BANFF – The Banff YWCA’s hotel will remain closed throughout summer due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Ebony Rempel, the new chief executive officer of Banff YWCA, said it wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly given the social enterprise generates revenue to help the Y offer programs and services.
“In normal circumstances we’d be able to run our hotel, but in the current climate it’s just not the case," she said during a presentation to Banff town council on Monday (April 26).
“Because of our mixed-use facility, our outbreak threshold is still at one, and so this puts a lot of stress on us as an organization, and just doesn’t make it feasible in order to offer this service.”
The YWCA has been working closely with the Town of Banff to fill in gaps during the pandemic, including providing eight self-contained hotel rooms as isolation spaces for 110 people over the past year.
“We will continue doing this work, working closely with the Red Carpet Inn, who has kind of taken over the bulk of isolation programming for the community for a while,” Rempel said.
Those in isolation at the YWCA were recently relocated to the new isolation facility in the community at the Red Carpet Inn, which is operated by the Banff Lodging Company.
“That has given our staff and our team a much much needed break,” Rempel said.
“We look forward to probably bringing our isolation spaces back on line, perhaps once numbers go down, or once it’s not feasible for the Red Carpet to offer that service any longer.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has also slowed down work on the Higher Ground project – a plan for a purpose-built building in Canmore with a range of services that address domestic and sexual violence in the Bow Valley.
Rempel said the Y is still looking for land for the project, but noted there have been promising conversations with the Town of Canmore in terms of what the hub-built model cold look like.
“So still on our radar, but maybe a bit of a back seat to allow us to focus on some of the other work that we’re doing,” she said.
Meanwhile, construction is underway on the $9 million Courtyard Project, which will add 33 affordable housing units to the YWCA’s housing inventory at its Spray Avenue property for residents who face barriers to finding suitable rental accommodation in Banff.
Criteria for potential residents includes new and extended families, women and individuals with accessibility needs, with housing directed to lower income earners.
“Rates will be 10 to 20 per cent below market rates,” Rempel said.
Rempel said construction is running about three to four weeks behind the initial schedule of January, 2022.
“This is probably quite common in these types of projects,” she said. “Hopefully late January, early February, so we will keep everyone updated.”
Banff Mayor Karen Sorensen thanked the Y for the support in the community.
“We really are so blessed to have these amazing partnerships and relationships,” she said.
