BANFF – A revised policy governing special events in Banff National Park – including controversial large-scale competitive destination sporting events – is off base for conservationists and a big hit with the tourism industry.
Town of Banff officials say the revised policy, which was initially triggered by a gap in the approval process for farmers market applications in 2018-19, provides greater clarity on many fronts.
They say a general restriction has been added to clarify new event applications will be rejected in peak tourism times from the May long weekend to the September Labour Day weekend to avoid contributing to traffic or parking congestion during peak visitation.
“I believe the events that we allow and those that we question will be well served by our new special events policy,” said Jason Darrah, the communications and marketing director for the Town of Banff who took the lead on the review.
During the review of the policy, Town of Banff administration consulted with the Bow Valley Naturalists (BVN) and Banff and Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) over the course of several meetings.
Special event organizers for events such as the Banff Marathon, Banff Christmas Market, Banff Pride and Winterstart were also part of the review process, as was Parks Canada.
Under the policy, sporting and wellness events – excluding community events like ball or hockey tournaments and regular league sports matches – are limited to a total of 28 days per year in Banff.
This means the total number of events is dependent on how many days each event runs. For example, if every event was two days in duration, a total of 14 large sporting events would be allowed.
The only large sporting events permitted in the busier peak tourism months are Melissa’s Road Race and the Banff Marathon, which are grandfathered in the policy. However, if one moves later or earlier or discontinues, another large destination sporting event would be permitted.
Conservationists continue to put forward their long-standing concerns surrounding large destination events, such as competitive, paid sporting events that displace people from public spaces, have the potential to disrupt wildlife and come with noise.
While noting the amendments have led to significant improvements over the previous policy, BVN vice-president Reg Bunyan said the changes still don’t go far enough and the caps on sporting events seem arbitrary.
“Our major sticking point remains with the large sporting events and the associated noise, congestion and the exclusive use of very scarce public spaces both inside and outside the town,” he said. “We believe that these types of events contribute to the growing perception of crowding and the over-commercialization of Banff National Park.”
While some of these events may be positive for participants, Bunyan said even BLLT’s summer survey indicated special events did not contribute meaningfully to most visitors’ national park visit.
“We fail to see how these events benefit the majority of visitors and residents or how they foster national park connections,” he said, noting many residents, including some small business operators feel these big events detract from their quality of life and park experience.
Bunyan said special events have the potential to provide meaningful national park learning or cultural experiences, add vibrancy to the community and bring the community together as opposed to being a divisive force.
He pointed to BLLT’s successful outdoor interactive lighting display, In Search of Christmas Spirit, that got off the ground last winter as a good example of a special event that “ticks all those boxes".
“At a time of increasing frustration with park congestion, crowding and noise, it’s time to rethink what types of special events are still relevant or even desirable,” Bunyan said.
On the other hand, Banff and Lake Louise Tourism officials say that events, including large-scale sporting events, are an important part of the overall tourism marketing strategy for the national park.
Among other things, they say events help BTTL to position Banff National Park on a highly competitive global and regional stage and provide added reasons for people to visit in shoulder and winter seasons.
“They help us position ourselves on a global and a regional and a national stage as a desirable destination,” said David Matys, BLLT’s director of events and animation. “They help us diversify our tourism products in periods of the year where there is less to do in destination and people are looking for more to do.”
Matys said special events provide added reasons for people to visit, particularly during the shoulder and winter seasons.
“We are working hard in tandem with Parks Canada and the Town of Banff to try to balance the economy and balance visitation to allow a more stable economy throughout the year,” he said.
“Events contribute to the visitor experience to a great extent, make it attractive to come to this destination.”
In rebuilding the economy from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matys said events will remain critically important.
“I’m not just speaking to the events that we produce at BLLT, but also to the events that third parties can bring to the table in helping us rebuild our economy,” he said.
BLLT believes the revised policy provides enough flexibility to create events and take into account events that contribute to residents’ experiences.
“We’re very interested in creating events that are authentic to place and speak to the interest of both residents and visitors,” said Matys.
Darrah said he too believes the revised policy reflects the call for activities and events that are more authentic to Banff National Park and reflect a sense of place.
He pointed to a phone inquiry he received earlier this summer about a cross-Canada canon ball run along the Trans-Canada Highway.
“I explained to the person that I didn’t think a stop-over in Central Park really fit with the national park ethic,” he said.
“I didn’t think the fact that our main street was closed also helped, and that ultimately was something that dissuaded the person from coming to Banff.”
The policy gives council and the town manager limited discretion to allow certain events restricted by the policy in rare circumstances.
During the busy peak period from the May long weekend to Labour Day, events may be permitted if there is no negative impact on traffic, parking and access to parks and trails.
“I would say it remains flexible in giving discretion over seasonal limits, which may be important in a period of economic recovery,” said Darrah.
Mayor Corrie DiManno welcomed the revised policy.
“The Bow Valley Naturalists’ input really did strengthen the policy that we have, especially when it comes to sense of place and environmental stewardship,” she said.
“I also feel there’s enough flexibility there for organizers – as we heard from Banff and Lake Louise Tourism – so it’s a good balance.”
