 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ACEC |
| August 28, 2005
To: All Members of the ACEC Re: Convention 2008 In relation to the site of the next convention in 2008, it was brought forward that Banff or Canmore be considered. Michael DeAdder and I had some good back and forth before the Halifax convention and I agreed to host the next convention. I had suggested Banff over Canmore for a number of reasons. During the Halifax convention, it was decided that Canmore would be the site of the next convention. Apparently, this happened for a couple of reasons. 1) It was thought that Canmore would be more reasonable from a cost perspective. 2) I think Vance Rodewalt thought that he was expected to host it, even though he has already done one in Calgary. Since hosting is a lot of work, from what I’ve been told, kudos to Vance for agreeing to do two. Now, my information is probably incomplete, so if there were other factors involved that I am unaware of, my apologies in advance. I have since spoken with Vance about all of this, made my case for the switch to Banff, and he has graciously agreed to back me on this, and also help me with anything I need. I’m sure I’ll need his advice and connections on many things. I do want to make sure that the 2008 convention is as good as I can make it, and enjoyable for the majority of people. I didn’t decide to make this request on a whim. I really feel Banff would be best for this. You’ll no doubt detect my bias for Banff over Canmore in the following text, but I have done my best not to leave any information out. If I thought Canmore would be better for the convention, I’d have no reason to suggest Banff. I’m not basing this just on an uninformed opinion. Prior to being a full-time cartoonist, I worked for six years at a resort hotel in Banff, three of those years at the Front Desk. My wife has worked at the Banff Springs Hotel for the past 13 years, and is currently the Reservations Manager. No, unfortunately, she can’t get us a good enough rate to stay there. I asked and she did look into it, but no dice. I do have good reasons for wanting to change the location, though. The Cost: Everyone is under the assumption that Banff is very expensive. Ten years ago, you would have been right. The economy in Banff has changed drastically as of late. There are many reasons for this. Everything from the downturn in the Japanese economy (once a prime target for tourist dollars), the SARS scare, BSE, the rising dollar, the list goes on. Banff used to cater to the rich, or tried to anyway. It almost fell apart when the rich stopped coming. A new tourism plan has resulted in Banff being busy again, but not as expensive as it once was. The tourists you primarily see in Banff now are Canadians, Americans, Brits, and Aussies. A smattering of other nationalities as well, but those are the big four. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still on the higher cost side but no worse than Canmore, or Vancouver, or Toronto. Hotels are pricey all over Canada right now. Meals in Banff are relatively reasonable, as is entertainment. Canmore used to be inexpensive, but businesses and the town council caught on long ago. Canmore is every bit as beautiful as Banff, but outside of the National Park. Canmore adjusted hotel rates accordingly, and is reaping the rewards. Even real estate is now more expensive in Canmore than in Banff, a complete turn around from even four years ago. Having priced out hotels in both towns, the costs are within 5 or 10 dollars of each other for a convention rate. Most hotels can’t give you a price three years in advance as their rates are not set yet. I found a convention manager in Banff, however, who can give us rates, even three years in advance, as well as help with a LOT of the planning. There is no added fee for this. It is in their best interest to host our convention as they get revenue from it. The rate she can offer is in the neighbourhood of $200-$210 a night in 2008. Keep in mind that the hotel you all stayed at in Quebec will have rates in that vein or more in 2008 as well. Hotel rates go up every year, rarely down. Currently the rate for the hotel I am thinking of is $178 for the 2005 summer season. I believe members paid $180 or more for the hotel in Quebec City two years ago. The only convention hotel in downtown Canmore right now has rates in the $165.00 range for 2005. But the cost doesn’t stop there in Canmore. You’d have to pay for extras, most notably transportation and inconvenience. Transportation: Many residents of Calgary will forego Banff and choose Canmore for their vacations or weekend getaways. One of the main reasons is that Canmore is not as busy, and for a family outing, or a couple of people wanting to go away to the mountains for the weekend, it’s much better, in my opinion. From talking to Vance Rodewalt, he is in this mindset as well. I would imagine Thomas Boldt and other southern Alberta cartoonists, past and present, might agree. For a convention, however, Banff is more suited, especially for those traveling a great distance. Locals (southern and central Albertans) bring their own vehicles, and parking in Banff is not great, another reason many choose Canmore. They’re even making changes soon to eliminate some more parking, which has locals banging their heads. If you brought your own vehicle, or rented a car, there would be free parking at the hotel and everything in Banff is walking distance. If you still don’t want to walk, Banff has public transportation, a very convenient bus shuttle system. The hotel I have chosen has its own shuttle system, free of charge which will drop you off all over town. Banff is very compact, and easy to get around without a vehicle. I lived there for eight years, and for six of those years, my wife and I only needed one vehicle. When we bought a place in Canmore four years ago, we also had to get another car. If you do bring your own vehicle or rent one outside of the park, you will have to pay a park pass fee, so that is one downside to Banff. Staying here more than four days, you might as well buy a year pass for $80. Another reason not to bother bringing a vehicle if you’re not from the area. Canmore is more spread out, and venues are all over the place. I love living here, but for a group, it’d be tough to get around without having to drive or take a dozen cabs. For those who choose to have a few drinks, Banff is a lot more convenient for getting home. Canmore has no public transportation. Getting to and from the Calgary airport is easy, no matter which town you choose, though. There are two shuttle services. The Banff Airporter (which will stop in Canmore) and the Sky Shuttle. These will drop you off at your hotel and run very frequently back and forth from the airport. I will be posting shuttle information on this page very shortly. Costs are reasonable and cheaper than renting a car. If you stay on before or after the convention and wish to drive out to Lake Louise or tour around, you can easily rent a car in Banff, and not have to pay for the vehicle the whole time you’re here. Activities: There is a lot to do in Banff for a group such as ours. The convention organizer I’ve spoken with has already suggested some great excursions, a few I hadn’t thought of and was very impressed with. Many of these will be cheaper than expected. The reason is that the convention organizer represents Caribou Properties. Now, even though they don’t like to admit it, Caribou Properties owns half or more of the property in Banff. That’s a good thing for us. That means that not only do we get good rates on the convention amenities and extras, we also get good rates on meals and activities because many of the restaurants are owned by, or tenants of, Caribou Properties. In addition, Caribou Properties has a coupon book they give to every guest with loads of discounts in town. I’ve seen this very thick book and it’s no cheap gimmick. A lot of valuable things in there and many hotels in Banff are jealous they can’t offer the same. Great for spouses and family to use during the day. I will be posting some of the excursion options on this page, and over the next couple of years, we can tailor this convention to exactly what you want. There will be plenty of links for you to check out. Canmore is not an ideal place for a group. For a family or couple, it’s great. Hiking, biking, golfing, little bistros and restaurants. A great place to live and visit. But for a group, however, there isn’t much we could do without booking a bus to take us into Banff to do it. While it’s only twenty minutes, there is added cost and inconvenience (everyone, back on the bus to go back to Canmore). In Banff, we can walk everywhere. For spouses and children, there is a lot to do and see in Banff while we’re doing our cartooning stuff. Great shopping (not just ‘rubber mountie’ shops), museums (Banff has a rich and colourful history), art galleries, and restaurants. All within walking distance of the hotel. And for those who do want a hike, there are many trails that begin right on the outskirts of town, from easy to difficult. Banff also has a nightlife, but the hotel I’m looking at is away from the main area of town, so you won’t be bothered by any downtown noise. In Banff, two or three blocks makes a big difference in noise level. The only convention hotel close to town in Canmore is situated between the Trans-Canada and the railway tracks. Not very quiet, unfortunately. Canmore currently allows smoking in its bars, but Banff went completely non-smoking a year ago. Three years from now, I would imagine Canmore will be non-smoking as well, but you never can tell. As for Canmore activities, it has some nice art galleries and restaurants, but we have a saying here. They roll the streets up at six. When my wife and I wish to go out for a night, we usually drive into Banff or Calgary. This entire area is great, no question about it. I’ve lived in the Bow Valley (Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise is the Bow Valley) for 12 years and plan on staying here for many more. I’m looking forward to showing it off, as I’m sure you’ll all enjoy it. Banff or Canmore, you’ll still be in the Rockies, but I urge you to reconsider and choose Banff. With the expense of getting here for many of you (I know, because I couldn’t swing the trip to Halifax this year), I wouldn’t want you to go away disappointed by not having the best experience possible. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments you have. I will keep the convention info as organized and up to date as possible. If you want specific information on anything in the area or about the convention, let me know and I will do my best to get it for you. Patrick LaMontagne 2008 Convention Host cartoon@cartoonink.com (403) 609-8318 |
| A Plea for Banff in 2008 by Patrick LaMontagne |
 |