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"This was a year of welcoming. We welcomed new spaces, new partners, new visitors, and new ways of being."
The image on the front cover of the 2025-26 issue of Reflections, our annual Report to Community—Cheryl L’Hirondelle’s performance artwork yāhkaskwan mīhkiwap (aka light tipi)—is illustrative of the stunning vistas that surround our campus, which remind us daily that Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain has been a meeting place long before there was a Banff Centre.
It’s why it’s such a fitting place for an organization like ours: a post-secondary learning institution with a core mission to bring people together to have important conversations, think creatively, share perspectives, and leave feeling inspired to create a better world.
I had the privilege of learning more about this history in the process of opening Îethka Mâkochî Ahogi Chi Pa Bi Ti: Îethka Territory House of Respect, Banff Centre’s first dedicated space for Indigenous participants, program leadership and other visitors from nations around the globe. The name was gifted by Stoney Nakoda Elders to Banff Centre to honour the mountain’s history and to create a welcoming environment of respect for one another.
The spirit of welcoming has been present throughout Banff Centre’s 2025–26 year. A few landmark events demonstrated this in big, bold ways, including hosting the International Media Centre for the G7 Summit in Kananaskis and Canada’s first National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture.
We also welcomed nine incredible quartets from around the world for the 15th triennial Banff International String Quartet Competition and celebrated five decades of mountain culture at the 50th anniversary Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival. Of course, there were also the myriad small ways we welcome guests to campus every single day: so much of our program planning is about creating environments to help artists, leaders, and other visitors feel comfortable, cared for, and able to let their minds truly expand.
This was also a strong financial year. Our surplus funds will allow us to invest in critical system and infrastructure needs, laying a strong foundation as we near Banff Centre’s 100th anniversary in 2033.
I want to thank everyone who made this year possible, including our staff, volunteers, participants, audiences, conference clients, and all who came to visit us.
Chris Lorway
President and CEO
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity