There’s no need to ask, “Where did you take this photo?” when the Banff townsite sign is in frame.
“This is one of the tourist attractions here. It’s a (landmark), so if you have a photo at Banff, it’s going to be a good (landmark),” Anna Arceo told Global News while visiting the mountain town.
Standing nearly two metres tall, the eponymous sign along Norquay Road greets visitors as they enter the townsite.
For nearly seven years, it’s become one of the places to take a photo for tourists from abroad, like Izak Boshoff and his family who are from South Africa.
“I thought while we’re in Banff, we might as well have a photo at the famous Banff sign,” Boshoff sign. “We’re actually on the way out, so we can’t leave without a photo there.”
The Town of Banff is considering relocating the sign, to protect pedestrians who gather around the sign for the photo opportunity.
“The reality is there’s just a lot of volume over there at that area, which causes this misperception that the sign causes traffic,” Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno said. “We’ve heard that from the community, but certainly we’ve heard there’s a safety risk there. And we believe that that’s legitimate.”
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Between 2017 and 2019, Banff town council studied traffic in the area of the sign and extensive video monitoring showed that nearly 90 per cent of vehicle traffic backups in the area were caused by trains blocking Norquay Road.
The sign wasn’t moved following that study due to fiscal concerns, but town council is revisiting the idea of moving it to another part of the townsite.
“I’m hopeful we can find a people centric area like that in town where we don’t have to worry about pedestrians and vehicles interacting with one another,” DiManno said.
An updated report is expected back to council later this year.
DiManno said it was too early to say where the sign could be moved to or at what cost, but the sign was first installed at a cost of $200,000. The entrance feature sign was developed as part of the town’s Wayfinding Master Plan, approved by council in 2009.
Banff residents have mixed opinions about the five wooden letters.
“It’s nice to see it as you enter the town, but there’s so many people here — tourists — now that I think it’s, I don’t know, asking for an accident, maybe,” lifetime Banff resident Brian Carleton said. “It backs everything up for sure.”
Gema Owen, another Banff resident, said she enjoys seeing it serve as a touchstone for visitors.
“I think it’s almost like you have to go there, take a photo or have a look. It’s in a perfect spot. It’s really nice,” Owen said.
But she said she understands a relocation could help congestion and safety in the area.
“If they are moving it to a better location, I think that’ll be the best thing.”
The town’s mayor said the sign has been popular ever since it was set up.
“It was popular overnight,” she said. “We love seeing people interact with it, climb on the letters, that sort of thing. It’s really a nice experience.”
Regardless of if or where the Banff sign will be relocated, it will continue to have a presence on social media.
“I’m gonna post it on my Instagram. Then my friends are going to do comments and then lots of likes,” Areco said.
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