Banff eyes quotas on chains
Banff ’s council will vote Monday on a controversial proposed quota system for chain stores and restaurants.
For months, the mountain town has been embroiled in debate over Bylaw 314, which, if passed, would put restrictions on the number of “formula” restaurants and stores that can set up shop in the community.
Quota system advocates — including several of Banff’s prominent small business owners — have argued the presence of mega-chains like Indigo Books and Lululemon detract from the town’s unique character and make it difficult for mom-and-pop operations to compete.
“If your main industry is tourism, then you’ve got to offer something unique that people can’t find in their back yard,” Susanne Gillies-Smith, owner of the Banff Tea Co., told the Herald last month.
Opponents, including the Banff Lake Louise Hotel Motel Association, say tampering with the free market system would be bad for Banff ’s economy.
Banff already has a cap on development that rules out the arrival of any big box stores or stand-alone chain restaurants. New retailers can come into the community only when an existing space comes up for lease, and then they must meet certain esthetic and design standards.
Earlier this winter, more than 100 people crowded into a four-hour long public hearing to air their views on the proposed bylaw. Council was supposed to make a decision in February, but the vote was postponed when one councillor couldn’t make the meeting.
Mayor Karen Sorensen and other council members have declined to speak publicly about the issue in the weeks leading up to the vote.
There are 20 U.S. communities that have instituted restrictions on chain stores and restaurants, but only one Canadian community, Qualicum Beach, B.C., has taken similar steps.