The Town of Banff says to the annual Canada Day parade were successful and they hope to maintain the new service level into the future.
This year, the Town of Banff decided to change its parade time from 5 p.m. to a noon start, as well as adding increased security along the parade route.
Many businesses and residents in the Bow Valley that appreciated being able to attend both Canmore’s and Banff’s parades were upset with the change, which put the Banff parade at the same time as Canmore’s annual event.
But administration with the Town of Banff said the changes were so successful, they want to continue to hold the parade at that time into the future.
Connie Grace, the municipality’s destination event coordinator, said the time change worked well for organizers, businesses and traffic flow.
“It worked well for hotel access and traffic flow throughout the day, as well as increased spectator safety along the parade route,” she said.
The time change was supported by the local RCMP detachment’s new Staff Sgt. Mike Buxton-Carr, who noted it was his very first Canada Day within the community.
“From our perspective, the parade turned out rather well,” he said. “We were able to hit it from two perspectives – celebration and security.
“Both require a different approach and being that it was Canada 150, and a special event, we wanted to have ample capacity.”
Councillor Stavros Karlos said the greatest traffic delay in the resort community on Canada Day was five minutes and 11 seconds.
“I believe (the changes) allowed us to manage things in a more responsible manner,” he said. “Many found the change in time allowed for a more enjoyable day for families.”
There was another significant change in how part of the day’s events were delivered, with Town of Banff staff hosting the pancake breakfast.
In the past, the breakfast was hosted by local businesses such as Melissa’s Missteak and Banff Park Lodge (2013-16) and Parks Canada in the past (until 2011).
Grace said the breakfast event did not have a host this year and, because the municipality had extra funding for hosting 150-related events, it took over serving pancakes and sausages at the high school field. But to continue to host the breakfast in the future would require a change in scope for the budget at service review.
“Within our current budget, we do not have capacity to produce it moving forward,” she said.
Mayor Karen Sorensen said the decision would be for a future council, and should be considered at service review and budget discussions in winter.
The total budget for the 2017 Canada Day event was $111,000 – which came from municipal taxes ($91,000) and a federal grant ($20,000).
