How Ken Hughes is Building a Living Legacy in the Bow Valley

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When Ken Hughes invited friends to celebrate his most recent birthday, he was adamant that presents were the last thing he needed. The former MP, MLA and Cabinet Minister, and current Canmore resident, had a better idea—one that was about giving rather than receiving, a true expression of who he is.

“I asked everybody not to bring gifts, but instead to become seed investors in the Hughes Family Fund at Banff Canmore Foundation,” he says. Ken’s friends and family showed up to the party armed with enough goodwill to raise $15,000 right around the table, a figure Ken himself will match. This gift was not just a celebration of Ken and his family, but of his incredible career as a community builder. The birthday also marks another phase in Ken’s life-long community work, which he has pursued through politics and various public roles, private sector enterprise and investment, and now—philanthropy.

“My message to my friends was: nothing would give me greater joy than to be able to spend their money on good things in the Bow Valley,” says Ken.

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“My message to my friends was: nothing would give me greater joy than to be able to spend their money on good things in the Bow Valley.”

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Friends and family share well wishes at Ken’s birthday party

A living legacy of giving

The Hughes Family Fund is an endowed fund, meaning the money raised and matched at that birthday celebration will be invested with the revenue generated each year flowing to community initiatives and organizations that the family wants to support. This results in an endless source of income for community groups, while building the pool of assets stewarded by Banff Canmore Foundation. It’s also the creation of a living legacy that will allow Ken and his family the opportunity to shape and positively impact the communities they’ve called home forever.

Ken first connected with Banff Canmore Foundation when he met the foundation’s Executive Director, Laurie Edward, on a trip to Haida Gwaii. “We discovered that we're all from Canmore, and during a long conversation learned that she was involved in work that was pretty important in the community, that I was interested in supporting as well,” says Ken. From issues like food insecurity, to housing, to mental health support, Ken saw the needs of many of the initiatives supported by BCF as matters he, as a resident, could be helping to improve.

Working with BCF matched Ken’s philanthropic approach: “We can help raise all boats by working together.”

After that trip, in Fall 2023, Ken joined the board of the foundation, and has since become the Chair of the Fund Development and Engagement Committee, where his mission is to “build and strengthen the social fabric of our communities and to support people in times of crisis and of need.”

By creating an endowed fund, Ken and Banff Canmore Foundation can continue to address the pressing needs of those living and working in the Bow Valley, as well as work in collaboration with other communities like Mînî Thnî and Eden Valley.

An impact that will last forever

The support that an endowed fund can have on a non-profit is immeasurable, and a little can go a long way. “There are a lot of people here who see the Valley as a place that’s going to be an important part of their lives,” says Ken. “But nobody's ever explained to them that if we work together on a project—with your personal engagement, or even just your contribution of money—we could actually achieve a lot.”

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At Banff Canmore Foundation we can help unlock the power of the many.”

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Anyone can set up a Donor-Advised Fund. “It's a really important way to contribute to the community if you have more resources than you need at the end of the day.” It can also serve as an expression of your love for the community, as it does for Ken.

If that sounds like you, getting creative about gift giving at an event like your next birthday could make a world of difference to people in need, in turn making the community better for everyone.

“We're surrounded by immense beauty but there are people who live here who have trouble accessing even basic human needs,” says Ken. “Banff Canmore Foundation shows us that together we can achieve a lot more than we could individually.”