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With aspirations to additional join Fort Calgary with the nation’s indigenous historical past and encourage native satisfaction within the landmark, Jennifer Thompson steps into the function of Fort Calgary president on Monday.
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The Fort Calgary Nationwide Historic Website introduced this week that Thompson, who has years of expertise within the metropolis’s arts and tradition scene, is the brand new president. Fort Calgary can be welcoming plenty of new board members, who Thompson says will carry new, numerous views to the desk.
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“I’ve so many concepts concerning the potential for the positioning at Fort Calgary,” Thompson mentioned throughout an interview Friday.
“Nonetheless, it’s actually not one particular person’s single imaginative and prescient that should come to fruition, however I’m very excited concerning the potential to get additional concerned within the indigenous group.”
Thompson goals to make Fort Calgary a spot to collect
This has been accomplished prior to now, however Thompson mentioned she hopes to construct on the relationships she made throughout her earlier function with the Metropolis of Calgary and have interaction with different “underrepresented communities.”
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She has been concerned in lots of native initiatives such because the renaming of James Brief Park, Calgary’s dedication to being film-friendly and the launch of the Indigenous Public Artwork program. Thompson additionally helped create Chinook Blast, a winter pageant to draw guests to town throughout the colder months.
Modernizing the positioning, welcoming folks priorities for Fort Calgary
The Fort Calgary web site itself wants some love and a spotlight, Thompson mentioned, chatting with ongoing roof repairs and an getting old constructing.
“There may be a lot potential and we’re in search of methods to improve and modernize the positioning. I believe that will even include how we inform the story of what we wish Fort Calgary to appear like sooner or later,” she mentioned.
Inside the subsequent few years, Thompson mentioned she hopes Fort Calgary is a spot each vacationer desires to go to once they come to town.
“It is a spot the place folks can perceive our indigenous connection to that house and this land. It is also a spot the place everybody can come and really feel welcome,” she mentioned. “I actually need Fort Calgary to have an thrilling, enjoyable and dynamic, new perspective in order that it is a spot the place everybody desires to go and really feel welcome. And so they really feel prefer it’s being shared.”
sbabych@postmedia.com
