Frank Alec says balancing on a pole during an outdoor ropes course at The Banff Centre taught him a powerful lesson about leadership. “What I found interesting is that the experience of being 25 feet in the air showed me how to trust other people and what’s needed to achieve a goal — in business, in negotiations, and in meetings.” Alec, general manager of the Lake Babine First Nation in British Columbia, is one of hundreds of Aboriginal leaders who have strengthened their leadership skills at The Banff Centre. Those experiences will be enhanced in the future, thanks to a generous donation from Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc. has donated $1 million to support the construction of a dedicated Aboriginal program building at the Centre. The first of its kind in Canada, the new building will house The Banff Centre’s Aboriginal Leadership and Aboriginal Arts programs. It will include the Enbridge Indigenous Cultural Circle — a central meeting area — classrooms, multidisciplinary performance and rehearsal facilities, and rooms for ceremonial and social gatherings.

”We place very high value on our relationships with more than 70 First Nations and Métis communities across Canada,” says Patrick D. Daniel, president and CEO, Enbridge Inc. “Enbridge is proud to support The Banff Centre in establishing the Enbridge Indigenous Cultural Circle, a part of a new facility designed to be a world-class learning and performing place for Aboriginal arts and leadership.”

”The new Aboriginal program building will be a national centre for leadership and creativity,” says Mary Hofstetter, president and CEO of The Banff Centre. “Using design elements drawn from indigenous cultures, it will provide a setting where Aboriginal leaders and artists can strengthen the skills and ideas that will support thriving communities.”

Scheduled for construction between 2010 and 2014, the new building will be built in a central location on The Banff Centre campus. It will provide self-contained facilities for Aboriginal programming, performances, workshops, social gatherings, and ceremonies — a place to share ideas, to celebrate accomplishments, and to reflect upon new learnings.

Built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, the Aboriginal program building will be part of the second phase of Banff Centre Revitalization, the most significant development project in the Centre’s 75-year history. To date the Centre has raised over $123 million in support of the Revitalization project.

Established in 1972, The Banff Centre’s Aboriginal Leadership and Management programs serve participants from First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities across Canada, providing capacity-building leadership training. Aboriginal Arts programs at the Centre support professional development and new creative work by Aboriginal artists working in theatre, dance, music, literary arts, visual arts, and new media.

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Enbridge Inc. is a leader in energy transportation and distribution in North America and internationally.

The Banff Centre is a globally respected arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference facility.