National

Banff residents vote against downtown pedestrian zone in plebiscite

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Aug, 2024 11:19 AM

Banff residents have given a thumbs down to a pedestrian zone in the community's downtown, rejecting the idea in a plebiscite Monday.

The Town of Banff posted unofficial results of the vote on its website, saying 1,328 votes were cast against the town council's decision to have a pedestrian zone on Banff Avenue every summer, from the May long weekend to Thanksgiving long weekend.

It says 1,194 voted in favour of the pedestrian zone.

Begun as a pandemic response in the summer of 2020, the mountain town has closed a section of the avenue to vehicles so people could safely enjoy the street full of shops and restaurants.

It's been popular with visitors but some residents expressed concern about cars and trucks clogging up side streets.

The municipality says according to provincial law, council must pass a bylaw to rescind their original decision to have an annual summer pedestrian zone, and the next meeting where they can do that is Aug. 26.

It says on its website that pedestrian zone public amenities will be dismantled starting in the days immediately after the bylaw is passed, including removal of extra public seating, bicycle parking and flower planters.

Large planter barricades at each end of the pedestrian zone will also be removed once the bylaw passes, the website says, and the road will be reopened to all vehicles.

The decision to hold a vote was triggered by a petition.

The town says official results will be confirmed on Tuesday.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C.'s 'massive error' part of web of inaction that could have saved boy: advocate

Jennifer Charlesworth says the boy's death is not an outlier, but rather an example of ways the child welfare system has let down children and families in B.C. and across Canada, despite decades of reports making hundreds of recommendations for change.

B.C.'s 'massive error' part of web of inaction that could have saved boy: advocate

Firefighting crews from Australia and New Zealand on the way to help B.C. fire fight

The BC Wildfire Service said on social media that the international personnel are expected to arrive on Friday, as hot, dry conditions persist in the province and the number of active wildfires hovers around 150. It said the two 15-person incident management teams will then be briefed and given their first assignments.

Firefighting crews from Australia and New Zealand on the way to help B.C. fire fight

B.C. government is testing out AI tools for rapid disease diagnosis

Provincial labs in B.C. are testing out artificial intelligence for more rapid disease diagnosis, including cancer. The province says in a statement that the new digital tools will allow researchers to “securely share high-quality images” in other B.C. locations, helping them to perform a faster diagnoses or get a second opinion.

B.C. government is testing out AI tools for rapid disease diagnosis

Beach art mischief

Mounties in West Shore say a man has been arrested after setting fire to the mammoth statue at Royal Bay Beach. Police say they responded to a call Monday at 7 a-m after a man who experienced a mental health crisis started a fire at the Esquimalt Lagoon.

Beach art mischief

Knife attack in Nanaimo by a man wearing a bra on his head

R-C-M-P say the attacker swung the knives at the man, attempting to stab him, but the large dog lunged and bit him before the dog's owner used his martial arts training to incapacitate the other man and take control of the knives.

Knife attack in Nanaimo by a man wearing a bra on his head

Fatal shooting in Winnipeg followed soccer game, police say it was not random

Winnipeg police are investigating a shooting in the parking lot of a soccer complex that left a 22-year-old man dead. Police say they were called to the scene late Saturday night, after the final game of the Canada African Cup of Nations soccer tournament, and found a man with gunshot wounds.