While affordability in the Bow Valley is a term never far from anyone’s lips, and one that can spill out during a conversation about almost anything, it’s nice to see there are some things in the works to address the situation.
Affordable housing constantly arises as the number one topic of discussion in our valley, as it has for years and years and years, but affordability involves much more than just one’s abode.
We view Canmore’s adoption of municipal transit as one means of addressing overall affordability in Canmore, as it has in Banff for a few years. Transit links result in easy and quite affordable Banff to Canmore transportation; meaning people can actually, realistically, more easily, live and work in the valley.
Further, and it will be alarming for some, Banff council has given its administration the green light (page 17) to borrow money to get the Deer Lane affordable housing project under way. Dollar figures in the millions to pay for affordable housing are certainly a concern, but is there a realistic alternative?
In the end, the housing of an estimated 250 people in Deer Lane certainly won’t alleviate all housing concerns in Banff, but, much like with the adoption of transit, something had to be done.
Banff citizens, seasonal and other staff and business owners who desperately need staff, have all been clamouring for some affordable housing. And with an ongoing zero per cent vacancy rate for rentals in Banff, something had to be done.
Looking into the not too far distant future, we guesstimate there will be no slowing in tourism in our valley, and thus no lessening in the demand for housing.
In Canmore, a 90-unit Coast Hotel project will help alleviate the need for affordable rentals, which helps address the housing issue valley-wide, as does a Caribou Properties project in Banff.
For the most part, developers in our towns have not been falling over themselves to build affordable projects, so, as has been written in this space previously, our municipal governments had to take it upon themselves to make something happen.
Had our municipalities not taken at least some small steps in creating affordable housing, conversations about it would never cease. At some point, wringing of hands, and complaining, had to stop in favour of something concrete being done. Study after study illustrates affordable housing is the number one priority in our towns, though not, admittedly, for everyone.
Like any community anywhere in this country, there are those who already have their slice of the pie and bask in their ability to afford to live without angst and are therefore less agreeable with steps being taken on the housing front.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that can make a difference. For some time now, gas stations in Dead Man’s Flats have been selling fuel at below Canmore rates. Why? We don’t know, but at least Husky and Esso there are offering some savings.
Then again, Save-On-Foods in Canmore has jumped on the ugly fruit bandwagon which started rolling in Loblaws stores in Ontario some time ago. At Save-On, shoppers can now look for The Misfits – less than grade A produce sold at reduced cost. Again, it’s a small thing, but for those who like to support such moves with their wallet, it’s a choice that can be made.
Still on the grocery front, the new IGA in Banff, as well as Safeway in Canmore, are plugging the fact they’ve dropped prices on many items.
Consumers, of course, must also take it upon themselves to seek out these reductions and make best use of them.
