Our Eye Clinic in Canmore

Dr. Joanna “Jo” Phillips has extensive experience in primary care optometry. She graduated with her Bachelor of Optometry with Honours from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, in 2001. During her studies, she completed a practicum at the Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital in India, which encouraged her interest in ocular disease, trauma, and related treatments. Dr. Jo also gained her international accreditation through the International Optometric Bridging Program at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and her advanced therapeutics training at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry, USA in 2006. She’s been practicing in the Bow Valley since January 2007. 

Dr. Jo aims to deliver quality eye care and is proud of her personalized service and patient education. She has a personal interest in nutrition for eye health, preventive eye care, myopia control, dry eye treatments, ocular disease, and concussion management. She believes that it’s necessary to have the highest levels of technology available to provide the best care for her patients’ eyes. 

Dr. Jo has a strong commitment to community service, including educating students about eye care and eye health through several of the Bow Valley’s schools. She has also participated in eye care education programs for new mothers and was previously a member of the Bow Valley Early Childhood Development Coalition.

She is also proud to be part of the University of Waterloo’s optometry education program, hosting final-year students at Canmore Eye Care as part of their clinical training.

Dr. Phillips is a member of the Alberta Association of Optometrists and the Alberta College of Optometrists.

When she’s not at the clinic, Dr. Jo loves to spend time camping, hiking, and mountain biking in our beautiful Rocky Mountains. She’s also an avid traveller and photographer, and enjoys spending time with her three kids and her dog.

Dr. Jared Gervais graduated with his Doctor of Optometry with distinction from Pacific University in Oregon in 2006. He completed an externship in Anchorage, Alaska, at a family eyecare practice before co-managing refractive laser surgery and cataract surgery patients in Portland, Oregon. He then completed an externship at a Veteran Affairs Hospital, which specialized in ocular disease and glaucoma management and treatment. During his studies, Dr. Gervais completed a thesis with Nike, researching the optical quality of sunglasses and their relationship to visual performance.

Shortly after completing his optometry degree, Dr. Gervais began practicing in the Bow Valley. He has a special interest in glaucoma and macular degeneration and works closely with specialists in Calgary and Canmore to ensure his patients receive the best possible treatment options. With a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Health Physiology, Dr. Gervais is also interested in how overall health and diet relate to healthy eyes and good vision.

Dr. Gervais is a member of the Alberta Association of Optometrists and the Calgary Society of Optometrists.

When he is not in the clinic, Dr. Gervais enjoys cycling, hiking, and cross-country skiing. He is an avid mountain bike racer and enjoys participating and volunteering in many of the local events. He also supports trail building in the Bow Valley and is a volunteer bicycle mechanic with Canmore Community Cruisers.

Dr. Suzanne Quilley obtained her doctorate of Optometry with Honours from the University of Waterloo. While studying, she learned alongside a retinal specialist at St. Luke’s cataract and Laser Institute in Florida. This experience sparked her passion for lifelong learning and her commitment to adopt the many new and advancing technologies used to diagnose and treat eye disease. She enjoys helping a wide spectrum of patient needs from myopia management in the young to challenging eye problems and disease affecting those in their senior years. Dr. Suzanne believes in the importance of building relationships with her patients and in helping find solutions for their unique visual needs. She aims to make every patient feel like family.

Dr. Suzanne has practiced in Edmonton for over 25 years and is happy to now join Dr. Jo and Dr. Jared as a locum optometrist at Canmore Family Eyecare. She appreciates the access to the industry’s best diagnostic technology that the practice offers, values the progressive approach to eyecare her colleagues take, and likes the warm, small town friendliness that she experiences while at work. Outside of the office she loves all that life in the Rockies allows for. Hiking, mountain biking, and paddling are her favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors. She is grateful to spend time with her family and friends in this beautiful mountain town and feels fortunate to care for the eyes of both new and established patients of Canmore Family Eyecare.

Dr. Penno is committed to professional, personalized care and achieving the best possible results for her patients. Trained at the Mayo Clinic with a refractive surgery fellowship with Dr. Howard Gimbel, and over 20 years of experience in laser surgery on a variety of laser types, she has chosen to focus her practice on SMILE Vision Correction and PRK refractive eye surgery and general ophthalmology care. Dr. Penno has been attending Canmore clinics with Canmore Family Eyecare since 2018 and currently visits once per month. Dr. Phillips, Dr. Gervais and Dr. Quilley enjoy co-managing many of their patients with Dr. Penno when a referral Ophthalmology is required.

Originally arriving in Banff from Mumbai on a one-year work permit, Josephine (affectionately known as “Joe”) fell in love with the mountains and never looked back. Now a proud Bow Valley local of over a decade, she brings a wealth of leadership experience to our team, having joined us as Clinic Manager in January 2026.

A Hospitality Management graduate, Joe began her career with Hilton in Mumbai, where she discovered a “hospitality heart”. After years of successfully managing hotels and large-scale events, she is excited to pivot her expertise in guest experience and operations to the healthcare industry.

In her downtime, Joe is usually planning her next international trip, cooking some nice dishes, or enjoying life in the valley with friends.

Sarah has been working in optical since 2007. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and went on to complete her Optometric Assistant certification in 2008. From there, she continued her studies in optometry and graduated from NAIT’s Optical Science program as an Optician. Sarah joined the Canmore Family Eyecare team in January 2025 after living in Nova Scotia for the last 25 years.

She enjoys assisting people in finding the perfect frame and lens combination to maximize their vision while looking great. She loves making a difference for others and never gets tired of seeing the “wow” on people’s faces when they see the difference their new glasses make for the first time.

When she’s not assisting patients with their new eyewear, Sarah likes to take day trips around the area with her partner to admire the stunning landscapes. She also enjoys catching up on her son’s latest gameplay, hanging out on her deck with her cat, Max, and singing along to her favourite songs.

Hannah is originally from La Union, Philippines. After finishing senior high school, she chose to leave the beautiful beaches of her hometown and move to the breathtaking mountains of Banff/Canmore, embracing a new chapter filled with growth, learning, and opportunity.

Driven by a passion for healthcare and a desire to build a meaningful career abroad, she completed her Optician Diploma at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 2025.

What drew Hannah to opticianry is its unique blend of healthcare, creativity, and hands-on work. She finds fulfillment in helping people improve their quality of life through better vision, personalized care, and meaningful human connection.

Hannah’s goal is to continue learning and growing—not only in eye care, but in life as well. Through continuous development, she aims to build a stable and fulfilling career while giving back to her community.

During the winter months, Hannah enjoys staying at home cooking or watching a good series after a long day. In the summer, she loves being outdoors—biking, spending time at lakes, and exploring Canmore and Banff.

AnnMarie was born and raised in Montreal. She moved to Alberta with her husband in 2006 and never looked back! In 2013, AnnMarie joined the Bow Valley community and has been living and working here ever since.

AnnMarie attained her Creative Arts degree from Dawson College in Montreal, but found her passion lay in the world of optometry. She began pursuing medical office administration while living in Bow Valley, and appreciates the diverse knowledge she has gained in this area.

Leda has always been passionate about extending care, embracing growth, and ensuring that people believe they deserve to be supported and cared for. Her interest in health, wellness, and fitness has led her to pursue education and experience in nursing, fitness, and optometrics. 

Leda received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of St. La Salle in 2012. She continued her education in fitness and wellness through the Fitness and Health Promotion Program at St. Clair College in 2019. After gaining optometric experience in the Philippines in 2017 and in Windsor, Ontario, in 2020, she has returned to the field and is now contributing exceptional support at our clinic in Canmore. 

To further her expertise in optometry services, Leda completed her certification as an InMode Dry Eye Technician in 2024 and her Ocular Hygienist Certificate in November 2025. These programs have helped Leda grow her skills, especially in the areas of dry eye treatment. She has a special interest in eye hygiene, dry eye, holistic health, pediatrics, and perioperative care.

When she’s not in the office, Leda enjoys spending time with her family and loved ones, as well as dancing, singing, walking, running, hiking, and travelling. She loves nature and animals, making Canmore the perfect home. You might find Leda on Instagram, sharing her movement journey through jump rope tricks and footwork.

Louise has been working in optometry since 2023 and values being part of a team that works together to care for their patients and offer exceptional care during their visit to the clinic.

Louise enjoys spending time with her family, grandchildren, and friends when outside of the clinic. Living in Canmore, Louise enjoys hiking and biking, as well as reading and travelling.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Tara’s love of travel and meeting new people led her out to the Bow Valley. Having graduated as a Registered Massage Therapist in 1999, she has gained experience working with all types of clients, from the spa elite to professional athletes. Tara has training in a variety of modalities within the healthcare field. Most recently, her love and passion for learning new things have led her to train as a Dry Eye Technician in January 2024, followed by further training as an Ocular Hygienist in November 2025.
By educating clients about what it takes to live the best version of themselves, Tara truly enjoys helping people achieve their health goals. To be successful in life, you must learn to take care of yourself. As a mom to 3 boys, she knows how important that is. Her personal philosophy is to never stop learning and always be open to trying new things…with the exception of the one chip challenge. She tried that, so you don’t have to.
When she’s not on her paddle board, you can find Tara exploring & road tripping with her
husband, Cody, and her boys.

Buddy is Dr. Jo’s small Aussie Labradoodle. He joined the practice at the end of 2021. 

Buddy enjoys offering comfort and entertainment for the staff and patients at Canmore Family Eyecare. He is great at soothing those with a little anxiety around their eye exam, especially for kids. 

Buddy can often be found sitting quietly or sleeping under the reception desk.