This summer, Musical Toronto shadowed Banff Centre’s refreshed classical music programs over nearly two and a half weeks. This article is part of our BANFF series chronicling their rebrand, featuring notable faces of this year’s edition along the way.
Jim Olver is the Director of Customer Service at Banff Centre, and has remained with the organisation for 34 years, over which time he has greeted 500,000 visitors and served under seven Presidents. A native of the Greater Toronto Area, Olver completed studies in geology at the University of Toronto, followed by an MBA at the University of Western Ontario Ivey School of Business. In 1983, Banff Centre’s Vice President visited the UWO campus to recruit employees. Following a decisive meeting, both parties agreed that Olver had found his calling.
Musical Toronto sent him our modified Q&A with 78 questions to pick and choose from. A Banff-themed Rorschach personality test, if you will.
Describe your present mood.
Delighted
What are you wearing today?
Blue suit as always!
How many ties and hats do you own?
About 100 ties of which 20 are the ones I wear, and three wide brimmed “sun” hats
What is your dress code?
At work I have a “brand” which is a blue blazer, shirt tie and grey pants. People recognize me when they return to Banff Centre due to my consistent brand look.
What are two secrets about Banff Centre?
The rose quartz crystals in Sleeping Buffalo Mtn, and the Permian Extinction is recorded in the geological record (rocks) on Campus
What is one thing that the town of Banff doesn’t have, but should?
An ocean
Favourite spot at Banff Centre?
Anywhere where there is an artist, on the site of a mountain, piano maintenance shop
Your musical ancestry?
Church choir and a father who whistles
Favourite place in Canada?
Canoeing a rushing river surrounded by mountains
Out of the five senses, which is your strongest?
Sight
How do you spend a rainy day?
Canoeing
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Morning
Favourite mode of transportation?
Canoeing
The most-prized gadget that you own?
iPhone
If you won a million dollars tomorrow,…
Save it
Urban or rural life?
Rural
Things you miss about Ontario?
Family
What’s your taste in cars?
Transportation. How many canoes can I stack on the roof
Drink of choice?
V & T
The different career path that you could have gone on?
Geologist
Your spirit animal?
Eagle
Your best-ever gamble in life?
Joining Banff Centre
What was the luckiest moment in your life?
Meeting Chip DeRoo
How do two people become friends?
By doing activities together
What are you listening to as you answer these questions?
Maroon 5 – One More Night
What is the one animal at Banff that scares you the most?
Bear
The first three things that you do every morning?
Eat, walk the dog, check communications
The best way to die?
Healthy
If you were to do this all again,…
I’d take much better records about who I met!
Follow MT on their adventures in Banff HERE.
To read more from our Q&A Series, click HERE.
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