Mayor's Musings for May 2026
by Steve Fairbairn, Mayor for the District of Elkford
Good spring days to you!
BEARS, BINS AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
In the late-news department, because I expect it will be after May 13 when you read this, Elkford will be hosting a Waste Management Workshop in Teck Hall from 5 to 8 p.m. The topic is bear-smart waste management solutions.
The workshop will bring together people with experience in wildlife, municipal operations and solid waste, including Clayton Lamb, grizzly bear biologist; John Borrowman, former mayor of Canmore; Lisa DeSoto, former public works manager for Canmore; Simon Robins, current solid waste services manager for Canmore and Tracey Halladay, chair of the Elkford Urban Wildlife Committee.
This work is part of the road ahead as Elkford looks at changes to how we manage solid waste, with the goal of reducing bear-garbage conflicts. Our solid waste system is being modernized, and residents will be affected by the coming changes to collection. The next council will be taking us further down that road.
Change is never quite as tidy as the brochure makes it look, but this is work worth doing properly.
BE READY BEFORE YOU HAVE TO BE
I am writing this column during B.C.’s Emergency Preparedness Week, which ran from May 3 to 9 this year. Of course, emergency preparedness is not something that fits neatly into one week and then goes back on the shelf.
If you have not already done so, please sign up for the RDEK’s Regional Evacuation Notification System, powered by Voyent Alert! It is used to send notifications about evacuation alerts and orders affecting registered locations.
You can sign up through the RDEK website at www.rdek.bc.ca/ENS.
It is one of those things you hope you never need, which is exactly why you should set it up before you do.
A WALK WORTH TAKING
Looking ahead, the annual Border Cross Walk is happening on Indigenous Peoples Day, on June 21. Participants are invited to meet at the Roosville Border Crossing at 9:30 a.m., with events and displays to follow at the administration building at 5500 Village Loop Road in Grasmere.
If you have the time, consider taking part. Some walks are about so much more than getting from one place to another.
For event details and more information about the Border Cross Walk, visit www.tobaccoplains.org.
WILDCAT DAYS IS COMING
Also looking ahead: planning for this year’s Wildcat Days is well underway! This year’s event runs from Friday, June 26 to Sunday, June 28. Saturday, June 27 will be the biggest day, starting with the parade and leading into all sorts of community activity.
Keep your eyes open for the brochure and online event listings. It is one of Elkford’s busiest weekends of the year, and in typical Elkford fashion, it will probably involve a bit of everything.
A WELL-DESERVED THANK YOU
Dr. Dave Aneca has been named Elkford’s 2026 Citizen of the Year.
Well done, Dave! It is a well-deserved honour and a good reminder that communities are built by people who keep showing up.
MINING MONTH
The Elkford Chamber of Commerce is hosting its Mining Month Community BBQ on May 13.
Mining has shaped Elkford from the beginning, and it continues to shape our community today. It is good to see that recognized and celebrated, and with a burger in hand, no less!
A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY
Here is an idea around community: if many of us give a little, some will benefit a lot.
The Elkford Community Fund, part of the Community Foundation of the East Kootenay Rockies, is a good place to consider giving. It is an endowment fund, which means your donation is invested and the income from that donation can keep supporting Elkford groups for years to come.
Another fairly painless way to contribute is to arrange with your employer to donate $2 per paycheque to the Elkford Project Society. That works out to $24 per year. The society has been around since the beginning of Elkford and has contributed more than $1 million to local groups.
That is a pretty good return on a couple of dollars at a time. The Elkford Project Society also has a Facebook page where you can learn more.
COUNCIL, COMMUNITY AND THE LONG VIEW
Speaking of community, when a member of the community becomes an elected official, they become part of a team that provides strategic direction to the CAO. The CAO is then responsible for ensuring that projects and plans align with the strategic goals set by the mayor and council. Those goals should be framed around what is best for the District of Elkford going forward.
That includes community amenities like the pool, hockey rink, curling rink, ski hill, golf course, neighbourhood parks and specific-use areas such as the bike park, ball diamonds and trails. These are things that not every resident uses, but most residents could use if they wished. When does an amenity become too expensive to manage and repair? When is its use no longer sustainable? Does it help bring new families to Elkford? Does it make Elkford a better place to live?
Assets also need management and planning. Repairs and upgrades cost money, and if they are not kept up, they usually cost a lot more later. Who will pay? When will they pay? How much will they have to pay? Those are not always fun questions, but they are council questions. As a councillor, can you think far enough into the future to plan wisely now?
That is the work. Not always glamorous, not always simple, but important.
Enjoy what springtime has to offer!
Until next time, stay safe and stay awesome!
Mayor Steve
