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Fireside Chat with Renate Belczyk In September 2018, Renate Belczyk shared her tales of adventure with Chic Scott. A very adventurous women, in the mid 1950s Renate and her friend Sigrid Hirte travelled around the world: climbing mountains in Mexico and Canada, riding bicycles around Japan, driving motor scooters across India from Calcutta to Bombay and walking to Kathmandu in Nepal before there were any roads or cars. #renatebelczyk #oralhistory #heritage Click to View

File name: fonds: Title: Date: D escription: m307_34_150 Moore family fonds 1921 CALGARY REGENTS WIN ALPINE CUP FROM VANCOUVERS Lady Hockey Teams Put Up Splendid Exhibition in Finals at Banff Carnival ----- (Special Dispatch to the Herald) Banff, Alta., Feb 5. -- In one of the fastest games of hockey ever witnessed on Banff ice, the Regents, of Calgary, defeated the Amazons, of Vancouver, in the finals of the championship ladies hockey series, last night, for the cup presented by the Alpine Club of Canada, by a score of 4-1. The Vancouver girls played the Patricias, of Calgary, on Wednesday night, the game resulting in a draw after two full periods of overtime without a goal being shot by either team. Thursday afternoon the Amazons and Patricias locked horns again, scoring one goal each and re-quiring two periods of overtime in which to make the deciding count for Vancouver, which won by the narrow margin of 2 to 1. The game last night was replete with whirlwind speed, lightning rushes, heavy checking and clean play. The Vancouver players showed the strain of the two strenuous games of the preceding days and, although they put up a good exhibition of hockey, were outclassed by the swift skaters and speedy stickhandlers of the Calgary team. Miss Short, right wing of the Regents, scored two goals in the first period and repeated the trick by driving the puck into the net again in the third. Miss M. Griffith, the Amazon centre, scored Vancouver?s only goal in the second period. Mrs. P.A. Moore who played with the Regents, had one goal to her credit in the third with two assists. The work of Miss. A. Goitkevic, the Vancouver goalie, was especially worthy of commendation, saving her team from overwhelming defeat by clever play. Miss M. Clarin, the Regent?s goalie, also played a star game. The Regents, who won the trophy last year, will hold it for another year. Five hundred and twenty-five paid admissions showed the interest the people of Banff and the visitors took in the game. The Lineup was: Regents Position Amazons M. Clarin ...... goal ........A. Goitkevic C. Brownlee.. defense ...P. Senkler I. Ure............. defense ...N. Senkler E. Laukes...... centre .....M. Griffith P. Moore....... rover ........B. Hines G. Baptie...... left wing ..K. Carson M. Short....... rt. Wing ...G. Maddison U. McLatchie.. sub .......Mrs. Patrick W. Lee ............ sub ........S. Brewster M. Robertson .. sub ... nil. Referee, James Simpson; judge of play, Ted Davidson.

Child's Play By Amie Lalonde, Registrar and Collections Assistant Back to The Cairn What was your plaything of choice as a child? Mine was definitely stuffed animals, bears in particular. I remember at some point lining up all 52 of my bears on the stairs, from largest to smallest, for an official inventory of them (I was primed to work in a museum from an early age). Without having known Catharine Robb Whyte, I have a strong feeling that she was partial to dolls as a child and that this influenced her adult collecting as well. My evidence for this feeling is not only the quantity of dolls of all kinds within the Whyte Home collection, but also several archival photographs of Catharine as a child. These photographs come from an album full of photographs of Catharine and her brother Russell Robb g rowing up at their family home in Concord, Massachusetts. In many of the photographs Catharine is seen playing with several different dolls (also cuddling with a variety of kittens and puppies, head over to the album to see for yourself). Clockwise from top left: Album Catharine #2 [1906 -1911], Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies V683/IV/A/PD/9/25/1; V683/IV/A/PD/9/13/3; V683/IV/A/PD/9/131; V683/IV/A/PD/9/11/1) While not all of the dolls pictured above are in our collection, one (and possibly two) are still in the Whyte Home. The first is Rosie as a tag on her back calls her. With moveable arms, legs, a head of real hair, and an impressive wardrobe Rosie was certainly well loved by Catharine and is pictured in 3 of the images above. Rosie has a bisque china head with delicately painted features and even has pierced ears! Rosie's many outfits include a sailor suit, a raincoat and parasol, several dresses and bonnets, and a nightdress and dressing gown set. Left: Rosie, 1910 -1920, 108.05.0036. Right: Unnamed doll, 1890-1910, 108.05.0044 Gift's of Catharine Robb Whyte, O.C., Banff, 1979. Another of Catharine's dolls that she held on to into adulthood is similar to Rosie but doesn't have a known name. She is dressed in a lacy white dress, black boots, and a thick knitted cardigan. Her hair is currently in braids but if she is one of the dolls in the first picture above, it was originally in long ringlets. This doll comes with her ow n tiny chair to sit on. Paper dolls seem to have been another favourite of Catharine's, with a substantial collection still stored in her bedroom in the Whyte Home. These dolls, carefully cut from newspapers and magazines, come with impressive and intricately drawn wardrobes. One set even comes with beautifully detailed French and Italian scenes to place the dolls into. They are in immaculate condition for their age and were obviously handled with great care by Catharine. Clockwise from top left: Paper Dolls, 1914-1920, 108.05.0054, 108.05.0080, 108.05.0052, 108.05.0068. Gifts of Catharine Robb Whyte, O.C., Banff 1979. While the above dolls belonged to Catharine as a child, there are many dolls in the Whyte home that were collected or inherited as an adult. This group of four Japanese dolls were purchased by Catharine's grandfather Edward S. Morse and given to her mother Edith Morse Robb, as indicated by a tag on two of them reading Mrs. R. Robb These dolls have porcelain faces, hands, and feet and are dressed in elaborate kimonos. The largest ( has fully moveable arms and legs and has a tag that states the doll maker was "Eitoku sai of Kyoto; Tokyo, Nihon Bashi Doli" who had 10 shops. Their immaculate condition suggests that these dolls were more decorative than playthings but, like the dolls above, they too have changeable outfits, and have been catalogued as Changing Dolls From Left: Changing Dolls, 1870-1890. 108.05.0100, 108.05.0099, 108.05.0098, 108.05.0097. Gifts of Catharine Robb Whyte, O.C., Banff 1979. After moving to Banff, Catharine developed strong relationships with many members of the Stoney Nakoda. As a result, she acquired (via gift or purchase) an abundance of beadwork, art, and other artefacts. Among these artefacts are a variety of dolls dressed in buckskin beaded with colourful glass beads. Much like the dolls Catharine played with as a child, these dolls also have tiny accessories: beaded headbands, necklaces, purses, and a beaded bunting bag. These dolls represent a confluence of Catharine's interests as a child and adult and illustrate how Catharine's collecting was driven by her passions. From Left: Papoose Doll, 1960-1970, 108.05.0020. Doll, 1960-1970, 108.05.0016 108.05.0019, 108.05.0017. Gifts of Catharine Robb Whyte, O.C., Banff 1979. Back to The Cairn

A Fireside Chat with Patricia Cucman and Chic Scott In June of 2024, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies released the book “To See What He Saw: J.E.H. MacDonald and the O’Hara Years, 1924 to 1932” to accompany the show J.E.H. MacDonald: The O'Hara Era . The book, written by retired geologists Stanley Munn and Patty Cucman, is the culmination of almost 20 years of searching for and documenting MacDonald’s paint sites at Lake O’Hara. On Thursday, June 27, Patty sat down with Chic Scott to tell the story of how the book came about. It all began inauspiciously in 2003—an innocent flirtation on a warm July evening. Art historian Lisa Christiansen, was in Le Relais at Lake O’Hara, talking about her hiking guide to the art of J.E.H. MacDonald at O’Hara. During the talk, someone said that exact painting locations could never be found. Stan and Patty believed this to be true but resolved to at least find the location of the famous Opabin “Shalesplitters” photo. And so it began. Finally in 2006 the photo location was found—thanks to the geology. It was easy to see that it was also a painting location and that the interpretation was incredibly literal. That week, the pair found several paint sites and sat upon the very rocks that MacDonald had sat upon to paint. This opened their eyes to a whole new O’Hara world at their boot tips. The flirtation soon became much more serious. Winters were spent hunting for painting images and reading diaries and letters. During O’Hara trips, images printed on card stock dictated hiking destinations. Artefacts and paint on rocks were found and almost 200 paint sites were photographed. The flirtation had blossomed into a true romance. The pair chose not to tell this personal story of exploration and discovery in their book, “To See What He Saw”, but in this Fireside Chat we will get to share their adventure. As Patty says, “It has been so much work but also so much just plain fun—as true love often is.”

File name: fonds: Title: Date: D escription: v439_pd_358_27_002 Moore family fonds "Harry Knight winning Calgary-Banff Dog Derby." [ca. 192?] A man on a horse riding down Banff Avenue with crowds on each side of the street. A man with a dog sled in the distance. Inscribed "Harry Knight winning Calgary-Banff Dog Derby."

File name: fonds: Title: Date: D escription: m307_33_132.1 Moore family fonds August 2 - 5, 1928 "TRAIL RIDERS OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES TRAIL RIDE TO THE LAKE OF THE HANGING GLACIERS AUGUST 2 TO 5. 1928 RIDER'S NAME Mrs. P A Moore J.M. GIBBON SECRETARY-TREASURER"

File name: fonds: Title: Date: D escription: v484_pa_046 George Paris fonds Peter Whyte, Cyril Paris, Pearl Moore, Mrs. Brodwick, and Raymond Young going up Sulphur Mountain. [ca. 191?] Pearl Brewster Moore wearing a striped coat and striped hat.

Explore careers at The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta. View current job opportunities, learn about working at The Whyte, and apply today. WORK WITH US Why Work at The Whyte? Working at The Whyte offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage of the Canadian Rockies, right in the heart of Banff National Park. Employees enjoy a collaborative and creative environment surrounded by stunning natural beauty, where passion for history, art, and community thrives. Museum Interpreter & Visitor Services Associate The Whyte in Banff is looking for two highly motivated and team-oriented people to share their passion for the art, history, and culture of this area with a wide variety of museum visitors. This position is 100% focused on visitor experience, whether through tour delivery or greeting and processing museum visitors at our front desk. LEARN MORE + APPLY Museum Interpreter The Whyte is looking for two highly motivated and team-oriented Museum Interpreters to share their passion for the art, history, and culture of this area with museum visitors. This position will develop your communication and program delivery skills while gaining valuable museum work experience. LEARN MORE + APPLY Museum Bookstore & Admission Associate The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff is looking for two highly motivated and team-oriented people to share their passion for the art, history, and culture of this area with a wide variety of museum visitors. This position is 100% focused on visitor experience, working at our bookstore greeting and processing museum visitors at our front desk. LEARN MORE + APPLY

Fanny Wedro, on Giving Back By Monte Greenshields, Manager of Development Back to The Cairn Image: Fanny Wedro (second from left) with friends at the Whyte Museum's Cascade Murals Unveiled event in October 2015. Last month, I had the privilege of visiting Whyte Museum donor Fanny Wedro at her home in Calgary. Fanny and her late husband Leo, are long-time supporters of the Whyte. Beginning in the 70s they owned the Cascade Hotel, now part of the Mount Royal Hotel. When the Cascade required renovations, eight hand-painted murals were removed and donated to the Whyte Museum. They have been in the Museum’s care ever since. Here is our conversation: Fanny, please tell me what brought you and Leo to Banff? We were living in Edmonton and somehow Leo heard the hotel was for sale. He contacted the owner [Sam Schultz] for more information and eventually we bought the hotel in 1972 from Sam—on a handshake if you can believe it! For two years, I would take my daughter and every weekend we would drive to Banff to be with Leo. First we used to stay at the Mile High and then we rented a home in Whiskey Creek before eventually buying a home in Valleyview. Banff was very good to us financially and we made many life-long friends there—it was family. It wasn’t until the year 2000 when we had to move to Calgary for Leo’s health reasons. Wadym Dobrolige (1913-1973), Skaters , 1955, oil, 68 x 138 cm, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Gift of Leo Wedro, Calgary, 1990, DoW.02.03. Banff certainly is a wonderful place to raise a family. Outside of working at the hotel what other activities were you involved in? For many years I was a member of the Soroptimist club and I was on the 'Ways and Means' committee (fundraising) we raised lots of money and we did a lot of good work. Wonderful! That is a perfect segue into my next question – can you tell me your feelings or thoughts about giving to charity and why it is important to you? I was born in the old country, my mother used to say when someone gives you a finger, you stretch them out a hand. Even though I am a Holocaust survivor, I came up from ashes, I am the only person left of my family—you must try to help others. I remember Mrs. Whyte [Catharine]—she was a wonderful lady, she used to look after people, the homeless and such. As I said, Banff was very good to us. So every year for Banff it is the Museum and the hospital. I cannot give thousands to everyone because there are so many people who need help, my God in Calgary there are so many, and of course I am a supporter of the Wedro Jewish Holocaust Foundation as well. Lastly, can you tell us about your association with the Museum and why museums are important to you? I love museums, what can I say? They are more than memory—it’s alive, it’s forever, it talks! Donations are always gratefully accepted by the Whyte Museum. If you like, support the Museum and our programming with an Online Donation . Back to The Cairn

A Fireside Chat with Barry Blanchard and Chic Scott Back to The Cairn On December 18, 2025, Chic Scott sat down with Barry Blanchard for a Fireside Chat at The Whyte. Barry Blanchard is one of Canada’s most accomplished and respected mountaineers. A legendary alpinist, guide, and author, Barry has played a pivotal role in shaping modern Canadian mountaineering and shares a long history and deep connection with Chic Scott. Joined by Chic, Barry reflected on a lifetime in the mountains, the evolution of alpinism in Canada, and stories that continue to shape mountain culture. Guests of the Fireside Chat enjoyed a dynamic, thoughtful, and engaging conversation. Back to The Cairn

Welcoming New Faces at the Whyte: Chris Hughes Back to the Cairn The Whyte Museum is pleased to welcome Chris Hughes as our new Chief Operating Officer. Chris joined the team on January 16, 2024. Chris comes to the Whyte from the Town of Banff where he has served for the past 15 years in progressive capacities, most recently as Director of Corporate Services. He brings an impressive knowledge of the community, financial and strategic planning, digital experience, policies and bylaws, and oversight of Town-owned assets. A well-known member of the community, Chris has lived in Banff for over 25 years and coaches minor hockey. He comes highly recommended by all who have worked with him and will be a great asset to the Whyte as we move ahead. Chris will be replacing the amazing Degju Suwal who has strengthened the Whyte’s operations in many ways over the past 12 years. Degju will be assisting Chris in the transition in the new year during budget and audit planning. Welcome to the Whyte, Chris! Back to the Cairn

Building Bridges within the Cultural Trade Route By Dawn Saunders Dahl, Indigenous Program Manager Back to The Cairn Banff sits on the traditional cultural trade route for the Stoney Nakoda, Dene, Blackfoot, Cree, Ktunaxa, Shuswap and later the Metis. I have been taught by my Elders that I have a responsibility to care for the land and to share. I am of Metis (Red River Ojibway) and settler (English, Norwegian, Swedish, French) ancestry and I am honored to be gifted the Stoney Nakoda name Âba aún and be the first Indigenous Program Manager at the Whyte Museum. Since 2008, I have been actively working with Alberta’s Indigenous Arts Communities through public art opportunities, art exhibitions, projects and events. My years as a professional arts administrator have allowed me to generate unique ideas with the goal of exploring powerful and potentially healing intersections between art, artists, and the community. In addition to being active within my own art practice, I believe that Arts and Culture build authentic experiences that support developing local artists and economies. Art making provides us with a sense of identity as we live through our own experiences, ancestors, families, the land, places and relationships. Crucial to this work is to have the support of the community and staff, to be encouraged and provide spaces for those who have been marginalized. Most importantly, is to listen – Ânarapta (Stoney Nakoda). Dating back to the 1930’s, the Whyte Museum’s founders, Peter and Catharine Whyte shared a unique and enduring friendship with the Stoney Nakoda. Many strong friendships formed between the Stoney Nakoda and the first Bow Valley settlers, that included friendly games of sport between the communities that lasted until the 1980’s. Building Bridges within the Cultural Trade Route enhances the Indigenous perspective within the Museum’s programs, exhibitions, operations and governance. This is key for museums, archives and educators to respond and implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Calls to Action. This program provides spaces and creates opportunities to discover, incorporate history and secure a foundation of community connectedness through art making and storytelling, improving awareness and appreciation for the shared history and future of Indigenous and settler cultures in the Bow Valley. The Cultural Trade Route program will reinvigorate, reclaim and re-establish new bonds that have not been accessible within the last 40 years in the Bow Valley. Participants will have the opportunity to break down barriers and perceptions of each other through the sharing of collective art making experiences, conversations and through the respectful building of friendships. We will also strive to reclaim spaces by providing outdoor classrooms in the Bow Valley for future generations, where learnings about the land can take place. Join us as we kick off this new series of programming that builds bridges with Indigenous artists, filmmakers, speakers and community members to re-discover the traditional Cultural Trade Route in the Bow Valley and exchange with each other. Kicking off this program is Lillian Rose from Ktunaxa, providing hands on basket making and eco dyeing workshops throughout the year. In March, Ojibway artist Sarah Agaton Howes will be leading moccasin making workshops and will share her experiences as the 2018-19 Native American Artist in Residence at that Minnesota Historical Society Museum and creating the book Grandmothers Gift Nookomis Obagijigan . These workshops will take place in Banff as well as in Morley with the community and art students at Chiniki College. The Cultural Trade Route programming also includes portrait and landscape painting workshops that I will be delivering to students in Morley throughout the year with other Indigenous artists. ALSO, the film Blood Memory will be screened at artsPlace in Canmore and Lakoda filmmakers from Minnesota and Stoney Nakoda community members will be in attendance to discuss the film in May of 2020. The importance of Land Acknowledgement sessions will take place in March and the Seven Stars performance by the Smalleyes Family will take place in June along with other programs during National Indigenous Peoples month. The Nakoda AV Club has been commissioned to create a documentary based on all these exciting programs and engage with the new Indigenous Advisory Committee. I look forward to seeing familiar and new faces and at the museum as we explore the Cultural Trade Route and develop Indigenous programs together. See our events page here for more information on upcoming programming. Back to The Cairn