Close X
Friday, September 20, 2024
ADVT 
National

Bye-bye to Banff pedestrian zone after Labour Day long weekend

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 Aug, 2024 11:15 AM
  • Bye-bye to Banff pedestrian zone after Labour Day long weekend

It'll be one last hurrah for a pedestrian zone along the main downtown drag of Banff, Alta., this long weekend. 

The Rocky Mountain tourist town is telling businesses to take down outdoor patios or retail displays on the Banff Avenue roadway after Labour Day. 

It says that would allow the road to reopen to vehicles once traffic signals are reset. 

The town made part of its main thoroughfare car-free in 2020 to reduce the risk for visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and every year since the zone has been going from the May long weekend until Thanksgiving. 

But earlier this month, residents voted in a plebiscite to end the project, with some saying it had funnelled vehicle traffic into residential communities and caused traffic problems. 

Town council made the change official with a bylaw vote on Monday. 

The town says some businesses may be able to keep seating on the sidewalk after the pedestrian zone is gone.

MORE National ARTICLES

Woman from United States dead after highway crash in southeastern B.C.

Woman from United States dead after highway crash in southeastern B.C.
Police in southeastern British Columbia say one person is dead after a highway crash just outside the community of Field, B.C., near the Alberta boundary. RCMP say the two-vehicle crash on Thursday involved a pick-up truck carrying two people from the United States and a minivan with three people from Alberta. 

Woman from United States dead after highway crash in southeastern B.C.

B.C. fisherman fined $33K for harvesting in 'globally unique' glass-sponge reefs

B.C. fisherman fined $33K for harvesting in 'globally unique' glass-sponge reefs
The owner of a commercial halibut vessel in British Columbia has received more than $33,000 in fines for fishing in a marine protected area containing glass sponge reefs unique to the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says a provincial court judge handed down the fine in May to Brent Belveal, who pleaded guilty to offences under the Fisheries Act.

B.C. fisherman fined $33K for harvesting in 'globally unique' glass-sponge reefs

Canada and Australia's defence ministers meet on co-operation

Canada and Australia's defence ministers meet on co-operation
Defence Minster Bill Blair and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles announced an agreement to bolster their countries' relationships, along with their collective ability to respond to everything from global challenges to malicious cyber threats. 

Canada and Australia's defence ministers meet on co-operation

Ottawa calls $8-million price tag for animal captivity bill speculative, premature

Ottawa calls $8-million price tag for animal captivity bill speculative, premature
The estimated costs are largely associated with building and administering a new data system to keep track of the animals. Right now, there are 23 elephants and about 30 gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. The federal government called the conclusion speculative, noting it is based on legislation that hasn't even passed yet. 

Ottawa calls $8-million price tag for animal captivity bill speculative, premature

Fight brewing at CRTC over first Online News Act payment by Google

Fight brewing at CRTC over first Online News Act payment by Google
A new fight is playing out at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission over the first $100-million annual payment Google agreed to pay Canadian news outlets.  The Canadian Journalism Collective, the group tasked by Google to distribute the money to news outlets, has submitted plans for its governance structure to the CRTC. 

Fight brewing at CRTC over first Online News Act payment by Google

B.C. judge refuses cash award to claimant who takes part in 'underground economy'

B.C. judge refuses cash award to claimant who takes part in 'underground economy'
A provincial court judge in Surrey has thrown out a small claims case between a lumber company and a fence building firm over an "unlawful scheme" between the two to avoid paying GST and PST.  The principal of Top Quality Lumber Ltd., Amarjit Dhaliwal, told the court in June that H & R Fencing owed his company almost $21,000, but H & R's owner said it was closer to $4,000 in unpaid bills. 

B.C. judge refuses cash award to claimant who takes part in 'underground economy'