Here at the Outlook, a community newspaper that embraces hamlets and towns from the MD of Bighorn west to Lake Louise, it’s always been believed that the region’s strength lies in the strength of the communities within it.
Yes, each hamlet and town is unique, but collectively there are so many overlapping areas of interests, employment, municipal government, entertainment and recreation that it’s clear the best interests of all communities are best addressed with a spirit of co-operation.
For that reason, here at the Outlook, we were pleased to see that Banff and Canmore councils have come together in a semi-formal joint meeting (page 18). After all, with much future work to be done together on the 2014 Alberta Winter Games, co-operation is key among our communities.
Community co-operation is why the Roam regional transit system is already seeing success. Yes, Banff was ahead of the curve in embracing public transit, but that forward thinking has now motivated an expanded Roam system.
The Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission must have been holding its collective breath to see if a regional service would catch on. After all, once buses were purchased, the only way to determine if they would be used was to get them on the road.
At this point in time, regional Roam appears to have caught on nicely (page 8), with increasing ridership the norm. For many people employed in one community or the other, and living in the opposite, a monthly bus pass is easily the best way to get back and forth between towns – no window scraping, no dealing with bad roads and a professional driver behind the wheel.
Much better to have employees or skiers on a bus than thumbing on the TCH.
Quotes we like to see from our mayors… “I thought it was really positive,” said Karen Sorensen. “These two councils are paying attention to how the communities can work together…” and from Mayor John Borrowman, “It was just having all of the councillors up there and focusing the attention on the fact we share the Valley. We are, in a lot of ways, one community.”
That’s the spirit.
Much in the way Valley communities collectively support groups like the Bow Valley Victim Services Association and the YWCA’s safe house with funding, among others, ongoing community cooperation can only be good for the Valley.
And hey, it’s good practice for the upcoming Winter Games, which has required buy-in and financial support from both communities and the success of which will rest on the shoulders of hundreds of valley volunteers who will be needed to successfully pull off an event that could have far-reaching, positive consequences for future tourism – for all Valley communities.
The Winter Games should be a real showcase for Valley communities, venues and amenities. In the case of an estimated 2,400 Winter Games athletes and 350 coaches and managers, plus friends and family, being shown a good time in the Bow Valley could have long-lasting tourism benefits.
