While the Outlook has a story about the big change in the Banff Santa’s Anonymous campaign, we feel it’s worthy of a mention here as well.
For the first time, Santa’s Anonymous in Banff (page 11) is not taking food donations. Rather, the charitable group has switched its focus to strictly collecting toys and monetary donations, with which it will buy food for Christmas hampers.
So Banff residents who have faithfully donated over the years needn’t be dismayed when they don’t see hamper collection boxes in Nester’s and Safeway grocery stores as in the past – those in need haven’t been forgotten, the collection bins are simply absent because of a shift in philosophy at Santa’s Anonymous.
For those who would rather, or are simply more able to, donate food than money, a couple of gathering events are coming soon. On Dec. 4 in Canmore, the annual Royal LePage food drive will take place and on Dec. 7, the Brewster Stuff a Bus event happens.
When it comes to Christmas food hamper programs locally, Santa’s Anonymous going with cash only is something of a trend for food bank programs in North America.
On the other hand, when it comes to food hamper collections in Canmore, we would encourage any citizens who want to donate to seriously check the product they’re offering. In the past, having had Outlook staffers look in on collection efforts, and from what we’ve heard from volunteers, a large volume of food collected is simply not usable.
Food bank drives are not a means of emptying old, stale-dated, highly processed dry goods from a person’s pantry – the spirit of the event requires the donation of quality food of as great a nutritional value as possible.
As in past years, we here at the Outlook encourage everyone to lend a hand by donating food, cash and toys to fill Christmas hampers so that everyone can enjoy the festive season. And keep in mind that there are always some older kids who could use a toy under a tree. It’s easy to find a fun or cuddly toy for the youngest out there, but teens need some attention too.
Paid parking put off
The fact Banff town council has agreed to put paid parking to a vote in 2017 is encouraging news here in the Outlook newsroom, where we feel the issue has really been dealt with ad nauseam.
Further, readers of our Vox Populi section should also rejoice in the fact that, with any luck, letters related to the paid parking issue will now dwindle to none.
Hopefully all the rhetoric as to Banff residents putting the kibosh on paid parking in 2000 will now go away. By 2017, that famous date will be almost two decades in the past, thankfully.
In the meantime, hopefully more attention can be paid to actual, serious issues like a lack of affordable housing. Despite comments to the contrary within our letters to the editor pages, we at the Outlook feel a place needs to be made for everybody who chooses to work and live in Banff.
After all, if the Town of Banff, which sits in the birthplace of Canada’s national parks system, can’t be inclusive, what town in Canada can be? And if it can’t be inclusive, then what level of exclusivity would be appropriate?
