Opinion

With new distracted driving legislation taking effect today (Sept. 1), there is again a dispute over why government needs to step in and encroach into people’s lives.

It’s true, there is water everywhere and in the Bow Valley we’re lucky to have it in abundance. But, as recent events have shown, water does need proper care and attention.

This week, we feel compelled to tip our hat to the provincial and federal safety specialists and pilots who put their own lives at risk to save those of others.

Studies, symposiums, task forces… what would we do without them in the Bow Valley? Rarely, it seems, can anything be accomplished without throwing time and money at some form of study when something needs to be done.

Disasters like the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or the earthquake-caused nuclear leak event in Japan always seem far, far away when they make world-wide headlines.

We hate to be the bubble-bursting barons of the obvious but when it comes to Banff’s struggle with regulating franchises or souvenir shops it is much more complicated than an argument about free market economics.

Parks Canada is vowing to throw the bylaw book at photographers who are harassing bears in search of that award-winning, holiday-capping, money making photo of a grizzly in the wild, and RMO supports the decision (page 4).

Whether you love or hate Canmore’s feral rabbits, and there’s little wavering from one of those opposing viewpoints, the thought of culling them, or not, from the town presents all manner of interesting aspects.

Here at the Outlook, we hope that Banff residents and others who have been voicing their displeasure with chain stores, and their possible proliferation, will take a similar stance as to the likelihood of Parks’ embracing of thrill-seeking activities

Being that both Banff and the MD of Bighorn are on board with providing funding for a Bow River Lodge expansion which will keep seniors from all communities in the valley, it’s disappointing that Canmore council balked at doing the same thing.