BOW VALLEY COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Invested in the Bow Valley
By bringing members and community partners together, BOWDA helps turn collective expertise, leadership, and generosity into meaningful action across the Bow Valley.
COMMUNITY BUILDERS
Building Community in More Ways Than One
The building and development industry helps create complete Bow Valley communities. But BOWDA members’ impact extends well beyond the projects they work on.
They’re business owners, coaches, volunteers, employers, board members, neighbours, and leaders who are actively involved in the place we all call home. They show up for local organizations, lend their skills to important causes, and find countless ways to give back.
BOWDA helps amplify that commitment through community partnerships, volunteer leadership, advocacy, education, and charitable giving.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Building Our Community
"Being part of BOWDA means having a seat at the table where the future of the Bow Valley is designed and discussed responsibly."
Michelle Ouellette, MBA, RPP, MCIP
Associate Principal, Arcadis
Michelle has served as a Board Director since joining BOWDA in 2021. What she found with BOWDA is a community of friends and colleagues— and a welcoming place to connect, debate ideas, and identify solutions for community development in the Bow Valley.
In Michelle’s professional practice, she brings a grounded, community-informed perspective to the region’s growth challenges and opportunities. Her professional background in community development shapes her advocacy for thoughtful public policy and regulatory tools that support responsible growth while reducing barriers to unlocking development and achieving shared community goals.
With a focus on master planning, land strategy, and urban policy, regulation and implementation, Michelle advances projects that strengthen environmental, social, and financial sustainability across the communities she has the opportunity to serve. Her approach blends strategic insight with a deep commitment to collaboration, ensuring development outcomes that reflect both local priorities and long-term community resilience.
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Giving Back to the Bow Valley
With 250+ member businesses representing 850+ professionals, individual contributions can add up to something so much bigger. By mobilizing our network around local causes, BOWDA helps to harness our members’ generosity, resources, and skills into meaningful community impact.
Over the years, BOWDA members have raised more than $650,000 for local charities, while also donating their time, expertise, materials, equipment, and professional services to organizations doing important work throughout the Bow Valley.
Community Organizations We've Supported
CHRISTMAS GIVING
Community Spirit in Action
During the holiday season, BOWDA members come together for our annual Christmas Lunch Fundraiser in support of our Charities of Choice.
Made possible entirely through the generosity of our members, this longstanding tradition helps local organizations continue the important work they do throughout the year, supporting individuals, families, and community programs across the Bow Valley. The event is also an opportunity to celebrate community leadership and recognize the organizations and people making a difference in our communities.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
Shared Goals. Local Impact.
No single association has all of the answers to the Bow Valley’s most complex challenges. That’s why BOWDA builds relationships with organizations across the region whose expertise, perspectives, and reach complement our own, creating opportunities to share knowledge, combine strengths, and make a greater collective impact.
Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley
BOWDA’s partnership with the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley helps connect industry, community, and environmental interests around practical solutions for sustainable building, resilience, and long-term community sustainability.
Working together, we contribute industry perspectives and expertise to initiatives, programs, and educational opportunities that affect the building and development industry, while helping connect our members with relevant resources, funding and learning opportunities, and emerging ideas.
Our collaboration includes co-presenting Building for Sustainability, a symposium focused on advancing best practices, sharing knowledge, and exploring practical solutions to some of the most important challenges facing our communities and industry.
Canmore Business Alliance
BOWDA is a member of the Canmore Business Alliance, which includes the Town of Canmore Economic Development, Tourism Canmore Kananaskis, the Downtown Canmore Business Improvement Area (BIA), Innovate Canmore, the Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Canmore Hotel and Lodging Association.
The Alliance brings together a diverse range of business perspectives to stay connected, share ideas and information, and support the long-term success of our community. By strengthening relationships across sectors and maintaining an engaged business community, the Alliance helps contribute to a strong local economy and a thriving Bow Valley.
Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce
A strong building and development industry goes hand in hand with a strong local business community. Through our relationship with Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce, BOWDA helps build connections across sectors, strengthening the relationships and understanding that contribute to a healthy economy and thriving community.
Together, we create opportunities for businesses and professionals to connect, exchange ideas, and engage in conversations that support the long-term success of the Bow Valley, including through our partnership on UnGolfed.
LEARNING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Professional Home Builders Institute (PHBI)
BOWDA is proud to partner with the Professional Home Builders Institute (PHBI), one of Canada's leading providers of education, training, and professional certification for the residential construction industry.
Through this partnership, BOWDA members receive 15% off all PHBI courses and training programs, making it easier to access high-quality educational opportunities and support ongoing professional development.
Whether you're new to the industry, looking to expand your knowledge, or pursuing professional certification, PHBI provides flexible learning opportunities designed specifically for construction and development professionals.
BOWDA members: Contact us for the member discount code before registering.
PHBI offers a wide range of courses and certifications covering topics such as:
Residential construction fundamentals
Project management
Site supervision
Sales & customer service
Land development
Building science
Construction technology
Leadership & business skills
Professional designations and certifications
APPLY FOR CHARITY OF CHOICE
Are You a Bow Valley Non-Profit or Registered Charity?
Applications to become a 2026 Charity of Choice are now open.
COMMUNITY SUCCESS STORIES
See What We Can Accomplish Together
The best way to understand BOWDA's community impact is through the people, partnerships, and projects behind it.
Explore stories of members giving back, local organizations receiving support, partnerships creating new opportunities, and initiatives creating positive outcomes across the Bow Valley.
The Bow Valley Is Our Home, Too
We're proud to work alongside the businesses, organizations, municipalities, and people who make this region such an extraordinary place to live, work, and visit.
Whether you'd like to partner with BOWDA, share a community initiative, or learn more about how we're contributing locally, we'd love to hear from you.