Final

TOURISM TASK FORCE MINUTES Zoom Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.

TASK FORCE MEMBERS PRESENT John Borrowman Mayor Rob Seeley Councillor Rachel Ludwig Industry Representative Martin Bean Public Member Jodi Conuel Public Member Sarah Elmeligi Public Member Michael Hay Public Member David Huggill Public Member Sean Krausert Public Member Michelle MacDonell Public Member Norbert Meier Public Member Christie Pashby Public Member Carol Poland Public Member Geoff Powter Public Member Mace Rosenstein Public Member Dawn Saunders Dahl Public Member Avneet Sahani Public Member Adam Walker Public Member

TASK FORCE MEMBERS ABSENT None

ADMINISTRATION PRESENT Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Sally Caudill GM of Municipal Services Sara Jones Executive Assistant (Recorder)

1. Review notes/minutes from January 14, 2021 Meeting • Updated to correct grammar/spelling errors.

2. Lloyd ‘Buddy’ Wesley, Nakoda Language and Historian • Indigenous History in the Bow Valley o Traditional trading route for: ▪ Iyârhe Nakoda Nations: Bearspaw, Wesley, Chiniki ▪ Ktunaxa ▪ Secwépemc ▪ Mountain ▪ Blackfoot: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani

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Final ▪ Tsuut’ina – part of the people ▪ Métis • Nakoda Tribes in Southern Alberta o Mountain Stoney 142a+b/143/144a+b reserves. Total population: 5656 (2019 AB stats) o Big Horn: Wesley band 235km north of Morley, near Nordegg. Population: 1818 o Eden Valley: Bearspaw band 213km south of Morley, near Longview. Population: 2037 o Morley: Chiniki band, 45km east of Canmore. Population: 1801 o Sharphead: this band was deemed to be extinct by the federal government and the reserve land was surrendered in 1897 • Nakoda Tribes in Alberta and o Wood Stoney: Paul (along Wabamum Lake, 70km west of ) and Alexis (Glenevis, 85km west of Edmonton) in o In Saskatchewan there are 8 Nations: ▪ Standing Buffalo First Nation ▪ Wahpeton Dakota Nation ▪ Whitecap Dakota First Nation ▪ Wood Mountain First Nation ▪ Carry The Kettle First Nation ▪ Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation ▪ Ocean Man First Nation ▪ Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation o In Manitoba there are 5 Nations: ▪ Birdtail Sioux First Nation ▪ Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation ▪ Dakota Plains Wahpeton Nation ▪ Dakota Tipi First Nation ▪ Sioux Valley Dakota Nation • In the United States the Sioux Nation was, and is, comprised of 3 major sub-divisions: o Lakota – or Teton: Prairie Dwellers – with Seven Bands: ▪ Oglala – They Scatter Their Own or Dust Scatters ▪ Sicangu – or Brule: Burnt Thigh ▪ Hunkpapa – End of the Circle ▪ Miniconjous – Planters Beside the Stream ▪ Sihasapa – or Blackfeet • NOTE – not the commonly known Blackfeet/Blackfoot Tribe ▪ Itazipacola – or Sans Arcs: Without Bows; also known as Oohenupa/Two Boilings or Two Kettles o The Dakota or Santee – with Four Bands: ▪ Mdeakantonwon ▪ Wahpeton ▪ Wahpekute

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Final ▪ Sisseton o The Nakota or Yankton – with Three Bands: ▪ Yankton ▪ Upper Yankton ▪ Lower Yankton o http://www.snowwowl.com/peoplesioux.html o Through their language they are related to the Dakota and Lakota nations of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, part of the large Sioux Nation • Banff Indian Days o The relationship started in the late 1890’s when travelers were stuck at the Fairmont Hotel and Tom Wilson brought Stoney in to “entertain” the group, leading to the creation of Banff Indian Days which lasted until 1978 o The event has a complex history, one that continues today as Indigenous community members have fond memories and have expressed an interest in revising this annual event. Recent conversations and interviews with community members from Stoney Nakoda, Ktunaxa, and Tsuut'ina, and further away, found that the event provided opportunities to meet friends and family, to exchange stories and items, and celebrate their cultures o This was unique considering the event was held during times when it was not acceptable practice to showcase Indigenous culture any other time of the year • National Indigenous Peoples Day o June is National Indigenous Peoples Month o On June 21 from 2016-2019 the Town of Canmore celebrated with a parade, artisans, dancing, storytelling, and drumming o The event started while Dawn Saunders Dahl (a member of the Tourism Task Force) was working in the Arts & Events department at the Town of Canmore. Buddy Wesley and Sykes Powderface were consulted. Before this there hadn’t been much of a relationship since the 1988 Olympics, but Stoney Nakoda peoples do visit, shop, and use services in Canmore o The purpose of the event was to revitalize and form new friendships, as well as acknowledge that the Stoney Nakoda are still here, an important action within the framework of reconciliation • Morley Today – Events and Business o Annual Powwow/Rodeo o Chiniki Cultural Centre/Centex/Subway/Smitty’s Restaurant (this was the first time Smitty’s franchised with Indigenous peoples) o Bearspaw Kananaskis Travel Centre: Stoney Nakoda Resort, Restaurant, and Casino/ESSO/Tim Hortons o Community Centre/Health Centre/Daycare/Food Bank/Goodstoney Rodeo Centre o Chiniki College/Elementary and high schools • Anûkathâ Îpa – Bald Eagle Peak – September 2020 o Acknowledging traditional Indigenous names of mountains, ranges, rivers, and areas within Canmore and the Bow Valley are important acts of reconciliation. Strengthening place names that have been traditionally known by Indigenous groups for centuries creates a sense of place and genuine storytelling. This is important work that can also be

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Final part of new tourism initiatives that could include storytelling and genuine opportunities for relationship building through programming • Stoney Nakoda Representation on committees o Ensure that your organization makes space for Indigenous representation on committees and directly invite participation from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Youth • Stoney Nakoda Tourism o Stoney Nakoda community members are interested in developing content around tourism, developing partnerships, and contributing to genuine relationship building in the Bow Valley, examples include: Traditional History presentations – the livelihood before contact, being aware of who we are as Stoney people. It does not have to be a powwow, it could be showing films about the history, such as the commemoration of Treaties in 1977, as well as youth lead Nakoda AV Club filmmaking initiatives, walks and talks, etc. • Chiniki Band – new council was recently elected, optimistic about tourism. Need to work with them to understand how we can collaborate • Whyte Museum will have Buddy teach a Stoney Language and history course, starting in May

3. Panel Discussion with Local Tourism Operators ❖ Adam Walker, Canmore Cave Tours o https://www.canmorecavetours.com/ o Business has been in town for 29 years; Adam took over ownership in 2013 o Mostly visitors from AB o Designated as a Canadian signature experience

❖ Andrew Nickerson, Mystery Towns and Canmore Uncorked – Food & Drink Festival o https://www.mysterytowns.com/adventures/canmore o App guided, clue solving games in multiple places across BC and AB. With COVID they have many play at home games o https://www.canmoreuncorked.com/ o Annual event since 2014

❖ Claude Faerden, Kananaskis Outfitters o https://kananaskisoutfitters.com/ o Family run business o Retail/rental store in Kananaskis Village, with a second rental operation at Barrier Lake, also offer guided tours in Kananaskis Valley

❖ Jenna Nodding, Get Outside o https://www.getoutsideadventures.ca/ o Hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing tours o Majority of clientele come from AB and SK o Target female demographic

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Final ❖ Mark Walker, Rent A Tent o https://www.rent-a-tent-canada.com/ o Operating for over 10 years o Provide camping equipment rental packages primarily to tourists from outside AB – mostly from US, Europe, other parts of Canada

• Adventure Hub is made up of owners of small businesses to get them talking/sharing resources/working together • Sustainability: o Is about the long view – there needs to be sufficient revenue injection into the community to support its businesses, in a manner that is conscious about both the needs of the community and the fragility of the surrounding environment o Triple bottom line is a model they already follow • Need to stress that Canmore Is a tourism community o Not just because we say so, but because people will come here regardless – people come for the beauty and to recreate here o Every local business benefits in one way or another from Canmore’s visitor economy, and local residents benefit from the amenities that are only possible because of visitor spend. Conversely, it is inevitable that not every resident is going to support growth, and not every business is going to want to contribute to supporting the industry. The most noise and/or hostility will always come from opposition voices o Question is how do we manage the growth of tourism? o It is not just businesses who are responsible for promoting Canmore, we all have a role in proactively shaping tourism ▪ We need to have a clear and aligned message from our civic leadership ▪ Remove doubts and paint a positive picture of what tourism will look like ▪ Need the right people helping promote our message ▪ Need a secure funding mechanism – supporting TCK should not fall solely on frontline businesses o “Tourism isn’t owned or driven by a single sector – it is a cross-community economic driver, and as such it makes sense that it is led by the community”

Questions: • Can you speak to if, or how, your products and activities incorporate Canmore’s history including our social and cultural history (Indigenous people, settlement, mining, etc.) and/or the region’s natural history (geology, hydrology, ecology, flora, fauna)? o Jenna – on guided hikes, time is spent educating on the various flora and fauna. One program called Discover the Mountains, which is on trails closer to town, includes a lot of history about the town and stories to accompany the history o Andrew – create a story line based on clues, where people have to find the information themselves o Claude – don’t talk about Canmore specifically since they are located in Kananaskis; however, they do educate people on the local Indigenous culture – history of how places got their names, wild edibles (traditional medicines)

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Final o Mark – refers many people to Adventure Hub partners to gather certain information. They focus a lot on safety of camping in the mountains o Adam – tours are exclusively natural history, including some First Nations history (pictographs in caves)

• Knowing we share our space with wildlife, we need to ensure that we do not develop to the point that we push wildlife away/eliminate species – they are part of what attract many people to the area. Where do we draw the line between offering good tourism experiences with continued development, and ensuring that the environment/wildlife stays safe? o Adam – it’s not up to the tourism operators to define this, it’s up to the community to define what stories we want told/what experiences we want people to have when they come here o Andrew – we don’t necessarily want every single type of tourist to come here, nor do we need to provide every type of experience. There are many who want to come here to enjoy the nature/beauty that we have to offer – we don’t need to create ‘Disneyland’ to bring people here o Claude – bears are a huge attraction, a highlight for tourists is to see wildlife. Collaborate with the community and build the type of tourism industry that we want o Mark – Banff tourism product attracts a certain type of tourist, one that wants to sit on a bus, go up a gondola, etc. This caters to higher volumes of tourists o Jenna – without the wilderness she wouldn’t have anything to show her guests. Her goal is to educate people on how to handle wildlife encounters and be safe when enjoying the backcountry. Need to have a common set of values in the community, which will attract people who share those values

• Is there a local’s market for your business? o Jenna – a number of locals that take part in her business – intro to backpacking, full moon hikes o Andrew – Canmore Uncorked 35% locals (set price menus). Locals are the best ambassadors, helping to promote experiences for their guests/family to take part in o Claude – most customers come from , Edmonton, Red Deer. Many people in Canmore are not aware of where his business is located. Have not felt a strong connection to the Canmore community. Public transit would help bridge the gap to help those who are coming to Banff, also visit Kananaskis, Canmore, Lake Louise o Mark – nature of his business, not a lot of locals rent tents as many have their own equipment. Looking at catering what they offer so locals rent certain items to ‘complete’ their camping kits o Adam – does not see a lot of locals. Have been doing events to bring in locals (Christmas caroling in the cave)

• What percentage of your capacity are you currently operating on? How would a resident of Canmore know if your business increased by 100/200/300/400% - would we notice? o Adam – 99% busy from June 15-September 15; 20% capacity the rest of the year. Canmore would not notice if their capacity increased during the slower times of the year. They do not deal with massive volumes of people

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Final o Mark – currently have 2 employees, pre-COVID they would maybe have 4 employees. Have about 60 camping packages that could be rented at any given time, but there are always packages on the shelf. Operating time runs from the end of May to end of September with 60-70% average capacity, peaks on long weekends. Customers could be spending money at local grocery stores/liquor stores, but Canmore could see a significant impact if capacity grew simply because many customers use Canmore as a gateway to their adventures, moving on to BC, the coast, etc. o Jenna – summer months at 90%; winter months substantially lower. If they ran at a higher capacity some community organizations would receive funding as they donate a percentage of revenues to Bow Valley Kid Sports, Bow Valley Food Bank, artsPlace, YWCA, etc. Partner with JK Bakery for day hikes (sandwiches). Pre-COVID guests would come into town the night before the trip and stay in a hotel and post trip they have a final meal together in a local restaurant o Andrew – Canmore Uncorked events typically sell out, want to make sure any additional events added do not affect the community negatively so would be mindful before adding more business. Goal is to keep people moving through town to see/experience many things. Mystery Towns has unlimited capacity, adventures can be done anytime, there would not be a public impact other than exposure to other business by them hosting clues o Claude – have been busier since COVID, more people outside – smaller numbers on tours, but more tours going out. An increase in capacity would have more people staying at hotels in Canmore, and eating at our restaurants

• How do your clients feel when they come to Canmore? Do they feel welcome? o Andrew – has no data on this but has never been told by a customer that they haven’t received a friendly welcome. Resentment has been directed toward the businesses themselves rather than towards the visitors – “you’re trying to change us; you’re making us too busy”. This typically comes from fear and not wanting to be as busy as Banff – this is why we need a clear vision to help people understand that busy doesn’t mean bad o Adam – no reports from guests about bad experiences of interactions with residents o Jenna – no poor experiences as a business owner, and no reports from guests being treated poorly

• Length of stay – mostly day trips? How can we get people to stay longer in Canmore? o Jenna – for weekend trips, many guests would end up staying 1-3 nights, or more, in town. Very rare for just day trips, many stay in the community longer o Mark – length of stay can be 3 days to 3 weeks. Some guests stay in Canmore and do a few activities before/after their camping trip o Adam – predominantly day trippers. Sometimes hotels are so busy in town that customers can’t stay, even if they wanted to. This is why Adventure Hub partnerships are so important as we can work together to coordinate experiences o Andrew – Canmore Uncorked (65% out of towners) stay at least one night as they are drinking. Working to encourage people to do multiple things in town, trying to get them to stay longer o Claude – make sure people’s itineraries are full and partnering with businesses to do this o Rachel – the more activates someone can do in a town, the longer they will stay – so the more activity providers we have in town the better

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Final 4. Wrap up and next meeting • RFP submission packages will be sent out to reviewers following the submission deadline of February 5. Group will need to meet to review submissions • Inquiry regarding tax structure(s) applicable to hotels and other tourism businesses and how these taxes support the community. Lisa is going to arrange to have a presentation on taxes come to the task force at an upcoming meeting • Next meeting: AB Environment & Parks representatives along with Leanne Allison, a local filmmaker (Living with Wildlife) who is working on a ‘Mountain Keepers Promise’ – similar to the Tiaki Promise and the Palau Pledge

Actions: • Sara to send RFP reviewers a Doddle Poll to set up review meeting • Lisa to arrange tax presentation for upcoming meeting

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