Bow Valley Immigrant Inclusion Report

Written By Bow Valley Immigration Partnership

2024 Integration Assessment  

BVIP brings together partners from every area of the Bow Valley to help create a more welcoming and inclusive community. 

Every 5 years, we research the Bow Valley’s top needs, challenges, and opportunities. We want to learn what to change, so we can create a community where everyone feels at home here.  

What we learn helps our community partners to create and follow a shared strategy to improve immigrant integration. This is our 4-year Community Plan.  

Our Goals

Through this research, we want to: 

  • Learn who is in the community, how we are doing in all areas of life, and what we can do to improve. 

  • Understand how ready our community is for the future, like immigration changes or responding to emergencies. 

  • Develop practical steps for governments, organizations, groups, and residents, to help build a more welcoming and inclusive community. 

Why This Matters 

When we set up immigrants to succeed, the whole community benefits. When foreign-born residents feel welcome and included, they get involved, share their skills, and connect with others.  

This research helps us learn what changes to make to help everyone feel at home in the Bow Valley. Together, we can build a stronger community, a thriving local economy, and a more vibrant place to live. 

How We Are Listening 

We will hear from as many Bow Valley residents as possible.

Our activities include: 

  • A survey in six languages: Hear from as many residents as possible to learn about their experiences, needs, and ideas. The survey will be in English, French, Japanese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Ukrainian. 

  • Community conversations: Have open discussions at local events to hear directly from people in an informal setting. 

  • Consultations with community partners: Opportunities for local organizations and groups to share their experiences, insights, and ideas. 

  • Focus groups: Smaller group sessions with diverse community members to dive deeper into specific topics. 

  • Interviews: One-on-one interviews to hear personal stories and insights that help us understand unique experiences. 

  • Opportunities to engage online: Many ways community members can engage with this research online, including through social media. 

Locations and Topic Areas

Locations : 

  • Banff  

  • Canmore 

  • Kananaskis  

  • Lake Louise 

  • Municipal District of Bighorn (West) – Dead Man’s Flats, Exshaw, Harvie Heights, Lac Des Arcs 

Topic Areas: 

  • Awareness & Knowledge 

  • Belonging & Friends 

  • Community Engagement 

  • Discrimination 

  • Education 

  • Food 

  • Health 

  • Political Participation 

  • Recreation 

  • Transportation 

  • Work 

Get Involved 

We want to hear from anyone living in the Bow Valley. It does not matter where you were born, or how long you have lived here.

You can: 

  • Join a community conversation. 

  • Participate in a focus group or interview. 

  • Share your experiences and ideas with us online. 

Sign up to our newsletter to learn more

Timeline

Phase 1: Gather  

July-August 2024  

  • Learn who is in the community.  

  • Find out how we are doing in all areas of life. 

  • Key activities: Community survey 

Phase 2: Learn  

September-November 2024 

  • Identify the most pressing needs for immigrant integration in the Bow Valley,  

  • Identify groups and organizations that can help address these needs. 

  • Gather ideas to create a more welcoming and inclusive community.  

  • Key activities: Focus groups, community conversations, interviews, partner consultation, online engagement. 

Phase 3: Strategic Planning 

November 2024 - March 2025 

  • Identify the key strategic priorities to create a more welcoming and inclusive Bow Valley 

  • Create a 4-year Community Plan and annual action plan to advance the strategic priorities with BVIP members, community partners, and Bow Valley residents.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • We want to create a more welcoming and inclusive Bow Valley. Our aim is to improve long-term outcomes at the community level. First, we need to understand the needs and challenges for immigrants and newcomers. This research will help us learn how we are doing, and what we need to change

  • We want to hear from anyone living in the Bow Valley. This includes newcomers and long-term residents, no matter where you were born. We also want to hear from community organizations, local businesses, and more. We especially want to hear from people whose voices are often missing from formal consultations. 

  • Join our community conversations, do the surveys, join a focus group, or share your ideas with us online. 

  • Your feedback will help us understand how the community is doing. We will use this information to identify key priorities and develop actionable steps for a 4-year Community Plan to create a more welcoming and inclusive community.

  • Yes, we will keep all individual responses confidential and anonymous. We will not share any personal information without your permission.  

  • Local organizations and businesses are an important part of the community. We want to hear from you. You can get involved by: 

    • Sharing experiences, insights, and ideas,  

    • Co-hosting listening activities 

    • Supporting the Community Plan 

    • We will bring together partners to identify the community’s top integration needs. Together, we will create a 4-year Community Plan that outlines specific actions to improve immigrant integration in the Bow Valley. 

    • This plan will start in April 2025. We will regularly check our progress and update the plan as needed. 

    • We will work with municipalities, non-profits, businesses, community groups, and others to implement the actions in the 2025-2029 Community Plan

  • We do this research every 5 years. We do other research projects every 2-3 years. We did our last major Integration Assessment research project in 2019. Read our 2019 report here. Our next major Integration Assessment will be in 2029.  

    • Analysis of existing large data sets: for example, Canadian Census, Canadian Community Health Survey, Immigrant Mobility Database, Alberta Labour Force Survey, Employment and Social Development Canada foreign worker data. 

    • Gray literature review: this includes local reports such as Banff Community Social Assessment, Banff Community Plan, Canmore Community Monitoring Report, Bow Valley Mental Health Participatory Action Learning Project reports, and more. 

     

  • As of September 2024, here is a list of the members of the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP). 

    • Alberta Health Services  

    • Alberta Labour and Immigration 

    • artsPlace Canmore 

    • Association Canadienne-Française de l’Alberta, Régionale de Canmore-Banff 

    • Banff Lake Louise Hospitality Association 

    • Banff Lodging Company 

    • Banff Mineral Springs Hospital - Covenant Health 

    • Banff Ministerial Association 

    • Banff Springs Hotel 

    • Bow Valley College 

    • Bow Valley Food Alliance 

    • Bow Valley Learning Council 

    • Bow Valley Primary Care Network 

    • Bow Valley Refugee Project 

    • Canadian Rockies Public Schools 

    • Canmore Museum 

    • Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel 

    • Filipino Canadian Association of Bow Valley 

    • Filipino Organizations of the Rocky Mountains 

    • Foreign Worker Support - Calgary Catholic Immigration Society 

    • Innovate Canmore 

    • Job Resource Centre 

    • Lake Louise Sport and Recreation Centre 

    • Municipal District of Bighorn 

    • Parks Canada 

    • Rimrock Resort Hotel 

    • Settlement Services in the Bow Valley 

    • Town of Banff 

    • Town of Canmore 

    • YWCA Banff 

  • Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funds the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP).

    • Sign up for our newsletter. 

    • Follow us on social media. 

    • Check our website for updates.  

     

Bow Valley Immigration Partnership https://www.bvipartnership.com
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