This chilly November was reheated when a fiery debate reignited on one of Banff’s most controversial topics in recent memory.
The impassioned paid parking dispute boiled over again as Banff’s young adults presented their sides to the discussion.
In a planned pro versus con discussion last Thursday (Nov. 6), Banff Community High School Grade 12 students weighed in on the subject at Banff’s council chambers as part of each semester’s social studies mock debate.
In August, the Town of Banff instated a stirring paid parking trial period that charged $2 per hour in spaces near the downtown core. The trial was cut short on Sept. 29, well before its scheduled Oct. 31 end period, following negative public outcry and a successful petition spearheaded by concerned citizens.
The youth in politics concept is a hands-on learning session on how decisions are made at the municipal level. This is the ninth time over the years that BCHS students have engaged in the debate.
Each side outlined their strong points, highlighting that they went into the community and prepared data for the discussion.
The opening arguments on the pro side included more parking availability, it encouraged alternative modes of transportation, more money and less taxes for the town, and paid parking is user paid, not local.
Con opened with the inconveniences paid parking brings upon locals as more people seek free parking on side streets that locals use; it adds to tourist traffic congestion, more emissions are used as drivers search for free parking, fines for parking violations, and the additional parking may sway tourists from spending more money in town.
The pro paid parking students presented statistics such as the amount of time people were able to find parking space downtown throughout the week. According to the stats presented, 61 per cent of people surveyed said during weekdays it took less than two minutes to find a space. While on weekends 44 per cent said it took less than two minutes and 38 per cent said it took more than five minutes to find free spaces.
About 25 students in total argued why their side was the best choice in front of Mayor Karen Sorensen and councillors Corrie Dimanno, Chip Olver and Grant Canning. The two students were given about two days to conduct their research and execute their arguments.
Nanako Emori, of the con side, said their strong point was that paid parking doesn’t resolve the bloated congestion in Banff.
“The problem was it was implemented to reduce congestion, but it obviously didn’t. We saw it during the summertime, so it didn’t solve the problem, the problem is not congestion it’s the lack of parking spaces in Banff,” Emori said.
Ryan Barrow, of the pro side, said his side’s soundest point was that the implementation of paid parking helps out the environment.
“I think our strongest argument was that it takes cars off the road in the busy months and less greenhouse gases,” he said.
The mayor and councillors had a brief intermission to discuss the debate among themselves. When they returned to the chambers, Sorensen declared the pro paid parking as the debate winners “based on the opening statements” and being able to “quote more real facts.”
“(Their debate) wasn’t about the Town, it was about the ratepayer,” she said.
Sorensen said the con side had a confident and well-presented argument, but struggled in a few areas. She said there are no facts to back up tourists will spend less in town if there is paid parking and the con side were a little too focused on traffic congestion and not enough on parking.
