As 2020 unfolded, there were many challenges for regional municipalities to overcome. 

One that impacted people beyond Castlegar’s borders was the loss of Air Canada at the regional airport due to a significant decrease in revenue. The City found another airline, Coast Mountain Air, to make up the revenue loss.

In Trail, the council decided to defer $1 million from their capital projects. Mayor Lisa Pasin said she’s particularly proud of the successes Trail has made on projects not related to the pandemic, as it shows they’ve been able to continue moving forward.

Meanwhile, revenue sources for the City of Rossland were not dramatically impacted by the pandemic, so the City chose to continue municipal services. 2021 will see a new city hall — with an affordable housing project above it.