So, as it turns out, Banff has not gone to hell in a handbasket as many comments made in public hearings, open houses, forums and council meetings would suggest.
That’s a relief.
Based on Outlook staff attending many of the above events, and based on many letters to the editor received, one could be led to believe that Banff was in the direst of straights, that the sky was falling, that desolation is drawing near.
A recent Ipsos telephone survey, on the other hand, suggests otherwise.
Whether or not you have high regard for surveys and their accompanying outcomes (page 10), we feel there is some validity in the Ipsos effort.
For one thing, while some aspects of life in Banff may be of concern to those who completed the survey, compared to 2013, with numbers down somewhat as to satisfaction with life, the overall results would suggest Banffites are pretty content with their pretty mountain town.
The survey would also suggest that the bulk of the negativity over the past couple of years is coming from those who rail against affordable housing, parking solutions, development, etc. due to a personal agenda.
In public, certainly at planned public events, those of a negative bent are always on hand to air their views. In private, though, through a telephone survey, it’s pretty clear that many Banffites are content with life in town.
In respect to the Town’s place in everyday life, perhaps it’s not surprising that satisfaction is down somewhat from 67 per cent to 61 per cent since 2013.
Those numbers hardly suggest pitchforks and torches in the night to run council out of town as some would suggest. We would suggest the numbers suggest that mayor and council are making very difficult decisions; some of which are not popular.
It’s no surprise, of course, that affordable housing remains very high on the list of concerns in Banff; much like the rest of the valley. And the fact that Banff council is making tough decisions when it comes to affordable housing means, as stated above, that there will be those unhappy with said decisions.
Still, and again, whether you put much stock in poll and survey results, it is encouraging that, as Ipsos vice-president Jamie Duncan said – there are more residents in Banff who rate their quality of life as good than would typically be seen in similar surveys across the country.
While that statement is maybe not high praise indeed, it does suggest an overall satisfaction.
What’s needed now are means of addressing those who believe their life has worsened over the past four years.
If, as the survey shows, affordable housing is a priority concerns, then we hope that efforts made by Banff council in addressing the situation will bear fruit. The issue of affordable housing will not go away until there is actually more affordable housing in the ground; steps are being taken in that direction.
Much like transit has proven to be the answer to many problems, adding affordable housing to the town’s portfolio will also answer problems.
In the end, not everybody will be happy all the time, the key is to strike a balance.
