Social Sustainability and Community Development Practices: The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Abstract The following is a case study of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada. The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Banff Centre) is located within the unique setting of the land known as Banff National Park, the first national park established in Canada (Parks Canada, 2018). Banff National Park lies within the traditional territory of the Treaty 7 First Nations, part of Canada’s larger Indigenous population who have been subjected to centuries of racism and exploitation by European settlers and their descendants. Truth and reconciliation policies and processes have received increasing attention in Canadian society, although actual practices often fall short of these principles.An aspiring leader in arts and creativity, the Banff Centre goes beyond its educational programming to engage in community development activities which support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). The Banff Centre hosted a Truth and Reconciliation Summit in 2016, and followed up this summit with ongoing speaker series, strengthening relationships between locals and Treaty 7 First Nations who have lived in the area for thousands of years. VIU logo WLCE logo Information Vancouver Island University World Leisure Centre of Excellence © C.S. Collishaw, 2021