Editor:
As a resident of Canmore, I’m deeply concerned by the proposed spa and hotel in the Rundleview area. This land, currently community open space and recreation in the Municipal Development Plan (MDP), represents an area of vital respite for wildlife and residents, and reflects a clear vision to protect if for common good.
The highest and best use of community open space and recreation is not to hand it to developers for a spa and hotel. Amending the MDP – and subsequently the land use bylaw – would strip away public land intended for all and for wildlife habitat, placing it in the hands of those more interested in profit than community well-being.
There are dozens of locations within Canmore already zoned commercial or mixed-use where such a development would have appropriate land use. Developers claim to want certainty to develop efficiently, this is the role of MDPs – to provide long-term guidance for where uses go and to direct development to those areas.
Instead, Canmore residents are continually asked to amend the MDP to suit developers’ needs.
Don’t residents deserve certainty too?
The Town has a responsibility to consider these alternatives before sacrificing valuable community land and amending statutory plans.
What’s especially concerning is the nature of this land deal – the disposition of this land reflects the cronyism Canmore residents rejected in the last provincial election. The current provincial government’s decision to lease Crown land to well-connected developers is not in line with our community values. When the application comes before Canmore council, council has an opportunity to align with the community by rejecting this proposal and its inherent favouritism.
The proposed development is also concerning for wildlife. The area is adjacent to key wildlife areas such as the Georgetown-Quarry Lake wildlife corridor and the Quarry Lake local habitat patch. Wildlife already have limited movement options around Rundle forebay, this development would further fragment their habitat, increase the risk of human-wildlife conflict, and increase negative outcomes for both wildlife and people.
Amendments to the MDP should only be made if they offer substantial benefit to the community, are widely supported by residents, and do not cause unacceptable impacts. This development meets none of these criteria. I urge residents to speak out when a public hearing process takes place and ensure Canmore’s future is shaped by its people, not by private interests.
Lori Rissling Wynn,
Canmore
