Council Clips – June 15, 2021
Bow Valley Immigration Partnership
Council heard an update from the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP), of which the Town Canmore is a founding member and supports the work being done. BVIP is a partnership of over 60 members including representatives from community groups, businesses, governments, agencies, and local community members. The vision of BVIP is to help create a Bow Valley that values diversity and supports the inclusion and integration of all residents. As a result of new pandemic-related needs and an increased awareness of the importance of anti-racism work, BVIP has adapted their strategy to include increased pandemic-related support and community-driven antiracism work. Read more here https://www.bvipartnership.com/
2020 Canmore/Banff Rural Housing and Service Needs Estimation Report
The Town of Canmore is a member of the Bow Valley Homeless to Housing Coalition (H2HC), an inter-agency group working to create supports and services for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Council heard survey results from October 2020 indicating 59 individuals (52.7% of total respondents) were found to be experiencing either homelessness or housing insecurity. In total, the survey indicates that there are 145 individuals within the Bow Valley that are living in insecure housing. Of those, 45 reported that within the last month they have lived in a shelter, slept rough (no shelter), or couch surfed. Some common reasons given for finding themselves to be homeless or at-risk included lack of affordable accommodations, availability and cost of childcare, high cost of living, and low wages, and income. Read the report in item D2 of the council package https://canmore.ca/documents/4603-2021-06-15-cow-agenda
