Aba Wath Tech. Oki. Gwanistłi Naniya.
Bienvenue. Welcome.
Canada’s Home for Arts Training and Creation
As Canada’s leading post-graduate arts institution, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity offers intensive training and career development programs for artists and leaders. Banff Centre is located on Treaty 7 Territory. We acknowledge, with deep respect and gratitude, the past, present, and future generations of Stoney Nakoda, Blackfoot, and Tsuut’ina Nations who help us steward this sacred and protected land, as well as honour and celebrate this place. This is one of the reasons why you see the welcome on the top of this page and throughout campus in English, French, and the languages of the Indigenous Nations who have shared this land for generations. Please enjoy your time at Banff Centre and take a moment to enjoy the beauty of Banff National Park and the exceptional artistic activities that take place on our campus. Whether it be a visit to our contemporary art gallery Walter Phillips Gallery or an evening performance, talk, or concert, you’ll be guaranteed to leave inspired and creatively refreshed. All proceeds from your visit support the financial sustainability of Banff Centre’s mission and the creative potential of artists. Thank you for being a supporter!
Dining Options
Three Ravens Restaurant & Wine Bar
Three Ravens Restaurant and Wine Bar is currently closed to the public, but we do offer dining options at Maclab Bistro.
Maclab Bistro
Banff Centre’s campus comes to life at Maclab Bistro. With a lively crowd, full-service bar, and eclectic menu, Maclab Bistro is the perfect place to grab a meal with friends or cozy up on the fireside patio. Enjoy stunning panoramic views and healthy, creative comfort food inspired by fresh, local ingredients. Located in the Kinnear Centre.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Sunday 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Vistas Dining Room
Our 370-seat dining room offers buffet dining, reinvented. The diverse menu is inspired by fresh local ingredients. Enjoy the view of the Bourgeau Mountain Range, and choose from a selection of hot entrées, a well-stocked fresh salad bar, delicious house-made desserts, plus vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Located atop the Sally Borden Fitness & Recreation Centre.
Security and Safety
Fire
Fire: call 911, then 7777 or 403.760.0098
Fire Alarm
If you hear the fire alarm, take your room key and leave the room immediately. Close the door. Walk to the nearest fire exit as shown on the diagram located on the back of your guest room door. Do not use the elevator.
The gathering place for guests staying in the Professional Development Centre is the back parking lot of the Sally Borden Fitness & Recreation Centre. The gathering place for guests staying in Lloyd Hall is in front of Lloyd Hall. Do not return to the building until advised to do so by a member of the Security Services team or a firefighter.
If There is a Fire in Your Room
Take your room key and leave the room immediately. Close the door behind you. Sound the nearest fire alarm and alert your neighbours. Walk to safety via the nearest fire exit, if the hall is passable. Crouch down low if confronted with smoke in the halls. Do not use the elevator.
If There is a Fire in Another Area
Take your key and check your room for smoke. Do not stand. Crawl to the door; feel it with the palm of touch, be ready to close it immediately if smoke begins to rush in. If there is no smoke and the hallways are clear, close your door and walk to the nearest fire stairwell. Walk down to ground level. Do not use the elevator.
If The Door to Your Room is Hot, or There is Smoke in the Hallway
Stay in your room. Fill the bathtub with water. Use the water to wet sheets and towels. Call 7777 or 403.760.0098 for help. Place a wet towel or blanket around your nose and mouth. If you have a window that opens, open it only if the outside air is smoke-free. Close it if smoke begins to enter your room from a lower floor.
If your window does not open, you may have to break the glass if your room is filling with smoke. Break the glass with a chair or drawer only as a last resort, since you won’t be able to close it if there is smoke coming from a lower level. Hang a sheet from the window to signal firefighters. Do not try to crawl down a sheet. Remain calm.
General Guest Services
Box Office
The Box Office is currently closed for in-person ticket sales.
On ticketed performance days, the Box Office will open 45 minutes prior to performance time. If there is a ticketed performance on a Sunday, Monday, or a holiday, the Box Office will open at least two hours prior to the event.
Tickets for Banff Centre events can be purchased:
- Online: https://www.banffcentre.ca/events/events
- By phone: 403.762.6301 (1.800.413.8368 toll-free) Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday: 12pm-4pm (MST)
- Email: box_office@banffcentre.ca. A representative will contact you regarding payment. Email orders must be received at least 24 hours prior to the event.
Courier
Environmental Stewardship
Please help us live responsibly in our mountain environment by recycling glass, aluminum, and paper in the blue recycling bins in your room, and elsewhere on the property. In guest rooms, if you need fresh towels, please place used towels in the bathtub. If you will continue to use your towels, hang them on the racks. Banff Centre’s “no idling policy” states that no vehicles or motorized equipment will be stationary with the engine operating for more than two minutes. The goal is to help reduce fuel consumption and lower the production of greenhouse gases.
Maps
Maps of the Banff Centre site, the town of Banff, as well as maps of hiking trails and other attractions, are available at the Front Desk and in the brochure racks in the lobby of the Professional Development Centre and Lloyd Hall.
Parking
Complimentary parking is available for all registered guests. Guests are required to register
their vehicle with Front Desk. Park only in designated, long-term parking areas around campus. Parking in front of the Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation Centre is a two-hour only zone, which is enforced by the Town of Banff bylaw department. If you are having problems finding parking, please see the Bell Desk or Front Desk for assistance. Banff Centre is not responsible for any tickets incurred by guests parking in “no parking” or “two-hour parking” areas. Banff Centre is not responsible for items left in vehicles on the property.
Smoking
For the health, safety, and comfort of our guests, Banff Centre has designated all bedrooms, balconies, public areas, classrooms, performance spaces, and service areas as non-smoking. Smoking is permitted only in Banff Centre’s designated outdoor smoking areas; please contact the Front Desk for locations. Smudging and sweetgrass ceremonies associated with Banff Centre programs are exempt from the non-smoking policy.
What to do at Banff Centre
What’s On
Event brochures are available in the lobby of the Professional Development Centre, Lloyd Hall, Jenny Belzberg Theatre, and Margaret Greenham Theatre. For the most up-to-date information, visit https://www.banffcentre.ca/events/events
Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation Centre
Enjoy our indoor climbing gym, fitness centre, and aquatic centre. The highly trained staff at the Sally Borden offer superior health and fitness programming and services, including drop-in classes, fitness consultation and assessment, personal training, massage, and physical therapy. Our 25-metre, glass-covered swimming pool has great views of Sulphur Mountain. Appropriate fitness apparel and footwear are required.
Guests staying at Banff Centre have access to the facility on the presentation of their Banff Centre ID card or room key.
Walter Phillips Gallery
Mark Leckey, installation view of "BigBoxGreenScreenRefrigeratorActions" (2012). Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Centre. Photo by Kim Williams.
The Walter Phillips Gallery is exclusively committed to the production, presentation, collection, and interpretation of contemporary art, and is dedicated to developing a thoughtful and stimulating forum for visual art and curatorial practice. The gallery develops exhibitions, commissions new works, and engages in dialogues about curatorial practice through symposia and workshops.
403.762.6281
12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday
Closed in between exhibitions for installation purposes and on public holidays.
Destination
Banff National Park
In 1883, as the transcontinental railway reached the Canadian Rocky Mountains, railway workers stumbled upon hot springs first discovered by Indigenous peoples. This led to the area being declared Canada’s first national park in 1885.
Spanning 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 square miles) of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows, and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world’s most spectacular destinations. On its 100th anniversary, Banff was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the United Nations.
Banff is 1,397 metres (4,540 feet) above sea level. If you are not used to the elevation, or if you have a respiratory condition, you may experience fatigue, shortness of breath, and/or dizziness. It may take a few days to acclimatize.
Wildlife: Facts & Tips
Banff National Park is home to 53 species of mammals including deer, elk, black or grizzly bears, coyotes, wolves, and cougars. All of these animals are wild, and should not be approached or fed.
Elk
Each year, a number of visitors and locals are injured by elk. In early fall, September through October, elk mating season is underway. Male elk are aggressive at this time of year and may charge without warning. In spring/summer, May through July, elk calving season is underway. Female elk aggressively protect their young and may charge. Always stay at least 50 metres (35 yards) away from elk.
Signs of elk aggression:
- Head held high
- Teeth exposed
- Looking directly at you with whites of eyes showing
- Ears back
- Some aggressive elk have been ear-tagged or marked with a paintball on the hip or shoulder.
- Aggressive elk may charge. If charged, get behind a tree or any large object.
Bears
Bear attacks are uncommon. Both black bears and grizzly bears are seen in and around Banff. Wild animals generally prefer to avoid people and bears are no exception. Here are some basics on how to avoid an encounter:
- Use officially marked paths and trails, and travel during daylight hours. Travel in groups if possible and never let children wander.
- Keep your dog on a leash at all times. Dogs can provoke defensive behaviour in bears.
- Make noise! Let bears know you’re there. Call out, clap hands, sing or talk loudly, especially near streams, dense vegetation, and berry patches, on windy days, and in areas of low visibility.
- Watch for fresh bear signs. Tracks, droppings, diggings, torn-up logs, and turned-over rocks are all signs that a bear has been in the area. Leave the area if the signs are fresh. If you come across large dead animals, leave the area immediately and report it to Park Wardens.
Information courtesy of Parks Canada. For more information about wildlife, visit the Parks Canada website, pc.gc.ca. For general information from the Banff Park Warden Service, call 403.762.1470.
Weather
Mountain weather is unpredictable and can change rapidly. Call 403.762.2088 or visit weathernetwork.com for today’s conditions, as well as short-term and long-term forecasts. To view conditions atop Sulphur Mountain in Banff, visit explorerockies.com/banff-webcam
Telephone Services
Voice Mail Messaging
All Banff Centre telephones are equipped with voice mail messaging. If your message light is on, this indicates there is a message waiting for you.
To pick up messages:
In your room, lift up the receiver, press the message button. If you have any problems with the message button, call 6644 and you will also be connected to your messages.
Outside your room, call 6644 using any house phone and wait for the recording. Press star (*). To pause a message press 8 during a message. Press 8 again to continue.
From outside Banff Centre, you can call locally at 403.762.6644 and press star (*).
To retrieve your messages once connected:
Enter your room number including building code and press pound (#) Enter your password (see below) and press pound (#)
Your password will be the first four letters of your last name (must be the last name that was registered at check-in). For example:
Jane O’Neil: ONEI would be 6634 Sam Ho: HO would be 46
If you are having any difficulties using your voice mail or telephone, please contact our switchboard at zero (0) for assistance.
Computer Services
Wireless Internet Access
Complimentary wireless access is available in guest rooms and meeting spaces at Banff Centre. The name of the Banff Centre guest Wi-Fi is “BanffCentre”.
If you are experiencing a problem accessing the Banff Centre public wireless network, try the following to remedy connectivity problems. If after troubleshooting you are still unable to connect please contact Guest Services for assistance.
Windows Laptop
To connect to the Banff Centre public wireless Internet connection click on the wireless network connection icon typically found on the right-hand side of the taskbar. Windows will search for any nearby Wi-Fi networks. Click on “BanffCentre” and choose to connect.
Troubleshooting
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Make sure wireless is turned on via the switch on the laptop or the “Fn” button and wireless key (usually a function key e.g. F5). If wireless was turned off try connecting again, otherwise continue to step 2.
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Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar and click on “Troubleshoot Problems”, follow any suggested steps, and then check the Wi-Fi connection to see if you are now connected.
Apple Laptop
To connect to the Banff Centre public wireless Internet connection, click the AirPort icon in your menu bar, and you should be presented with a list of visible wireless networks. Select the “BanffCentre” network and it will automatically connect. When you’re connected, the AirPort icon will change from a ‘light grey’ color to a solid black. The number of solid black lines indicates the signal strength.
Troubleshooting
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Launch Network Diagnostics. To do this, choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Network. Click Assist me, and then click Diagnostics.
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The Network Diagnostics utility will guide you through a series of questions and tests, ranging from checking your Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to network configuration and DNS servers. Sometimes the utility can repair problems itself; when it can’t, it usually provides more detailed information about the nature of the problem and offers suggestions for solving it.
Mobile Device
To connect to the Banff Centre public wireless on your mobile device make sure “Wi-Fi” is turned on in settings, then choose the “BanffCentre” wireless network.
Troubleshooting
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Navigate to Wi-Fi settings toggle Wi-Fi off and back on again, then attempt to connect.
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If you still cannot connect, power the device off and on again.
Transportation
Airport Shuttle
Banff Airporter is the official airport shuttle provider for Banff Centre, providing door-to-door transportation to the Calgary International Airport.
banffairporter.com
403.762.3330
Brewster Airporter is a supporter of Banff Centre and provides shuttle service to and from the Calgary International Airport.
brewster.ca
403.762.6767 or 1.877.266.7292
Support Banff Centre
About Us
Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, we aim to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential.