Editor:
To Mayor Casey and council:
I have lived in Canmore for many years, in the neighborhood of South Canmore, which was a quiet peaceful place until the noise from helicopter tours has recently become problematic.
I know that you as mayor have received complaints from the residents of Three Sisters, but they are certainly not the only citizens in town affected.
Alpine Helicopters has an excellent, well-deserved reputation for skill and safety. They are specialists in working in the mountains, and, as you know, provide services including search and rescue, fire and avalanche control, and medi-vacs (all for which they are paid). According to their website, they also purchased Canadian Mountain Holidays heli-skiing and heli-hiking in 1995.
However, the current problems have nothing to do with the services described above. With search and rescue, etc., the helicopter is heard taking off, flying up the valley or over the mountains and then the noise is gone, usually for quite some time.
But now the company is selling helicopter tours to tourists at an amazing volume. These flights are numerous and short (10 to 15 minutes long). There are busloads of tourists paying to fly over the residential areas of the town. Because more than one helicopter is used, the noise is virtually constant. It is loud, it is extremely unpleasant and disruptive and destroys the peace of our quiet community, severely diminishing our quality of life.
Council and residents must be commended for their efforts in two similar situations. Over 10 years ago helicopter flights to the Lady MacDonald tea house were successfully stopped due to the negative impacts on the neighborhood of Cougar Creek. Also, the Town has been actively trying to reduce the amount of highway noise residents are subjected to, in ongoing negotiations with the Government of Alberta Transportation Department.
I believe this current situation is a very important issue for the Town to address. Some neighborhoods are affected more than others, but it is a problem that involves all townsfolk. I realize that the Town does not have control over Alpine’s business practices, but at the upcoming lease negotiations, it could have some influence over Alpine’s behavior.
Perhaps even voluntary changes could be facilitated. CMH (owned by Alpine) has written a ‘stewardship’ policy on their website that says: ‘We actively care for the lands we use, the wildlife habitat we share, and the communities in which we live, work, and play.’
Alpine needs to be made aware of the magnitude of this problem. The Town needs to take what actions it possibly can. The company must also be reminded of, and held accountable to, its own policies.
Joan Patterson,
Canmore
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