We’re not sure exactly what kind of sign the Banff Food Bank being short of necessities at this time of year is, but it’s clearly not a good sign.
With merely a week to go before the local charity opens its doors in the mountain town (page 9), the call is already out for help, aid, assistance.
No doubt part of the problem is that most people identify food bank usage with the Christmas/holiday season, which is at least a couple of months away; and thus haven’t given much thought to supporting the bank’s efforts.
But we also suspect there is a too factor involved to some degree – as in, Banff, Canmore and the valley are simply becoming too busy, with too many visitors, too little affordable housing, too few jobs that pay well, too many staff shortages, too many businesses struggling, too many people complaining while not offering solutions, too many people at too many economic levels struggling with the high cost of living …
Tourism promotion bodies, of course, won’t appreciate this identification of a too factor, but when we talk to citizens out there, we constantly hear the word too creep into conversations.
… too many animals being killed on the tracks and highways, too much money being spent on too many things by our three levels of government, too many problems with parking and traffic, too much noise, too much construction, too little time, too little care for one’s friends, neighbours and families …
It might be best for everyone concerned if the entire valley could take a break, take a deep breath, take a bit of ‘me’ time and take some time to weight what’s important in their life.
That won’t happen, of course, as we’re all too entrenched in our daily routines.
Instead, we’ll assume that, in the not too distant future, Banff Food Bank problems with empty shelves too will be a thing of the past. We’ll assume, too, that the food bank’s issue with a shortage will be addressed as valley residents are well known to not be too caught up in their own lives to lend a hand.
Finally, though, and with too still in mind – it’s too bad the food bank, which is funded entirely through donations and run by volunteers, has seen the number of individuals turning to them for help double in the past year, going from between 400-600 individuals in past years to over 1,000. That’s just too big an increase.
This too, has to be seen as a sign, much like increasing numbers of women and children who need help from the YWCA (page 14) under circumstances of domestic abuse – as a growing, societal stress in our valley.
Back to school
Putting aside dabbling with too much emphasis on troubling issues, we’d like to point out that youngsters are back in school, back on the sidewalks, back on their bikes en route.
Let’s keep our speed down in school zones and be aware that youngsters may not be paying enough attention on their way to school. Let’s ensure the kids get to and from school safely.
