Editor:
Cynthia Anderson wrote in your Aug. 21 edition that the GranFondo Banff is a disruptive event that should not be permitted in Banff National Park. She seems be under the impression that the GranFondo, and it’s 1,500 participants, magically appear in Banff on the morning of the event, and just as magically transport out of town at 2 p.m. that day without spending an extra minute, or an extra dollar, in the town.
Somehow, according to her reasoning, having 1,500 participants and accompanying family come to Banff is depriving the merchants of Banff. With that reasoning, one really wonders how she is in business, if in fact she is.
GranFondo organizers should be thanked by the merchants of Banff for dropping 3,000 or more people in town on a late summer weekend to participate in a non-impact, quiet sporting event and in the process spend dollars in hotels, restaurants and stores all over town.
I have ridden in these events all over North America and have seen the impact they have on the host communities and I can assure you, very few of those 1,500 participants are coming to Banff by themselves, instead bringing spouses, partners, children, etc. Ask the people of Penticton how happy they are to have a granfondo in their town in mid-July. Twenty-five hundred participants and family members. In excess of 5,000 people.
As an example, this will be the third year I have participated in this fine event. My family and I ( four of us) spend a week in Banff, eating in restaurants, shopping in stores in town and visiting park attractions.
Last year during my participation in this event, not only the four of us came to Banff for a week, but extended family from Saskatchewan also came. All of us were here for a week. In restaurants and shops around town.
I suppose though that doesn’t count since we didn’t drive in for the day. Perhaps though, we should stop doing that since Ms. Anderson is of the view that any such activity on our part simply does not count. We haven’t driven in for the day and been frustrated by not finding parking, so our contribution to the economy of Banff is moot.
Look around at the hotels, restaurants and campgrounds this week and count the people here for this event, whether for two nights or eight; they are spending money in the town. All this from a quiet, low impact and non-polluting event. Clearly something that should be discouraged in a national park.
I look forward to this event and being able to return to it. I am 54 years old, my family have been coming to this town annually for as long as I can remember, my wife’s family as well, and my children look forward to coming annually.
It would be a shame if the message went out that we are no longer welcome. I guess we could find somewhere else to spend our tourist dollars. On behalf of all GranFondo participants, our apologies for being a nuisance to the Town of Banff.
Jim Gilchrist,
Kelowna, B.C.
