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The area our program provides assistance to includes the communities of Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore, Exshaw, Harvie Heights, Lac Des Arcs, Kananaskis, Saskatchewan River Crossing and Deadmans Flats. The population served includes approximately 27,000 permanent residents, seasonal employees, weekend residents and over 5 million annual visitors.
The aims of BVVSA is to limit the impact of crime or tragedy on victimized persons by providing assistance, support, information and referral to individuals living and visiting the Bow Valley.
BVVSA provides assistance to both primary victims (persons who have experienced direct injury, loss or trauma) and secondary victims (persons beyond the immediate victim to whom the repercussion of a crime/trauma may spread including friends, family and co-workers).
The BVVSA consists of a board of directors, a full-time program director, a full-time assistant director, a part time victim support worker and a team of dedicated volunteer advocates. Advocates are volunteers who have completed an extensive training program, have obtained a security clearance from the RCMP, have successfully completed interviews with the program director and the RCMP, and have signed a one year contract with the program. These advocates provide direct services to victims of crime and trauma.
From April 1994, to April 2007, the BVVSA assisted 6,004 individuals victimized by crime and trauma, responded to 925 crisis calls and assisted with 2,746 RCMP files. The types of occurrences where victims have been assisted included murder, attempted murder, sudden death, suicide, attempted suicide, fatal MVAs, injury MVAs, serious accidents, sexual assaults, assaults, domestic assaults, residential and commercial B&E's, robbery, thefts, forgeries, property damage, trespassing, harassment, threats, kidnapping, missing persons, child abuse and indecent acts.
A breakdown of victims assisted annually by the program is shown below.
| 06/07 | 05/06 | 04/05 | 03/04 | 02/03 | 01/02 | 00/01 | 00/99 | |
| Number of people assisted | 461 | 502 | 583 | 556 | 625 | 504 | 450 | 480 |
| Number of interventions | 254 | 214 | 254 | 226 | 259 | 212 | 182 | 225 |
| Number of crisis interventions | 105 | 89 | 79 | 75 | 86 | 71 | 73 | 74 |