Neither Paul nor Eva Sylvestre is originally from Banff, but both have lived there for more than three decades. Paul came from Montreal and was working in photography at The Banff Centre in the 1970s when a colleague introduced him to Eva, who was from Switzerland. That was it. They’ve been together ever since. They worked in the arts, then Eva became a hiking guide. The next big step was to launch and run their hiking and backpacking business.
Now happily retired in Banff, Paul and Eva have been listeners since the 1990s, and they’re quick to point out that CKUA has been with them on many journeys and adventures. Recently, when they heard that CEO Marc Carnes was planning to address the community on the air, they stopped what they were doing to listen, even though they were far from home. “We were hiking up Sulphur Mountain,” says Paul, “and we stopped on the trail to stream CKUA, so we could hear Marc’s message.”
They listen all day, wherever they are, and start each day with Alberta Morning. It was easy for them to think of musical suggestions for a recent donated hour. Paul says, “The list we gave to Grant was music we discovered on CKUA, and then went on to hear at Canmore Folk Fest or The Banff Centre.”
Paul and Eva love all kinds of music. They say, “We like new music, too. We are open to anything.” They particularly love Saturday programming, including The Wake-Up Shake-Up and Wide Cut Country. And, adds Eva, “Lionel’s Vinyls always makes me dance around the living room!”
They’ve been donors for nearly 30 years, and have fond memories of many fundraisers. Eva says she was always inspired by the cheering and the bells in the pledge room. “You’re pulled in by that energy. You can see how the announcers put so much passion and work into their programs. It translates to the listener, and you want to do what you can to help.”
Paul adds, “The hosts bring a lot of knowledge to the table. It’s not just entertainment. You learn about music, and you find out which artists are coming to the province.”
“It’s such an important part of our lives,” says Eva. “We both have CKUA in our wills. We want to support things that we believe in strongly.”
