“Women’s Health Is Everyone’s Health”: Introducing the Sisterhood Summit and Presenting Sponsor Elia Damis of Level III NDT
On October 30, 2025, the Canmore Hospital Foundation will host the first-ever Sisterhood Summit: Embracing Women’s Health. This event will launch a new funding initiative focused on women’s health in the Bow Valley, an area of care that affects every family and every community.
For too long, women’s health needs have been underfunded and under-researched. Across Canada, women spend 20% more of their lives in poor health than men. Heart disease, the leading cause of death in women, often goes undetected until it’s too late because it presents differently than in men. Conditions like endometriosis take an average of 5.4 years to diagnose. From puberty through menopause and beyond, women’s health concerns have too often been misunderstood, minimized, or dismissed.
The Sisterhood Summit aims to change that story in the Bow Valley by empowering women to take an active role in their own health and by ensuring our local hospital has the tools, programs, and resources it needs to provide exceptional care close to home.
The luncheon will take place at the Cornerstone Vista Room at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Guests will enjoy a three-course meal, a silent auction, and inspiring talks by Dr. Chelsey Topping, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and Dr. Tracie Risling, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing at the University of Calgary. Educator, former Olympic cross-country skier, and CHF Board Member Heidi Widmer will serve as MC.
Funds raised at the Sisterhood Summit will support a lasting focus on women’s health, building on the Foundation’s history of transforming care in the Bow Valley, with past initiatives including expanded labour and delivery rooms and new diagnostic and surgical tools like hysteroscopes.
Meet Our Presenting Sponsor: Elia Damis and Level III NDT
Events like the Sisterhood Summit happen because of community leaders who believe in the cause and step forward to make it possible. This year, the Foundation is proud to have Level III NDT Inc. as our presenting sponsor, led by owner Elia Damis.
Level III NDT is a global organization that provides subject-matter expertise in non-destructive testing and quality assurance. Their work is highly specialized and far-reaching, spanning industries from energy and renewables to infrastructure and transportation. “We perform auditing, surveillance, and full-cycle project quality management for energy producers and EPCs globally,” Elia explained.
While his professional work is complex and technical, Elia’s decision to support the Sisterhood Summit is profoundly personal. His “why” is rooted in family, loss, and love.
A Family of Strong Women
Elia is a first-generation Canadian whose parents immigrated from Southern Italy. Growing up in a close-knit Italian family shaped his values, particularly around family and health.
“I grew up surrounded by incredibly strong women,” Elia shared. “My great-grandmother, my grandmother, who is 95 and still in Calgary, my mother, my sister, and many aunts and cousins shaped who I am. They were my role models.”
In his culture, women have always been central, and conversations about health and the body were open and honest. “Nothing was ever hidden or shameful in our family,” he said. “We talked about everything openly, and I believe that kind of openness can save lives.”
Elia’s sister, in particular, held a unique and irreplaceable place in his heart. “She was my best friend in the whole world,” he said. “We traveled together in our early twenties, we did so much together. She was always the person I could talk to about anything. There was never a topic that was off limits.”
Throughout her life, she faced profound health challenges, including Crohn’s disease and endometriosis, and she was never able to have children because of these conditions. Last year, she passed away suddenly from a heart attack at the young age of 44.
The loss was devastating and deepened Elia’s commitment to giving back. “Awareness and openness are so important,” he said, his voice full of emotion. “Too many women are told to suffer in silence, to just grin and bear it. That’s absolutely appalling to me. No one should ever have to face their struggles alone or in silence.”
His family’s experiences have shown him the life-saving power of early detection and proactive care. Both his mother and grandmother are cancer survivors. “Their strength showed me firsthand how critical it is to have access to the right care at the right time,” Elia said. “That’s why this matters to me. It’s why women’s health matters to everyone.”
Why Advocacy Matters
It’s powerful when women speak up for women’s health. Elia’s story demonstrates the significance of having allies, business owners, leaders, and men stand alongside them, amplifying their voices and supporting the work they do. This is what allyship and advocacy can look like.
“In our culture, women have always been central,” Elia said. “There’s no shame in speaking about our bodies or our health. But I know that isn’t the case everywhere. When men show up and say, ‘This matters,’ it sends a message. Women’s health is everyone’s health. These issues affect our daughters, our sisters, our mothers, our partners, and our colleagues.”
For Elia, this belief is deeply personal. He and his wife are raising a son with Down syndrome, and he serves on the board of the Edmonton Down Syndrome Society. “When I look at inclusion and how exclusive so much of the world actually is, and then we talk about sexism and racism and marginalization of different groups, it breaks my heart,” he said.
He describes his philanthropic philosophy simply: “I believe in moving abundance. If we hoard it, it goes stale. When you move it—when you give—it creates space for new opportunities, new energy, and new connections. Giving is how we keep our communities alive.”
A Local Connection
Though now based in Edmonton, Elia has deep roots in southern Alberta and a strong connection to Canmore. His in-laws live in town, and his family visits often. Over the years, he has seen firsthand how vital it is for Canmore General Hospital to have the resources it needs to serve a growing, thriving community.
“Half the population is women, probably more here in Canmore,” he said. “Having the supports in place, especially for early detection and diagnostics, is huge. When those services exist locally, families don’t need to leave their community to get care. Everybody wins when we invest here.”
Elia’s choice to sponsor the Sisterhood Summit is an extension of that belief. When he attends the event, he’ll be joined by his wife and in-laws, with the remaining seats at his table gifted to local health care workers as a thank you for their dedication and care.
Building a Legacy of Care
“We were raised with the idea that people are good and that you give back,” he said. “I’ve been incredibly blessed to do work I love. It provides for our family, and because of my grandparents’ teachings, especially my grandmother’s, I feel it’s my responsibility to move that forward into the community.”
The Sisterhood Summit embodies that same vision. It’s about investing in the tools and care that save lives, about elevating voices that have been silenced, and about saying clearly: women’s health matters here.
We are deeply grateful to Elia and Level III NDT for leading the way as our inaugural presenting sponsor. Their commitment makes this event possible and sets the tone for a future where every woman in the Bow Valley has access to the care she needs.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: Cornerstone Vista Room, Canmore Nordic Centre
Join us for an inspiring afternoon of conversation, connection, and collective action. Together, we can change the future of women’s health in our community. Get your tickets now.
