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Active Hope: Navigating Climate Grief & Anxiety

Start Time

19:00

End Time

20:30

Date

May 5, 2025

Location

101, 211 Bear Street

Wild Flour Bakery

Success!

Success!

About the Event

Are you feeling the emotional weight of the climate crisis, seeking community and tools for resilience, or looking to transform grief into active hope? Join Daryl Kootenay and the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley for a participatory workshop that explores climate grief and anxiety through the lens of Indigenous (Stoney Nakoda) worldviews and Climate Psychology. Drawing on Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects, we’ll engage in activities that help participants process difficult emotions, reconnect with one another, and find hope through collective action. Together, we’ll cultivate resilience, courage, and active hope, transforming despair into meaningful steps toward healing and positive change for our planet.

About the Host

The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley empowers community leadership to address environmental challenges. Our work addresses human-wildlife coexistence and climate change through three core programs: WildSmart Community Program, Shift: Climate Transitions, and Future Leaders.

We also serve as a community hub where citizens can access local environmental information, learn about how to get involved in conservation programs, and build ideas for new community-led initiatives.

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Volunteer Opportunity: Chair – Banff Mental Health and Addiction Week (BMHAW)
Term: 2 Years
Location: must live or work in Banff
Start Date: September 2025
Application Deadline: September 15, 2025

 

About BMHAW

Banff Mental Health and Addiction Week (BMHAW) is a community-driven initiative dedicated to promoting mental health and wellness in Banff and Lake Louise. Over the past two years, BMHAW has brought together partners from health, hospitality, community foundations, and residents to foster meaningful conversations and actions around mental health.

As BMHAW enters a potential new phase, the initiative is seeking a committed and community-minded Volunteer Chair to lead the next chapter of this important work.

 

Position Overview: Volunteer Chair

The Chair is a liaison and figurehead role, distinct from day-to-day coordination. Coordination will be done by a paid position. The Chair will guide the initiative strategically while fostering collaboration among stakeholders.

Note: This role must be independent—not affiliated with the government or any of the governing partner organizations.

Key Responsibilities

  • Organize and lead Working Group and Program Working Group meetings

  • Ensure all activities align with the Terms of Reference

  • Hire and manage the BMHAW Coordinator on behalf of governing partners

  • Serve as the primary spokesperson for BMHAW

  • Foster collaboration among working groups, partners, and community members

  • Manage the BMHAW budget

  • Provide updates (written and/or presentations) to stakeholders

  • Work with governing partners to identify and secure future funding

 

Desired Qualifications

  • Proven leadership in a community or nonprofit setting

  • Excellent communication and organizational skills

  • Ability to build consensus and foster collaboration

  • Commitment to building mental health awareness

  • Comfortable with light financial oversight and reporting

  • Familiarity with the Bow Valley region is an asset

 

Time Commitment

  • Approx. 8–10 hours/month, with flexibility depending on the phase of the initiative

  • Two-year volunteer term (renewable)

 

Next Steps

We are currently in a restructuring phase, and looking for a new chair by mid-September 2025. When the chair is appointed they will begin the new cycle of BMHAW including onboarding, transfer of key materials (e.g., bank account, website, social media), and hiring a new Coordinator.

 

How to Apply

If you're interested in serving as Chair or want to learn more, please express your interest to the email above bmhaw24@gmail.com.

Join us in shaping the future of mental health awareness in the Bow Valley.

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