Editor:
In the current budget, Canmore council established a $750,000 project to fund its defence against the $161 million lawsuit filed by Three Sisters Mountain Village Properties Limited (TSMVPL) against the Town and individual town councillors. This may only be the tip of the proverbial iceberg of financial risk the Town is facing. The recent decision of the Land and Property Rights Tribunal came down solidly for TSMVPL and against council’s decision to decline both the Smith Creek and Three Sisters Village area structure plans.
This begs the question: what happens next? For some, including most of the current elected council, if their statements during the last election campaign are to be believed, it means they must fight the tribunal’s decision through the courts. We as taxpayers will be burdened with millions of dollars of legal fees. The Outlook's May 26 editorial points out that the ‘task is daunting’.
For those one-issue councillors who got elected to "Stop TSMV" and to returning councillors who voted against approval of the ASPs the tribunal ruled must now be approved, this is a watershed moment. Do you park your political egos at the council chamber door, or do you renew the battle just because you said you would? Do you disregard the legal and financial risks to the Town because you can do so with taxpayers' money or do you rise to the occasion and act as the leaders you are elected to be and look for new ways forward?
It is time to stop 30 years of anger and division. It is time to accept the development of the TSMVPL-owned lands will occur. Only then can we as a community move forward and work collaboratively with TSMVPL as partners rather than as implacable foes.
Perhaps a first step could be a binding commitment not to appeal the tribunal decision and approve the ASPs as per their decision. Perhaps that could lead to TSMVPL dropping their lawsuit. That could save millions that could be redirected to benefit the community. The possibilities are exciting but it will require courageous leadership to change the direction of our collective future.
Hans Helder,
Canmore
