SPECIAL EVENTS

LOOKING BACK

LOOKING BACK

Highlights from 2008 include:

In January during the Banff Winter Festival, Bison Courtyard played host to a popular slide show by Chic Scott. "Powder Pioneers" tells the story of some of Banff's earliest skiers.

The late spring this year allowed some people to celebrate Earth Day on skis. Others gathered at the Courtyard with dead electronics for recycling and incandescent lightbulb to exchange. Bow Valley Waste was on hand with info about composting, biodegradables and how to safely get rid of "stuff". For the kids in attendance, Whale Tales was the main event. The concert by Peter Puffin, a family entertainer who uses music to celebrate environmental science, community building and the wonderful world in which we live, was a rousing affair.

On May 14, Banff Elementary School's Grade Two Class took over the Courtyard for a couple of hours to promote sales of their own environmentally-friendly cleaning products. The students created and sold the cleaning products as a part of a joint math/science project.

Later in May, the Willock & Sax Gallery hosted a reception and walkabout tour with internationally-acclaimed watercolorist Robert Sinclair. The event was in conjunction with a workshop at the Whyte Museum.

Opera was a strong theme for the July 2008 "Concerts in the Courtyard". The weekly plein air events featured performers participating in operas at The Banff Centre: Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell; Phaedra by Benjamin Britten; and A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten. The one non-operatic concert highlighted the skills of the brass band M5.

July also found actors from Pride and Prejudice in the Courtyard, sharing scenes from the play.

As always in August, Bison Courtyard was a favourite stop during Banff's Culture Walk and Doors Open Banff.

On October 4, Bison Courtyard hosted the beginning and end of a 350 bike ride. The goal of the ride was to bring attention to 350, a significant number in the survival of our planet.

350 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is the theoretical safe line we must not cross. Right now we are at 387 ppm. Find our more at www.350.org

Highlights from 2007 include:

2007 started off with a fabulous surprise visit by the Getdol Drum & Dance Performance Group. This acclaimed group are pioneers in the peoples' drum movement of Korea, well-known for their work in social and environmental justice theatre. Click here to see a short clip of the group perform in the Courtyard.

Parks Canada and Bison Courtyard joined forces to offer a number of Earth Day events. The "Bear Survival Game" was a hit, along with a digital eco-scavenger hunt. The music of Peace warmed the afternoon, as did an outdoor organic feast prepared by the Wild Flour. A free screening of "Who Killed The Electric Car," sponsored by Avalanche Movie Company capped off the day's festivities.

June was fun, thanks to some comic workshops led by The Otesha Project, and opportunities for everyone to dance during the Aboriginal Day festivities.

Culture in the Courtyard was back for a second standout season. Our thanks to The Banff Centre, Centre's musicians, Paradigm Brass, the students who shared highlights of their Opera as Theatre program, and the Jasper String Quartet.

Bison Courtyard was a favourite stop during Banff's Culture Walk and Doors Open Banff.

The Willock & Sax Gallery and Botega Gallery, while very different in emphasis, offered a series of interesting, thought-provoking visual art exhibits throughout the summer and into the fall.

Finally, the weekly Regional Cuisine and Cultural Market was a big hit with visitors and locals. Live acoustic music complimented the abundance of organic fruits, vegetables and meats from Blush Lane, local teas and honey from Weeds & Seeds, fabulous cheeses and spreads from Bison Mountain Bistro, local artwork made available through Botega, and wood-fired artisan breads from the Wild Flour.

A very special thanks to music organizer and regular performer, Garry Gonis. Watch for him and other emerging musicians coming soon to a stage near you.

• Stephanie Odette
• The Arbitraries
• Andrew Sills
• Brooke Taylor
• The ory no’man too
• Kyle Francey
• Melanie Hankewich
• Ben Bromilow
• JB &Yula
• Thomas A. Forbes
• Chris Hill
• Philip-Andrew McIntosh
• Sarah Burton

Highlights from 2006 include:

Culture in the Courtyard, presented in partnership with The Banff Centre. Some of the featured performance groups:

• Janaki String Trio
• Hara Quintet
• The Roughriders Quintet
• Participants from The Banff Centre's Opera As Theatre Program

The Trash Pageant, a light-hearted eco-themed play by Precipice Youth Theatre.

An Exhibition of New Media Art and "miXED taPE," presented in partnership with The Banff New Media Institute at The Banff Centre.

Banff Culture Walk and Doors Open Banff

In October we introduced the hit "Make Your Own Pizza" in the Courtyard's outdoor wood-burning oven, together with The Bison Mountain Bistro & General Store. Every Tuesday, line-ups extended down the street as people gathered to make their own yummy creations.

Banff Elementary school students created the art for the inaugural community art exhibition: an installation of paper-mache bird masks. Their handwork was followed by an installation of ceramic art by Banff Centre Artist-In-Residence Yayoi Joy Senda. Chic Scott set the stage for a great winter season by curating an exhibit entitled "Powder Pioneers, Men & Women Who Pioneered Banff Skiing"

Other events included the Harvest Festival with live music, traditional crafting demonstrations and a mask-making workshop. Hallowe'en came and went with an organic pumpkin sale, community carving party and costume party. Christmas was equally festive, with different flavours and colour schemes.