Heritage buildings hold stories. They offer insights from the past and opportunities to shape the future.
Banff has a number of organizations that raise awareness and appreciation of its UNESCO-recognized heritage. They include, among many, the Banff Heritage Corporation, the Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation and the Whyte Museum.
Bowstrings Banff engages in activities designed to build capacity and complement the good work being done by other heritage focused organizations. We adapt heritage buildings for reuse and new purposes that build community. We work in partnership and create, through programming, research and presentations, opportunities to celebrate Rocky Mountain heritage.
Current Heritage Projects
Initially our focus is The Mountain School and Rutherford Cottage. Both were lively places in the early twentieth century, brought to life by visionaries who shaped the lives of a generation.
Through the restoration and future use of these two storied properties, we hope to contribute to the community and cultural experience of our mountain town, following in the footsteps of the Greenhams and Rutherfords.
We are also working with Shuswap Elders and other experts to document the kekulis, the pit house dwellings found in the Bow Valley. These structures have a 4,000 year history and may represent the first built heritage in the Canadian Rockies.