Construction Update - August 3

This e-newsletter is for residents, businesses and organizations who have registered for project updates.

If you know others who should receive this regular email update, please direct them to sign up at https://www.brandnewbear.ca/

For questions or comments, please email the project team at BearStreet.Talk@banff.ca.

Quick Overview: the week ahead

Pedestrian access to operating businesses maintained in all zones.

Zone 1 (at Caribou St)

Traffic/intersection – closed
Parking – closed
Pedestrian access – open on gravel pathways
Activity – pressure testing and chlorination of water service connections

Zone 2

Traffic – closed
Parking – closed
Pedestrian access on gravel pathways, with periodic closure of mid-block crossing
Parkade – closed
Laydown area (surface parking lot) – restricted to construction crews
Activity – underground utility replacement - water and sanitary sewer with tie-in connections, pressure testing and chlorination of connections

Zone 3

Traffic – closed
Parking – closed
Pedestrian access on gravel pathways, but closure of sidewalk at CMH Aug. 6-7 and mid-block crossing
Parkades – closed into September
Laydown area (surface parking lot) – restricted to construction crews
Activity – water and sanitary mains replacement, service connections at CMH and staff accommodation for Banff Park Lodge

Zone 4 (at Wolf St)

Traffic/intersection – closed
Parking – closed
Pedestrian access – open on temporary pathways
Activities – water and sanitary mains replacement

Construction Activity: August 4 - 8

Bear Street is closed to all vehicular traffic.
The underground parkades are not accessible by vehicle.
Caribou Street intersection is closed to vehicular traffic.
Wolf Street intersection is closed to vehicular traffic.
Mid-block crosswalk(s) may be closed as needed.
Replacement of water and sanitary sewer systems are ongoing.
Access to some buildings will be required, to continue the temporary water connections. Intermittent service disruption may occur and will be planned with each building affected.
Wastewater/sanitary sewer flows may be by-passed during connections, but service to buildings will not be interrupted.
Small sidewalk areas may be demolished adjacent to some buildings.
Brand New Bear fence scrim will be added to new fenced area.
The temporary sidewalks will be re-levelled and re-compacted throughout the week. Expect vibrations.
Expect road closures, sidewalk detours, vibrations, noise and dust.

Sidewalk closures
The construction phases in the subsequent weeks will have an impact on public access to businesses, especially for businesses without secondary access. Phases are separated by up to a week. This is the sequence for construction activity that will cause disruption:

Removal of water connection point (only where applicable)
Connections from building to storm sewer (only where applicable)
Soil Cells (only where applicable)
Landscaping (only where applicable)
Construction of road base
Installation of pavers

We are working with businesses without secondary access to plan work with minimal disruption, but since many neighbouring businesses have conflicting open hours, accommodation is not always possible.

Parkade closures
With the parkades closing for at least the next month for the Bear Street Mall and the Town House Building, property owners and tenants seeking alternative parking options are to contact their building landlord to have Municipal Enforcement permit registered vehicles to park in specified Town of Banff parking zones for longer than posted limits.

Communications Update

Bear Street Ambassadors have been scheduled seven days a week to help customers and residents navigate the Bear Street sidewalks, especially when there is a closure at a business that causes a dead end.

The Bear Street Ambassadors also handed out branded Brand New Bear masks this past long weekend and promoted the free masks at several locations in the downtown to help direct more people to Bear Street.

Paid social media posts this last weekend featured food and beverage services for the long weekend, and Ambassadors directed many visitors to rental services and popular hardware products.

The narrow sections of pathway are being monitored to ensure safe passage. All pathways will provide maximum possible pedestrian space on the upcoming long weekend.

The Website BrandNewBear.ca continues to be updated with listings for the map and business directory.

Mandatory Masks Bylaw

Banff Town Council passed a temporary mask bylaw that requires people to wear masks or face coverings in enclosed public spaces such as shops, restaurants, hotels, common areas, taxis and other publically accessible facilities.

Masks must also be worn outside in the 100 and 200 blocks of Banff Avenue and Caribou Street, (https://banff.ca/banffave) which has been converted into the downtown pedestrian zone.

Businesses and other publicly accessible enclosures are required to post notification in their entrances identifying the requirement to wear a mask or face covering. Businesses can download a poster/sign from Banff.ca/COVIDmasks.

Businesses needing help printing the sign can request a laminated sign from communications@banff.ca.

Businesses are not required to enforce the mask requirement or inform customers about the need to wear masks, but are welcome to provide information or refer people to Banff.ca/COVIDmasks.

If people have complaints, please direct them to https://banff.ca/covid#Complaint or call Municipal Enforcement at 403.762.1218 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. After hours, please call the RCMP at 403.762.2226.

Banff Safety Ambassadors are in the downtown pedestrian zone handing out free disposable masks every day for the remainder of the summer. Bear Street Ambassadors also continue to hand out free masks as a good way to start conversations about Bear Street opportunities.

Free masks are not being provided to businesses to distribute because several Banff businesses sell masks and the Town’s Ambassadors are trained to hand out masks without compromising the sanitary requirements.

There are a number of exceptions to the bylaw, detailed at Banff.ca/COVIDmasks.

Banff Town Council will review its effectiveness at every meeting this summer and fall, and may make adjustments as needed.

Wearing a mask does not replace the need to maintain a social distancing of 2 metre/6 feet from others, or the practice of regular hand washing and sanitizing.

Bear Street Reconstruction Project Team:

Pierre-Hugues “PH” Gagnon, Bear Street Project Manager
Marie-Eve Jackson, Community Liaison Officer (for businesses, employees and residents)
Rick Williams, Business Liaison Officer (for property owners)
Janice Carson, Senior Communications Specialist
Darren Enns, Director of Planning and Development
Adrian Field, Director of Engineering
Jason Darrah, Director of Communications

For questions and comments about the Bear Street Reconstruction project, please email bearstreettalk@banff.ca.