Questions and answers from Canmore’s downtown Business Improvement Area

The Downtown Improvement Area (BIA) held a series of coffee chats with candidates and its membership. Here are the questions and my responses.

The Town Centre Masterplan was done in 1998 and was to have been updated in 2015, but has been delayed by town council and administration, as a number of other plans were being tackled. In 2019, council approved the budget for and a RFP was approved, contractor was hired in later part of that year and was to start in 2020 then COVID hit and the contract was put on hold supposedly until 2021, but BIA was informed on December, it wouldn’t proceed until 2023. Why do you think it is important to update this plan? Will you commit to seeing it resume in the 2022 budget?

While I have not heard administration’s reasoning for how the five year budget is being proposed, I share the frustration that this has been put off again and again. I would commit to putting forward at the finance committee as a motion for consideration.

Once we have the tourism task force’s report/strategy, we need to move forward with a downtown plan. Already the pressures are mounting – 10th street properties are receiving approvals and being appealed. Decisions are being made in the absence of real plan because development continues apace and this is a hot market.

Paid parking is being rolled out in the Town Centre in 2022. The BIA board agreed to it on the basis of a percentage of the net revenue would be used towards assisting the BIA in beautification, activation in the Town Centre. When the motion went before council only net revenue to offset cost of free transit for ROAM was mentioned. Would you as a town council member support confirmation of such funds supporting BIA initiatives and approve a motion for the record?

I would be interested in understanding if there was a written agreement between administration and the BIA. Without having a chance to speak with administration about its understanding of the situation, I would commit to having the conversation at the finance committee level when the landscaping budget is being considered.

I would be curious if it would be matching funds – from both the BIA membership and the Town that was your expectation in terms of what was agreed to around this new program.

The cost to new business of the cash-in-lieu of parking policy has been considered a barrier to development for new business and commercial property in the town centre for many years and as viewed by many not created the additional parking spaces it originally intended to do – how would you change this policy to encourage a varied vibrant commercial district?

The cash-in-lieu of parking policy is from 2008 and the recently accepted integrated parking management plan sets out an expectation this policy and fee amount will be reviewed. It is my expectation that will occur during the next council’s term in office. Between downtown businesses and the municipal government there needs to agreement on how much the fee should be, and what it should be used for.

I am not in favour of eliminating the fee altogether. Parking is not free – it costs money to provide and there is benefit to downtown property owners to reducing on-site parking requirements.

What is your view of a seasonal closure of Main Street and considering international travellers are likely returning in 2022, plus our regional visitors, would you support a decision for the 2022 budget to continue a seasonal closure of Main Street  based on learnings from the last two summers? 

I would like to hear back from downtown businesses and the tourism task force before recommending a direction for the future. I think we have seen the potential for what a pedestrian streetscape can do in the summer for the downtown. I would be open to considering another one-off seasonal closure, depending on the feedback and results of the the past two seasons.

Furthermore, If we are going to go through a strategic planning process for the downtown, what we do with Main Street should form part of that conversation in terms of permanent changes.

A new chief administrative officer, new council, COVID continues, TSMV legal issues - how is your leadership style going to enable successful resolutions of issues that will come in your term on council?

My leadership style will enable success because I am tough and fair. I work hard to understand the problem or issue, as well as the options available to address them. I am an active listener – I am engaged in the issues already and I have a track record of working successfully with groups like the BIA.