Bow Valley Insights
Bow Valley Vital Signs is the BCF program that raises awareness about the priorities and aspirations, challenges and opportunities that define community vitality in this unique place. Through an iterative cycle of discovery, analysis, and reporting, Bow Valley Vital Signs sheds light on the factors and system-level dynamics that shape quality of life for local people. Our goal is to share knowledge and stories to inform and activate high-impact philanthropy and creative action for community.
BCF’s Erin Woods is the project lead for Bow Valley Vital Signs. She gave us a sneek-peak at the program’s first report which will focus on Housing in the Bow Valley.
Read MoreSystems are complex – all of us live among them, whether we see it or not. Just as the world is a web of connections, our lives touch one another’s in many ways. A big problem can have many different, interconnected causes. One move that’s seemingly far away can have repercussions very close to home. A policy decision in one sector can have ripple effects across society.
Banff Canmore Foundation takes a ‘systems lens’ approach to community-building. That means we map complex problems by understanding the dynamics of relationships, we aim to focus on the root causes of problems and we value collaboration as essential to this work. It’s holistic, it’s broad, it’s all connected.
Read MoreBow Valley Insights / Community Organizations Our Series on Affordability and Housing in the Bow Valley It’s no secret that the Bow Valley is in a affordable housing crisis. It’s complicated, systemic, a local manifestation of broader forces and frustrating for many. Banff Canmore Community Foundation (BCCF) is interested…
Read MoreAn ever-flowing, ever-moving source of wellbeing and positivity, the Bow River is the central geographical feature that unites and connects the communities of this valley, from Lake Louise to Mînî Thnî. Its channels and patterns are complex, beautiful, powerful. All of us who live here are stewards, collectively responsible and collectively inspired by this river.
In the spring of 2023, Banff Canmore Foundation began the process of updating how our work is presented to community. This coincided with the launch of our new three- year Strategic Plan. It was time to find new ways to amplify, explain and evolve our work through a new brand and new website.
Read MoreCharities and non-profits in the Canadian Rockies are receiving $185,000 in funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund. Built to respond to the adaptation and modernization needs following the COVID-19 pandemic, these organizations are now able to adapt, modernize and become more resilient. Banff Canmore Foundation (BCF) as part of Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) has administered this program within the Bow Valley, and including the community of Jasper, Alberta as well.
Read MoreLanguage is the foundation of culture. At the Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation, the urgency of protecting and promoting language is becoming clear.
Îyârhe Nakoda Elder Terry Rider is a community leader who is involved in many aspects of life. A fluent Stoney speaker, Rider hosts a morning radio show on Siktoge ja Radio (CFIR FM 88.5) and a podcast that are both spoken entirely in Stoney.
Read MoreIt can be daunting to get your ‘affairs in order’. By thoughtfully planning your will, you can make a difference in your life today and secure a legacy. Having a valid, up-to-date will ensure you determine who gets what from your hard-earned assets and who will administer your estate and be guardians of your dependent children. It’s incredibly important!
By learning a bit more, it becomes clear how straightforward will-planning can be. To mark 2022 Wills Week, we caught up with Vanessa Adler from Baker Tilly, who has broad expertise in estate planning.
Originally from Germany, Vanessa Adler, CPA, has been a resident of Canada now for over 15 years, most of which have been here in the Bow Valley. She began work with Baker Tilly Rockies LLP in 2018. She enjoys all aspects of her work with Baker Tilly but, most specifically, her ongoing work with estates. In addition to her work with Baker Tilly, Vanessa enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding.
Read MoreMînî Hrpa, the Indigenous Cultural Centre Popup that is a program of BCF, is back on Saturday, October 28. This will be the third popup this year.
Bow Valley residents and visitors from near and far can participate in this unique Stoney Nakoda cultural learning and sharing experience. The goal is to help build capacity for grassroots Indigenous community leaders to organize around the Mînî Hrpa vision and create opportunities for visitors and residents to experience Indigenous culture in authentic, community-led ways.
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