ROB MURRAY: I’m speaking with Executive Director Laurie Edward from the Banff Canmore Community Foundation. The Foundation has recently announced another series of new grants to address pandemic related issues in the Bow Valley. What can you tell us about this?

LAURIE EDWARD: We are announcing 15 new grants and that’s a total of $145,000 coming straight into our community to address all kinds of pandemic related issues. Through relationships with Community Foundations of Canada and Calgary and area United Way, the Foundation has been able to access significant funding for local initiatives through the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund. The Community Foundation has now helped to distribute close to half a million dollars in COVID-19 emergency response and recovery funding since March 2020.

RM: Who are the recipients of some of these new grants?

LE: A couple of highlights –  Santa’s Anonymous. We were really happy to be able to support that initiative. The demand has been higher than ever this year, so a $10,000 grant was made to that organization doing great work. Another important piece was about $25,000 that has gone to support healthy, continued operation of daycares and early childhood learning centers in our valley. That money is going to help with cleaning and with providing funding for supply teachers who may have to self-isolate. There are a lot of intense pressures on those organizations that are doing such important work supporting families and our community. Another highlight – the YWCA has received more than $20,000 in funding in this last round, with a real focus on supporting the work they’re doing to provide isolation, housing, and also safe transition homes.

RM: It must make you feel really good to make those phone calls and say, “Hey, your grant has been successful. Here’s a bunch of money to help you out with something you really need right now.”

LE: I’m not the person who has been making those phone calls. In fact, this effort has been incredibly collaborative. Since the very start the Foundation has been working with the Pauw Foundation and with the Canmore Rotary Foundation to, on an ongoing basis, identify needs and find the best opportunities to provide support. There are a lot of people who’ve been making those phone calls, but I think collectively it does feel like it’s been work that’s made a real difference.

RM: The work continues. I understand there’ll be another round of funding coming up in the near future?

LE: In January we are going to kick off our annual cycle of community grants. We will continue to provide funding for pandemic related projects, but we are also going to be accepting, evaluating, and providing funding for projects in alignment with the four priority areas that we’ve identified through our Vital Signs work. Supporting the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, strengthening relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people in the Valley. The second is enhancing economic resilience, affordability, and helping to build a more sustainable, diversified, and inclusive economy, which I think is incredibly relevant right now. The third area is around supporting the protection and the conservation and management of the environment and supporting climate action. The fourth is around fostering community wellness, so that includes safety and includes social and emotional wellbeing and protection of our most vulnerable.

RM: Is there a way for people to support this initiative?

LE: Absolutely the emergency response continues and it’s really important. We want to encourage listeners to donate locally this season if you have the capacity to do so, and we are continuing to accept donations through our website.

Filed under: Banff, Banff Canmore Community Foundation, Canmore