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Back to The Cairn Friends of the Whyte is a series celebrating community, featuring Whyte Museum members, donors, staff, and friends, to get to know them a little bit better. During the summer of 2024, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies had a team of interpreters sharing the history of Banff, engaging with visitors and sharing what The Whyte has to offer. Let's get to know summer interpreter Brendon Timmins! In this Q&A, we learn more about his experience as an Interpreter. 1. Tell me a little bit about yourself! What brought you to the Whyte Museum interpreter team? My name is Brendon Timmins and I am from Australia, I originally came to the Rocky Mountains in October 2023 to work as a ski instructor at Norquay. Over time I’ve fallen in love with these mountains and the experiences you can have on them, so I decided to stay and work towards starting a career as a mountain guide with Timberline Alpine Academy. I decided to apply to the Whyte Museum as it can help with learning how to communicate and interpret information for your tour guests. The Whyte Museum has an abundance of history and knowledge to help supplement my interpretive guiding skills so I decided to learn more about the Bow Valley, its stories and how I can share that with people to help them to have an incredible experience. I’m here until December 2025, climbing, skiing, and learning as much as I can to help people who visit these mountains to fall in love the same way I did. This learning also involves understanding the Indigenous communities who were long present on this landscape far before white people. Their stories and their relationship to this land is important to recognize and the Whyte Museum provides opportunities to do so. Overall, I decided to join the Whyte Museum as it has helped me to develop important skills and knowledge that I can take forward into guiding later in my life. 2. What new skills, techniques, or knowledge did you gain while working for The Whyte? I’ve gained a lot of social skills, communication skills and public speaking skills as well as historical knowledge about this area and how to interpret this information for the modern day. Social/communication skills such as knowing when to approach someone to talk vs when to not, how to speak professionally and with a clear voice, group management skills. I’ve learnt a lot about the history and culture of this area, from books such as EJ Hart’s T he Place of Bows to Chic Scott’s Pushing the Limits . As well as individual stories about people who have come from somewhere else and made it work here, which struck a chord with me as I’m in a very similar situation. Also, I’ve gained a lot of knowledge talking to people and hearing their life stories, it has helped me to gain some perspective about my own life, as well as what this history means for each individual person. 3. Describe a time that you felt proud during your employment. I felt proud when I had just finished delivering a walking tour and people were genuinely appreciative of the way I talked and how I presented the information, it made me proud to think I had done the justice of telling the story of these historical people. Mainly I feel proud at the end of day having talked to as many people as I can, showed as much enthusiasm as I can and just learnt something new that day. 4. What is one of your favourite memories of working at The Whyte? It’s hard to choose one memory out of so many, for me it was when I had memorized all the tours and finally did my first one. I had built up all this anxiety about doing it correctly, speaking clearly and maintaining eye contact but as soon as it was done my first thought was, "That wasn’t so bad." It showed me that all that fear about public speaking, about being afraid to be yourself, was all just in my head. It’s only when I put myself out there, exposing myself to my fears that I could finally come to terms with them. That’s probably my favourite memory, although it happens every time I do a tour. 5. If you could have dinner with one historical Banff figure, who would it be and why? This is a good question; I could think of some enigmatic figures like Bill Peyto but I think I would go with the Dominion Parks Branch Commissioner J.B Harkin. Mainly because I like his philosophies on parks management which was a line of thinking that to me seemed ahead of its time. I would love to talk about animals, how he would manage the parks and his view on how conservation is being approached now, as well as what kind of struggles he faced, or his personal philosophies on life and nature. Thanks, Brendon, for your time with the Whyte Museum! Want to learn more about Canadian Rockies history? Discover our private and public tours at the Whyte Museum this summer. For summer 2025, four public tours will be offered: Heritage Homes Tour - a 25-minute guided tour of the historic homes of museum founders Peter and Catharine Whyte and notable locals Philip and Pearl (Brewster) Moore. Gateway to the Rockies Tour - a 25-minute guided museum tour. Learn how the mountains were opened up to all through stories of some of those drawn to these peaks. Historic Banff Walking Tour - get off the beaten path with a 60-minute guided tour through the Banff townsite, learning about the men and women who helped build and shape the town. Summer Exhibition Tour - learn more about our upcoming summer exhibition at this guided gallery tour in the Whyte Museum. Check out our tours page for the most up to date information! Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn In honour of the 2025 United Nations International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, we are pleased to share the Have You Met: Bob Sandford in Conversation with Pamela Knott , an interview which was recorded at The Whyte on July 7, 2022. Robert William (Bob) Sandford is the EPCOR Chair for Water and Climate Security at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health. He is the co-author of the UN’s  Water in the World We Want  report on post-2015 global sustainable development goals relating to water. He is also the author of some 30 books on the history, heritage, and landscape of the Canadian Rockies, including  Cold Matters: The State & Fate of Canada’s Snow and Ice; The Columbia River Treaty: A Primer ; and  Our Vanishing Glaciers: The Snows of Yesteryear and the Future Climate of the Mountain West . He began his work with UN-linked initiatives as chair of the United Nations International Year of Mountains  in 2002. He also chaired the United Nations International Year of Fresh Water and Wonder of Water Initiative  in Canada in 2003/04. These celebrations focused on the growing importance of water to ecological and cultural heritage in Canada. The Whyte has enjoyed a long history of working with Bob over the years,  through his research in the Archives and participation in various exhibitions. The Archives Library is proud to hold a significant number of his publications in its collection. The Have You Met oral history series was created by Digital Content Manager Ciara Linteau as part of the Oral History Program of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation. Since 1967 the Whyte has had a tradition of producing oral histories of local personalities by various staff members. This expanded to the live audience Fireside Chat  series in 2012, hosted by Chic Scott. In 2022, the Have You Met Series , hosted by Pamela Knott was created for interviewees who were unable to do an interview with a live audience.   Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn By Kate Riordon, Reference Archivist The Vaux family (pronounced “vox”) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were photographers, mountaineers, and scientists. Plotting the route for modern glaciology and exploring the malleable boundary between photography as a tool for art or a tool for science, three siblings left an indelible mark on the Canadian Rockies that continues to influence modern audiences. Photo 1 The earliest Vauxes to arrive in North America left their native England due to increasing religious persecution in the early-mid 1700s. Devout Quakers, they, like many others, sought the freedoms more readily available in the colonies and as a result, thrived. Three generations later, George Vaux Sr. (also referred to as George VIII) planned a trip for himself and his three children on the brand new Canadian Pacific Railway and the rest, as they say, was history. Photo 2 A quick word about Quakers, as it is essential to understanding where the Vaux family is coming from: Quakers formed as an offshoot of the Puritan movement, prioritizing personal relationships with God, strong community ties, and an emphasis on “practical” pursuits like maths, sciences, law, and business. Pastimes that could be considered of a more artistic bent like dancing, music, or even decorative embroidery (remember, this is the mid-1800s, there’s no television or Instagram to pass the time with) were seen as frivolous and “airy notions” not worthy of pursuit. It’s safe to say their bookshelves were full of histories and biographies and that they were pretty handy at sums. They also deeply valued human life as it was the living person, not the eternal soul, that had a relationship with God. As a result, they were huge advocates for humanitarian activities that would improve the rights and lives of all, not just those of their shared faith. The rising tide lifts all boats, as the saying goes. The Vaux family took to these tenements with determination and dedication and they thrived in Philadelphia. By the Industrial Revolution, Philadelphia was the second largest city in the United States and greatly benefited from new technologies like the telephone, electric light, and the internal combustion engine – especially its use in trains. The Vauxes, one of the oldest Quaker families in the city, existed in a social stratum that allowed them to take full advantage of the latter technological marvel and travel extensively via an ever-expanding network of railway lines. Photo 3 Which is how they got here. In 1887, the Canadian Pacific Railway was newly completed and George Sr. and children Mary M., George Jr., and William Jr. made their first trip to Glacier House, British Columbia – a hotel built a scant mile from the toe of the “Great Glacier” Illecillewaet (ill-a-sill-eh-wat). George Sr.’s brother William Sr. was a dedicated mineralogist and an avid supporter of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia before his death in 1882; his influence on his niece and nephews can’t be overstated. Photos 4 - 6 (L to R) The family, sometimes both generations, sometimes just the younger, began making annual pilgrimages to the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains – what they called the “Canadian Alps” – with a particular interest in exploring their glaciers. Photo 7 While Mary, George Jr., and William Jr. were all involved in this study, it was William Jr. who took to it fiercely. His notebooks from the late 1800s and early 1900s are full of sketches, measurements, and notes on the behaviour of glaciers they visited year after year – the Vaux family fonds is full of publications penned by William Jr. and his brother for various natural science organizations. Photo 8 Photo 9 The fonds is also full to bursting of photographs. While William Jr. was often content at lower altitudes, Mary M. and George Jr. sought out towering peaks and wide vistas, capturing it all with their cameras. While their family’s religion may not have looked favourably upon the arts, photography existed in a grey area where one could argue for its scientific merit as strongly as for its artistic. And that is where the siblings thrived. Photo 10 Towering walls of ice, mountain peak panoramas, camp scenes, waterfalls, lakes, pack trains, actual trains, their guides, each other, glaciers, glaciers, and more glaciers – Mary M., George Jr., and William Jr. took thousands of pictures and now they can all be found in the Archives. Photos 11 - 16 Often going back to the same sites year after year, they began to notice how the glaciers changed, particularly the Illecillewaet and the Yoho Glaciers. And just like that they started in on the practice of repeat photography (or rephotography), something that their descendant Henry Vaux Jr. continued in the 21st century. Photos 17 - 20 Henry Jr. is actually the third generation of his family to make the pilgrimage to these mountains – his father Henry Sr. and uncle George X visited extensively in the inter-war years, but any rephotography they participated in was casual at best. However, their photographic efforts resulted in informative snapshots of mid-century glaciers that Henry Jr. was able to further expand upon in the late 90s and early 2000s. Photos 21 - 24 In 2013 he published a book titled Legacy in Time that documented his modern photographs of glaciers alongside those taken by the previous generations. Sometimes exactly 100 years apart, including those mid-century photos where he can, Henry Jr. spent many trips over many years finding the exact spots where Mary M., George Jr., William Jr., George X, and Henry Sr. took their photos from and the result is haunting. Photos 25 - 32 What were vast lakes and mighty rivers of ice are now puddles and streams clinging to otherwise bare rock. Perched precariously on their mountain peaks and passes, the glaciers captured by Henry Jr.’s camera 20 years ago show just how much our natural world has changed. Just imagine what they must look like now. Read more about ongoing glacier studies here: Living in an Era of Adaptation: A Study on the “Riskscape” of Abbot Pass by Kate Hanly, Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship Recipient 2022/23 Rockies Repeat: Chasing Beauty in a Disappearing Landscape The United Nations declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation You can view the Vaux fonds in person at the archives and special collections by making an appointment. To search the records before your visit, search online at archives.whyte.org . Archives and Special Collections appointments are available Tuesday – Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  To make an appointment or for inquiries email:  archives@whyte.org   For more information on visiting the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies visit us online at www.whyte.org/visit Photos: 1. Mary M. Vaux, George Vaux Jr., William S. Vaux Jr., [ca. 189], Vaux family fonds (V653 / I / U / 2 / PA – 1) 2. Glacier House, B.C. (No. 60), 1989, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NG – 481) 3. 95 ton locomotive at Field, used to haul trains up upper Kicking Horse Pass (No.63), 1894, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 78) 4. Mount Stephen, [1900], Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 235) 5. [Glacier House], 1910-1911, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 725) 6. [Photographer’s Rock, Illecillewaet Glacier], 1910-1911, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 723) 7. Victoria Glacier, 1900, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 328) 8. East of Glacier, 1900, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 159) 9. Asulkan, Burgess Pass #10, to Asulkan, 1906, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 487) 10. [Mary M. Vaux and George Vaux Jr.], 1907, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 546) 11. Yoho [Glacier], 1907, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 516) 12. Mount Stephen, 1900, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 240) 13. Panorama from Mt. Fairview 8/24/04, 1904, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 1283) 14. Camp at Lake O’Hara (No.32), 1907, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 1519) 15. Ice panorama, Illecillewaet Glacier, 1909, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 1586) 16. [Mary M. Vaux and Swiss Guide], [ca. 1900], Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 182) 17. Illecillewaet Glacier 8/18/10, 1910, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 651) 18. [Mount Robson], 1913, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 878) 19. Moraine Lake, 1910, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 696) 20. Moraine Lake, 2002, Henry Vaux Jr. fonds (V794 / I / D / NA – 48) 21. Mt. Biddle & McArthur Lake (No.66), 1902, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 1043) 22. Biddle Glacier, 2006, Henry Vaux Jr. fonds (V794 / I / A / NA – 79) 23. Lake Louise (No.18), 1902, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 996) 24. Lake Louise, 2010, Henry Vaux Jr. fonds, (V794 / I / D / NA – 55) 25. Foot of Great Glacier (No.118), 1894, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 83) 26. Illecillewaet Glacier from Photographer’s Rock, 2002, Henry Vaux Jr. fonds (V794 / I / A / NA – 03) 27. Yoho Glacier (No.28), 1906, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 1414) 28. Yoho Glacier, 2006, Henry Vaux Jr. fonds (V794 / I / A / NA – 34) 29. Bow Peak to Crowfoot Glacier 6/8/10, 1910, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 627) 30. Crowfoot Glacier, 2002, Henry Vaux Jr. fonds, (V794 / I / E / NA – 19) 31. [Peyto Glacier], 1902, Vaux family fonds (V653 / NA – 1127) 32. Peyto Glacier, 2002, Henry Vaux Jr. fonds (V794 / I / A / NA – 55) Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn The Whyte is proud to present The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven , a landmark exhibition running from May 2 to October 19, 2025. Curated by acclaimed artist and the last living member of the Indigenous Group of Seven, Joseph M. Sánchez, alongside The Whyte's curators Dawn Saunders Dahl and Christina Cuthbertson, this exhibition celebrates the groundbreaking artwork of the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. (PNIAI), colloquially known as the Indigenous Group of Seven. Norval Morrisseau , Attitude and Attention, Punk Rockers , Circa 1991. The Norval Morrisseau Estate, OfficialMorrisseau.com . “The Ancestors Are Talking will highlight the artistic progression of each member, exploring key developments in their careers, from early sketches to masterworks and public art commissions,” explains Joseph Sánchez. “This exhibition will emphasize the revolutionary colour, style, and vision that continue to inspire generations of Indigenous artists.” This highly anticipated exhibition will feature iconic works by all members of the Indigenous Group of Seven: Daphne Odjig (1919–2016), Alex Janvier (1935–2024), Norval Morrisseau (1932–2007), Carl Ray (1943–1978), Jackson Beardy (1944–1984), Eddy Cobiness (1933–1996), and Joseph M. Sánchez (b. 1948). These visionary artists broke barriers in Canadian art history, resisting systemic exclusion and redefining Indigenous art within Canada and beyond. The exhibition offers a journey through decades of their artistic evolution, featuring pieces inspired by the mountains of Jasper, the Boreal Forest, and images of strength, family, resistance, nature, and ceremony. Imagination and abstraction are shared ideas in the journey of seven artists who, with their inspiration and wisdom, changed the canon of art in Canada. Art colour, culture and spirituality filled the early conversations of the Indigenous Group of Seven followed by decades of painting and activism. They created art to awaken a troubled world and to build a foundation for those who have followed in their footsteps. As Sánchez eloquently states, “This art is revolutionary and remains deeply relevant to the history of Canadian art. These works not only reflect the past but continue to resonate with the present and inspire future art practices.” Norval Morriseau , Woman and Child in the Rocky Mountains , 1985. Photo copyright EA Studios (Jasper), Ltd, 2025. Mentorship Program The exhibition will also lay the groundwork for an Indigenous mentorship program, led by Joseph Sánchez and Dawn Saunders Dahl. Seventeen local Indigenous artists have been invited to create new works inspired by The Ancestors are Talking . In this program, artists will have an unprecedented opportunity to work with Sánchez to further develop their artistic practices. The artists will be encouraged to research historic works and material culture in The Whyte’s collection, while exploring personal narrative, traditional storytelling, and various artistic mediums and styles. This mentorship program honours the original intentions of the Indigenous Group of Seven to amply the voices of Indigenous artists. New artworks created through this program will be exhibited at The Whyte in 2026. A Continued Commitment to Reconciliation The Whyte is uniquely positioned to host this exhibition, with its commitment to preserving art and heritage in the Canadian Rockies. The museum holds the largest art collection dedicated to the Canadian Rockies, encompassing over 10,000 pieces from the early 1800s to the present day. The Ancestors Are Talking is one of many reconciliation efforts of The Whyte. Museum founders Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte deeply valued their relationships with Indigenous communities, recognizing the importance of preserving and sharing the cultural knowledge and heritage of the Indigenous Peoples of the region. This exhibition is a continued effort to share and protect the rich cultural history of Indigenous art and identity, and to strengthen cross-cultural relationships. Join us this summer in celebrating the enduring legacy of the Indigenous Group of Seven—a collective whose artistry, advocacy, and vision continue to shape the cultural and artistic landscapes of Canada and the world. The Norval Morrisseau Estate, The Rimrock Banff, and EA Studios (Jasper) Ltd. support the exhibition. Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn On Thursday, December 5th, 2024, Cori Brewster joined Chic Scott for a Fireside Chat. Cori Brewster was born and raised in Banff, where her family has resided for over 136 years. She began singing with her mom and sisters on Rocky Mountain trail rides. When she left home to experience life outside this small town, she carried with her a profound ‘sense of place' wherever she went. Brewster graduated from the University of Alberta, with a Bachelor of Physical Education in 1985, but the pull of music tugged at her soul. Cori’s music career now spans over thirty years. She has released five CDs, performed across Canada, Germany, and New Zealand, taught songwriting workshops, and co-written songs with some masterful songwriters. Her lyrics appear in a poetry anthology and several books. In 2009, the Canada Council awarded Cori a grant to produce Buffalo Street: Historic Characters of the Canadian Rockies. This superb collection of songs, written and performed by Brewster, tells many of the stories we know so well — of Pearl Brewster, Bill Peyto and Emily, Peter and Catharine and of William Twin. Perhaps Cori will sing a song or two for us. Since the release of her fifth CD, Four Horses, in 2016, Cori has been writing creative nonfiction and is putting the finishing touches on a project called 55 ~ 5 Songs 5 Stories. In 2024, Cori was awarded a month-long writer-in-residency at the Wallace Stegner House in Eastend, Saskatchewan. Bob Sandford said of Cori that she is “a woman of extraordinary and diverse talent and boundless energy. In the tradition of all true artists, she is also very brave and willing to pursue her authenticity at whatever cost on her terms.” Cori is a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and Buddhist practitioner and loves to travel and experience other cultures. After many years away, she moved back to the Bow Valley in 2000 to raise her son, River, and still lives happily in Canmore with her wife, Lori. Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn "I have been trying to forge that bridge between humanity and nature for most of my creative life.” (Sid Marty) On Thursday, November 7, Sid Marty joined Chic Scott for a Fireside Chat. Poet, prose writer and musician, at 80 years of age Sid has become an iconic member of our mountain community. Born in England in 1944, he grew up in Southern Alberta where his family had resided for four generations. In 1966 he went east to Sir George Williams (now Concordia) University in Montreal to study English literature. Drawn to the beauty and wildness of the Rocky Mountains he began working as a seasonal warden with Parks Canada that same year. He published his first poems in 1966 but soon he abandoned his career in English literature to pursue the National Park Warden path. Although it has been a challenging path at times, over the last fifty years Sid has managed to combine his passion for wild places and his love for words. His career with Parks ended in 1978 with publication of “Men for the Mountains”, but he has continued to write about the mountains he loves so well. His website says, “His books are about family, rangers, cowboys, homesteaders, forest fires, grizzly bears, love, death, mountaineers and wildlife conservation.” Sid has published five books of poetry and five books of non fiction. He has twice been short listed for the Governor General’s Award and has won the Grand Prize at the Banff Mountain Book Festival. His latest book, Oldman’s River, New and Collected Poems (2023) was awarded the inaugural Al and Eurithe Purdy Poetry Prize. A fine musician with a beautiful singing voice he has also recorded two CDs of original music. Perhaps he will sing a song or two for us on Thursday evening. Since 1981 Sid and his wife Myrna have lived on a small ranch in the Livingstone Range in south west Alberta. He is a powerful advocate for wilderness conservation and is still writing poetry. Sid Marty is a story teller par excellence with a full life of experience to draw on and this chat will be a very special evening. Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn Artists Leanne Allison, Jim Elzinga, Roger Vernon, and Tiffany Shaw at the exhibition opening of MELTDOWN. January 2025 brought the opening of two exciting winter exhibitions at The Whyte: MELTDOWN - A Moment in Time and Etched in Ice. Commemorating the United Nations International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, the opening event was a memorable evening of celebrating Canada’s glaciers and having important conversations with talented artists, our incredible visitors, and exhibition partners - all coming together to make the evening truly special. Both exhibitions are presented as part of Alberta’s Exposure Photography Festival. Experience breathtaking works by Jim Elzinga, Roger Vernon, Tiffany Shaw, Leanne Allison, and Glen Crawford, on display at The Whyte Museum until April 13, 2025. Gallery 1 About the Exhibitions MELTDOWN - A Moment in Time Jim Elzinga/Roger Vernon , Turbulence , October 2023, Laminated Archival Pigment Print. In honour of the 2025 United Nations International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, MELTDOWN showcases a powerful collection of artworks focusing on glacial landscapes by Jim Elzinga, Roger Vernon, Tiffany Shaw, and Leanne Allison. This exhibition draws viewers deep into the heart of Canada’s glaciers for an unparalleled immersive experience. This exhibition marks the grand opening of Canada’s participation in the UN Glacier Year. Celebrate the grandeur and fragile beauty of the Columbia Icefield, the crowning glory of the Canadian Rockies. Illuminate the meaning and significance of what is being lost. Discover your place in the living systems that sustain us all. Etched in Ice Glen Crawford,   Glacier detail, Mt. Alan Campbell , n.d., print photograph. The Whyte invites you to explore Etched in Ice, an exhibition of photographs by Glen Crawford. The images from the Campbell Icefield and surrounding glaciers offer an intimate look at glacier ice in a time of change. Glaciers are typically found in remote hard to access locations. Over decades and centuries, they have existed exhibiting only the changes that have taken place at well, a glacial pace. This means that glacial ice serves as a living archive of Earth's history, preserving ancient layers that record the passage of time. Glaciers in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, once steadfast in their frozen stillness have come to represent all that we love about wilderness. The common view of glaciers as lovely white masses of snow and ice adorning high mountain peaks, however, doesn’t consider the reality of climate change. The photographs in this exhibition offer a view of three glaciers and an icefield in a time of accelerated change. Be sure to visit The Whyte this winter to enjoy these exhibitions - on until April 13th! Want to learn more about our exhibitions? Visit our website and stop by this winter to view them in person! Gallery 1: Photos from the winter 2025 exhibition opening at The Whyte. Photos by Katie Goldie. Back to The Cairn

The Whyte is proud to announce the appointment of Cherith Mark to its Board of Directors. A distinguished member of the Stoney Nation, Cherith brings a wealth of cultural knowledge, artistic talent, and educational expertise to the Board. "Catharine and Peter Whyte have had a long-standing relationship with my community, the Stoney Nation,” said Cherith. “I am excited to lend my experience not only as an artist but also as a Stoney language educator and as a member of the local community to this newly appointed role on the Board of Directors for The Whyte.” Her extensive experience in Indigenous arts and her commitment to cultural preservation make her a valuable addition to The Whyte’s Board. She has served on the Mînî Thnî Charity Foundation’s board since 2014 and held leadership roles at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, where she was Vice Chair of the Board of Governors from 2020 to 2023. "We are honoured to welcome Cherith Mark to our Board of Directors," said Don Watkins, Chair of the Boards of Directors. "Her dedication to cultural preservation and her deep connections to Indigenous communities and the arts will enrich The Whyte’s goal to celebrate elevated artistry and inclusivity in the Canadian Rockies." Currently residing in her home community of Mînî Thnî, Morley, Alberta, located in Treaty 7 Territory, Cherith is a passionate advocate for the Stoney Nakoda language and culture. Through her work with the Stoney Education Authority, she has led the Stoney Language Resource Development Project, helping to create Îethka language picture books, textbooks, and curriculum resources to support the teaching of the language in schools. Cherith is also a highly skilled dancer and performer whose artistic practice spans Indigenous pow wow dance, contemporary dance, theatre, and aerial performance. She has toured with prominent Indigenous dance companies such as Red Thunder Native Dance Theatre, Raven Spirit Dance, Dancing Earth, and Kaha Dance Theatre. A graduate of Grant MacEwan College’s Dance Program, Cherith also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Museum founders Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte deeply valued their relationships with Indigenous communities, recognizing the importance of preserving and sharing the cultural knowledge and heritage of the Stoney Nation and many Indigenous Peoples of the region. Cherith’s appointment to The Whyte’s Board marks an exciting chapter in continued efforts to share and protect the rich cultural history of Indigenous communities and strengthen cross-cultural relationships.

By Amie Lalonde and Nick Baggaley Back to The Cairn In this multi-authored review of the Jon Whyte Award winner "Alpine Rising: Sherpas, Baltis, and the Triumph of Local Climbers in the Greater Ranges" by Bernadette McDonald, enjoy two perspectives of insights from a mountain enthusiast and a guide. From the Perspective of Amie Lalonde, Registrar at The Whyte and mountain climbing neophyte. McDonald tells the story of local climbers in the Himalaya and Karakorum with great care, letting the individuals who have been ignored by history have their stories told - often in their own words through her deep archival research and multitude of interviews. It is a short book that covers quite a lot of history – from the 1920s to present day. As a casual climber and general mountain enthusiast, I enjoyed reading the stories of the Sherpas and Nepalis who were integral to early mountaineering attempts of K2, Nanga Parbat, and Everest; people who are largely absent from the original European/American accounts of these climbs. While the treatment of these men (and some women) by the Western mountaineers may have been well known to those who are already well-read on these expeditions, for me, some of the first-person accounts of the lack of food and sub-standard gear the porters were given by the leaders of the expeditions was quite shocking. I found that it sometimes became a bit of a list of names, dates, and mountains that were hard to distinguish. I felt that it could easily be 200 or 300 pages longer and provide a bit better exposition for readers like me who don’t have a strong knowledge base on the area and the history of major expeditions. I appreciated McDonald’s discussion of the differences in western perception and opportunity between Nepali and Pakistani porters and climbers and how the explosion in local guiding operations in Nepal has spilled into Pakistan, often putting the Pakistani climbers in similar positions the Nepalis were in a century ago. Valuable too, is McDonald’s exploration of the various reasons porters and climbers continue to scale the world’s most dangerous behemoths: from the economic impacts on communities and families, to personal status and local fame, and to the same sort of deep need that grips mountaineers world over: “It is my passion, and I cannot live without it” – Ali Sadpara The book ends with the modern era, with climbers such as Nimsdai and Mingma G Sherpa who are making sure the world knows their names and finally pays local climbers the attention and respect they have deserved for a century. From the Perspective of Nick Baggaley, ACMG Apprentice Alpine Guide, guidebook author, and general mountain nerd. "Alpine Rising" is a meticulously researched, very readable and very overdue addition to the pantheon of Himalayan and Karakoram mountain histories. Bernadette McDonald deftly weaves together a tapestry of local Pakistani, Nepalese, Indian and Tibetan personalities to fill in the blank spaces left by books like Herzog’s "Annapurna," Bonatti’s "The Mountains of My Life" along with more modern expedition classics like Bonington’s "Everest: The Hard Way." McDonald starts with a retelling of the classic early Himalayan and Karakoram explorations, with a focus on the highest peaks - mostly Everest and K2, but with digressions to the remaining 8000m mountains in the ranges. Her narrative focuses the stories of the porters, the locals like the Sherpa emigres in Darjeeling and the villagers of Gilgit-Baltistan who started off working as expedition workers for meager subsistence wages, and who climbed (the Rising in the title) to the modern day, where they demand their inclusion as equals in the mountain economy of the Himalaya and Karakoram. The book is compulsively readable, while perhaps a little inaccessible to those unfamiliar with the long history of expeditions to the Karakoram and Himalaya. McDonald brings her writing experience from her past books like "Art of Freedom" and "Alpine Warriors" to write a very well-crafted and non-jargony history. Where the book shines strongest is in all its character studies. In sections ranging in length from paragraphs to full chapters, McDonald tells the stories of both well-known and unknown Baltis, Bhotias, Shimshalis, Sherpas, and all the panoply of previously-unseen climbers and porters who were critical to the successes and failures of Western expeditions all through the great peaks of Asia. With an additional eye towards their lives off of the great peaks, she brings to the forefront local legends like Ang Tharkay, Ali and Ali Raza Sadpara, and Little Karim, while shedding new light on the stories of not only well-known climbers like Mingma G Sherpa, Nirmal (Nims) Purja, Tenzing Norgay and Sajid Sadpara, but also unknowns like Mehdi Amir (critical to the first ascent of K2), Dawa Tenzing (deputy sirdar on the first ascent of Everest) and their struggles later in life. Unfortunately, it seems like the sheer breadth of these character studies is perhaps also the book’s undoing. The narrative thread trails off near the later half of the book, overborne by the number of different vignettes. Still, the book barely suffers from this, as the stories in the final few chapters illustrate the book’s overall thesis - that local climbers, after a long history of being supporting characters in Western narratives, are very ready and very willing to take center stage in their home mountains. There will always be more stories to be told about local climbers, local guides and their struggles in the Karakoram and Himalaya, but McDonald’s book provides a strong foundation for any of these. Pick up your own copy of "Alpine Rising" at the Book Shop at The Whyte - open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn By Tera Swanson, Marketing and Communications Manager After 12 transformative years and an extensive portfolio of art and heritage exhibitions at The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Anne Ewen, Director and Chief Curator of Art and Heritage, is concluding her time at the museum. She is looking forward to starting the next life chapter, clarifying, "This is not a retirement, it's on to new adventures." And we'd expect nothing less - Anne doesn't sit around waiting for the paint to dry. Having curated over 200 exhibitions (and counting) at a myriad of institutions - including the Glenbow Museum, the Art Gallery of Calgary, the Military Museums of Calgary, the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, the Triangle Art Gallery, Calgary, Fort Calgary Historic Park, and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies - it's safe to say she has no intention of kicking back and relaxing any time soon. Anne's personal history at The Whyte runs deep and rich, having first worked at the museum from 1976 to 1980 as Curator, first working with Director Maryalice Harvey Stewart and later on Director E.J. (Ted) Hart, while museum co-founder Catharine Robb Whyte was Chair of the Board. During this time, Anne had the privilege of accompanying Catharine as her only guest to the Order of Canada ceremony in Ottawa. Catharine Robb Whyte and Anne Ewen greeting Governor General Jules Leger and his wife Gabrielle at Catharine's Order of Canada ceremony on January 11, 1978. Catharine Robb Whyte & Anne Ewen. 1978. Archives General File Collection. V8 / 2024.77. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. "In the image of Catharine at her Order of Canada ceremony, the Governor General is Jules Léger with his wife Gabrielle. She was a dynamic woman who really supported her husband while in office. Six months after his appointment, he had a stroke paralyzing his left arm and making it difficult to speak. Gabrielle carried the weight of the role and stood in for him on numerous occasions during his five-year term as Governor General." Anne Ewen Anne reflects on both her first years at the museum and her recent time as Director and Chief Curator fondly. As a young Curator, she recalls having supportive conversations with Catharine and other Whyte family members and friends like Roy Andersen, discussing new ideas in the community, art and history, and new exhibitions to bring to the museum. "It was an open and congenial atmosphere that supported new ideas and creativity," she said. "This provided an immeasurable component to my success as a new Curator."
This period at the museum was an integral timeframe in securing many donations that are now the bedrock of the institution, such as the Byron Harmon photograph collection in 1976, the Alpine Club of Canada collections in 1979, and the relocation of Windy Cabin - the oldest existing warden cabin in Banff National Park - to the Whyte Museum Grounds in 1977. Since then, Anne has paid tribute to Peter and Catharine's vision for the museum - to be a place where people could gather and appreciate the culture and beauty of the area - through every exhibition she has curated, every new colleague and student she has mentored, and every artist whose career she helped elevate.  On the invitation of the Board, Anne returned to the museum in November 2012, bringing a wealth of Canadian Rockies art and culture to life, drawing national and international visitors, and maintaining integral support, connections, and interest from local Bow Valley communities. She promptly initiated key exhibitions of importance to the museum, including Indigenous Ingenuity  in 2014, which highlighted the immense depth and diversity of contemporary Indigenous art. Historic artifacts from the Whyte Museum collections were displayed alongside this art, as a way to highlight materials, techniques, and motifs used by Indigenous peoples. Well known artists featured in the exhibition were members of the Indigenous Group of Seven, including Daphne Odjig, (1919-2016), Norval Morrisseau CM (1932-2007), Jackson Beardy (1944-1984), Eddy Cabiness (1933-1996), Carl Ray (1943-1978), Joseph Sanchez (1948-) and Alex Janvier (1935-2024). Reflecting on her time at The Whyte, Anne mentioned several exhibitions that she considered highlights of her career. One such exhibition was  Artistry Revealed  in 2018, commemorating 50 years of the artistic contribution and legacy of Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte. It featured many of the Whytes' artistic academic accomplishments, including paintings and drawings by Peter and Catharine, and paintings by other artists who touched their lives and influenced their careers. All of the selected works in Artistry Revealed  were from the Whyte Museum collection, the majority of which were gifted by Peter and Catharine. Complementing the many images and painting in this exhibition were multimedia interpretive materials, numerous community engagement and public outreach programs, educational resources, didactic texts, extended labels and a virtual tour of the Whytes' beloved log home. Another highlight was the exhibition On the Fringe of the Bow in 2017/18, which celebrate local artists whose art form, once considered subversive, is now on the fringe of mainstream society – such as skateboard design, tattoo art, chain mail, and other mediums. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the museum faced the challenge of adapting to limitations with in-person visits for exhibitions, events, and programs. In response, through a collaborative staff effort, offerings were brought entirely online. Exhibitions, such as those by Michael Corner and Julya Hajnoczky, were reimagined in multimedia formats, featuring virtual openings, artist talks, online exhibitions, and more. This transition not only provided much-needed arts and culture to our audiences during a challenging time but also greatly improved accessibility to The Whyte for years to come. This summer 2024 exhibition J.E.H. MacDonald: The O'Hara Era is a wrap up of her career at The Whyte, where loans were secured from public and private collections highlighting the work of Group of Seven artist J.E.H. MacDonald during his trips to Lake O’Hara. Anne and the curatorial team worked alongside Patricia Cucman, implementing her and her late husband Stanley Munn’s 20-years of research on MacDonald and the O’Hara area into a comprehensive and detailed exhibition. Whyte Museum Board Member Rod Green speaks fondly of Anne, saying, “Anne is leaving the museum ‘at the top of her game.’ The just completed J.E.H. MacDonald exhibition curated by Anne set records in attendance, shop sales, sponsorships and marketing opportunities. It also provided the Whyte with new enthusiasm to do it again.” The Whyte thanks Anne for securing several integral donations to the collection, most recently a painting from John Arthur Fraser, R.C.A. (BRITISH, 1838-1898), gifted from Grit and Scott McCreath in gratitude of both her and former CEO Donna Livingstone's contributions to the museum. Over the years, there have been numerous generous contributions to the Whyte through individuals and estates, in part thanks to Anne’s ability to nurture integral relationships to the museum. Her time at the museum is just one chapter of a well-rounded career in the arts. As a Consultant, Anne worked with nationwide clients from art galleries, museums, historic properties, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, municipalities, and private industries, teaching and providing Board and operational manuals, long-range plans and collections management. She is the author of numerous publications, including Artistry Revealed: Peter Whyte, Catharine Robb Whyte and Their Contemporaries , From Morse to Whyte: A Dynastic Bequest of Japanese Treasures , and several others. Though not one to seek accolades, Anne is also the recipient of several prestigious awards and honours, including Honourary Member of the Alberta Society of Artists, the Government of Alberta Centennial Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, and the Award of Merit and Outstanding Service Award from the Alberta Museums Association. Along with her responsibilities as Director and Chief Curator at the Whyte Museum, she is currently chair of the Town of Banff Heritage Corporation and a recently retired member of the boards of Easter Seals Canada and Easter Seals Alberta, as well as past Chair of the Banff Art Committee. Anne has been an integral pillar in the success of The Whyte over the years. We will miss her wealth of knowledge and candid perspective, and wish her all the best with her future endeavours. Former CEO of the Whyte Museum Donna Livingstone paints her picture perfectly: Anne is a cultural force. When she leaves a room, pictures hang straighter, the lighting is better, and everyone is talking about the Modernist influence of colour in mid-century bathroom towels. Fortunately, Anne Ewen’s character and force don’t end with a job title. She’s a force for life and we can’t wait to see what she’ll do next. Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn New to the art collections at The Whyte is a stunning piece of Canadian heritage: Fishing Camp, the Rockies, an oil painting by John Arthur Fraser R.C.A. (British, 1838-1898), recently donated by Grit and Scott McCreath. Originally displayed in the in the inaugural exhibition of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) in 1880, this painting depicts the striking Mt. Carroll (now Mt. Macdonald) near Rogers Pass, a landmark of Fraser's early Canadian landscapes. Having such a rare work outside a public collection is remarkable, making the McCreaths’ donation an extraordinary contribution to Canadian art. “We chose to donate the Fraser painting in recognition of the outstanding contributions Anne Ewen and Donna Livingstone have made to the museum, as well as to honour the extraordinary relationship we shared with these two gifted women,” shared Grit and Scott. “Working alongside them has been a true pleasure.” The McCreaths felt that this significant piece of Canadian history was fitting to be cherished and shared with the public at The Whyte, a cultural pillar of the Canadian Rockies. As they explained, “This painting holds deep historical importance. Fraser was commissioned to document the West and the Rockies by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) president during its construction. A member of the famous ‘Railway Painters,’ Fraser captured scenes from the largest construction project in Canadian history. The mountain depicted, originally named Mt. Carroll after the CPR engineer who developed its difficult tunnel route, was later renamed Mt. Macdonald to honour Canada’s first Prime Minister.” Fraser's contributions to Canadian art were far-reaching. Initially hired by William Notman’s Montreal photographic firm in 1860, his watercolour and oil paintings were influenced by photography, exhibiting regularly with the Art Association of Montreal. Relocating to Toronto in 1868, Fraser co-founded Notman & Fraser, a celebrated photographic firm, and influenced a generation of artists, including Robert Gagen, Homer Watson, George Reid, and Horatio Walker. Selected for the first CPR pass program in 1886 alongside O’Brien and John Collins Forbes, Fraser exhibited internationally at venues such as the National Academy in London, the Paris Salon, and the Chicago World’s Fair, where he was awarded a medal. This historic Fraser painting now finds its home at The Whyte where it will be cherished, adding a profound layer to the museum's rich tapestry of Canadian heritage. Learn more about our collections and culture by visiting the current exhibitions at The Whyte! Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. at 111 Bear Street, Banff, AB. Back to The Cairn

Back to The Cairn By Mollie Riley, Manager, Donor and Business Records In September 2024, a unique artistic journey unfolded as 20 talented Western Canadian artists and a team of staff from The Whyte gathered at Lake O'Hara for a weekend of En Plein Air painting. This event, held as part of the summer 2024 exhibition J.E.H. MacDonald: The O’Hara Era , gave participants an extraordinary opportunity to paint, connect, and immerse themselves in one of Canada's most stunning alpine settings. Open to both emerging and professional artists, this open-call event attracted participants from across the country. Inspired by the legacy of renowned artists like J.E.H. MacDonald, our founders Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte, and John Singer Sargent, the artists were captivated by the same breathtaking landscapes that had once inspired these trailblazers a century ago. With its pristine wilderness, Lake O’Hara has long been a source of inspiration for many, and events like this help honour the rich tradition of En Plein Air painting while paying tribute to the museum's founders and artists who inspired them, all who made their own mark on Western Canadian art. Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte, avid hikers and En Plein Air painters themselves, spent much of their time capturing the beauty of the Bow Valley region. As we stood by the shores of Lake O’Hara, we couldn’t help but think of them and the lasting influence they had on the artistic community. A Snapshot of the Weekend Day 1: On Friday morning, artists from around Western Canada headed to the Elizabeth Parker Hut, where we would find comfort for the next three days. Participants dropped off their bags and headed out on their first day of adventure! Rewarded with blue skies, painters took advantage of the lovely environment. Day 2: Saturday brought a change in the weather with rain and cloud cover enveloping the valley. Undeterred and eager for the day ahead, the artists donned their rain gear and set out for another day of painting, while others found solace and comfort in the warmth of the hut. By mid-afternoon, the weather cleared, offering the artists a brief but beautiful moment of sunshine. During this break, a grizzly was spotted grazing in the nearby meadow, adding a sense of excitement to the day. As evening approached, we discovered that the Elizabeth Parker Hut was without lights. Yet, this only added to the charm of the experience. Artists illuminated their works with headlamps, flashlights, and lanterns, and took turns presenting their creations. Gathered around a dimly lit picnic table, I was struck by the incredible talent, resilience, and passion of the group. It was a joy to witness their creative process unfold in real time. Day 3: On the final day, another rainy morning greeted us, but the spirit of the artists remained high. After packing up their belongings, participants ventured out once again to absorb the mountain’s beauty before heading home. Each artist, with their unique perspective, captured the essence of the landscape in their own way. The Lake O’Hara En Plein Air event was a true celebration of art, tradition, and community. It was a privilege to attend alongside such passionate and talented artists, to learn from their process, and to witness the magic of painting in the great outdoors. This weekend was a living tribute to the artists who have shaped the history of Western Canadian art, and an inspiring reminder of the power of nature to ignite the creative spirit. To learn more about our exciting programming, events, and exhibition at The Whyte, be sure to subscribe to our e-mail communication and become a member to be the first to receive updates, as well as other exciting membership benefits. Back to The Cairn