The Town of Banff marked the completion of its $6.8 million Caribou Street reconstruction project with the installation of three artist-designed bicycle racks outside Canada House Gallery. The five-foot-tall steel racks depict cyclists in motion and were donated by the gallery, serving as functional public art at the newly realigned Caribou and Lynx Street intersection.
Created by Cranbrook, BC-based artist-blacksmith Paul Reimer, the racks are made of galvanized two-inch-wide steel pipe. The fabrication took almost six months and is valued at about $7,650. “The works are each about five feet tall, made of galvanized 2-inch-wide steel pipe, transformed into fluid depictions of cyclists in harmony with their bikes in motion,” according to the Town of Banff.
The Caribou Street renewal project replaced underground water, sewer, and drainage systems that were up to 100 years old. It also relocated power lines, natural gas lines, and telephone and internet cables. The project extended Banff’s pedestrian-priority streetscape from Bear Street east to Banff Avenue, building on the design first introduced on Bear Street in 2020-21.
The reconstruction was phased to avoid disruption during the peak July and August visitor season. Final paving is expected in late September and early October. The town contributed up to $10,200 from its Public Art Reserve to support the bike rack installation and long-term maintenance. The reserve receives an annual allocation of $46,943 from council, about $5 per resident.
In Banff, approximately 67 percent of residents report walking and cycling as their primary method of transportation in summer, the highest per capita use of active modes in Alberta. The new racks are located just steps from the Canada House Gallery, which has been voted Best Art Gallery in the Bow Valley for 10 consecutive years.
