Locals saved Banff for future

May 27, 1998
Source: Edmonton Journal
Original story - link verified on August 20, 2000
By Jeff Adams

Banff was "going to hell in a handbasket" when Ottawa controlled the townsite and has improved dramatically since residents gained some power in 1990, says Mayor Ted Hart. "We (locals) saved it," Hart said Tuesday. He said Banff's new community plan has dramatically cut the amount of commercial development that can occur in the Rocky Mountain tourist town that lures thousands of visitors every day, compared to what was possible when Ottawa was in charge. The plan -- forwarded to Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, with her decision expected next month -- calls for almost 4.3 million square feet of commercially zoned space. A 1992 plan called for almost six million square feet, while a 1990 version at the time of the town's incorporation would have allowed eight million square feet -- or almost twice what Hart is seeking.

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