Questions and answers from the Canmore Library

One of the first and most important tasks the new mayor and council will face is hiring a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). What priorities, philosophies, experiences, and education will you be looking for in a new CAO?

Our new chief administrative officer is going to have to know how to deliver on council’s strategic priorities and be a tough negotiator for the municipality’s interests. Experience in a leadership role, as well as success tackling challenging circumstances are going to be key.

I would like to see experience understanding and undertaking appropriate action around climate change in their background. Change management experience is also going to be important – the rate of change in our community has reached a point where we need to be thinking about it strategically.  

Essentially, council needs to hire the most qualified individual at interpreting its direction and priorities and delivering results through efficient and effective management of the corporation that is the Town of Canmore.

Do you feel the size of Town administration is adequate given the volume of activity?

Looking at a number like the number of employees at the Town of Canmore and deciding whether the size is adequate is far too simplistic of an exercise.

Given the different service areas and complexity of a corporation with a $57.8 million annual operating budget, I would need to go through a thorough service level review of all departments to answer this question.

The municipal response to COVID has also affected two budget cycles, with a third on the way. This is even more reason for a full service-level review. What does that mean? It basically looks like a formal analysis and presentation of all service levels at the Town of Canmore.

I am very much aware that there is always a desire for more fiscal restraint at the Town. But I think the answer is a lot more difficult and time consuming than the size of administration as a single metric.

The municipality undertook an organizational review in 2018 and those recommendations should be reviewed to understand the direction that the organization is headed at this time.

The review stated: “To meet the current and future needs of its growing resident and visitor population, the Town needs to leverage the talent and unique dedication of its employees and embark on a business transformation initiative to improve key areas and scale up to the next level of municipal administration maturity (i.e., from small town to tourism-based municipality administration).”

Do you think that Canmore's Municipal Development Plan or development review process should be amended? If so, how, and why?

First, it is important to note that we have legal obligations when it comes to processing development applications. For example, when an application is considered complete, and timelines are set out in statutory legislation, and we cannot change those processes.

If we are going to look at the development review process, I need more information about what specifically is not working and whether we have the power to make changes to that process.

As for the Municipal Development Plan, we should be annually amending this statutory plan as it is a living document that represents our vision as a community. This is the actual plan that can and will shape the future development of our community and should be the one and only focus if we as a community want to see development proposals come forward that better meet our needs and values.

There are two major statutory planning documents that are at the core of how development occurs in Canmore: the MDP and the Land Use Bylaw. Council adopted a new MDP in 2016, which was a big deal as the last one was from 1998. Since then, we have gone through updates to half the Land Use Bylaw, which is work that needs to be finished.

We received questions related to affordable housing, noise, and short-term rentals, just some of the factors that contribute to liveability in Canmore. What should the Town do to improve liveability? Be specific. What outcomes do you expect?

This past council did not go through a promised short-term accommodation review and this process is needed. That is because as a community we must have clear and thoughtful rules around short-term rentals in residential areas once and for all.

Several years ago, council approved additional resources for enforcement activities and an educational campaign for homeowners, but the fulsome review of short-term accommodation has not yet happened.

Affordable housing is an issue I am dedicated as a candidate to pursuing with gusto. We need an ambitious plan for our remaining lands dedicated to affordable housing in our community through Canmore Community Housing’s Vital Homes program. We also need to lobby the province for more subsidized housing (we have not seen an increase in units since the early 1990s).

Planning work should include the Palliser Lands and getting ahead of redevelopment in our legacy neighbourhoods downtown. Demand is high for real estate in Canmore and redevelopment is occurring in our older areas like Lion’s Park and Larch. Mount Rundle Place is another excellent example of redevelopment happening now in our community.

By planning for redevelopment, we can incorporate policies and densities that create more livability for the community. No one solution is going to solve this problem but doing everything we can on several different fronts will move us forward.

That is why an update of the comprehensive housing action plan would also be a good idea. What is our strategy to address housing affordability in Canmore? There are different kinds of housing and different objectives for each.

The great news is that we have achieved some significant outcomes with respect to seniors housing through phase one and two of the new senior citizens lodge project. Being able to keep our seniors in the community is key to the future of the Canmore I want to live in.

Do you see the need for a wide-ranging, inclusive community conversation that will shape the future of Canmore, and will you support such an initiative?

I truly believe that any inclusive (keyword) community conversation on any issue that is important to our future is worthwhile. But I am also a pragmatist at heart, and I would like to understand the intended outcomes of such a process better.

Mining the Future didn’t just happen in isolation. It was a process that was intended to lead to a new Municipal Development Plan. The MDP is the only plan we have as a municipality that can shape future development in Canmore. As a statutory plan, it has power.

Mining the Future was used to create the Community Sustainability Plan. That plan was trashed by council after our elected officials of the day voted to remove all the Three Sisters lands from inside the urban growth boundary. This political miscalculation saw the municipality, as well as each individual councillor threatened with legal action.

The plan was rescinded in 2009 and it took until 2016 for us to get a new MDP.

Are those proposing a new visioning process also considering this a steppingstone to an MDP update? What are the functional outcomes of a new vision and timelines being considered? How does this fit into the work already in the plans for the next three years?

The one issue that is going to arise is that there will be those who suggest that it is inappropriate to consider major development applications while we undergo this process. That is a problematic position because legally as a municipality we are obligated to process all applications.

Do you believe that Canmore should grow? If so, how, and where do you see growth occurring? What are the trade-offs in those approaches to growth, and how will you address those?

Canmore will always grow, no matter what we do, this is an attractive place for development and real estate investment. It will either be in the form of new growth, in terms of the subdivisions we know are proposed by the big three (Silvertip, Spring Creek and Three Sisters), or redevelopment.

Banff has a legislated commercial growth cap, growth boundary for its footprint and population cap, and yet it sees year-after-year significant development permit applications.

In Canmore, we are constrained by our surrounding provincial parks, with a handful of properties outside our urban growth boundary that are owned by private citizens or corporate interests.

This boundary is included in our Municipal Development Plan and while legally we must always fairly consider applications to change it, our community has said it loud and clear that we do not wish to grow outwards.

Growth is not a bad thing for our community if we exercise power to manage growth into the future through our statutory planning documents to get a net benefit. We are limited in our powers, but we do have authority over what is built and where and when we use those powers and are thoughtful around our decision making, we will be able to shape the future.

Canmore has declared a climate emergency. What does that mean to you, and what new policies and initiatives will you propose/support?

The climate emergency, to me, means that we need to do everything we can now to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to prevent catastrophic effects in the future.

As a candidate for council, in that role, I see the opportunity to influence the private sector, the community and the municipality.

In terms of the private sector, the biggest opportunity to grow a specific program now is the organic diversion program. This has not yet been rolled out for the commercial operators and this step will go a huge way in reducing the organic material going to landfill.

The Land Use Bylaw is another avenue through which we can influence what is built. But it is key to understand that legally we cannot through this bylaw force or require builders/developers to do things that go above and beyond the federal building code.

We can incentivize additional energy efficiency and push our local industry towards zero emission buildings. But we do not have the power to go further.

As a municipality, we can look to our own operations and aggressively pursue climate change goals. I think we have seen that happening. From purchasing electric options to replace vehicles in the fleet, to approving solar panel projects on all municipal buildings to maximize their potential to generate renewable energy, to transit and a more bike and pedestrian-friendly transportation system.

My goal is to keep looking for more and new ways to consider sustainability in our decision making. We have an action plan, and we must make sure we are driving towards those goals, which requires regular updates and asking questions.

Residents need to know not only HOW you vote but, in many cases, WHY you voted as you did. When a matter comes before council will you undertake to speak briefly to the decision you are making before the vote? 

I will always do my best to communicate with the community during public meetings of council with respect to my decision-making process when voting. My experience working with the local radio station provides me with the skills to summarize my thoughts clearly.

As elected officials, we must respect our citizens and communicate honestly with them, regardless of how difficult the decision is.

Can you state your position on the proposed TSMV projects and what you see as the Town's next steps given judicial and Land and Property Rights Tribunal reviews?

Because the next council may be asked to consider an application for development by Three Sisters in the future, it is my position that it would be inappropriate for council candidates to take a position in opposition or in favour of the projects in general.

Council is dutybound to be open-minded when it makes decisions like approving a new area structure plan. I think the best decisions for the future of our community are made when they are informed, and council works diligently to understand all perspectives.

My ultimate position, or motivation, when it comes Three Sisters is to get the best possible outcome for Canmore and the future of our community. Because of the size of area under consideration for development, and the timelines involved, it is important to recognize the complexity of this kind of decision.

Moving forward, the most important thing to understand will be the outcome of the legal challenges currently underway.

Two appeals to the Property and Land Rights Tribunal under section 619 of the Municipal Government Act and two appeals to the Court of Queen’s Bench. We will be stuck in this legal challenge for years.

Section 619, which has been also called the Canmore Clause, essentially sets out that decisions by the Natural Resources Conservation Board take precedence over a local development authority. This clause was added to the MGA after the 1992 decision by the NRCB (a provincially appointed board) to grant approval for a resort development to Three Sisters.

This decision will determine the way forward for council. It is important for the municipality and council vigorously defend the decision to defeat both area structure plans earlier this year. We must ensure that local decision making is held as the ultimate authority in how our community develops.

I also agree with council’s decision to defeat the plans earlier this year, as they did not represent a future for our community that was sustainable and reflected our values.

Do you think free Library memberships are important and what would you like to see added to the library’s programs or services?

I am a big fan of the library and have used its services my entire life. Membership is a given and the services at the library enhance our community’s quality of life.

I really like the physical literacy library and think there could be more awareness around its contents. I am also keen to see whether the library of things recently launched in Banff is a success and could be adapted in Canmore.