Connecting communities: the Nancy Pauw Bridge opens to all in Banff, Alberta
After many years of planning and construction, the Town of Banff (The Town) was ready to open the highly anticipated Nancy Pauw bicycle and pedestrian bridge. A longstanding Brookline client, the Town engaged the agency to support with this exciting occasion, celebrating the connections the bridge would provide to residents and visitors for many generations to come.
To ensure the event would go off without a hitch, our team at Brookline developed a comprehensive event plan, site layout and detailed show flow. These documents outlined the logistics of the event including the timing of each task, the placement of key materials and the roles and responsibilities of Brookline and The Town’s team. We also coordinated refreshments for the reception with a local vendor.
On the day of the grand opening, our mighty team of four arrived in Banff and stepped out into the brisk fall air to begin setup at the speaking and reception locations. We ensured that both spaces had a natural flow, clear visibility for attendees and intentional placements of key spokespeople to ensure media could capture photos.
Just like any typical fall day in Alberta, the warm weather arrived at the perfect time as community members, tourists and spokespeople arrived. The formal program featured speakers from across Alberta including: Treffrey Deerfoot, Blackfoot Elder from Siksika Nation; Karen Sorenson, Alberta Senator; Blake Richards, Banff-Airdrie MP; Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs; Corrie DiManno, Town of Banff Mayor; and Cathy Geisler and Gord Lozemen, Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation representatives. Following the land acknowledgment and speeches, the Brookline team played a crucial role in escorting key spokespeople to photo opportunities and organizing the crowd of almost 200 school children and approximately 300 townsfolk to the path in preparation for walking and biking over the bridge. There was a swell of excitement in the air as we witnessed elders, government officials, resident commuters, school children and tourists walk across the bridge for the first time.
On the other side of the bridge, our team managed the food delivery and facilitated the placement of tents, tables and refreshments around the reception. Once the bridge procession arrived, we worked with The Town’s team to ensure attendees had everything they needed to enjoy the reception. As guests left, we oversaw the venue takedown of both event sites and returned supplies to vendors.
The grand opening showcased that the Nancy Pauw Bridge not only offers a quick and environmentally friendly way to commute between downtown and southside neighbourhoods, but it also represents the bridging of community relationships. Locals, tourists and speakers all provided positive feedback about the commemoration. Our team at Brookline shared in the crowd’s enthusiasm and enjoyed being part of such a memorable event in Banff’s history!
Megan Hessel is a Public Relations Assistant at Brookline Public Relations. Approaching every day with her analytical mind, Megan takes every opportunity to support the team with any new challenge, project, or event.