ROB MURRAY: Shawn Rapley is running for Banff Council. Tell us a bit about your background and your related experience for the job of Banff Council.

SHAWN RAPLEY: I sat on Banff Council in 1995 for two years. Unfortunately, I had to leave before the end of my term to go back to Ottawa to care for my father. I have two years of municipal government experience. Banff was a young town back then. It was only the second Council, so we spent a lot of time on infrastructure and getting things set up and moving forward. I do have some experience, but I think I’m bringing a fresh perspective because I’ve been out for so many years.

RM: After a couple of decades here, what made you decide to throw your name back into the ring to run for Banff Council again?

SR: The interesting thing is I’ve seen all the changes. I remember when Banff was a slew of gas stations and souvenir stores when I first arrived in 1989. Now it’s all grown up and it’s filled with restaurants and all sorts of different things. I was interested in the changes and interested in seeing where we go from here, especially after the pandemic and those changes to tourism, which is our sole industry. Staffing issues because we’re not getting the international staff that we normally have. There are a bunch of challenges for the community, moving forward, and I’m really interested in being a part of finding solutions to those challenges.

RM: What is it that you’re doing right now, other than running for Banff Council?

SR: I’m still in the restaurant industry. I’ve been doing that for 30 plus years. I’m working at Melissa’s, but I’ve worked in multiple restaurants over the many years I’ve been in town.

RM: What would you say would be one of your top or the top issue that you’re really passionate about, and maybe some ideas you have around it?

SR: My primary issue is the Community Plan. The last time the Community Plan was done was in 2009 or 2008, so we’re due for a new Community Plan. The Community Plan is the guiding document for everything else we do in town. It’s developed in conjunction with the community and it should be with heavy consultation with the community. It sets the values and direction of the municipal government for 10 years – they’re supposed to be ten-year plans. Everything from environmental policy, to strategic policy, to economics. It’s a pretty all-encompassing document and process, and I think it’s really important that we get it right. There are a lot of challenges. I mean, Banff prior to the pandemic was very, very busy. It topped 4 million visitors, and has changed dramatically from when I first lived here. When I first got here, the day after Labour Day, man, there was nothing going on until Christmas, the town was empty, and that’s not the case anymore. There are some very different challenges and we need to find some solutions, but I also believe that the community needs to be heavily involved in setting these priorities. I think the community has felt, in my discussions with people, that they’ve been kind of left out of the processes. So I think it’s time that we make sure that they’re represented.

RM: Looking back on the last four years, what’s something you feel this past Council did a really good job tackling? Conversely, what’s something you feel they could have done a better job on?

SR: I’ve gotta be honest, Rob. I don’t want to look backwards. I can’t change anything. I think they did a good job handling COVID. We probably could have handled our money a little bit better, you know, it’s not the time to be spending money left, right, and centre. I know the argument is always, well, the federal government’s going to give us this and the provincial government’s going to give us that if we spend X, right? My analogy is – just because the credit card company raises your limit doesn’t mean you need to spend up to it. But really, I want to move forward and look at plans for the future and projects for the future, making sure we can afford them – we’re not sinking us in debt for the next 30 years.

RM: If elected, how would you stay engaged with the people of the community?

SR: I think it’s just all about being out in the community, talking to people, seeing people. There’s always the formal mechanisms. I’m always open to people emailing me, contacting me for coffee, but I really think just making sure you’re participating in different parts of the community is the best way to do it.

RM: Is there another part of your platform you’d like to discuss that we haven’t really touched on yet?

SR: Everything that I’m concerned about stems off this Community Plan, building a new community plan with some long-term vision. The other half is being fiscally responsible. The Community Plan covers a lot of issues. There’s only one industry in Banff, right? There’s nothing else. If you look at the incorporation agreement between Parks Canada and Town of Banff, the sole reason we exist is to be a service centre for tourism. We’re always looking out for the businesses. We need to look out for the community too and put a bit more balance in how we do things, making sure that our community is livable and sustainable both with physical infrastructure and human infrastructure, making sure that there’s some balance involved there.

RM: Where can people find out more information about you?

SR: I have a Facebook page and a website.

RM: Why should people vote for you in the upcoming municipal election?

SR: I’d really appreciate if people would support me for Town Council so that I can provide that fresh perspective, but also the experience, moving forward on developing this Community Plan and ensuring that there’s a heavy consultation with the community in doing so. Also, that we work hard to be transparent with our physical dealings to make sure that I’m spending money where it’s required, not just because it was offered to us and building more debt. I really hope that people can support me as a candidate because of my fiscal responsibility and because of my experience and passion for this town.

Filed under: Banff, Municipal Election