DIGITAL LIBRARY

This summer, The Whyte’s Heritage Gallery became one of Banff’s most inviting music venues with its Summer Performance Series. Five diverse shows - spanning Indigenous storytelling, prairie ballads, honky-tonk, R&B, and more - drew nearly 550 attendees. Artists and audiences alike praised the intimate, welcoming atmosphere, calling it a true community connector. Supported by The Rimrock Banff, the series added fresh energy to Banff’s cultural life.

In 1961, Andy Russell and his sons set out to document grizzly bears with respect rather than fear. Their groundbreaking film and book Grizzly Country challenged myths and revealed the bears’ true nature. Decades later, The Whyte restored the film, capturing Russell’s narration and adding Ian Tyson’s introduction. This preservation effort ensures new audiences can experience the powerful work that helped inspire awareness and protection of grizzlies and their habitat.

In A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder, Ma-Nee Chacaby shares a deeply moving and powerful life story that spans from her early childhood in Ombabika to her experiences navigating life as a Two-Spirit Indigenous woman in Canada. In this thoughtful review, Emma De Sousa reflects on the importance of Chacaby’s voice and how her story resonates across generations, offering readers a rare and vital perspective rooted in resilience, love, and tru

The 2025/26 Lillian Agnes Jones Scholarship has expanded with $50,000 in funding and two streams: Academic Research and Creative Production. Open to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents, the program supports projects exploring Western Canadian history and culture. This year’s scholarship recipients are Rosanna Carver, Stephanie Weber, Giona Smalleyes, and Kari Woo.

Through the Lens began in 1997 as a one-week project that included nine students and Craig Richards, the Curator of Photography at The Whyte. Over the following two decades, this innovative program introduced more than 600 students from Banff, Canmore, Mînî Thnî, and around the world to the art and technique of 35 mm film photography.

Opening November 1, 2025, at The Whyte, Elise Rasmussen: An Alpine Trilogy takes this question into the heart of the Alps. Through three interlinked bodies of work that resonate deeply in Banff, Rasmussen reframes histories of conquest, grandeur, and nostalgia.

Explore how grassroots activists in 1970s Alberta utilized media in efforts to protect national parks. This article by Lillian Agnes Jones scholarship recipient, Chris Chang-Yen Phillips, highlights the Parks for Tomorrow march in Banff and the role of newspapers, TV, and radio in shaping environmental advocacy.

Opening May 2025, The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven has seen overwhelming success this summer. Opening weekend featured two celebrations and a sold-out performance by Mohawk singer-songwriter Logan Staats, welcoming artists’ families, Indigenous communities, arts leaders, members, donors, visitors, and Bow Valley and Mini Thni locals. Curated by Joseph M. Sanchez with Dawn Saunders Dahl and Chief Curator Christina Cuthbertson. On view through Octobe

In March 2025, The Whyte confronted a troubling object on its grounds: a 38-foot “carved pole” made in the 1960s that appropriated Indigenous imagery. Acknowledging evolving understandings of cultural appropriation, the museum removed the pole, began deaccession planning, and committed to transparent, community-guided next steps aligned with CMA and UNDRIP principles.

The Whyte’s Heritage Gallery is undergoing change through new Truth-Telling Interventions - yellow labels added to existing panels to address missing voices, misrepresentation, and colonial narratives. These interventions highlight overlooked histories, including Indigenous communities, internment camp prisoners, and Chinese railway workers, fostering a more inclusive and ethical telling of our shared past.

Friends of the Whyte celebrates our community, featuring members, donors, staff, and friends. This summer, our interpreter team has been sharing Banff’s history and connecting visitors to The Whyte. Meet Julie Fesseler! Julie brings global experience and a love of storytelling to her role as a Summer Interpreter at The Whyte. With a background in heritage interpretation in France, she’s passionate about connecting visitors to history, art, and mythology. Read about her favour

Friends of the Whyte celebrates our community, featuring members, donors, staff, and friends. This summer, our interpreter team has been sharing Banff’s history and connecting visitors to The Whyte. Meet Oksana Briukhovetska! A lifelong traveler and history enthusiast, she loves guiding guests through our historic homes, sharing local tips, and bringing the Rockies’ stories to life. Join a tour this summer to experience the history, culture, and passion that make The Whyte un