Helping people attain a better quality of life

Banff Sport Medicine is a team of healthcare professionals whose goal is to provide world-class care in sport-related musculoskeletal trauma and reconstructive surgery.

Bringing three clinics together under one roof

Banff Sport Medicine wanted to consolidate its services into a single location. To do this, the company hired Ashton Construction Services (ACS) to handle all aspects of a $1.1 million commercial construction project, transforming a former pilates studio and an empty unit into a multi-use healthcare space.

Transparent and trustworthy commercial construction

ACS worked with transparency and open communication, from establishing a budget to coordinating with stakeholders and tradespeople for the complex healthcare clinic build. This allowed Banff Sport Medicine to focus on what matters most — its patients.

Supporting active lifestyles in Canmore

Banff Sport Medicine (BSM) was founded in 2005 by a team of three orthopedic surgeons. Five years later, BSM opened a second location focusing on sport medicine. The company quickly established a reputation as a multidisciplinary healthcare service provider specializing in sport-related musculoskeletal trauma and reconstructive surgery.

As both clinics continued to grow, BSM also established the Banff Sport Medicine Foundation (BSMF). The foundation’s charity mandate is to help people with bone and joint injuries regain their quality of life through education, research and clinical care

Based in a region known for its active population, BSM helps ensure that its patients continue to enjoy active lifestyles for years to come.

“We’re also an international tourist destination,” says Sara-Jane Klinker, Banff Sport Medicine’s clinic manager. “We see quite a few out-of-country patients who need services while they’re here due to an injury or a fracture on the ski hill or somewhere else.”

BSM found the perfect location in the Shops of Canmore development. The expansive 5,500 square-foot space was mostly empty, except for a section that was previously used as a pilates studio. BSM was essentially starting from scratch in terms of building the complex healthcare facility it needed — and that meant finding a construction company that could handle all aspects of the build.

A local partner with a reputation for quality and transparency

In its search for a construction company, BSM prioritized four requirements. At a minimum, the company needed to be local, professional, reliable, and cost-efficient. But a viable construction manager also needed to be able to handle a lot of complexities that only come up in healthcare settings.

Ashton Construction Services (ACS) was recommended to BSM’s project manager by an employee at a local business that supplies office furniture and architectural solutions. “She had worked with Ashton before,” says Sara-Jane. “They came highly recommended.”

ACS presented BSM with quotes for two separate concepts for the space, and BSM soon confirmed that the construction firm ticked all the necessary boxes. ACS was professional, reliable, cost-effective — and local.

“It was great to have someone local so we could see them face-to-face,” says Sara-Jane. “Sometimes when a service provider comes from a different community, they don’t understand the nuances of our community’s needs.”

Trustworthy, accountable, and local

Over the course of a few discussions, BSM and ACS decided on a concept that made the most of the space and would comfortably accommodate the most patients. “The group met on a weekly basis for at least three hours, dedicating time to understanding how the business was going to grow and how the space would flow,” says Sara-Jane.

With a plan in place, ACS began working on budgeting and value engineering. The company coordinated with Tanner Properties, the site owner, for approvals, and worked with the other businesses in the building to ensure the project was completed with minimal impact on other tenants. ACS also secured and managed tradespeople to handle a range of project components, including electrical, painting, cabinet-making, flooring, clinic furniture, and some equipment.

Of course, projects of this size and complexity often come with challenges, which is why it’s critical to choose partners who are transparent and proactive. In this situation, there was a concern with a subcontractor that impacted the timeline.

“ACS was able to jump in quickly to resolve the issue for us in a way that didn’t impact the budget, minimized our stress, and achieved the desired results — all thanks to strong communication, and a culture of accountability,” says Sara-Jane. “They also found a way to work around our business schedule to finish up, which allowed us to open on time despite the trade delay.”

 Employees and patients are thrilled with the results. “Our working environment is very ergonomic,” says Sara-Jane. “ACS helped us determine how much square footage each employee needs, and we have sit-stand desks that meet those needs. They also recommended appropriate lighting–and that was a big one. In the south clinic, we have a wall of windows, which is wonderful for natural light, but artificial lighting needed to be considered as well.”

In addition, ACS helped BSM source everything from specialized flooring for the physio room to frosted glass windows that ensure patient privacy while still allowing for natural light.

“The design of our clinic space provides our patients with lots of space to move around, stay active, and maintain a sense of privacy and security,” says Sara-Jane. “That tells them that their care is at the forefront.”

Photos: Eva Urbanska

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