CANMORE – A one-year pilot project for an e-bike guided tour will give Canmore a better idea on the possible congestion it may be adding to the popular Legacy Trail.
Town council voted 5-2 to allow for the project to run the remainder of 2021. The program will permit Banff-based White Mountain Adventures to run guided e-bike tours from Banff on the Legacy Trail then through the Spur Line Trail to Riverside Park and into downtown Canmore.
The tours will be capped at six participants and a guide, with the group then being shuttled back to Banff after a brief stay in Canmore.
Though being approved by council, using an e-bike is allowed under the Town’s bylaws, Sally Caudill, the Town’s general manager of municipal services, told council.
Both Councillors Rob Seeley and Karen Marra were optimistic about the guided tour bringing people to possibly spend money in the downtown, but also because White Mountain Adventures worked with the Town on the pilot when it wasn’t needed.
“The applicant never had to ask and they did. I think that’s responsible. … I think it’s well laid out and it gives us lots of opportunity with economic return for Canmore,” Seeley said. "I’d be interested to see those numbers. I think we have to manage things like this, so it gives us the chance to get that information.”
Caudill told council Town staff has received complaints from residents of the trail network being congested and the hope is the data captured would give them more information moving forward.
The Bow Valley has seen increasing tourism in recent years and last summer saw people flock to the mountain communities to get out of large urban areas in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor John Borrowman – who along with Coun. Joanna McCallum were opposed to the project – highlighted it was a frequently concern raised by residents.
“I believe the congestion that’s growing on our most popular shared trails is as difficult a situation as we experienced last year in places like Quarry Lake Park and other recreation areas. It’s not going to get any better or easier," Borrowman said.
“My preference would be to have a look at the bylaw and find ways of managing the multi-use ways of the trails," he added. "It’s hard for me to see the benefits for Canmore residents to have tourists from Banff come and add to the congestion of our trails. It’s uncertain the benefit there might be to the downtown business sector, which is not to be dismissed, but it’s very uncertain.”
The report noted Canmore has a limited amount of trails available for larger groups to use, leaving the Legacy Trail the best option. The Town’s engineering guidelines recommend trails be at least 3.5 metres in width to use e-biking, which left few options available.
White Mountain Adventures made the request to council on March 2 to allow a pilot project for e-bike guided tours on a designated route.
Town staff have received requests in the past for tours such as scooters, Segways and horse and wagons, but unlike e-bikes, those would require a bylaw change to be permitted.
The tour would need White Mountain Adventures to have proof of insurance, a Town of Canmore business licence and a schedule of tour times. Data on the number of tours in Canmore, the amount of participants and monitoring the location of stay by participants will also be collected as part of the pilot.
“This way it’s managed and it’s monitored. … I think it fits Canmore’s goals since it increases your range and I support it as a pilot project,” said Coun. Esmé Comfort, adding people are likely to be more respectful on a guided tour. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. We don’t have to approve it for next year. I think you can get real information out of this and I think a lot of people would benefit from that.”
Coun. Vi Sandford echoed Comfort’s thoughts on the guided tour helping people further appreciate the landscape.
“One of the gaps we’re seeing in the Bow Valley is a lack of education of people who are in the mountains and using the mountain landscape," Sandford said. "A guided tour with some direction, assuming the guide can give people an idea of trail etiquette and keep the group together and keep the group cohesive and make appropriate stops to do some interpretation. I think this would be a very good opportunity to get people more enlightened on how to behave in the mountains.”
In a letter to council, White Mountain Adventures stated they partner with restaurants, attractions and rental businesses “to deliver mountain culture experiences unique to the Bow Valley.”
They emphasized there’s been an increased demand for e-biking, especially as traditional cycling can be limiting for some people.
“E-bikes can help level the playing field, allowing folks with lesser physical strength/capability to maintain pace with group members who are more active,” the letter read. “Groups and families can therefore stay closer together, each enjoying a level of activity most comfortable for them.”
