Council Pay Raise + Wildfire Defense!🔥

Good morning, Bow Valley!

It's rainy, but the Bow Valley is still shining with news on council pay, Canada Day plans, and ongoing construction updates.

In today’s Bow Valley Insider:

• Canmore Town Council discusses their compensation

• Wildfire defense in the Bow Valley

• No more water guns at the Canada Day parade in Canmore

Let’s get to it!

— Fortune Whelan, Shireen Ahmed, Lauren H., & Ben S.

CANMORE COUNCILLORS MAY BE GETTING A PAY RAISE

What’s happening: The Town of Canmore Council will hold a special meeting tomorrow (June 18th) to discuss recommendations from the Council Remuneration Committee regarding adjustments to councillor and mayor salaries. 

Recommendations: Increase councillors’ base salary from $28,772 to $53,000 and the mayor’s salary from $101,338 to $130,000 annually.  Other recommendations to be discussed:

• Implement annual Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) for salaries.

• Shift mandatory council activities from per diem (a daily allowance or wage) to base pay.

• Explore the creation of maternity/parental leave bylaw and medical leave policy for councillors.

Financial impact: The recommendations total $161,226 annually, which is $10.00 per year or $0.83 per month for the average Canmore household. If the recommendations are accepted, the changes will take effect after the 2025 municipal election.

Meeting Logistics:  Open to the public and available for in-person attendance at the Civic Centre or live-streamed online at 3:30 PM

Why it matters: This meeting aims to ensure a compensation model for council members that reflects the time, responsibilities, and unique context of our town. It also seeks to attract diverse candidates by making public office accessible and sustainable, fostering a council that better represents the community. 

What do you think? Is this a fair proposal? 

THE DIGEST

• 🕺🏻Banff gears up for a traffic tango with the revival of its Canada Day parade, set to attract 40,000 visitors. Residents juggle the joy of festivities with concerns over downtown gridlock and maintaining their mountain oasis vibe. Town officials choreograph road closures, extra staff, and clever comms to sway the influx, all while balancing the budget on this scaled-back celebration.
  
  

• ⛰️Get ready, Bow Valley! The G7 Leaders Summit is heading to Kananaskis in 2025, making it a high-altitude affair in the Rockies. Kananaskis was a former host in 2002, and while some businesses experienced disruptions due to heightened security and road closures, the influx of visitors and media attention enhanced Kananaskis’ global profile and boosted future tourism and investment.

  
  

• 🛣Hold the hose! The Canada Day parade in Canmore brings out the whole community—but this year, the town is laying down the law: no water fights allowed. Whether you’re in the parade or on the sidelines, keep those water guns holstered. According to the Town of Canmore, it's all about respecting everyone's good time and keeping things splash-free for a safe and dry celebration! Last week I reported that Canmore’s annual Canada Day fireworks show has fizzled out too.
  
  

• 🤝Bearspaw First Nation has signed a historic funding agreement with the federal government, securing capital for housing and economic development for its Eden Valley reserve. This deal, a first in addressing Bearspaw’s unique needs separately from the wider Îyârhe Nakoda First Nation, follows two years of negotiations. The agreement aims to promote self-determination and financial stability

WILDFIRE DEFENSE IN THE BOW VALLEY

What's Happening: Canmore is ramping up wildfire defense with large-scale fireguards, thanks to a $192,000 provincial grant.

Why It Matters: Increasing development and aging forests have made the Bow Valley extremely vulnerable to wildfires. Hotter, drier, and windier conditions are worsening the threat.

Who's Involved: The initiative is a joint effort among the Town of Canmore, Kananaskis Improvement District, MD of Bighorn, Alberta Forestry and Parks, and Alberta Wildfire Management.

The Plan: Phase one is planning; phase two is land clearing based on priority and funding. Techniques include mechanical logging, heli-harvesting, and prescribed burning.

Long-Term Vision: To ensure community safety from all sides, especially given climate change's unpredictability. Canmore’s protective services manager, Caitlin Miller, told the St Albert Gazette: “We want to make sure that we’re protected from all sides.”

Additional Measures: AltaLink’s wildfire mitigation plan includes possible public safety power shutoffs during extreme conditions to prevent wildfires.

By taking these proactive steps, Canmore aims to safeguard its community against the increasing threat of wildfires.

THINGS TO DO

Monday

• Food and Friends, June 17, 5- 7 PM. Check it out for a flavorful food and friends event featuring delicious jambalaya! St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Canmore. By donation.
  
  

• Summer Yoga with CYAN, June 17, 7 PM. Experience the tranquility of outdoor yoga surrounded by nature's beauty. Riverside Park, Canmore. By donation.
  
  

• Creative Kits featuring stories and artwork by Tyson Crawler and Holly Kaquitts, June 17-30. Aiming to inspire young artists with Stoney Nakoda culture while educating them on the distinction between Cultural Appreciation and Cultural Appropriation. Available for pick-up between June 17 and June 30. Artsplace, Canmore. Register Here for your Free kit.

Tuesday

• Disc Golf with CYAN and Trail Sports, June 18, 4 PM. Discover disc golf with lessons and a game. Meet at Trail Sports, Canmore. $12.51.
  
  

• Writing Mountain Lives: An Exploration of Our Mountain World hosted by Nikki Tate, June 18, 6:30 PM. Join local authors and mountaineers Geoff Powter and Barry Blanchard for an evening of biography and memoir. Canmore PublicLibrary. Canmore. Free.
  
  

• All About Herb Gardens, June 18, 7 PM.  Join the Biosphere Institute for a workshop on creating your own herb garden, mixing herb salad dressing, and learning about gardening in the Bow Valley, with supplies subsidized by Bow Valley Garden Centre. Canmore Brewing Company, Canmore. $25. Registration Required.

Wednesday

• Interactive Bear Aware session, June 19, 7 PM. Parks Canada wildlife specialists will teach attendees about bear identification, behaviors, and prevention techniques and give them hands-on experience with inert bear spray. The session will be held at The Fenlands, Banff. It is free, and no registration is required.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• 👣Lady Macdonald Trail is now open, but expect occasional short closures for construction.
  
  

• 👀Keep your eyes peeled for a missing senior believed to be in the Banff-Kananaskis area. Calgary Police Service says they were last seen Friday night at home in Calgary.
  
  

• 🏀Banff is redoing the basketball, tennis, and pickleball outdoor courts at the recreation grounds and will be closed until late July. Construction on a new bike skills track also starts today!
  
  

• 💡The HUB Bike Workshops from Community Cruisers are on this summer! Canmore on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Canmore Rec Centre and Banff on Tuesdays at Fenlands, both 5-8 pm. Get access to tools and equipment to work on your bikes and learn from volunteer mentors.
  
  

• 🚵🏼‍♂️Volunteers are needed for the “bike valet" at the Canmore Mountain Market. Volunteers watch over bikes, like a coat check for cyclists. Sign up to volunteer.
  
  

• 📍Tourist season is in full swing! Jump on Roam Transit's Route 12 for easy access to Canmore's top spots like Quarry Lake and the Nordic Centre.
  
  

• 🍁Oh, Canada! Join in Canmore's Canada Day fun—sign up for the parade or lend a hand volunteering!
  
  

• 📚Canmore Public Library's summer reading game is open! Join in for reading excitement and prizes, no age limit and no reader left behind!
  
  

• 🏘️The MD of Bighorn is rolling out their large item drop-off program again for residents. From June 14th to June 25th, bins will be conveniently located throughout the area. It's a great opportunity to clear out those large items hassle-free! Locations and acceptable items can be found here.
  
  

• 🚙Three Sisters Taxi/Transportation Tours offered free rides for dads in Canmore on Father's Day, shared in the Bow Valley Community Connection FB group. This heartwarming gesture by Dave and Mirrah Oullette ensured fathers enjoyed a special day.

CIVIC NEWS

• I talked about Canmore’s remuneration earlier, but do you want a say in how Banff’s Council is compensated? Join the Council Remuneration Review Committee for six months and delve into pay and benefits. Citizenship isn't required—just be 18+, live in Banff, and be comfortable with hybrid meetings. Ensure you have the tech for electronic participation; some meetings will be livestreamed for public engagement.

LIVE MUSIC

• Wednesday, June 19, 7:30 PM: Chamber music concert and poetry featuring Jose Franch-Ballester, Joel Brennan, and musicians from the Interplay program. $20. Location: Roston Recital Hall, Banff Centre, Banff.
  
  

• Wednesday, June 19, 10 PM: Glow Party Featuring DEEJAYZORROW and DJ RANKEADO. $7. Location: Melissa’s MisSteak, Banff.

SPORTS

• Pedaling their way to success at the Canmore Canada Cup, Anabelle Drouin and Marie-Fay St Onge rocked 4th and 5th in Elite Women, while Marie-Fay’s brother Maxime cruised to 7th in Elite Men. Check out full results here.
  
  

• The Banff Marathon got off to a chilly start, but runners didn’t let that stop them from sweating it out as they made their way to the finish line! Check out the race results here.

That’s all, folks!

We’ll see you back here on Wednesday, same time, same place!