Banff Town Council has officially cancelled plans for a program that would have offered rebates to residents for replacing grass lawns with drought-resistant landscaping. On March 24, 2026, all seven members of the council voted against launching the initiative, deciding instead to return the $11,000 in dedicated funding to the town’s Environmental Reserve.
The program was first proposed during the 2024 service review as a way to help reduce local water consumption. While the town had been developing the project for the past two years, council members had previously paused the launch to ensure it aligned with new safety regulations regarding wildfire risks in the community.
The decision to scrap the project follows the approval of Bylaw 494 on March 10, 2026. This new set of community standards requires homeowners to manage vegetation within 10 metres of their homes to reduce fire hazards, including keeping lawns trimmed to a height of 10 centimetres or less.
According to the official minutes from the March 24 meeting, the council moved to take no further action on the lawn replacement program. The 2026 council consists of Mayor Corrie DiManno, Deputy Mayor Barb Pelham, Acting Mayor Brian Standish, and councillors Michelle Backhouse, David Fullerton, Marc Ledwidge, and Kaylee Ram.
