs for December 8, 2014

Posted on: December 8, 2014

Council Briefs for November 24, 2014

Posted on: November 25, 2014

Council briefs for November 10, 2014

Posted on: November 10, 2014

Council Briefs for October 27, 2014

Posted on: October 29, 2014

Council Briefs for October 14, 2014

Posted on: October 15, 2014

Council Briefs for September 22, 2014

Posted on: September 23, 2014

Council briefs for September 8, 2014

Posted on: September 9, 2014

Council Briefs for August 18, 2014

Posted on: August 19, 2014

Council Briefs for July 21, 2014

Posted on: July 22, 2014

Council Briefs for June 23, 2014

Posted on: June 24, 2014

Council Briefs for June 9, 2014

Posted on: June 10, 2014

Council Briefs for May 12, 2014

Posted on: May 14, 2014

Council briefs for April 28, 2014

Posted on: April 30, 2014

Council Briefs for April 14, 2014

Posted on: April 15, 2014

Council Briefs for March 24, 2014

Posted on: March 25, 2014

Council Briefs for March 10, 2014

Posted on: March 11, 2014

Council Briefs for February 24, 2014

Posted on: February 25, 2014

Council Briefs for February 10, 2014

Posted on: February 12, 2014

Council Briefs for January 13, 2014

Posted on: January 14, 2014

Council Briefs December 9, 2013

Posted on: December 10, 2013