Editor:
Re: Banff council meeting, July 21
I have always admired the passion of Banff residents in defending our town.
We are so privileged to live here and we all want to protect this life we have, so anyone who threatens this best beware. However, to hear and read about what happened in council chambers on Monday, July 21 is not only appalling, but embarrassing to me and hopefully many others, including those involved with BRAPP.
I have no issue with a group of individuals unified in a cause and organizing themselves to present their concerns at an open council meeting – that is why we have them and part of the privilege of living in a democratic society. But the manner in which BRAPP representatives conducted themselves and incited others with their arguments is not freedom of speech as much as an outright personal attack on the council members themselves.
When did it become all right to hurl insults, threats, and exhibit disrespectful behaviour to elected representatives of our community? Is that just our councillors’ and mayor’s own fault for wanting to help their community by standing for election, and then getting voted in? If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen?
These are our friends and neighbours. They have taken on a task many of us would never want to do – probably for this exact reason – and this is how they are treated?
If you wouldn’t say these same threats and insults when you meet council around town, why is it right to do it at a public meeting? Don’t you know you will see them again on the street, or when you are out for dinner, or are in the lineup for the post office?
Can we all expect catcalls at Nesters whenever Mayor Sorenson goes shopping for her family? How about if she is with her family, because this affects them too? Will you be able to look them in the eye then as you did at the meeting and repeat what was said with the same conviction, or was that only because the mob was backing you at the time?
What happened at the meeting many would rightly call bullying. BRAPP has come across as the big bully in the playground, insulting and calling councillors names so they will do what BRAPP wants them to do. But council represents all Banff residents, not just the 1,370 that signed a petition (only 17 per cent of our population).
Not all townspeople have lost faith in council and town administration as was suggested; to the contrary, many of us support their efforts and dedication to make our town as good as it can be for both residents and visitors. We just don’t make T-shirts stating this.
I would prefer council look at every alternative before they decide the only thing left to do is build a parkade and raise our taxes to pay for a structure meant to mostly benefit our visitors on certain weekends, even though these visitors will never really contribute to covering the expense of this infrastructure.
I am not for or against paid parking at this time, but I am happy council, with the assistance of Town administration, is pursuing all options and I look forward to the results that will be prepared for all of our observation when the trial is over.
This is what I expected our council to do when I put in my votes, so let’s let them do their work and see what comes out of it. At least there will be facts to work with instead of guesswork.
Chris Neve,
Banff
