CANMORE – The Town of Canmore and the Municipality of Bighorn will continue to work together to provide important social programs to their residents for the next five years.
Both councils unanimously approved renewing the service agreement for Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and for Bow Valley Parent Link Services (BVPL) in early December.
The 2014 agreements were set to expire at the end of year, however during a recent inter-municipal committee meeting both administrations agreed to ask their respective councils to renew the agreements.
“Both Bow Valley Parent Link and Family and Community Support Services are excellent examples of how through relationships and inter-municipal community partnerships we can work together to ensure success for all residents throughout the Bow Valley,” said Lisa Brown, manager of community social development for Canmore, on Dec. 4.
“On our own, Bow Valley municipalities are small, at least compared to the big urban municipalities and because of our size it’s harder for us as municipalities to individually create all services and supports for residents. By coming together with municipalities like the MD of Bighorn the programs we can create can be more impactful.”
Currently the Town of Canmore receives funding from the province to provide parent link services for the entire Bow Valley, including Banff and the MD of Bighorn.
Family and Community Support Services on the other hand, is funded through a unique 80/20 funding partnership between the provincial government and municipalities, with the province paying the lions share.
For 2019, the MD’s budget includes nearly $30,000 for Canmore’s FCSS of which the MD will provide a 20 per cent contribution with the province pitching in the remainder.
The MD will also provide $650 for BVPL and cover $1,700 in rental fees for the Exshaw School portable where the Parent Link programming is now provided 12 months of the year.
According to Brown, the most important services the town provides to the MD is information and referral services. It also provides a parent link drop in program in Exshaw, Exshaw-based Little Chefs, access to the neighbourhood block party trailer and access to all Canmore-based FCSS workshops and programs.
“Gaining the knowledge and expertise to make appropriate referrals takes a significant amount of time, relationship building and community awareness. It makes good sense from both time and economic perspective to share this expertise.”
As part of the approved service agreements the Town of Canmore agreed to provide an addition $56,000 on top of the provincial grant money to provide full-time summer staffing and to ensure all staff are on the Town’s benefits plan.
“We really look at our staff as being a piece of our community development, we look at how do we take this money that we have from the province and the additional $56,000 that has been given to us to maintain staff and benefits and make sure we’re moving municipal priorities forward within the town of Canmore,” said Brown.
