Community Connections in the Bow Valley
Banff Town Hall - 110 Bear Street T1L 1A1 Banff, AB, Canada

A national test of the emergency alerting system will happen on Wednesday, November 25 at 1:55pm. Test messages will be issued over TV, radio, cell phones and tablets. Check your phone’s compatibility at https://www.alertready.ca/ Alberta Emergency Alert delivers critical and potentially life-saving alerts to Albertans during emergencies. Albertans are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app to ensure they receive all emergency notifications for their area. Get it for iOS and Android at https://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/.../mobileapp.html

Today's Alberta COVID-19 update reports 32 new cases for a total of 152 active cases in the Banff/ID9 region, which includes Banff, Lake Louise and the rest of ...Banff National Park. We support further Government of Alberta measures that may be announced tomorrow and will work to implement and communicate any restrictions. Banff Town Council is also examining other measures within municipal authority. The Town has suspended cohort team sports and group fitness in Town programs and facilities (details: https://banff.ca/Recreation). We do not have the authority to close private operators. That is a provincial authority. However, the Town is encouraging all local services to implement additional ways to limit close contact to avoid potential COVID transmission and the risk of people needing to be quarantined. A number of businesses have closed temporarily due to staff shortage issues or as precautionary measures to reduce transmission. We urge everyone in Banff to behave as if others can transmit the virus, and maintain a 2-metre distance at all times, inside and outside. The Town does not have the authority to close access to the community. In the spring, Banff set up information check stops to tell visitors that only essential services were open and almost all businesses were closed. Visitors were turned away to avoid pressures on essential services needed for residents. At the time, there was a provincial recommendation against non-essential travel. Now, we are actively informing visitors of the high case count and the risk of transmission in Banff. RCMP are actively enforcing the restrictions on gathering size in Banff and the Town is asking the Province to give municipal enforcement officers authority to enforce provincial health orders. People can submit complaints to RCMP or to AHS through https://banff.ca/covid#Complaint The Town has helped increase COVID testing capacity in the local medical clinic, but continues to work with AHS to increase testing locally. For information on accessing a COVID test, visit https://banff.ca/covid#testing The health and safety of our community is the top priority for Banff Town Council. If you need assistance with food, supplies, mental health resources or accessing federal aid, visit https://banff.ca/covidhelp or email [email protected] We will provide updates as other information is available and if other measures are implemented. See more

Connection has no limits! COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our lives, including the social norms that we took for granted. While practicing social distancing is vital in order to flatten the curve of COVID-19, it does not have to mean social isolation. Studies show that friendships and social connections provide intellectual stimulation and emotional support through hardships. Stress and isolation can be particularly challenging, especially in times of social distancin...g. People who provide you with a sense of belonging, love or value can be buffers against stress. Be mindful of the company that you keep and not to self-isolateboth of these can increase your stress and lead to overall poor health. Although it is challenging to maintain social connections during difficult times such as pandemic, there are still many ways of staying connected with our loved ones and make new connections in our communities through different activities. Here are some ideas that can help you to stay connected and socialize. * Use video chat applications. Consider scheduling regular dates and times with family and friends for video calls. *Have a game night with friends using FaceTime, Skype or Google Hangouts. *Try virtual yoga or other movement classes *Try apps such as House Party - A fun, free, and easy to use app for phone, laptop or tablet: allows you to video chat with friends, play games, and increase your social connection. Learn more at https://houseparty.com/ Staying connected virtually can help ease stress, reduce suffering and promote overall wellness. Last week Community Connectors Program had its first successful virtual match in Banff. We helped to connect newcomer family with another long term Banff family via Zoom. If you know anyone who is new to the Bow Valley and would like to connect with others, make connections and learn more about their community, please let us know? For more information, please go to http://banff.ca/index.aspx?NID=993#Communitycheck and out Community Connectors Program. This program is free and it is for anyone who is new to the Bow Valley! For any questions or for more information, please contact Javan at 403-497-4471 or email to [email protected]

Hello Fellow Good Food Boxers! It almost seems too soon, but please note:

There’s a council meeting today at 2 p.m. that will include a pandemic update. You can watch the meeting live at https://banff.ca/live