Banff Mayor Karen Sorensen will seek a third term as Banff’s mayor in the October municipal election.
Sorensen declared her candidacy this week, saying she wants to build on momentum of this past term to continue working on important issues, particularly affordable housing and transportation challenges.
“I’ve seen a lot of positive outcomes this term, and in the last eight months I just see so much momentum on a number of issues,” she said. “There’s still more work to be done and I want to be part of that.”
With 946 votes, and taking 50.3 per cent of the vote in the 2013 municipal election, Sorensen defeated challengers Jim Abelseth who received 703 votes and Cynthia Anderson, who secured 211.
Before that, Sorensen served two previous terms as a town councillor.
Sorensen is proud of playing a role in the work accomplished over the past term, including a long-awaited skateboard park that broke ground earlier this month and financial support of a full-sized gym and out-of-school care space for community use as part of the elementary school’s redevelopment.
Though controversial, Sorensen said one of the biggest accomplishments of this council is breaking ground this spring on the Town of Banff’s affordable rental housing project on Deer Lane.
If all goes according to plan, the 132-unit Deer Lane apartment building is expected to be ready for occupancy late summer to early fall 2018.
“I have a goal of a three per cent vacancy rate, and I’m thinking in the next term we might just be able to get there,” she said.
Traffic management and transit are also issues near and dear to Sorensen’s heart.
She said she’s thrilled that part of the Banff train station’s redevelopment plans includes a vision for up to 900 public parking spaces, and continuing work towards returning passenger train service from Calgary to Banff.
She points to free Roam transit around the Minnewanka Lake loop this summer, and the fact that Parks Canada is also accepting proposals for a Banff to Lake Louise and a Lake Louise local service in 2017, as successes this council have pushed for.
“I have been really so happy in the last six months with the movement on mass transit, certainly with Parks Canada really stepping up,” said Sorensen, who also sits on the Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission (BVRTSC).
“I see a lot of momentum and I am incredibly dedicated to assuring that we make meaningful progress moving forward.”
Sorensen said she believes it will take strong relationships with other levels of government to continue to push issues forward.
“I believe it’s going to take proven leadership, which I have,” she said.
Nomination day is Sept. 18, and packages will be available in June. Election day is Oct. 16.
