Memo to those wishing to hold a special event in Banff National Park – apparently it better be a money-maker, or you’re out.
Here at RMO we rather thought a push for special events in Banff National Park was somewhat in keeping with Parks’ mandate of increasing tourist visitation by two per cent annually.
Somewhat. At RMO, we’ve always held to the belief that there is a difference between a national park special event and a special event held in a national park as a marketing tool.
When it comes to dragon boat races, though, a created special event which embraced an active lifestyle and encouraged local participation, it appears a lack of financial impact for Banff the town, not Banff the national park, has resulted in cancellation (page 1).
So on one hand, those who were against holding an event like dragon boat races, which have no historical link to national park activities, may be relieved. On the other hand, if dragon boats are to be replaced by a larger, more lucrative marathon, opponents can begin working on their presentations.
For the future, if a relatively low income generating event like dragon boat racing, which drew participants and viewers out of the townsite to Lake Minnewanka, can be sunk in favour of a yet-to-be-approved marathon that would likely generate more money for Banff businesses, where does that leave other special event possibilities?
Apparently, it shifts the focus from special events as visitation generator to special events as income generator.
This may not bode well, say, for someone pondering the creation of a via ferrata operation. Via ferrata, which relies on cables, steps, rungs, ladders or bridges to be bolted in place on a mountainside, would also tend to draw participants out of town – to one of the mountainsides Banff is actually famous for.
Possibly, anyone pondering via ferrata would be better served in promoting the activity as more of an urban one – with hardware bolted to the side of Cascade Plaza, say, then touring around Banff rooftops. This would keep participants in the downtown core, where shopping could then be maximized.
In the end, the idea that a new marathon, GranFondo, triathlon or skins game connects visitors with Banff, the national park, is tenuous at best, other than the events take place within it. Insistence on adding an educational component to an event, say having casual, participatory marathoners stop at interpretive sites, is little more than a way of greasing the wheels for acceptance of proposals.
The trouble with having a marathon replace a dragon boat race as an income generator is that, much like the GranFondo, it would also require use of the Bow Valley Parkway and the Trans-Canada as a route. Even barring negative effects on wildlife, like the GranFondo, a marathon would become not only a Banff event, but a highway users’ event in that it causes traffic delays and congestion for members of the general public that have no interest whatsoever in the event taking place.
Whereas at least the dragon boat races included an efficient bus shuttle system to alleviate parking issues near Minnewanka, events that spill out onto the TCH and Parkway affect thousands.
In the end, in future, it appears that an event that can’t show dollars pouring into town coffers may simply be found unacceptable.
