Message from the Co-Chairs of the Local Organizing Committee

Dear Colleagues,

Awestruck, moved, and filled with elation and wonder. These are the phrases that you will use as you make your way through the mountains along the road to Banff National Park. It will truly take your breath away as you are transported to one of the most rugged and majestic parts of our country. Every time you turn your head you will encounter a new vista.

It is with great pride and excitement that we invite you to the west for the 67^th annual meeting of the Canadian Urological Association in Banff, Alberta June 24-26. We will be holding the meeting at the Fairmont Banff Springs which is nestled deep in the heart of the Rockies. This first class hotel offers everything you’d expect from an internationally acclaimed Resort while still allowing you to “get away”. The true escape, however, comes when you leave the front door. You don’t go out to explore nature, nature grabs you and pulls you in. Come face to face with wildlife right outside your door. Stroll through the woods along pinecone laid paths or meander through wildflowers in an alpine meadow. For those wanting their heart to race a little faster, hike up a mountain or scale a rock face. Zoom down white water rapids, go heli-hiking, or simply traipse along a glacier that is well over 15 000 years old.

We plan to put on an event that reflects the wild and untamed surroundings in and around the Banff Springs. We also encourage you to stay longer in the park after the meeting to explore Canmore and Lake Louise. Travel the spectacular Banff to Jasper highway to experience nature up close and personal or simply ride the gondola to the top of the world. For the real adventurer there is back country hiking second to none, where your only neighbours are the abundant animals.

The scientific committee has a very educational and enriching program this year that I know all will want to attend. So make sure to bring the family and stay a little longer in the mountains. LET the hustle and bustle of the urban centres melt away into the sounds of nature as you answer the “Call of the Wild”.

Looking forward to seeing you this summer.

Howard Evans &
Marty Duffy
Co-Chairs of the Local Organizing Committee