Banff, Alberta, June 3, 2009 - Lafarge Canada Inc. is helping to make the Bow Valley more beautiful with a generous gift to The Banff Centre that will partially go toward new greening initiatives on the Centre's grounds. The $336,000 donation will support campus greening and create three new scholarships for not-for-profit leaders.
As part of The Banff Centre's current revitalization project, plans are underway to create Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified greening in public spaces – replanting, creating natural outdoor meeting spaces, building new pathway systems, and eliminating vehicular traffic for the centre of the campus. The project aligns with Lafarge's interest in environmental protection, natural resource conservation, and community investment.
"Environmental protection, natural resource conservation and investment in our communities are key components of Lafarge's commitment to sustainability. As such, Lafarge strives to develop solutions that will give back to the communities that surround our sites and improve the world in which we live." Wayne Lyons, President, Aggregates and Concrete, Lafarge Canada Inc., Western Canada
The second part of the Lafarge program will create new training scholarships for not-for-profit leaders in The Banff Centre's Leadership Development programs. Three scholarships of $4,000 each will be available every year for three years, beginning in 2009. The scholarships will be called the Lafarge Concrete Community Leaders Scholarship, the Lafarge Aggregate Community Leaders Scholarship, and the Lafarge Construction Community Leaders Scholarship and will further strengthen the local communities in which we work.
ABOUT THE BANFF CENTRE
The Banff Centre is Canada's creative leader in arts and culture. Our mission is Inspiring Creativity. In our powerful mountain setting, exceptional artists and leaders from around the world create and perform new works of art, share skills and knowledge in an interdisciplinary environment, explore ideas, and develop solutions in the arts, leadership, and the environment.
For more information on Leadership Development programs at The Banff Centre:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/leadership/
ABOUT LAFARGE
The Lafarge Group is the world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in all of its businesses: Cement, Aggregates & Concrete and Gypsum. With 83,000 employees in 78 countries, the Group posted sales of 19.0 billion Euros in 2008. Lafarge Canada Inc. is a subsidiary of Lafarge North America Inc.. ("Lafarge North America" or "Lafarge"), a Lafarge Group company, is the largest diversified supplier of construction materials in the United States and Canada.
In 2009 and for the fifth year in a row, the Lafarge Group was listed in the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World". With the world's leading building materials research facility, the Lafarge Group places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.
For more information about Lafarge North America, go to www.lafarge-na.com
Media Contacts:
Serene Jweied, Director, Communications, Lafarge North America (703) 480.6647
Jill Sawyer, Media & Communications Officer, The Banff Centre (403) 762.6475
