Canmore’s Downtown Business Group Has Had Four Leaders In Less Than Four Years. What Now?

Former Canmore councillor Karen Marra is now the executive director of the Downtown Canmore Business Improvement Area (BIA). In her first year, she says success will look like a few well-attended events downtown, a busier annual general meeting and more members taking part.

The BIA represents businesses and landowners in downtown Canmore, promoting and improving the area, and advocating for its members with the Town.

Marra’s first official day on the job was the Aug. 26 board meeting. She brings relationships and experience built over eight years on council to a BIA representing a diverse group of businesses.

"Having the connections is big. I know quite a few of them in the Town office, and just knowing what the needs are is good. Communication is huge. So I think that really helps me as a past councillor, and also knowing the broader community, what people have communicated to me, and how I can bring that to the business community... to connect them,” said Marra.

Marra says strategic planning is ongoing as she settles into the new job, but she sees a few attainable goals that would make her first year a success.

“A realistic success is a couple of great events in the downtown area, and I don't mean huge, 10,000-people events, but some activity,” she said.

A New Year's Eve event is in the works, along with plans for the Canmore Folk Music Festival's Winter Warm Up. A better-attended annual general meeting next year and a more diverse group of businesses involved with the BIA are her other main goals.

“I would say the biggest thing is partnerships in the first year. Partnerships, membership involvement,” she said. “Input from everybody is what I see as a success.”

Marra will be the fourth person in the executive director role in less than four years. Stefan Bullock stepped down in February 2023, Vandervoort filled in as interim, and Gradey McMahon led the organization until June of this year, when Vandervoort stepped in again.

Marra said Vandervoort has helped bridge the organization through several leadership changes and keep things on track.

“She's our wealth of knowledge over the years and she seems to be able to just come in and pick up where things have been left,” said Marra.

The BIA has a 2026 budget of just over $320,000, with $214,721 coming from the levy on landowners and businesses and just under $103,000 from the Town Centre Grant Fund.

Renée Meggs, owner of Focused Solutions Counselling and Coaching and chair of the BIA board, said a hiring committee made up of board members advertised the position and interviewed candidates before selecting Marra.

“We chose Karen based on her knowledge of, and dedication to the community, her experience as a previous council rep on the BIA, her deep understanding of the issues facing downtown businesses, her relationships with both BIA members, council members, and the Town administration; and her passion for creating vibrancy in the downtown while maintaining a small town feel,” Meggs said in an email.

Marra has started by meeting with businesses that are part of the BIA and has already found they welcome face-to-face conversations with a representative of the organization.

She has heard some positives, including that the pedestrianization of Main Street over the summer was “a good thing for community connection.” But many of the issues Marra dealt with during her time on council are still being worked on and raised by BIA members.

"Parking issues, washroom issues, like having public bathrooms, and good ones... Things just don't happen overnight,” said Marra.

Parking is also what drew Meggs to the board. She said she got involved during the Town's work on its 25-year Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan, which council approved in July 2025. She supports parts of the plan but disagrees with its direction on cars.

"I don't believe decreasing single vehicle use by 20 percent over the next four years, uncoupling parking from development, the complete streets application that is currently underway throughout Canmore, and the possibility of making Main Street pedestrianized year round is realistic in a cold mountain environment," Meggs said.

Meggs was referring to parts of the area redevelopment plan that proposed changing parking requirements for new development and encouraging more people to walk, bike or take transit instead of driving.

Those are some of the larger issues facing Marra and the BIA, but for now, the focus is on practical steps in her first year.

That means making more connections with members, getting more businesses engaged, finishing projects already underway and building partnerships with other local organizations. Meggs also pointed to one more tangible goal: a new website.