Amanda has and continues to implement meaningful change in our community professionally and personally that has improved and enriched the lives of many. She is an ardent supporter of DEI and has incorporated her fierce and tireless voice to ensuring everyone is included in the conversation and is invited to the table. She encourages and holds her workplace accountable in supporting different groups of individuals, including people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations. She stives for a balanced workplace and shines in her desire to pave a more equitable path forward for all staff and members of the community.

Amanda works tirelessly to ensure Banff locals have affordable and accessible access to recreation opportunities in Banff. She has demonstrated her work with project such as, Banff skatepark, low-cost recreation pass, recreation grounds redevelopment, The Fenlands equipment lending library, Fenlands seasonal turf, the new Fenlands workout room, community play boxes, Banff recreation pass, improvements on local trail lighting, indoor soccer leagues and more. In additional to Amanda professional commitments, she demonstrates her commitment to the community time and time again through her volunteerism with the local school basketball team as the coach and welcoming an international student into her home with the CRPS International Student program.

Aurora is the Founding Director of Bow Valley DEI. She speaks and consults regularly with a variety of organizations and businesses about how to create spaces in which everybody truly belongs.

She maintains a permanent position with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides as their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Mental Health Services Manager and applies this unique intersection of knowledge and experience to all of her DEI work.⁠⁠ She is a fierce advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ folks and a community organizer who loves to create brave, comfortable, accountable moments that encourage all to be more than they thought they could be.⁠

Originally from the Siksika Nation, Cassie is a 31-year-old Blackfoot women who now calls the Bow Valley home. Cassie has a military background and currently works part- time as a Paramedic, Firefighter (in training) and most important volunteers her time as a community leader. Cassie is the founder of a not-for-profit organization called Soul of Miistaki. Cassie is advocating and transforming local outdoor programming to include Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) and allies with access to mentorship and welcoming environments to learn and grow in the outdoors. Cassie is a true inspiration and dedicates her time and programing not only those in the Bow Valley. Cassie has gone above and beyond to extend her programing to the Siksika Nation and most recently returned home from a climbing festival in Bishop California to provide accessible resources, opportunities, and welcoming space in climbing for women and genderqueer folks.

Kate is Russian. When the war broke out in Ukraine in Feb 2022, she got up and decided that she was able to do something to help our arriving Ukrainian Community members in the Bow Valley. She didn’t wait to be asked, she just got up and “did”. It started out small and patchy. One person needs help with a form, another person needs some interpretation. The word spread and Kate encouraged it. “If you know of someone who needs help, put me in touch”.

Kate has been giving freely and selflessly of her time, energy and heart for almost a 1.5 years to our newly arrived Ukrainian community.  She is so deeply dedicated to ensuring that newly arrived members of the Bow Valley community are connected with the right government services, have access to health care, have the right clothes for the weather conditions, have access to the food bank, have help with filling in any forms and are connected to community events.

Kristy Wolfe is a Common Language DST certified digital storyteller who helps people share their most impactful stories. Through her work as a storyteller, Kristy helps individuals and organizations share their impactful stories in a way that inspires action, creates connection, and encourages healing. Kristy is brave, supportive, and is driving change in the Bow Valley community and beyond with bold authenticity. From Canmore to Uganda, Kristy uplifts and empowers women.

Kristy also volunteers her time once a month by sharing her voice, knowledge, and real-life stories with the RAW Collective Podcast. This podcast is community focused and collaborates with a new small local business each month.

Leslie is the President & CEO of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, a not-for-profit destination marketing organization, whose mission is to inspire the world to experience the indelible awe of Banff and Lake Louise. Leslie has had a clear vision for the organization since she came to Banff and took on her role. While recognizing that the BLLT mandate is to focus on the needs of the visitor, she has always emphasized the importance of considering the broader needs of the community, and the protected nature of the national park. Under her leadership, the organization has evolved, and the visitor, community and sustainability are all considered in our plans. Leslie has always understood the connectedness of the destination as a whole and the importance of sustainability from economic, community and environmental perspective.

She leads a majority-female team at Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, where the senior leadership team are all women, along with many of the managers. With the words “work shouldn’t suck” on her office door, she has made “improving employee experience” one of the organization’s top objectives for 2023. She continually emphasizes the importance of maintaining work-life balance. Leslie has consistently worked to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the organization and the destination. Under her leadership, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism partners with the Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association to fund DEI training for the leaders of member businesses and is a major sponsor of Banff Pride. DEI was also a key focus during the development of the 10-Year Vision for Tourism and is emphasized throughout the document.

Rose is the Guest Services Manager at the Malcolm Hotel. Since the Malcolm Hotel opened in 2018, Rose has worked with the Rotary Club as the onsite liaison for many events that the Hotel hosts in coordination with the Rotary Club for the Community. Three years ago, Rose created “Christmas has gone to the Dogs”. The day encompasses pet photos with Santa, Art auction, and a Festive High Tea with proceeds from the day going to the Bow Valley SPCA. This past year $3750.00 was raised during the events of the day. Beyond Christmas has gone to the dogs, Rose has created a festive atmosphere throughout the month. She is dedicated right from the start of December with the annual Crowning of the Tree, engaging with Valley Winds Chorus to sing Christmas Carols around the grand lobby tree, Weekend photos with Santa all month long, wrapping up with organizing a free Christmas eve event for both guests and community. Rose’s selflessness to others shines as she knows all her hard work adds to family memories for all guests who join us throughout the season.

Leslie is the President & CEO of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, a not-for-profit destination marketing organization, whose mission is to inspire the world to experience the indelible awe of Banff and Lake Louise. Leslie has had a clear vision for the organization since she came to Banff and took on her role. While recognizing that the BLLT mandate is to focus on the needs of the visitor, she has always emphasized the importance of considering the broader needs of the community, and the protected nature of the national park. Under her leadership, the organization has evolved, and the visitor, community and sustainability are all considered in our plans. Leslie has always understood the connectedness of the destination as a whole and the importance of sustainability from economic, community and environmental perspective.

She leads a majority-female team at Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, where the senior leadership team are all women, along with many of the managers. With the words “work shouldn’t suck” on her office door, she has made “improving employee experience” one of the organization’s top objectives for 2023. She continually emphasizes the importance of maintaining work-life balance. Leslie has consistently worked to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the organization and the destination. Under her leadership, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism partners with the Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association to fund DEI training for the leaders of member businesses and is a major sponsor of Banff Pride. DEI was also a key focus during the development of the 10-Year Vision for Tourism and is emphasized throughout the document.

Laurie is recognized as a leader and an advocate for women in sports and the medical field, locally, nationally and internationally by her peers and patients. She is an immensely dedicated and outgoing Orthopedic surgeon, who strives continuously to excel in her specialty of Sports Medicine. Laurie is recognized as a world leader in pediatric patellar injuries and is the key referral surgeon for Western Canada. Her unwavering support for women and girls with job shadowing, working with the research team, and observing clinic and surgery work has inspired many girls to progress in the medical community. 

Her push to always do better has led to better techniques, better equipment, and improved patient outcomes. She excels in teaching and being a leader to others. Laurie is currently working with a medical and virtual reality company to create software for ocular goggles to teach surgeons to do surgery, an exciting and innovative way to gain experience. Laurie also has worked with another company to bring in a new product, a synthetic implant called BioBrace, for knee surgery. She has received a grant to conduct a research study using this BioBrace starting in Sept. She was the 1st Canadian surgeon outside of the U.S. to trial this product in Mineral Springs Hospital in January with special approval from Health Canada. 

Jade has served the community in so many ways. As a teenager she participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange by travelling to Thailand for a year and by hosting Exchange students living in Canmore, one from Thailand and one from Finland. She has sat on the ArtsPlace board of directors for 2 years, is currently on the board for the Chamber of Commerce. She has participated in The Power of Being a Girl as a speaker and has been on the YWCA VineArt Gala committee since 2017 and sponsors the Gala through an Art donation from Project A. She has been a proud sponsor of Canmore Pride since its inception. She also sponsors Creative Combat at ArtsPlace, and many other community events and fundraisers. She has partnered with Sauvage (another woman owned business) to show support on Orange Shirt Day and raise funds for the Indian Residential School Survivor Society by creating an Indigenous meal and showcasing Indigenous artists. Through her business she mentors and supports emerging artists. Her niche is to help new aspiring artists by mentoring them and giving them a platform to sell their product so they can follow their passion whether it is a side hustle/self-care initiative or a full-time small business.

Jade has a “you can do anything attitude” and has shown that to many young women who look up to her, from artists whom she has helped fast track their career to mentoring new artists. She is always willing to partner with and mentor other young entrepreneurs. These young women go on to do the same and mentor other young women. She is always pleased to share other young women’s accomplishments and is genuinely so happy to see women succeed on all levels.

Melika is a grade 11 student at Canmore Collegiate High School. She is a member of the Chiniki First Nation which is part of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. Melika resides on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation reserve but chooses to attend Canmore Collegiate High School. Melika is a role model for females at her school. She inspires Indigenous students living on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation and attending school in Canmore to commit to their education and challenges them to advocate for their community. She demonstrates a wisdom beyond her years when sharing the experiences of her community and brings understanding to adults and students about the experiences of Indigenous girls and women in Canada. She inspires other Indigenous girls to stand up for their community, share their experiences and become change makers in their own right. She leads by example and empowers those around her to engage with advocacy by providing opportunities for them to engage with her in her work. 

Melika is passionate about serving her community and is part of the Moving Mountains Initiative through the Banff Canmore Community Foundation. She also champions Indigenous interests at the Canadian Rockies Youth Network. 

Aurora is the Founding Director of Bow Valley DEI. She speaks and consults regularly with a variety of organizations and businesses about how to create spaces in which everybody truly belongs. She maintains a permanent position with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides as their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Mental Health Services Manager and applies this unique intersection of knowledge and experience to all of her DEI work.⁠
⁠
She is a fierce advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ folks and a community organizer who loves to create brave, comfortable, accountable moments that encourage all to be more than they thought they could be.⁠
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She is a successful career musician and is acclaimed throughout Calgary and the Bow Valley for her abilities as a collaborative pianist and educator. Aurora is bi/pansexual and is transgender, though she prefers the label queer.

Congratulations Aurora!

Laurie is recognized as a leader and an advocate for women in sports and the medical field, locally, nationally and internationally by her peers and patients. She is an immensely dedicated and outgoing Orthopedic surgeon, who strives continuously to excel in her specialty of Sports Medicine. Laurie is recognized as a world leader in pediatric patellar injuries and is the key referral surgeon for Western Canada. Her unwavering support for women and girls with job shadowing, working with the research team, and observing clinic and surgery work has inspired many girls to progress in the medical community. 

Her push to always do better has led to better techniques, better equipment, and improved patient outcomes. She excels in teaching and being a leader to others. Laurie is currently working with a medical and virtual reality company to create software for ocular goggles to teach surgeons to do surgery, an exciting and innovative way to gain experience. Laurie also has worked with another company to bring in a new product, a synthetic implant called BioBrace, for knee surgery. She has received a grant to conduct a research study using this BioBrace starting in Sept. She was the 1st Canadian surgeon outside of the U.S. to trial this product in Mineral Springs Hospital in January with special approval from Health Canada. 

Thank you for your continued mentorship and innovation. Congratulations, Dr. Laurie Hiemstra! 

Melika is a grade 11 student at Canmore Collegiate High School. She is a member of the Chiniki First Nation which is part of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. Melika resides on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation reserve but chooses to attend Canmore Collegiate High School. Melika is a role model for females at her school. She inspires Indigenous students living on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation and attending school in Canmore to commit to their education and challenges them to advocate for their community. She demonstrates a wisdom beyond her years when sharing the experiences of her community and brings understanding to adults and students about the experiences of Indigenous girls and women in Canada. She inspires other Indigenous girls to stand up for their community, share their experiences and become change makers in their own right. She leads by example and empowers those around her to engage with advocacy by providing opportunities for them to engage with her in her work. 

Melika is passionate about serving her community and is part of the Moving Mountains Initiative through the Banff Canmore Community Foundation. She also champions Indigenous interests at the Canadian Rockies Youth Network. 

Melika shows great bravery in sharing the history of residential schools and colonialism in ways that students can connect to and inspires others to take action. One of the most impactful projects that Melika has been involved with is the Honoring Children Round Dance at Canmore Collegiate High School. Melika coordinated dancers, drummers and over 550 students and staff for this event. She also facilitated speeches by Elders and was one of the MCs. By organizing this school wide event, Melika demonstrated her commitment to sharing the experiences of her community and challenging us all to move forward in our reconciliation journey.  

Melika, thank you for being such an inspiration to your peers. We know you have a very bright future ahead of you, congratulations! 

For 30 years, Carol Picard has been a significant influencer in Canmore and across the Bow Valley. As a journalist, business owner, education advocate, social justice champion, community builder and humanitarian – her contributions have been far reaching. Carol is held in high regard as a leader who does her homework, follows through on commitments and speaks her truth.  

Carol first came to Canmore in 1991 as an experienced journalist, to work at the Canmore Leader.  She immersed herself in the community and after seven years at the Leader, she started working on a plan to launch a new, free newspaper for the Bow Valley. With the help of two partners, Bob Schott and Larry Marshal, the first edition was launched on Sept 20, 2020, nine days after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in the USA. As we all know, the Outlook gained credibility, weathered the 9-11 fallout and is still our beloved community newspaper today.  

Carol’s chutzpa inspired many young journalists in the Valley and she was always there as a mentor. After selling the Outlook and retiring from journalism, Carol shifted her attention to volunteer endeavors. One of the drivers behind Community Food and Friends Dinners at St. Michael’s in Canmore, Carol was integral in helping to prepare many of the 100,000+ meals that have been served since the program started in 2013.  Food and Friends not only serves dinners but it equally supports community connection, something Carol is passionate about, by encouraging anyone in the community to join in. 

Carol’s other major area of interest is the Arts and she has been involved with numerous organizations including the Canmore Folk Music Festival.  In 1994, Carol married her partner Robin at the Festival and they’ve been volunteers ever since!   

Carol’s contribution to Canmore and the Bow Valley has been incredibly significant on so many levels.  Whether running a business, sitting on a Board, or working front line preparing or serving meals, Carol is a get-it-done kind of woman woman.  Her feisty spirit and a generous heart compel her to do good and to make our community better.    

Like the namesake of this award, Priscillia Wilson, Carol had vision and the courage to take on the challenge of starting a new paper in the Valley.  Over the years she has served community organizations, working on the Board or doing whatever the organization needed.  And like Priscilla Carol has a circle of friends who appreciate her drive and her sense of humour.  One friend even went so far as to describe her as a bit of a social scientist imp, who doesn’t suffer fools.  Like Priscilla, Carol is smart and interested in people and committed to her community.