Banff businesses struggle with staffing shortages as tourists return
Walk Banff Avenue and store after store has signs looking for help.
"Anyone you get has got six different offers from six different places," said Tim Smuin, manager at Rocky Mountain Chocolates. "It's really hard. We've tried changing our wage structure, offering bonuses."
The competitive hiring market has also left some making tough decisions in their daily operations.
"Thankfully we didn't have to close at all, just some shortened hours, and we are still hiring and we are struggling," said Rae-Anne Larkin, manager of Spirit of Christmas.
"So say on an average day we should have five staff in the store, we are functioning on three, so that's, for a store this size, that's incredibly stressful," Larkin said.
Even the iconic Rimrock Hotel is facing challenges in filling positions ahead of the summer rush.
"We going to carry about 410, 420 staff for the summer time frame and we're sitting at about 360 right now with another 25 to come in," said Rimrock general managerTrevor Long.
"It's more challenging this year,, there's just less and less people that are interested in working in the hospitality field, we have a real struggle getting applications in for the jobs, right across Banff and Lake Louise," Long said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.