This image shows a group of local youth on the steps of the Canmore Hotel, circa 1978-79. The hotel has undergone many different iterations during its history, but it has always been a community hub. The front steps especially has long been a place for young and old to gather.
This image is also a representation of a rather controversial topic in the 1970s: the “hippie” menace! Local newspapers from the time are filled with articles from concerned citizens and town administrators about the influx of “hippies” to Banff and Canmore. These free-thinkers were considered disruptive to town order and their unusual dress and behaviour was surprising to many long-time residents. Many of the “hippies” who arrived in the 1970s are now integral community members, and many started as artists coming to find inspiration in the mountains. Among this cohort are painter Michael Vincent and Mayor John Borrowman, who both arrived as artists in the 1970s. This particular image shows Morgan Quinn, Ric Proctor, Jim Campbell, Joey McGuey, and Jerry Chakowski, wearing some of the grooviest bell-bottoms and hairstyles of the time.
