Editor:
At the risk of upsetting Banff Lake Louise Tourism, the Association of Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment (AMPPE), and Banff's businesses, I really want to thank Bob Sandford and Vamini Selvanandan for their OpEds in the Outlook regarding over-tourism – the taboo topic.
The previous and current Banff mayors, along with their respective town managers, have kowtowed to the above-mentioned groups who employ tactics to infiltrate Town Hall and subvert what's morally good for a small town, the residents within and the greater national park. Now the town is packed beyond its physical capacity and what's mentally tolerable. Over-tourism defined.
I hope the opinions of an influential climate activist and health practitioner regarding over-tourism gain momentum to change this town for the better. But I think it's too late as the issue was raised many years ago and predicted that more won't necessarily be better.
As a third generation Banffite, I will say that the quality of my life in Banff has diminished substantially in the last 10-15 years. I know that I'm not alone, but that doesn't make it any easier coming to terms with it. The excessive, unrestrained number of tourists being lured into this town to patronize Canada's largest outdoor shopping mall, food court and hotel complex has many residents demoralized. Thank you, business lobbyists.
Feel free to add my name to the list of grumpy, old men who live here. It won't bother me. In fact, I'll gladly take anyone on a personalized tour of Banff to demonstrate how we got to this point in time.
Joe Owchar Jr.,
Banff
