Beloved Banff entrance sign finds safer, less troublesome home

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The Town of Banff broke ground Tuesday on a new location for the community’s iconic sign, in its collaboration with Mt. Norquay owners Adam and Jan Waterous.

The partners will move the sign to a green space to the west of the Banff Train Station in October, to address community concerns over the safety of tourists and residents.

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“The sign will contribute to the revitalization of the Railway Lands and provide a welcoming space for visitors,” said Jan Waterous, managing director of Liricon Capital, which is footing the $1.2-million development cost.

“It deeply aligns with our vision to ease traffic congestion in Banff.”

Mt. Norquay general manager Andre Quenneville says the site was proposed by the company in a deal with the town last year, in which Liricon would pay to develop the site and move the sign — provided it was moved to the land next to the train station owned and operated by Norquay.

“In 2019, Norquay worked with the town and we built a 500-stall parking lot to help with traffic congestion,” Quenneville said.

“We didn’t know exactly how people were going to use it.”

The parking lot is next to the new site for the sign.

Since its installation along Mt. Norquay Road in 2017 — at the West entrance to the town — the sign’s success as the gateway to Canada’s most popular national park has led to drivers illegally stopping for photos.

Banff and the Waterous family plan to develop the sign’s new home into a community park, with benches and pathways that allow for a safer visitor experience.

Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno said the new location contributes to a growing welcome hub at the edge of town, while protecting not just those visiting the sign, but also the rest of the townsite.

“We’re encouraging people to park at Banff’s gateway, rather than drive into the downtown core and contribute to traffic congestion,” DiManno said.

Though Banff has not seen an increase in traffic incidents at the current location of the sign, it is agreed that it is only a matter of time before an incident occurs.

Quenneville says that though the sign is well-liked by residents, the congestion and potential for accidents that it has created have hurt its reputation around town.

“I think everyone likes it, but they just realize that there’s a lot of people driving by, and some are making last-minute decisions to stop the car and try to jump out and take a picture,” he said.

“From the locals’ perspective, we’ve all seen some bad behaviour, and by putting it in a new location, I think it’ll be way better for everyone.”