Not too long ago, in this very space, we suggested the only way Banff and Canmore, as municipalities, would ever get out in front of the affordable housing issue that continues to plague both towns is if they take it upon themselves.
To the dismay of some, and the relief of others, Canmore council took that step on Tuesday (July 6) when it approved using half of a parcel of municipal reserve land for future affordable housing.
Now that the site of the old daycare has officially been identified as a location for affordable housing, what remains is to decide what type of housing would best serve the location – apartments, row housing, duplexes, etc., or a mix of all.
That process will no doubt be a lengthy one, with plenty more input from all sides. And in the end, no matter what type of housing is constructed, adding units for 30 or 40 families will still barely scratch the surface of the affordability issue – but a first step had to be taken.
Much like we’ve offered kudos lately to Banff council for trying to tackle the issue of parking and traffic congestion, we offer similar congratulations to Canmore council for taking a stab at ensuring more affordable housing is constructed.
What we find most disconcerting is – much like the great brouhaha that occurred when Banff council tried to take steps in addressing traffic/parking with a paid parking trial – the level of animosity and personal attack leveled at Canmore council.
It’s disappointing, to say the least that, as Councillor Sean Krausert pointed out, some residents have stooped so low as to threaten orchestrated efforts to see the present council is not elected again.
While we realize and sympathize that homeowners in the area are concerned with a drop in property values, or that traffic/parking will become an issue, or that green space is being sacrificed for affordable housing, we ask what else can be done?
At the end of the day, it’s not like the old daycare lands (Larch Park, if you prefer) is a pristine slice of wilderness that is about to be razed. For decades, the site has been the home of the daycare, with accompanying traffic and rambunctious kid noise, the original site of the folk festival and foot traffic, off-leash dogs, etc.
It’s unlikely that more affordable housing can be coaxed out of developers, short of offering tax holidays that would be a burden to ratepayers, as developers are looking to maximize profit from any given piece of land. In most cases, why would a developer with a property build affordable $450,000 units, say, when they can sell all they can build in the $750,000 range?
The issue of affordable housing in Canmore stretches back to the 1990s and little has been done since then to correct it. Over the years, plenty of verbiage has been offered up as to how to deal with the issue, in open houses, public forums, Mining the Future discussions, etc., but Canmore council has finally taken a positive step in addressing a portion of the problem.
More action will have to be taken in the future and we hope council will embrace all possibilities.
