Media Release

Exploring the Athabasca River system from the Columbia Icefield to northeastern Alberta, Canmore-based conservationist and filmmaker David Lavallée is producing a documentary on the environmental impact of the province’s massive oilsands exploration and extraction projects. His film, White Water, Black Gold, is among eight projects that will share $15,000 in funding from the 2007 Banff Mountain Grants program, overseen by Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre.

“We’re thrilled to be able to support an impressive range of creative ideas and projects,” says David Cox, executive director of Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre. “We look forward to helping develop these important mountain and environmental stories and enabling them to reach their audiences.”

Sponsored in part by Banff’s Juniper hotel, Banff Mountain Grants are awarded annually to projects that creatively communicate the environment, human heritage, inspiration, and adventure of the world’s mountain places.

2007 Grant recipients

David Lavallée (Canmore, Alberta) — $5,000
Producing a documentary film, White Water, Black Gold, about oilsands development in northeastern Alberta, climate change, and its effects on the Athabasca River.

Jerry Kobalenko (Canmore, Alberta) — $2,000
Writing a book on the history, people, and environment of Labrador, based on a series of journeys there since 1983.

Jacob Penchansky (Bozeman, Montana) — $2,000
Creating a documentary film on rural Nepali musicians and their surprising connections to the mountain music traditions of Appalachia.

Kundan Ranjan Patna (Bihar, India)  $2,000
Making a film called The Man who Moved the Mountain, about a man who chipped a 1km path through stone to his village.

Oakley Anderson-Moore (Laguna Hills, California)  — $1,000
Filming a documentary called Rock Hobos on the history and ecological roots of rock climbing.

Khadga Basnet (Kathmandu, Nepal) — $1,000
Writing a book on ecological and cultural conservation in Shey Phoksundo National Park in Nepal.

Lynn Martel (Canmore, Alberta) — $1,000
Collecting more than 60 interviews with adventurers from around the world into a book called Expedition to the Edge of Unknown.

Jon Waterman (Carbondale, Colorado) — $1,000
Creating an exhibition of photographs and artifacts on the conservation of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.                     

Rules and application forms for the 2008 grants program will be available at the end of January, 2008 on the Banff Centre’s website. For more information visit: www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/grants or call 403-762-6369.

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