Editor:
Last week, the citizens of Canmore and our mayor and council, lost our say in determining the future of our town. A future where Canmore was on track to show the world we as a town could make the tough decisions, and the sacrifices, needed to ensure unfettered development did not happen at the expense of the long-term health of the wildlife with whom we share this valley.
The fact the government-appointed Land and Property Rights Tribunal (LPRT) can overrule our democratically elected council’s decisions is just wrong. But here’s the rub: the power of the LPRT to do this is enshrined within our provincial Municipal Government Act thanks to the 2021 amendments made to the act by the UCP.
This system offers absolutely no guarantee to the citizens of Alberta that the outcomes of these government-appointed boards will not be unduly influenced by the desires of the reigning party and/or their deep-pocketed supporters.
In the spring of 2021, Canmore’s citizens took an unprecedented six days to tell council why they thought TSMVPL’s plans fell far short of what we needed from an environmental, social and economic standpoint. And Canmore’s mayor and council listened and sent the developer back to the drawing board. But the Tribunal reversed that decision and TSMVPL has now been given the green light to double the size of our town and cut off a critical wildlife connection between Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country
So, the ball’s in your court TSMVPL. You have an opportunity now to change your reputation from backyard bullies to a responsible, respected developer who is willing to listen to what this town wants. And if you do this, you’ll be able to tell your children and grandchildren you helped ensure that iconic species like the grizzly bear and wolf are still able to call this valley and this region home because of decisions and financial sacrifices you made. Now that is a legacy to be truly proud of.
Tracey Henderson,
Canmore
