Locals Only

A zine series that articulates the experience of a place as explored over time, observing preoccupations and noticing patterns that define an area in order to express and question what it means to be a local. 

Vist our Locals Only Zine website for updates. 

Issue #1 - Banff, AB
(No) Parking 

Photographs and Design by Lee Cookson
Curation by Laurel Green 

Taken over four years, the photographs in this issue explore the contentious topic of parking in Banff, Alberta. As the only Canadian municipality located inside a National Park, Banff has a population of approximately 8,000 locals and 8.3 million vehicles travelling through town each year. By elevating the rarified parking spot to a wildlife encounter, we pose the question: what are we driving here to see? 

Issue #2 - Canmore, AB
(Not) Home 

Photographs and Curation by Lee Cookson and Laurel Green
Design by Lee Cookson

The town of Canmore is bordered by two renowned mountain destinations. It's a designated wildlife corridor, a former coal mining town, site for the 1988 Olympic Nordic ski events, and, today, a place where the average house selling price sits at $1.3 million. This issue searches for the heart of what makes Canmore a home to some, and the second-home to many tourists, retirees, and weekenders, as the town leans into a new a new identity as a high-end getaway and bedroom community.

Issue #3 - Oaklands, Victoria, BC (Coming in 2023)

Moving into our third issue, we are excited to focus Locals Only on the community of Oaklands on Lək̓ʷəŋən territory, which we now call home. Supported by a Neighbourhood Small Grant, this collaborative edition invites neighbours to explore their community through the lens of a camera, capture what matters to them in this area, and celebrate what makes Oaklands unique. 


For more details about the Oaklands issue, including our free Photo Walks visit Locals Only Zine!