Banff Railway Lands Area Redevelopment Plan

On June 24, 2024, Banff Town Council passed final readings of a bylaw approving the Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) for the Railway Lands.

The approval paves the way towards the creation of a transit hub, expanded parking areas and heritage, pedestrian and cultural features for the gateway area. The next steps before future development can occur include a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the entire plan and then recommendations from Parks Canada to the Government of Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change on whether to proceed with the ARP.

Before council approved the ARP, they made several amendments, including removing reference to an aspirational future gondola, which would be outside the town. Instead, the plan uses terminology that supports future multi-modal forms of mass transit derived from recommendations of Parks Canada's expert advisory panel on moving people sustainably in the national park. Council also moved up the conservation area rehabilitation and restoration (north of the railway tracks) to the short-term phase of the plan, rather than in the long-term phase.

Details of the next steps in the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Parks Canada's review will be updated in the project page https://banff.ca/railwaylands as they occur.

Proposed Plan

A draft of the proposed Railway Lands ARP was submitted by the proponent - Norquay/Liricon - to the Town of Banff on Friday, September 29, 2023, along with Technical Appendices and a copy of Liricon's “What We Heard Report” on their consultation about the ARP:

• Norquay/Liricon's Banff Railway Lands Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) September 2023 (PDF 176 pages)
• Technical Appendices - Banff Railway Lands Area Redevelopment Plan (PDF 367 pages)
• Norquay/Liricon's “What We Heard Report” on Consultation about their proposed Railway Lands ARP (PDF)

The Town sent these documents to Parks Canada for review and requested comments, and is hosting public input opportunities to provide feedback.

Additional background and information about the proposed plan can be reviewed from the applicant Liricon/Norquay: https://banffecotransithub.ca/

Public Input in 2024:

• Download the Questions and Answers from the public sessions on the ARP (PDF)
• Feedback in the Survey available online below (closed March 3)
• Watch the video of the presentation at the Public Workshop, February 20:

Focus group sessions:

• Focus Group for business and tourism leaders - Tuesday, February 13, 9:30 - 11 am, Moose Hotel
• Focus Group for residents who live next to the area and adjacent organizations (within this map area) Thursday, February 15, 4 - 5:30 pm, at Banff Elementary School
• Focus Group for environmental organizations - Wednesday, February 14, 10:30 am - 12 pm – Fenlands Recreation Centre
• Town of Banff employee session - February 7

Download the workbook from the public input sessions (PDF)

PUBLIC HEARING

• Plan to attend, watch or submit comments to the Public Hearingon the proposed plan:
  • 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at Banff Town Hall
  • Register to speak or submit written comments at banff.ca/PublicSubmissions
  • Watch live online at banff.ca/live

More background information and reports to Council are available at banff.ca/RailwayLands and the video below.