Celebrating the Impact of Steven Scott’s Time as Board Chair
The Canmore Hospital Foundation extends its deepest gratitude to Steven Scott, who recently completed his term as Chair of the Board of Directors. Steven’s leadership has played an instrumental role in advancing healthcare in the Bow Valley, helping the Foundation grow in both its impact and reach.
Steven first came to Canmore in 2006, transferring from Toronto with the Bank of Montreal. “I came with my wife Tracey for the lifestyle opportunity,” he recalls.
Not long after settling into the community, Steven was invited to join the Foundation’s board. “One of the members at the time said it would be a good way to get involved in the community and they were looking for someone with my experience, investments and banking, to add breadth to the skill set of the current board,” Steven explains.
Over the years, Steven’s dedication has helped guide the Foundation through some of its most ambitious and impactful projects. Reflecting on his time as Chair, he highlights the completion of the Golden Eagle View long-term care wing as a pivotal achievement. “We were trying to raise $1,500,000, which was double the amount we had raised for the labour and delivery rooms. We were able to attract new donors at a time when raising that kind of money seemed a monumental task. When we got across the finish line I think the entire board realized that we were in a position to reevaluate our goals and set them higher. It opened up a whole new set of possibilities.”
Steven also points to the Emergency Department renovation as one of the Foundation’s most significant milestones. “Up until that project, with a final price tag of $4.4MM, we had raised all of the money for every previous goal within the community with no government support. To be able to work with the province to share the costs of a major project like this was huge. I believe it also showed the provincial government how strong the Canmore community support is for the hospital.”
For Steven, the importance of healthcare philanthropy in a community like Canmore cannot be overstated. “The reason it is important is that even with government sponsored healthcare in Canada they can only achieve so much. With strong community philanthropic support we can keep our hospital programs and service on the leading edge of healthcare in Canada,” he says.
To those considering supporting the Foundation for the first time, Steven has simple advice: “Try it out. The beauty of volunteering is you can do as much or as little as you like. The Foundation is always looking for volunteers and it doesn’t have to be a board position. We have events like the upcoming show by the Troublemakers at the Canmore Brewing Company, our annual golf tournament, or our Calgary casino. These types of events are one off and get you some exposure to the work the Foundation does. From there you can become more involved if you like or remain a casual supporter. Your donated time is just as valuable as money to an organization like the Canmore Hospital Foundation. We appreciate anyone who gives our organization consideration.”
He adds one final message to the Foundation’s supporters: “THANK YOU! As simple as that seems it really sums up how I feel. Sure, I was Chair of the Foundation for a period of time so maybe people saw me more often or I was mentioned more often but that is just a snapshot of the organization at a moment in time. From our Executive Director, Kristen Pauch-Nolin, who works tirelessly to keep everything moving forward, to our fantastic board, who each bring unique skills to the table to achieve our goals. The donors see our vision and buy in. I think the best way to sum up our donors is visionary.”
Steven believes what makes the Foundation truly special is the ability for the community to see the direct impact of their generosity. “With our foundation donors, volunteers and community members can see the results. They come in to the hospital and see what their efforts have accomplished. They also interact with the hospital staff who are direct beneficiaries of the success of the Foundation.”
He describes the Canmore General Hospital as the heart of the community. “It is the one place that everyone will use at some point. Memories are made here, both happy and sad, and the community recognizes that.”
Reflecting on the Foundation’s growth, Steven notes the evolution from a grassroots operation to a mid-sized organization capable of larger-scale fundraising and long-term planning. He also highlights the development of the Foundation’s Endowment Fund. “The bigger we can build the endowment the more it will contribute to both the operations of the foundation and supplement the fundraising. We have set our next level of endowment growth at $5MM and when we achieve that we will raise the target again.”
Steven closes by sharing a personal moment that has stayed with him—the night he was nominated for a Mayor’s Award for volunteerism. “What made it special was not the award itself. I feel that was really a team award that I accepted on behalf of the entire Foundation. What stuck with me is that after everyone was recognized for their various accomplishments, quite a few people came up to me to thank me for what I was doing. It was during that evening that I got a much better sense of the impact my volunteer efforts were having on the community in Canmore.”
Thank you, Steven, for your vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to better healthcare in the Bow Valley. Your impact will be felt for years to come.
See below for an incredible digital story co-created by Steven and Kristy Wolfe.