How Hiring Local Construction Experts Keeps The Bow Valley Strong

Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise can be challenging places to build. These mountain communities come with complicated regulatory requirements, environmental considerations, and logistical obstacles that most urban centres never encounter. Construction in the Bow Valley is also subject to the same cost pressures people experience in everyday life.

“Everything costs more here — groceries, rent, houses, wages, gas,” says Steve Ashton, CEO, President & Founder of Ashton Construction Services (ACS).

It’s a rural area, but it’s still less than an hour’s drive from Calgary, where costs are lower. When decisions are based mainly on cost comparisons, it can be appealing to choose Calgary-based construction service companies — but over time, that makes it harder to keep construction skills and experience in the community.

Photo: Eva Urbanska

How Local Service Businesses Contribute to Community Life

Contractors, tradespeople, interior designers, and other construction services providers are often associated with tangible results — builds completed, timelines met, budgets managed. But their contributions to the Bow Valley can be seen in all aspects of community life.

When you hire local service providers, a significant portion of that investment stays in the community. Local firms employ local people, work with local suppliers and consultants, and spend their revenue close to home. According to LOCO BC, for every $100 spent at locally owned independent businesses, $63 recirculates back into the community.

That reinvestment shows up in various ways. Local tradespeople and construction service providers are part of community life year-round. They coach kids’ sports teams, volunteer with neighbourhood organizations, support community events, and show up for local causes. There’s also a strong sense of reciprocity between local businesses. Support tends to flow both ways, particularly outside peak tourist seasons.

“A guy’s got to eat,” says Steve. “When I ask myself where I’m going to eat, I choose to go to the places that support me.”

Ultimately, this kind of mutual support helps keep businesses going through seasonal shifts and economic cycles. It also reinforces relationships that last.

“Our clients, which include developers, landlords, and business owners, are generally clients who share our genuine care for the long-term success of the Bow Valley,” says Steve.

Photo: Eva Urbanska

The Real Costs of Running a Canmore Construction Company

In many Bow Valley projects, approval and permitting processes sometimes extend longer than planned, due to unpredictable circumstances. Design review and permitting often happen in multiple rounds, with extended gaps between submissions and approvals. During that time, consultants remain engaged and revisions continue, adding cost before construction pricing is finalized.

“Their design costs go up and they can’t manage that because of the timelines,” says Steve. “Their real only option, if they want to make a similar margin to what they’ve been used to in the past, is to really squeeze the cost of construction.”

This creates additional challenges for local construction companies, particularly given the higher cost of operating in the area. Labour is one of the biggest pressures — because workers need to earn enough to live in the Bow Valley — and ACS is committed to paying its team members a living wage. “Our wages have to be high, especially the wages of the field staff such as labour, skilled labour, tradespeople, apprentices, journeypeople, site managers, superintendents,” says Steve.

Beyond labour, construction-related businesses also carry higher day-to-day operating costs. Commercial rent, property tax, utilities, insurance, fuel, equipment, and compliance all factor into pricing. Insurance costs, in particular, reflect the risks of building in a mountain environment, including wildfire exposure.

“We’re not trying to be a low-cost construction company,” says Steve. “We’re trying to find the intersection between high quality and a good competitive cost.”

Many people don’t realize, until much later that cost is only one part of the picture. Experience working in the Bow Valley — whether it’s a restaurant build in Canmore or employee residences in Banff — familiarity with local processes, and frequent site visits all affect how projects move from start to finish. Considered together, these factors help explain why hiring local construction service providers costs what it does — and why price alone rarely reflects the full picture of what goes into delivering a project in the Bow Valley.

Fergus & Bix, Downtown Canmore
Photo: Eva Urbanska

Case Study: Building Affordable Housing With Local Talent

Ptarmigan Pointe, an 18-home affordable housing project, is a clear example of how local construction teams can achieve high quality builds on tight budgets.

“The biggest benefit of hiring local builders and trades is their accountability and quick response to any issues, even after construction is complete and owners have moved in. Having a responsive local builder means any problems can be addressed quickly.” ~ Canmore Community Housing

In 2023, Canmore Community Housing brought together ACS, Montane Architecture, T1W Engineering, Tower Engineering, and consulting firm McElhanney to build 18 homes across 27,000 square feet. The project also employed 19 local trades and used locally sourced materials whenever possible. With just a couple of exceptions, the entire project was completed by professionals who live and work in the Bow Valley.

“We got this project done on time and on budget with our local team and the quality is impressive,” says Steve.

With a budget of $8.6M, each home cost less than $478K to build, on average. The development includes 10 three-story townhomes with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and 8 single-story flats with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. That’s a remarkable achievement in an area where the average home currently costs around $1.67M — made possible through careful pre-construction and cost-management. Close attention to detail is evident in the bright modern interiors and the focus on energy efficiency, which will help reduce long-term costs for the homeowners.

“As a local nonprofit pseudo-developer, we believe in using local trades whenever possible. It reinvests in our community, supports our local workforce, and helps keep those skilled workers here, many of whom are already connected to our program as owners or waitlist members.” ~ Canmore Community Housing

The Ptarmigan Pointe project demonstrates that it is possible to build high-quality, high-value projects while supporting the local community and keeping revenue circulating close to home.

“For Ptarmigan Pointe, our focus was on delivering as many high-quality three-bedroom units as possible for those on our waitlist, without sacrificing finish or build quality compared to similar market units. Our goal was to provide market-quality homes at below-market prices where the need is greatest.” ~ Canmore Community Housing

Ptarmigan Pointe, Canmore Community Housing
Photo: Eva Urbanska

Maintaining Local Capacity in Construction and the Trades

A strong local construction sector doesn’t just happen. It depends on consistent work, steady employment, and opportunities for people to build long-term careers in the Bow Valley.

When local construction companies are hired regularly, they’re able to retain skilled workers, train apprentices, and invest in systems and processes that improve how projects are delivered over time. That continuity matters in a region with complex building conditions and limited labour availability.

Local capacity also supports responsiveness. When experienced teams live and work in the Bow Valley, they’re available when issues arise — during construction, and long after projects are completed.

“We’re the first people to show up when you’ve got a problem,” says Steve. “You don’t have to wait for three, four hours, maybe days to get somebody out to come address an issue.”

There’s a broader community effect as well. Construction professionals who are able to stay and work locally are more likely to put down roots.

“These are the people that are coaching hockey or volunteering,” Steve says. “They’re the ones giving back here because they’re hardworking people and they care about this community.”

In short, maintaining local capacity helps the Bow Valley retain people with the skills, experience, and relationships needed to deliver housing and infrastructure — without relying entirely on outside markets.

Access to local service businesses is not a given — they depend on consistent support from the communities they serve.

Choosing Local is a Long-Term Investment

Choosing who builds in the Bow Valley is a practical decision with long-term consequences. It affects whether construction skills stay local, whether experienced teams remain available, and whether the region can continue to build housing and infrastructure with people who understand the nuances of the region.

Hiring local construction services enables our community to maintain the capacity to build, maintain, and adapt the Bow Valley using people who live and work here — now and in the years ahead.

Planning a construction project in the Bow Valley? Partner with a construction management team that knows how to navigate local conditions, approvals, and logistics. Talk to ACS to find out how our local expertise can benefit your next build.

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