For many living in Banff is a dream.
You wake up daily to magnificent views that most only experience on vacation!
Unfortunately, there is a cost for living in paradise – high rents and house prices!
Locals trying to find housing in Banff are having a tough time—they need help.
“Housing is either unavailable or unaffordable,” said Mayor Corrie DiManno.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking when there are people in your community who are struggling to just survive,” she told the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
When there is not enough housing in town to meet people’s needs, that usually signals it’s time to expand.
But in Banff, there are limits on expansion.
A new housing project hopes to use existing land to create new housing that will be more affordable. The proposed site sits on 5.8 acres that wouldn’t have to be rezoned as it’s already designated for residential use.
The housing project will be built on the Tatanga Ridge Benchlands and provide more than 250 units, with a mix of rentals and for-purchase housing.
The land sits on the edge of the town border. It’s above the demolished Pinewoods Motel that was annexed by the federal governed in the 1990s to limit commercial development, and next to the Canoe Hotel.
A mix of apartments and townhomes is proposed for the site.
“When I first saw the conceptual design, I felt such a rush of hope for the future of housing in Banff that I had not felt in a really long time. This vision feels like a modern-day Middle Springs, and I love the mix of use aspect and idea of creating a new neighbourhood up there,” said DiManno.
The project would focus on housing options for more than just the extremely wealthy.
“[It] envisions an affordable option for those looking to rent as well as those whose dream it is to own a home in Banff.”
Long-time Banff resident Nancy DaDalt voiced strong support. She’s been seeing more and more people leaving town for more affordable areas and wants change to help keep residents living in town.
“A whole family, and an important part of our extended family, have left the community with their two young children. They have joined the other families that are now commuting from Cochrane and Bragg Creek,” she told the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
“Two less children for our schools. Two less dedicated volunteers and passionate community builders.”
Banff’s City Council is on board as well.
They just approved $300,000 from the community housing reserve for a geotechnical investigation, slope stability analysis, civil engineering work and pre-design for the site.
The city also needs to decide on the best route for road access to the benchlands.
The project won’t solve the housing crisis in Banff in one go; the current housing shortfall in the town is about 700 to 1,000 units.
But an extra 250 homes will put a dent in that number.
As the project takes shape on the edge of town, it’s adding a glimmer of hope on the horizon for those who want to live and work in this mountain paradise.
