Clearly, as Bob Dylan wrote – the times they are a changin’.
This week alone, the Outlook features stories concerning climate change, Banff affordable housing, our labour market and a looming shortage of housing for our seniors.
Issues concerning affordable housing in our valley are nothing new, of course, but change by way of a proposed apartment rental project in Canmore, affordable housing on Deer Street and Cave Avenue in Banff, housing projects in Canmore that include affordable housing, etc., seem to indicate that, after years of discussion and questions of “what can be done?” something concrete is finally being accomplished in regard to housing.
Which is just as well, because while there are many reports of layoffs and jobs lost in Alberta due to the downturn in the oil economy, Banff and Canmore are proving to be resistant to that trend. The labour scene in our valley, compared to say Calgary, Fort McMurray or Grande Prairie, is one that shows no letup.
In all likelihood, local business owners may face similar trials and tribulations experienced in 2015; where staff shortages and issues with retention (often due to lack of affordable housing) meant an increase in days closed to give existing staff some respite and avoid poor in-store performance and customer dissatisfaction due to employee burnout.
Yes, many young people still embrace the ‘spend a fun summer in Banff’ ideal, but that ideal doesn’t include long, long hours, crushing housing costs and no time to enjoy what the mountain town itself has to offer.
To continue attracting seasonal staff, a suitable combination of salary, housing and reasonable working conditions needs to be cobbled together so staff and businesses can flourish.
The fact Canada’s population is an aging one should surprise nobody, as stories and warnings of how an ever-increasing population will have a range of effects on our communities, health care and workforce have been out there for years now.
On the home front, if we want to keep our seniors – those who for years have been at the heart of our communities as the workforce, community leaders and heart and soul of volunteer and fundraising efforts – steps will have to be taken to ensure suitable housing is built to afford them the ability to stay home.
A housing needs assessment regarding seniors (page 21), states the number of seniors locally aged 75 and older will double in the next decade. The fact there aren’t enough supportive living units to meet demand is a concern and one that must be addressed now, before that number causes a critical shortage.
Nobody wants our seniors, many of whom have nearly a century invested in this valley, to be forced out due to a lack of housing options. Like everyone else, our seniors represent a range of needed levels of health care and those that now need, or will need in future, higher levels of support, cannot be ignored.
Finally, while climate change, global warming, call it what you will, is a lot to wrap one’s head around (page 4-5), at least reports warning of future change are being circulated.
These changes, unlike those related to housing, our labour market and our seniors’ needs, will be incremental, spread over decades, most likely, but still, over time, will need to be dealt with, if not corrected, by we humans.
