Council Minutes
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Final TOURISM TASK FORCE MINUTES Zoom Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. TASK FORCE MEMBERS PRESENT John Borrowman Mayor Rob Seeley Councillor Rachel Ludwig Industry Representative Martin Bean Public Member Jodi Conuel Public Member Sarah Elmeligi Public Member Michael Hay Public Member David Huggill Public Member Sean Krausert Public Member Michelle MacDonell Public Member Norbert Meier Public Member Christie Pashby Public Member Carol Poland Public Member Geoff Powter Public Member Mace Rosenstein Public Member Dawn Saunders Dahl Public Member Avneet Sahani Public Member Adam Walker Public Member TASK FORCE MEMBERS ABSENT None ADMINISTRATION PRESENT Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Sally Caudill GM of Municipal Services Sara Jones Executive Assistant (Recorder) 1. Review notes/minutes from January 14, 2021 Meeting • Updated to correct grammar/spelling errors. 2. Lloyd ‘Buddy’ Wesley, Nakoda Language and Historian • Indigenous History in the Bow Valley o Traditional trading route for: ▪ Iyârhe Nakoda Nations: Bearspaw, Wesley, Chiniki ▪ Ktunaxa ▪ Secwépemc ▪ Mountain Cree ▪ Blackfoot: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani Page 1 of 8 Final ▪ Tsuut’ina – part of the Dene people ▪ Métis • Nakoda Tribes in Southern Alberta o Mountain Stoney 142a+b/143/144a+b reserves. Total population: 5656 (2019 AB stats) o Big Horn: Wesley band 235km north of Morley, near Nordegg. Population: 1818 o Eden Valley: Bearspaw band 213km south of Morley, near Longview. Population: 2037 o Morley: Chiniki band, 45km east of Canmore. Population: 1801 o Sharphead: this band was deemed to be extinct by the federal government and the reserve land was surrendered in 1897 • Nakoda Tribes in Alberta and Saskatchewan o Wood Stoney: Paul (along Wabamum Lake, 70km west of Edmonton) and Alexis Nakota Sioux (Glenevis, 85km west of Edmonton) in Treaty 6 o In Saskatchewan there are 8 Nations: ▪ Standing Buffalo First Nation ▪ Wahpeton Dakota Nation ▪ Whitecap Dakota First Nation ▪ Wood Mountain First Nation ▪ Carry The Kettle First Nation ▪ Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation ▪ Ocean Man First Nation ▪ Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation o In Manitoba there are 5 Nations: ▪ Birdtail Sioux First Nation ▪ Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation ▪ Dakota Plains Wahpeton Nation ▪ Dakota Tipi First Nation ▪ Sioux Valley Dakota Nation • In the United States the Sioux Nation was, and is, comprised of 3 major sub-divisions: o Lakota – or Teton: Prairie Dwellers – with Seven Bands: ▪ Oglala – They Scatter Their Own or Dust Scatters ▪ Sicangu – or Brule: Burnt Thigh ▪ Hunkpapa – End of the Circle ▪ Miniconjous – Planters Beside the Stream ▪ Sihasapa – or Blackfeet • NOTE – not the commonly known Blackfeet/Blackfoot Tribe ▪ Itazipacola – or Sans Arcs: Without Bows; also known as Oohenupa/Two Boilings or Two Kettles o The Dakota or Santee – with Four Bands: ▪ Mdeakantonwon ▪ Wahpeton ▪ Wahpekute Page 2 of 8 Final ▪ Sisseton o The Nakota or Yankton – with Three Bands: ▪ Yankton ▪ Upper Yankton ▪ Lower Yankton o http://www.snowwowl.com/peoplesioux.html o Through their language they are related to the Dakota and Lakota nations of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, part of the large Sioux Nation • Banff Indian Days o The relationship started in the late 1890’s when travelers were stuck at the Fairmont Hotel and Tom Wilson brought Stoney Nakoda people in to “entertain” the group, leading to the creation of Banff Indian Days which lasted until 1978 o The event has a complex history, one that continues today as Indigenous community members have fond memories and have expressed an interest in revising this annual event. Recent conversations and interviews with community members from Stoney Nakoda, Ktunaxa, and Tsuut'ina, and further away, found that the event provided opportunities to meet friends and family, to exchange stories and items, and celebrate their cultures o This was unique considering the event was held during times when it was not acceptable practice to showcase Indigenous culture any other time of the year • National Indigenous Peoples Day o June is National Indigenous Peoples Month o On June 21 from 2016-2019 the Town of Canmore celebrated with a parade, artisans, dancing, storytelling, and drumming o The event started while Dawn Saunders Dahl (a member of the Tourism Task Force) was working in the Arts & Events department at the Town of Canmore. Buddy Wesley and Sykes Powderface were consulted. Before this there hadn’t been much of a relationship since the 1988 Olympics, but Stoney Nakoda peoples do visit, shop, and use services in Canmore o The purpose of the event was to revitalize and form new friendships, as well as acknowledge that the Stoney Nakoda are still here, an important action within the framework of reconciliation • Morley Today – Events and Business o Annual Powwow/Rodeo o Chiniki Cultural Centre/Centex/Subway/Smitty’s Restaurant (this was the first time Smitty’s franchised with Indigenous peoples) o Bearspaw Kananaskis Travel Centre: Stoney Nakoda Resort, Restaurant, and Casino/ESSO/Tim Hortons o Community Centre/Health Centre/Daycare/Food Bank/Goodstoney Rodeo Centre o Chiniki College/Elementary and high schools • Anûkathâ Îpa – Bald Eagle Peak – September 2020 o Acknowledging traditional Indigenous names of mountains, ranges, rivers, and areas within Canmore and the Bow Valley are important acts of reconciliation. Strengthening place names that have been traditionally known by Indigenous groups for centuries creates a sense of place and genuine storytelling. This is important work that can also be Page 3 of 8 Final part of new tourism initiatives that could include storytelling and genuine opportunities for relationship building through programming • Stoney Nakoda Representation on committees o Ensure that your organization makes space for Indigenous representation on committees and directly invite participation from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Youth • Stoney Nakoda Tourism o Stoney Nakoda community members are interested in developing content around tourism, developing partnerships, and contributing to genuine relationship building in the Bow Valley, examples include: Traditional History presentations – the livelihood before contact, being aware of who we are as Stoney people. It does not have to be a powwow, it could be showing films about the history, such as the commemoration of Treaties in 1977, as well as youth lead Nakoda AV Club filmmaking initiatives, walks and talks, etc. • Chiniki Band – new council was recently elected, optimistic about tourism. Need to work with them to understand how we can collaborate • Whyte Museum will have Buddy teach a Stoney Language and history course, starting in May 3. Panel Discussion with Local Tourism Operators ❖ Adam Walker, Canmore Cave Tours o https://www.canmorecavetours.com/ o Business has been in town for 29 years; Adam took over ownership in 2013 o Mostly visitors from AB o Designated as a Canadian signature experience ❖ Andrew Nickerson, Mystery Towns and Canmore Uncorked – Food & Drink Festival o https://www.mysterytowns.com/adventures/canmore o App guided, clue solving games in multiple places across BC and AB. With COVID they have many play at home games o https://www.canmoreuncorked.com/ o Annual event since 2014 ❖ Claude Faerden, Kananaskis Outfitters o https://kananaskisoutfitters.com/ o Family run business o Retail/rental store in Kananaskis Village, with a second rental operation at Barrier Lake, also offer guided tours in Kananaskis Valley ❖ Jenna Nodding, Get Outside o https://www.getoutsideadventures.ca/ o Hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing tours o Majority of clientele come from AB and SK o Target female demographic Page 4 of 8 Final ❖ Mark Walker, Rent A Tent Canada o https://www.rent-a-tent-canada.com/ o Operating for over 10 years o Provide camping equipment rental packages primarily to tourists from outside AB – mostly from US, Europe, other parts of Canada • Adventure Hub is made up of owners of small businesses to get them talking/sharing resources/working together • Sustainability: o Is about the long view – there needs to be sufficient revenue injection into the community to support its businesses, in a manner that is conscious about both the needs of the community and the fragility of the surrounding environment o Triple bottom line is a model they already follow • Need to stress that Canmore Is a tourism community o Not just because we say so, but because people will come here regardless – people come for the beauty and to recreate here o Every local business benefits in one way or another from Canmore’s visitor economy, and local residents benefit from the amenities that are only possible because of visitor spend. Conversely, it is inevitable that not every resident is going to support growth, and not every business is going to want to contribute to supporting the industry. The most noise and/or hostility will always come from opposition voices o Question is how do we manage the growth of tourism? o It is not just businesses who are responsible for promoting Canmore, we all have a role in proactively shaping tourism ▪ We need to have a clear and aligned message from our civic leadership ▪ Remove doubts and paint a positive picture of what tourism will look like ▪ Need the right people helping promote our message ▪ Need a secure funding mechanism – supporting TCK should not fall solely on frontline businesses o “Tourism isn’t owned or driven by a single sector – it is a cross-community economic driver, and as such it makes sense that it is led by the community”