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At last nights St George-in-the-Pines Corporation meeting we said "goodbye" to our Rector’s Warden Janice Price. She is leaving the Bow Valley and heading back to Toronto. Janice is a stand up kind of person. She enjoyed a world wide reputation for excellence in the Arts and Entertainment industry. In fact she was named in 2018 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) in Toronto.

Janice was appointed President and CEO of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in March 2015. Prior to that she spent time serving as a Vice President and then Interim Executive Director at New York’s Lincoln Centre for the Performing arts, and she followed that by becoming CEO of the Kimmel Centre for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.

I first met her at a dinner that was given to celebrate the reintroduction of a herd of wild buffalo to Banff National Park. I thought she had a certain ‘energy’ about her. She had the sort of poise that radiated kindness mixed with a genuine interest in people. And so when she showed up at St George-in-the-Pines Church I was pleasantly surprised.

Despite all of her achievements, and there are many (including being a founder and the first CEO of the Luminato Festival in Toronto; one of the world’s largest and most respected multidisciplinary arts festivals); despite all that, she is surprisingly down to earth. And here’s the thing. Janice is patient and kind. She doesn’t boast, she doesn’t envy, is not proud in an arrogant kind of way.

Despite all her talents Janice never disparages others, is not self-seeking, and not easily angered. She does not hold a grudge. Janice rejoices in the truth. When things were falling apart at the church in Banff, it was Janice Price who helped give others courage to carry on and not become bitter or jaded. In fact, Janice’s whole life is informed by her deep and respectful faith and trust in the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our lives have been enriched by Janice Price, and the courage and hope she is famous for, and I for one wish her every success in her retirement.

Howard