The Bow Valley is a diverse community, with Banff being a hotspot for recent immigration and over 30% of their population was born outside of Canada. To ensure that diverse cultures are represented, Bow Valley has created a multicultural Participatory Action Research Team to develop projects and culturally appropriate resources that build a mentally healthy community for all its members. By intentionally seeking out and including often marginalized voices rather than relying on service providers, the Bow Valley community is valuing the expertise of its community members about what feels helpful and supportive. 

From our Animators

The action team initially was comprised of mainly helping professionals in the Bow Valley.  Historically many of the social initiatives that are developed  in the Bow Valley are based on the experiences or learning that these professionals make through their work and the communities they serve.  Much of programming that is created is based on their own perspectives and well meaning observations.   

As a group we are developing a deeper understanding that the communities we serve are experts about what feels helpful and supportive.  We are also creating space and time to invite community members to the discussion in a meaningful and collaborative way.