Editor:
As lawyers, we understand the concept of foreseeability. A major fire in Banff is not a question of if, but when. As we have seen from the tragic fires in Jasper, there was no lack of foreseeability. Just plenty of negligence. Just as in Banff. And the citizens of Banff know that Parks Canada continues to do what it does best to mitigate the danger: close to nothing.
This past week, we heard two federal ministers proclaim that Parks Canada did everything perfectly. How stupid do they think we are?
In Banff, we have suffered from a rotisserie of superintendents who come here as the capstone to their bureaucratic careers with zero knowledge of Banff as a community and zero vested interest in the town itself.
We currently see from our superintendent-du-jour great interest in the number of patio seats on Banff Avenue and nothing about the grave fire danger that surrounds the town. If ever the cliché of deck chairs on the Titanic applied, it’s now. What misplaced priorities do these people have? Could the level of nincompoopery sink any lower?
Clearly, the policies of fire mitigation in Banff are failed policies. Ask Parks’ own experts, such as Cliff White, who have been saying that for years, only to be ignored because it doesn’t fit the “we do everything perfectly” narrative. The ideologues, zealots and sycophants know talk of fires sweeping through town is not new, and the minions of Parks Canada know it full well.
Fire in Banff is entirely foreseeable. Will the negligence of Parks Canada continue? While they move on, it is our home and our lives.
Let’s hope the justified fears of the Town of Banff and its citizens in Banff will be heard loud and clear. Build every fireguard that needs to be built and use every resource. There are many ways to protect us beyond controlled burns – from selective cable logging, to heli-logging, to landscape logging, it is not just about clearcuts. Before you pack up and leave Banff, do your jobs. Give us a chance.
Martin von Neudegg,
Banff
