Banff

“We didn’t want to say no to anyone, so we didn’t make a deadline for ordering,” said Banff resident Amber Donald. “I was receiving phone calls, texts, emails and even Facebook messages up until, and on the day we were distributing as well.

A selection of photos published by the Rocky Mountain Outlook in 2020.

It was a year full of big news headlines for the town of Banff, the national park and the community of Lake Louise

“I felt like the giveaway was a great hit considering the year we were in and with so many people going through hard times. A few small businesses in town have already reached out to me wanting to be a part of it for next year."

Those interested in learning more about the Indigenous history of Banff can sign up for a 45-minute guided hayride this weekend (Jan. 2-3) being offered by the Blackfoot Nation in conjunction with Many Guns Ranch and the Blackfoot Warrior Party Horsemanship and Film Society

“I am concerned, to be blunt, about what we might see coming out of Christmas,” said Premier Jason Kenney during a COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday (Dec. 29).

“With it being an extremely reliant tourist economy, that has put Banff in a unique situation compared to most other jurisdictions where tourists aren’t coming in,” said Sandy White, a former Banff resident and cofounder of Rapid Test and Trace Canada.

Banff and Lake Louise Tourism has scaled back SnowDays Jan. 20-31 based on advice from health officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“I think as we go into our budget season we have to ask ourselves what can we live without for a year," said Banff Councillor Peter Poole.

“I think it would be really appropriate for us to look at which single-use items are the most problematic in our jurisdiction and develop a tailored approach to either manage, or in a lot of cases eliminating them all together."