BANFF – Musician Digital Hobo and a lineup of speakers are gearing up for a night of live music and fire resilience conversations during the Jam for Jasper fundraiser on May 31.
In collaboration with the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, Scott Diehl, the event’s organizer and singer-songwriter known as the Digital Hobo, hopes the event creates conversation, community and awareness.
“We’re trying to get people motivated to take action in their own personal lives and be more aware about these issues by having them attend this live music event. That’s one component of it. The other component is to raise awareness of wildfire resilience,” said Diehl.
The event blends both fun and education as Digital Hobo and the Climate Changers share the stage with three speakers throughout the night.
Fire resilience presentations will be shared by wildfire evacuee Ryan Bray, Banff fire chief Keri Martens and Banff-Kananaskis MLA Sarah Elmeligi.
Funds raised from the evening will go towards a future event hosted by the Biosphere, inviting residents and fire officials from Jasper and the Bow Valley to come together for a public discussion on what the Bow Valley can learn from the Jasper fire and how to plan accordingly.
After the “lessons learned” event, the Biosphere will create a What We Heard report available to residents, fire and emergency services leaders and FireSmart advocates.
“The Jasper fire happened almost a year ago and the effects of that are still rippling through our communities,” said Diehl.
“Banff, Canmore and Exshaw folks – anybody that lives in mountain communities – are obviously concerned about their own ability to deal with wildfires. We want to raise awareness of that and provide solutions.”
The event also celebrates the release of Digital Hobo’s new album Climate Stories – a collection of storytelling songs developed through conversations with climate scientists, climate activists and climate refugees, Diehl said.
Playing four sets in between each presentation, Diehl says he hopes the night will bring a sense of solidarity and that the music will spark conversations about climate and wildfire resilience.
“At the end of the night, we don’t want people to walk out of there doom and gloom. We want people to walk out of there [saying], ‘Oh, here’s some things that I can do right away that help myself and my community become more resilient and more prepared for wildfires,’” he said.
Digital Hobo will be joined on stage by studio band the Climate Changers, made up of Ryland Moranz (producer), Geoff Hicks (drums), Jory Kinjo (bass), Irene Poole (vocals) and Geoff Hilhorst (keys).
The fundraiser will be held in the Conference Centre Theatre of the Fairmont Banff Springs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Tickets are pay what you can on a sliding scale from $20 to $100.
To purchase tickets visit: Jam for Jasper.
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.
