Calgary

Banff Centre lays off 8% of its staff as part of restructuring

The Banff Centre is eliminating 33 positions, including managers and support staff, as part of its five-year restructuring plan.

A total of 33 positions eliminated at the arts and cultural organization based in the Rockies

A large glass building is seen with trees, mountains and clouds in the background.
The Banff Centre campus, overlooking the Bow Valley, in Banff, Alta. (Banff Centre/Facebook)

The Banff Centre is immediately eliminating 33 positions as part of an organization-wide restructuring.

In a statement, the arts and cultural organization said the job cuts, which amount to an eight per cent reduction in its total workforce, will ensure efficiency and avoid duplication to better serve artists and clients.

Managers and support staff are among those to be cut.

In June 2015, the centre put on hold an ambitious $900 million expansion after former president and CEO Jeff Melanson suddenly left the organisation.

Janice Price, president and CEO of The Banff Centre. (The Banff Centre)

Janice Price, who took over from Melanson, said centre has since revised its plans and has been focusing on its existing assets while working ot strengthen its global reputation.

"That was a big vision," Price said of the cancelled expansion.

"It was wonderful that the previous administration and the board went through an exercise to see what might be possible in the future for the Banff Centre, but frankly we've really now just modified that plan to begin first, and to focus most primarily, on the buildings that we already have on this really extraordinary campus, many of which are very old."