CANMORE – Restaurants and cafés throughout Canmore facing the financial crunch of new public health guidelines may receive a bit of relief.
Council voted this week to exempt businesses that rely on sales of eating and drinking from requiring a development permit from April 13 to Oct. 15 to allow for temporary patios. The decision is to aid the food service industry that is affected under the new public health guidelines set out by the province as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.
“We are a tourist town, but all towns have restaurants and right now all restaurants in Alberta are struggling,” Councillor Joanna McCallum said Tuesday (April 13). “We have an opportunity to take some of the burden and pull the foot off the neck of [food and beverage] right now in Canmore by allowing these changes in our regulatory process and permit restaurants to think a bit outside the box.”
Though businesses will not have to apply or pay a fee for the permit, they will still be required to get a letter from the Town. It also applies to all areas of the town, not just downtown businesses like it has in the past.
A business will first have to verify its location, licence, location of the proposed patio and if it’s taking up any parking spaces. A business would also have to get approval from the property owner or condominium board to ensure the temporary patio installation doesn’t impact any other nearby businesses.
Under the new public health guidelines from the province, indoor dining is prohibited as COVID-19 cases continue to surge. The decision, while important to help curb the growth of new positive cases, has affected restaurants and cafés.
Mayor John Borrowman said “it’s daunting” for businesses who are affected by public health restrictions as many have “an uncertain future viability,” but it is a step in helping businesses.
“The Town doing everything we can to ease that situation for the small businesses, it’s what council should be doing,” he said.
The COVID Safe Spaces grant – formerly the COVID Vibrant Spaces grant – will help businesses establish temporary patio spaces. It now also allows for businesses outside the Town centre to apply.
“We want to support these local businesses. We realize it’s a last minute change that has put a lot of businesses in a bind. We feel it’s a manageable risk, given the broader landscape that we’re facing,” said Whitney Smithers, the Town’s general manager of municipal infrastructure.
Council praised staff for quickly adapting to the new regulations to help local businesses.
Canmore’s Main Street was closed to vehicle traffic last year to help with social distancing.
The decision was popular for residents and local businesses and is returning this summer, with it expected to be closed from May to Oct. 15.
The Downtown BIA also supported the move and offered suggestions to improve it in 2021. Ideas include intercept parking to help visitors manage traffic and parking issues and a need for more public washrooms.
The fees for in-street patios–- which bring the Town about $10,000 in revenue – were waived last year to better help local restaurants and cafés.
If the COVID-19 situation continues to worsen or improve, new public health guidelines are also likely to be introduced.
“This is not the solution. The solution is beating the virus,” McCallum said. “But right now that’s what is being put in front of us and I have great faith this is what’s going to work.”
