The Great Expectations Collaborative Campaign is a bold, community-wide response to Canmore’s growing housing crisis. Championed by the Town of Canmore, Canmore Community Housing (CCH) and YWCA Banff, with fundraising leadership from Partners for Affordable Housing, the initiative brings together P4 partners—public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit housing providers—to accelerate the development of affordable, sustainable homes in the Bow Valley.
With average rents for a two-bedroom unit exceeding $3,000 and more than 500 households on the Canmore Community Housing waitlist, Canmore faces a shortfall of more than 1,200 affordable homes. Through this collaborative campaign, Partners for Affordable Housing is expanding access to large-scale philanthropic, private, and public funding that individual organizations could not secure alone.
Breaking ground at 100 Palliser Lane
The campaign’s first project, 100 Palliser Lane, will deliver 144 purpose-built rental units at 25–40% below market rates, offering stability and dignity for local families and essential workers. Sustainability is embedded at every level—solar rooftops, bike storage, shared green spaces, and efficient underground parking—creating a near-net-zero model for affordable, environmentally responsible living.
Beyond the first project
Building on the momentum of 100 Palliser Lane, Partners is helping establish capacity and funding for future developments, including the Moustache Lands project led by YWCA Banff. Dedicated funds for pre-planning, capacity building, and rental supplements are enabling local providers to plan, compete for public funding, and deepen long-term affordability.
A model of collective impact
Great Expectations exemplifies the Collaborative Campaigns program in action—uniting multiple housing partners under one coordinated fundraising strategy to unlock transformational funding. By pooling efforts and leveraging Partners’ national fundraising and systems infrastructure, Canmore is setting a new benchmark for how communities can work together to ensure that everyone—of all income levels—can live, work, and belong.