Editor:
I understand that the municipality is working on the public consultation process for the heliport and I have an idea. Despite the reason for it, I cannot but admit that I really appreciated the quiet through the spring months as a result of no helicopter sightseeing.
As the summer progressed there was, on some days, continual helicopter noise. A reminder of last summer. So here is my idea.
No matter how you feel about this issue, there is definitely a problem with a lack of affordable housing here, and the Safe Parking program does little to solve that.
I understand the budget for the Safe Parking program was pegged at $120,000. This will be funded by the taxpayers and really does not do much to solve the problem of Vanmore.
So, there is a 13-acre parcel of Town land at the south end of town that is currently leased by the municipality as a heliport for about $120,000 per year (which just about covers the cost of the Safe Parking program).
This parcel of land could support a municipal campground with somewhere around 100 sites. These could be a mix of serviced RV sites, non-serviced RV sites, camping sites, and long stay sites.
It is an ideal use for the land, which is in the flood zone, as in the event of a flood it would be easy to evacuate and there would not be a huge amount of infrastructure to get damaged.
Obviously, it would take a fairly hefty investment to set up, but a brief investigation into campsite set-up costs/returns indicates that the annual gross income from this number of sites would be substantially more than $120,000 per year.
With regard to the heliport, I am very much in support of search and rescue, lodge servicing and park maintenance, but do not see how helicopter sightseeing fits into any of the purported future goals of the municipality with regard to climate action and sustainability.
And that is aside from the nuisance factor for many of the residents of the town who live near the site. Alpine Helicopters already services many of their helicopter sightseeing flights from the Stoney Nakoda Casino site, and if those flights are not going to go away, perhaps they should all go from there.
Considering a new site for a heliport for search and rescue, and lodge and park servicing it seems to me that the provincial and federal governments have some responsibility to provide an appropriate site since most of the rescues and servicing are related to either provincial park or federal park lands.
Just an idea.
Kim Manning,
Canmore
