August has been a busy month for Bow Valley Palliative and our building project!  

The project comprises of two parts – the land being gifted on which the Centre will be built and the building itself.  

The land for our Centre is part of a subdivision proposed by Jan and Bernie McCaffery. Discussions between the McCaffery’s and the Town of Canmore originally started in 2019. It has been a long and complicated road and one that has resulted in the McCaffery’s protecting a large portion of land through Environmental and Conservation Easements in addition the generous gift to Bow Valley Palliative. We remain forever grateful to the generosity of Jan and Bernie and their unwavering commitment to our Vision that will benefit all of those in the Bow Valley. We are delighted that the subdivision approval is now largely complete, and the final outstanding items are nearing completion. As a result, we anticipate the transfer of ownership of the land to Bow Valley Palliative within the next 2-3 months. We are truly at a monumental point in realizing our Vision! 

We are now also finalizing our plans in anticipation of a Development Permit, having completed construction and architectural plans for the Centre and forwarding outstanding items to the Town of Canmore. We have been able to share images of the new Centre with our community and to walk them through the wide range of support and services that will exist for people entering this space. This has been met with great excitement as people begin to visualize what an incredible resource this will be to the Bow Valley. With the impending land transfer and permits, we are now finalizing our plans for work beginning on site and look forward to sharing these with you shortly.

We continue to work closely with the Town, who have informed us that they will treat this project as a priority and provided we ensure the outstanding items are provided quickly, subdivision and permitting will be completed by the Fall. With the growing need to get started to both meet the need as well as manage increasing costs, we appreciate the Town escalating this as a priority.

To build and operate the Centre in its initial years, we need to raise $25 million. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’ve already raised 30% of that goal, but we need to keep the momentum going and to have the funds available as we begin construction. We have a unique opportunity to give our community the care it deserves and leave a legacy for generations to come. The sooner we reach our goal; the sooner we can open the doors to the Centre.

Your support, whether through donations, connections or simply sharing our story, will help us make this a reality. Please reach out to find out more about how you can support our project as we move forward into the next phase. 

We have been progressing on developing plans for our new Centre. As we draw closer to completion of these steps, we are now moving to a final estimate of costs before going out to tender.  Over the last two years (and in some cases even earlier), we have developed a number of different versions that reflect changing build requirements, health care specifications and requirements from the Town.

We have developed a number of budgets based on our plans, many increasing as we see the cost of labour and supplies rise and based on adjustments with what and how we are building. Budgetary reviews demonstrate our leadership on fiscal responsibility, and have not always been negative in their focus. For example, one budget adjustment at the start of this year provided an opportunity to validate and improve the future functionality of the space. As we near the end of the planning phase, we are eager to finalize contracts and begin work.

Our Centre for Palliative Care and Hospice will be there to support everyone in the Bow Valley community. Whether it is following a diagnosis of a life-changing illness for you or your loved one, navigating the journey to end of life or experiencing grief and bereavement, we will be there to support us all. The need is urgent, ongoing and real – we are eager to get rolling on building our new space.

Our celebration event on June 22^nd, was a great opportunity to talk to some of you individually as well as the larger group. For many, it was the first time that you saw the latest renderings of the inside and outside of our new Centre and provided the opportunity to speak to how the space will be used by all who use it. The Centre will support all of our community including those who have a life changing diagnosis, families, friends and loved ones supporting them on this journey, and those of us experiencing grief and bereavement. Our philosophy of recognizing each person and their needs as unique has been embraced in the design of the space, where we have sought to develop a place that is welcoming and safe for all.

Careful thought has been given to the different stages of life and wellness that each person will be facing. Consideration in design has been given to ensure that it welcomes people from all cultures and beliefs and, as a charity, accessible to all.  The connection to the environment and the surrounding beauty where we live is embraced in every room encompassing the changing seasons of nature and life itself.  Each space will have a unique view, optimized through the placing of furniture including the ‘cuddle beds’, extra width beds that provide space for people to be together as they enjoy the views.

While the planning for our space has tried to consider future needs and uses, we also appreciate that the growing needs in the community may change over time. While we have initially planned for 8 resident rooms, building planning has also given thought as to how space can be added for when needed.

As we continue to fundraise for our Centre, funds already raised towards the building are being invested to be used towards the building. These funds are viewed as restricted, only to be used towards the purpose for what they were given. Some expenses are being incurred currently for architects and building planning, but the majority is invested to meet the bulk of the construction cost in the future.

Thank you to everyone for your support through these challenging times and for your commitment to make this Vision a reality. We could not do it without you!