Celebrating Inclusion in Action: Building a Welcoming Bow Valley Together
On March 24th, 2025, nearly 90 community leaders came together at artsPlace for BVIP’s Inclusion in Action event, It was a day to celebrate, connect, and share ideas about building a stronger, more inclusive Bow Valley. We celebrated real progress, and looked ahead to an even brighter future.
A Big Day of Connection and Celebration
We launched the 2025–2029 Bow Valley Immigrant Inclusion Strategy - a shared vision where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. We also recognized the amazing local employers leading the way as Workplace Inclusion Champions.
Our panel of local leaders reminded us that:
Real connection builds belonging. When we connect human to human, we create spaces where everyone feels valued.
Small actions make a big difference. Getting to know your team and making small changes can build a more inclusive workplace.
Inclusion is a journey. It’s about progress, not perfection, and committing to keep learning and improving.
A big thank you to our panelists:
Ashley Wells, Restaurant Manager, The Fat Ox of Banff
Jeffrey Carpenter, Executive Director, Banff Pride Society
Perrine Le Dreff, Fund Development Coordinator, artsPlace
Fathima Fahim, Mental Health Awareness Program Coordinator, EthioCare (unable to attend due to illness – we missed her voice)
With gratitude to Heather Bates, Settlement Services in the Bow Valley, for skillfully moderating the discussion.
A heartfelt thank you to the Workplace Inclusion co-creators:
This event would not have been possible without the incredible collaboration and dedication of our 2024 Workplace Inclusion Charter co-creators. Thank you for your leadership, your ideas, and your commitment to building a more welcoming Bow Valley.
Celebrating our 2024 Workplace Inclusion Champions
This year was our biggest Workplace Inclusion Charter yet!
26 Inclusion Champions
70 Participating Workplaces
834 Actions Completed
5,933 Employees impacted
Congratulations to all the organizations leading the way
Gold 2024 Workplace Inclusion Champions
Silver 2024 Workplace Inclusion Champions
Bronze 2024 Workplace Inclusion Champions
Fairmont Banff Springs I HI Banff Alpine Centre I Lake Louise Inn I The Alpine Club of Canada
Explore the Photo Gallery!
Relive the highlights of Inclusion in Action!
Thank you again to everyone who joined us and made the day so special. Feel free to download and share these photos, and please credit Bow Valley Immigration Partnership where possible.
