Barb Pelham - Banff Council candidate interview

ROB MURRAY: Barb Pelham is running for council in Banff in the upcoming municipal election. Tell us a little bit about your background and your related experience for the job of Banff council.

BARB PELHAM: I first came to Banff 50 years ago and my family started a business here. We owned a little tourist shop on Banff Avenue. After a couple of years of that we decided to open up Canada House Gallery, and that’s really been my life’s work. I started working there when I was nine. My husband and I took it over in 2000 and we recently sold it in 2018. When we retired from the gallery I was asked frequently, what am I going to do? A lot of people asked if we were going to move from Banff. They just assumed you sell your business, you leave town, and I thought…why would I leave town? I love Banff. This is my town. I am Barb from Banff! But I did have the opportunity to travel and to visit a lot of other cool destinations and other funky mountain towns. I wanted to bring that experience back to my funky mountain town. I get Banff. I get what’s unique about this place. It’s a destination that the world wants to come and see, but it is also our home. There’s this delicate balance that we need to find to build a fabulous community to be living in while welcoming a global audience. It’s going to continue to be challenging, and I feel like I am very well equipped to contribute to that dialogue and guide it in a positive direction.

RM: Tell us about your top or one of the top issues that you’re really passionate about and maybe some ideas you have around it?

BP: The number one challenge in the near future is going to be a tax challenge. I do write about this on my website. 80% of our tax revenue comes from the commercial sector, and most of that comes from the hotel sector. The amount of tax that the hotels pay is based on a weighted three-year average of their revenue. With COVID hitting this single economy town so hard the hotel revenue has been dramatically affected, which means that our tax revenue in 2022 and 2023 is going to be substantially reduced. This means that we are going to need to pare down our spending significantly. We’ll need to focus on what our actual needs are, not our wants, for the next few years. It’s going to be super tight. This is compounded by a shift in the balance of taxes that are paid between the business sector and the residential sector. Currently, for every dollar that a resident pays in their property taxes, business pays $6.23. The province has mandated we bring that down to a 5:1 ratio. It’s going to be challenging.

RM: What makes you well-suited to be part of that conversation?

BP: I think I have a few great strengths. Number one – I’ve been here 50 years. I have deep knowledge of the tourism industry in Banff. I’ve run my own business. I understand financial stress on a business and the financial stress of living in Banff as well. I feel that I have the broad experience of community knowledge, of industry knowledge, and of financial knowledge that it’s going to take to steer the ship.

RM: Is there another issue or part of your platform that we haven’t talked about yet that you wanted to bring up today?

BP: It is essential that we keep moving towards municipal resort status, trying to raise the issues that are unique to resort towns to the Alberta government to have some support.

I would love to speak about the environment. My kids are in their early twenties, and I listen to their passion and their need for assurances that governments of all levels are doing everything that they can to support sustainability. In Banff, where tourism is our only economy, we really need to work towards a sustainable model for tourism and for our own community. A big shout out to Luna Kawano. She is a young Banff woman who is changing the world. She has created a amazing effort called Banff Isn’t Disposable. She’s one of Banff’s next great leaders on environmental concerns, and I am so proud that our town is moving towards sustainable tourism.

I am absolutely 100% passionate about supporting our seniors. We desperately need assisted living for seniors to help them stay in our community as they age. Equally, we really need to work with the next generation of awesome Banffites. It excites me so much when young adults and mid-career adults decide to lay down roots in Banff and raise their families here, because I know that they are as passionate about Banff and they will carry the torch forward for the next generation.

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

BP: My website, also on Instagram and on Facebook.

RM: Why should people vote for you?

BP: I’m open-minded. I love listening to all kinds of voices. I want to go into debate on council with an open mind, really hear the situation out, and I’m not afraid to ask awkward questions and press for answers. With my work on the Municipal Planning Commission and 30 years of board experience in the community, I feel that I have developed skills to work with a group at a board level and to move platforms forward.