For Dan Allard, receiving a Belcourt Brosseau Métis Award (BBMA) was life-changing. “It was the difference between going to university and not,” says Allard, co-founder of Cold Garden Beverage Company, a popular microbrewery in Calgary’s historic Inglewood neighbourhood.
Allard is the recipient of the inaugural Dr. Herb Belcourt Anniversary Award for Entrepreneurship, recognizing a BBMA alumnus who exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and determination of its namesake. Dr. Belcourt was a Métis entrepreneur who believed in education and giving back — values that Allard carried into his own approach to entrepreneurship.
Allard received support from the BBMAs at the University of Calgary, where he graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Commerce. While the financial support from the awards was important, the “compounding part”, in Allard’s words, was becoming part of a community of other BBMA recipients. “We get to help lift each other up,” he says.
Allard grew up in Red Deer in a family that was always hosting other people, and has carried that love of bringing people together throughout his life. As he was growing up, basketball and Métis jigging were also important sources of community. Running a brewery, he says, gives him a way to keep hosting people and building community — albeit at a bigger scale.
His entrepreneurial journey started with a landscaping business in university, followed by a stint in commercial real estate, before he and his university friend Blake Belding started Cold Garden in 2015.
At the time, Calgary didn’t have rules to accommodate microbreweries. Allard worked with the City of Calgary to reshape a bylaw, advocating to remove separation between the brewery’s production and public spaces. He also pushed for rules to allow dogs inside. Cold Garden’s taproom opened in January 2017, quickly earning a reputation as a welcoming, eclectic spot.
For Allard, community building is at the core of his business. “Yes, we’re a beverage manufacturer, but that’s the tool to our main goal. Our main goal is community building,” he says.
That commitment extends beyond the brewery. Allard chaired the Inglewood Business Improvement Area (BIA) for six years, combining community service with his passion for placemaking.
Across the street from the brewery, a small urban park is one of Allard’s proudest accomplishments. “We turned this derelict corner of Inglewood into a vibrant community space,” he says. The space, called Gopher Park, was a former gopher field. Now there’s a basketball court, mini skateboard ramp, and chess-top tables.
Whether it’s a brewery, business district, or neighbourhood park, Allard continues to innovate, turning ideas into opportunities for people to come together. In doing so, he’s found his own way to champion Dr. Herb Belcourt’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to giving back.
