CALGARY -- In an effort to help residents of Banff find information about assistance and social resources during the COVID-19 outbreak, officials have set up an email service.
Residents can email help@banff.ca, which is being staffed by 15 town employees, for information on accessing resources around:
- How to access government resources, including Employment Insurance
- Mental health services
- Food resources
- Housing
- Issues related to immigration, foreign worker programs, work visas
- Seniors services
- Child and youth care information
"We know this is an extremely stressful and confusing time for people, so we mobilized this service to answer as many questions as possible in our community," said Chief Silvio Adamo, director of emergency operations.
"We are also creating a web page dedicated to these social services needs since federal and provincial agencies are announcing new support services every day. We want to be a one-stop service for a range of topics."
Premier Jason Kenney announced Wednesday a number of economic measures aimed at assisting Albertans during the global pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also announced massive economic initiatives aimed at protecting Canadians economically.
Town officials are also posting information and resources online, which can be accessed here.
Banff's town hall has been closed to the public to protect the health of staff and residents. Services normally provided there can be arranged by calling 403-762-1200.
Staff will be answering the help@banff.ca emails from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and residents should call 211 for resources on evenings and weekends.
Officials say the hours could change based on community needs and staff availability. Email is the preferred contact method but residents who do not have computer or email access can call 403-762-1251 for assistance, however the phone line capacity is limited.
For health-related info on COVID-19, visit Alberta.ca/COVID. For updates on the Town of Banff, visit Banff.ca/COVID.
