Photos Courtesy of the Town of Bow Island
305 km from Calgary
Agriculture, healthcare, business and services
Approximately 2,000 residents
Kindergarten to grade 12
Driving through southern Alberta, you will pass through a diverse landscape of ever-changing scenery. As you approach the Montana and Saskatchewan borders, you will find the Town of Bow Island, named for a small island in the confluence of the Bow and Oldman rivers near the town site. Bow Island is only 107 kilometres from the Saskatchewan border and 136 kilometres from the United States border.
Bow Island is part of the larger County of Forty Mile, which includes an additional 3,000 people throughout five villages in the area. There is a strong agricultural focus, with inhabitants contributing to the local economy by working for the food processing plants, as owners or employees of the service centre businesses, or for essential services such as healthcare. Local landmarks include a 9.1 metre tall sunflower and the town mascot, the 4.5 metre tall Pinto MacBean.
This sunny, southern community boasts over 2,500 hours of sunshine annually and has plenty to offer individuals and growing families.
Enjoy the local recreation centre for minor hockey, ringette, and a curling club. Catch the first puck drop of the season with the Hocktoberfest hockey tournament every fall. In the summer, there are plenty of sports fields and clubs for soccer and baseball, to name a few, or you can take a dip in the outdoor pool. The rural location provides numerous options to get outside and enjoy nearby parks, lakes, rivers, and streams for activities like fishing, camping, boating, and water skiing.
The lively arts scene features local theatre, dance, and live music at the historic Bow Theatre. Explore Writing-on-Stone Park, with preserved petroglyphs that date back well before the first explorers ever set foot here. Don’t miss local events like the Bow Island Children’s Festival, or those in surrounding communities like Burdett Days, Etzikom’s Fun Run, or Foremost’s Rodeo and Tough Trucks competition.
Visit the town website or Facebook page to learn more, or explore nearby through the County of Forty Mile’s website.
Healthcare in the community is provided through the Bow Island Health Centre. This community hospital features a 24-hour emergency department and essential health services ranging from diagnosis through rehabilitation. There’s a mix of acute care, continuing care, and respite beds, with onsite allied health professionals for laboratory, diagnostic imaging and x-ray, rehabilitation services, including speech language pathology for adults, occupational and physical therapy, and outpatient respiratory services. Parents can find information and programs such as Best Babies or Building Blocks, with resources and advice on child care, healthy development, and more.
Supplemental services are provided through the Bow Island Provincial Building, such as home care, public health nurse, speech language services for children, school health services, and mental health services.
Come for a job, stay for the people. Working as part of the interdisciplinary team at a smaller facility like Bow Island brings the opportunity to get to know your colleagues personally. As you integrate with the community, you will form relationships with your patients, clients, and their families as well.
AHS has numerous opportunities to support employees’ professional development, including internally-provided webinars and seminars, skills days, and other learning opportunities, as well as support pursuing additional post-secondary courses and attending industry conferences.