News

"Fantastic," pretty much summed up the reaction Mayor Melissa Blake and guests had after touring the Visual & Performing Arts department at Keyano College today.

Mayor Blake, Councillor Mike Allen, along with Kim Jenkins, Superintendant, Fort McMurray Catholic School Board of Education, and Phil Meagher, Associate Superintendant, Fort McMurray Public Schools, were among the esteemed guests attending the tour, where they also learned of a $51,500 gift-in-kind donation of equipment to Keyano's Musical Instrument Repair (MIR) program by Rideau Music Inc. through the closure of their subsidiary shop Calgary Music Repair.

"We are delighted to find just the right home for our extensive selection of instrument parts and custom tools. It is wonderful to know that the equipment will be used as training tools for the Music Instrument Repair program at Keyano College and will ensure that expertise in the repair of instruments will continue to be available through the graduates of this unique program," said Lynden Gill, Owner, Rideau Music Inc.

The goal of the tour was to provide a firsthand look at our cultural facilities, instructional expertise and program excellence. Guests, which included media personnel from almost all the local outlets, spent time visiting a variety of different studios and performance spaces, getting a chance to experience each of the four disciplines taught in the Visual & Performing Arts department: music, visual art, drama and music instrument repair. They also enjoyed a learning seminar, or gab as it's referred to in the Musical Instrument Repair business, and heard international guests speak highly of the program.

Mayor Blake thanked the Visual & Performing department for arranging the tour and said Keyano continues to be a cultural hub for the community.

"It was fantastic to be exposed to the hidden gems - as we got a behind-the-scenes look. We want to have arts and culture in the community not only for our children, but also to create that sense of belonging. We have to promote the Arts Centre as much as we can," Mayor Blake enthused.

Al Adibi, Vice President, Finance and Administration and CFO, Keyano College hosted the tour along with Guy Harmer, Dean, Academic & Career Programs. They thanked the guests for attending the event and expressed their desire to work in collaboration with the Municipality as well as the school boards.

"We are in the middle of an arts and culture Renaissance in the Wood Buffalo region and Keyano College is at its heart. We look forward to working with everyone to promote arts and culture," Harmer said.

Mike Durocher, Instructor, Musical Instrument Repair, Keyano College, was thrilled with the tour and being able to make the donation announcement.

"We can now give our students world-class instruction; some of this equipment dates back to the 1950s and not available to them anymore. This is gold for us," Durocher said.