5 Questions with BVIP

Written and published by Banff Canmore Community Foundation, September 3, 2021.

“This is community that’s richly diverse and is constantly welcoming newcomers. After all, in many ways the world meets right here in Banff and Canmore. It’s not always easy for newcomers to feel at home here, though.

The Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP) – a regional coalition formalized in 2014 – offers resources, guidance and networks both formal and informal that make a difference. BVIP’s Communications & Outreach Specialist Natasha Lay is deeply committed to social justice and has over a decade of experience in community organizing, advocacy, and relationship-building.

She also has direct, personal experience as a newcomer to our community. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Natasha first arrived in the Bow Valley in 2019 with a working holiday permit and has since become a Permanent Resident of Canada. We asked her about about the key challenges facing newcomers to our community. There’s a lot to think about in her answers, and a role for all of us to play.”

Read the full interview with the Banff Canmore Community Foundation ➝