Authors: Wells, L., Turner, A., Claussen, C., Rempel, E., & Montesanti, S. 

Collaborators: Blackwell, S., McGinnis, W., Soldan, L., Macleod, R., Mah, J. 

Date: April 2025 

Developed through the Made-In-Alberta Rural Primary Prevention Collaborative, this report presents findings from community engagement efforts to understand the root causes gender-based violence in Banff. The report provides an overview of the community context in Banff, highlights the critical issue of the town’s elevated sexual violence rates, explores local risk factors for violence, and describes the process of engaging community insights through a ‘data walk’ event. In bringing hard data and local experiences together to understand patterns of violence in Banff, this report details key trends and takeaways as part of a broader project of primary prevention in rural and small-town communities. 

A companion report summarizing these findings and describing next steps for gender-based violence prevention in Banff can be found here.

The Made-In-Alberta Rural Primary Prevention Collaborative – including Shift, YWCA Banff, Big Hill Haven in Cochrane, and Rowan House Society in High River – is examining the root causes of violence, identifying risk factors for male perpetration, and co-creating community-driven solutions to stop harm before it starts.