Canmore's cost of living is the highest in Alberta. So how do people make it work?
CBC
Sabina Litherland, like many in the Bow Valley, has a second job on top of the full-time work she does at the Banff Centre.
For her, it's an extra 15 hours a week as a server — in hopes the tourist town tips are flowing, and that extra cash will help when rent and bills are due.
This mountain town 100 kilometres west of Calgary has always had a reputation for being an expensive place to settle. But every year, foreign workers on visas and Canadians flock to the picturesque place and make it work — even in a time of rising costs.
"I just have faith in my ability to kind of make it work because I've made it work so far," Litherland said. "I just kind of have faith that whatever happens, you know, I will keep the roof over my head.
According to the Bow Valley Job Resource Centre, average wages sit at $20.75 per hour — a considerable gap from the $32.75 per hour cost of living the Alberta Living Wage Network suggests Canmorites should earn to live comfortably.
The Canmore Young Adult Network (CYAN) connects young adults in the Bow Valley with affordable by-donation events and online resources on things like housing and food security.
In annual surveys, advertised through social media, CYAN director of operations Nicole Eplett said they know a majority of young people want to call Canmore home long-term but feel it's out of reach.
"It's not feasible to stay in Canmore because of other various struggles within the Bow Valley from financial stability to the housing market," Eplett said.
The things making life difficult for young people in the Bow Valley? Eplett says a high cost of living is at the top of the list, along with a lack of affordable housing, few career advancements and social isolation.
"It is difficult when you love a community and you're not able to really grow in that community," said Lisa Brown.
Brown started working as the manager of community social development for the Town of Canmore in 2015. She's watched costs in the mountain town rise.
When she talks about that living wage figure, she points out it isn't meant to dictate how much an individual should be paid. Rather, it is a way to reflect what the cost of living is for an average household in the community.
"Canmore is quite, quite expensive, but [a living wage] doesn't look at all the other community resources," she said.
These are grassroots initiatives like gear swaps, food swaps and weekly free community meals.