BVRH Bulletin – June 2026 – LRG format
Monthly Bulletin
June 2026
NEWS, INITIATIVES, AND EVENTS
Rent Supplement Program
The Rent Supplement Program is funded exclusively by the
Government of Alberta. As one of the key initiatives of their Stronger
Foundations affordable housing strategy, they have more than
doubled the budget since 2023, allowing us to increase the monthly
supplement maximum and help even more families afford to rent in
the region.
2026 Municipal Requisitions
Municipal members received their annual requisition information
in April, and we are pleased to report that the bulk of these funds
have already been received. These resources are critical to the
ongoing operation of our seniors lodge program, enabling us to
continue providing high-quality, affordable housing and support
services to our residents. We greatly appreciate the continued
financial support from the ratepayers of the region.
Gas Leak Incident
On June 1, 2026, a gas leak occurred in the nearby
neighbourhood, prompting a short evacuation advisory from the
Town of Canmore. I was alerted directly by Canmore’s Director of
Emergency Management, who provided us with a quick alert,
timely updates, and confirmation that the situation was resolved
and the all-clear was issued within a very short time. From our
perspective, this was a good real-world test of our emergency
communications with the Canmore Emergency Coordination
Centre. The Town handled the situation efficiently, and there was
no impact on our residents or operations. We appreciate the
prompt and transparent communication from the Town and
remain confident in our shared emergency response systems.
PROGRAM OCCUPANCY RATES
Bow River Lodge – SL 100%
Bow River Lodge – CCHTB 97%
Cascade House 95%
Bow River Homes 100%
Mount Edith House 100%
Community Housing 100%
Rent Supplement 100%
SPECIAL PROJECTS
This is Home (Phase 3+)
Our application to Alberta Assisted Living and Social Services’
Affordable Housing Partnership Program (AHPP) was not successful in
this round. Given the highly competitive nature of the program and the
more advanced stage of other projects, this outcome was expected.
We have used this time productively to significantly strengthen the
project. Working with a construction and design firm that generously
contributed their expertise on a voluntary basis (as part of a case
study), we have developed a much more robust business case. This
approach has advanced the project to the point where we are now
ready to go to tender for a firm to take us to very near “shovel-ready”
status — an approach strongly preferred by the Government of
Alberta. This method has also allowed us to save significantly on a
typically very expensive process, with estimated savings of $100,000 to
$200,000 so far. We are also applying to the federal Build Canada
Homes program for low-interest financing using this enhanced business
case.
We are actively pursuing talks with the Government of Alberta to
explore greater collaboration and innovative ways of advancing this
project as responsibly as possible. If approved, This is Home (Phase 3+)
will meaningfully expand our Community and Seniors’ Independent
Housing portfolio by introducing new types and levels of affordability in
Canmore and potentially other communities. We remain optimistic
that the Government of Alberta will support this important opportunity
and look forward to collaborating with the Province, the Town of
Canmore, and other housing partners to help address the ongoing
housing challenges in the Bow Valley.
ABOUT BOW VALLEY REGIONAL HOUSING
Bow Valley Regional Housing (BVRH) is a Housing Management Body
(HMB) serving the Government of Alberta and the Bow Valley
Region. HMB operational funding sources vary. Tenants pay
accommodation fees. Those fees are subject to affordability limits,
which prevent them from fully covering the costs of operations.
Provincial grants and municipal ratepayer requisitions subsidize
seniors lodge deficits, while the province also subsidizes deficits in
independent seniors and community housing.
As the HMB for the Bow Valley region, BVRH is responsible for social
housing, as well as affordable supportive living accommodation for
seniors throughout Kananaskis Country, the Bow Corridor, the MD of
Bighorn, and all of Banff National Park, an area covering about
14,000 square kilometers.
All told, we currently house, or help to house approximately 500
residents of the Bow Valley in eight permanent housing projects
encompassing 33 separate buildings.