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By Amie Lalonde, Registrar & Assistant Curator Back to The Cairn In early 2022, the Whyte Museum embarked upon cleaning various items in the Moore home (for a more detailed look at the Moore home, see my past series here). We brought in Lynne Huras, a Collections Specialist who has been cleaning artifacts since 2012 with the Luxton Foundation and Parks Canada. Lynne allowed me to shadow her during her four-day cleaning session, and gave me the opportunity to clean the largest animal in the house: a bison bust that the Moores won in a raffle! As a historic home, the objects within the Moore home have largely been left in-situ (that is, where they were when Philip and Pearl Moore lived there). This means that, despite our best efforts, the objects within the home are subject to more agents of deterioration than objects stored within our vault. The main objects of deterioration to be concerned about are dust and dirt, pests, light, and humidity. Thankfully, due to the dry Rocky Mountain air, humidity is less of an issue here than in some other places. Light is controlled by special window film and by keeping curtains closed when tours of the home are not going on. Pests are controlled with traps and monthly rodent inspections. Dust and dirt are created by human traffic, such as tours. More frequent traffic requires more frequent cleaning. Due to the pandemic, tours of the heritage homes had been paused, so few people had been in the homes since September 2019 – this has minimized dust and dirt compared to previous years when tours occurred three times a day every summer. What's Dust Got To Do With It? Why is dust a problem for artifacts? It is not just unsightly, but can cause damage due to its abrasive nature and can attract insects or mold.[1] From the Canadian Conservation Institute: “[dust] is a major concern for mammalian and bird specimens because dust gets trapped in delicate feather structures or enmeshed within the hair. Removing dust deposited on furs and feather surfaces is a delicate, time-consuming process that requires special equipment and training to prevent damaging the specimen. It may be impossible to remove it completely. Surface colours may also become obscured, and specimens may end up having significantly reduced interpretative and research value. Oily bone or hide materials are also highly vulnerable because dust deposits will stick to the oils and darken the surface. Dust is typically abrasive and contains compounds that contribute to the oils' degradation, which in turn contributes to surface darkening and causes embrittlement. Dust also often attracts pests, compounding the problems for hides, furs, feathers and insect collections already quite prone to insect infestation.”[2] So how did we clean the artifacts? It is a slow, careful process that requires a variety of specialized tools, including a variable-speed vacuum with a natural hair brush nozzle, natural bristle paintbrushes, cheesecloth, distilled water, Q-tips, and lint-free Kim wipes. Gallery 1 A Step-By-Step Guide The steps to cleaning an artifact are as follows: Visually inspect the artifact. Look for any cracks or issues with seams. Look for signs of pests (cobwebs, areas of feathers missing). Take photographs for reference. For hardier artifacts like mounted taxidermy animals, use a vacuum to get the dust off. Keep a cheesecloth over the nozzle of the vacuum to capture anything that comes off. This prevents you from losing any large pieces that may come off and gives the added benefit of seeing your progress in how much dust/debris comes off and how much fur from the animal is lost. Every time you clean an object, some fur, feathers, etc. will be lost. Conservation is all about striking a balance between cleaning to conserve the object and leaving it alone. It is important to handle objects as little as possible – some are left in place on the wall to avoid potentially damaging them by handling. Don’t run the vacuum over the object. Place the nozzle, wait a couple of seconds, and then pick up and place again. It is very slow and methodical work. The bison is one of the hardier animals so you can move the vacuum around a bit after placing it to get at dust deep in the hair. For ungulates, hair is hollow and very easily broken so you have to be precise and gentle. For more fragile objects, such as feathered headdresses, use a small animal hair paintbrush to slowly brush off dust. Then use a vacuum to clean the dust off of the brush. Natural hair brushes (and vacuum attachments) are important because dust sticks to them just like it sticks to the animals. Natural fibres are all non-abrasive and won’t catch on the natural fibres of the animals and feathers. For beadwork and other objects, how they are cleaned depends on how they are hanging and how stable they are. Assess the object’s stability first: if it is fragile use a paintbrush. Stronger objects, especially those mounted on hide can be cleaned with a gentle vacuum brush nozzle. Use extra care on drums or anything with paint to avoid cracking and lifting. Use distilled water on Q-tips or lint free wipe to clean hard areas such as eyes, horns, and antlers. Do not rub, but place and lift. You don’t want to get the object wet, as that could invite mold and humidity, so sponge off the Q-tip after dipping it in water. Gallery 2 While we were in the Moore home we were kitted out in full PPE - N95 mask, nitrile gloves, and lab coats. This was not due to the pandemic, but because taxidermy done before 1960 was done with arsenic and other toxic materials that can fall from the animal during cleaning. Later pieces of taxidermy can be treated with preservatives and pesticides and it is good to also protect yourself from dust. Gloves are always worn while handling museum artifacts. Slow and Steady Progress Lynne advised that it is important to trust the process! It is not always immediately apparent that you are making any progress so it is important to remember that you are getting dust off even if you can’t really see it. The cloth over the vacuum nozzle and the dirt on the wipes and Q-tips show how much you’ve removed and can be useful ways to gauge if there is more dirt with one cleaning over another (so you can investigate why that might be). Lynne saved the bison for the end of the cleaning session so that I could have a go. Climbing up on the latter with the vacuum in tow, I was awed by the sheer size of the bison head up close. I started by going over the right side of the bison’s head, neck, and shoulders with the vacuum. Just as Lynne had said, it didn’t look like I was making much progress but when I checked the cloth over the nozzle before moving to the front of the bison, sure enough, there was a good amount of dust. The upper tuft of hair above the forehead produced even more – and cleaning the eyes and nostrils provided immediate evidence that I was indeed getting a lot of dust off. All in all, the bison took me about two hours to clean – my arms were definitely tired by the end! Gallery 3 Lynne’s verdict after her week in the Moore Home: the objects are in very good condition. We did not lose much hair and had minimal cracking around the eyes and ears. Some objects could only be given a partial cleaning due to their fragility and difficulty removing from the wall safely. She gave us valuable insights to help us understand the amount and frequency needed for cleaning the objects need going forward and how our current practices are affecting the stability of the artifacts. Thank you, Lynne! Want to visit the Whyte Museum heritage homes for yourself? Book a private tour on your next trip to Banff, or download the self-guided Banff Walking Tour App on Apple and Google Play! Images: Image 1: Lynne Huras cleaning a taxidermy artifact in the Moore home. Personal collection of Amie Lalonde. Gallery 1: Left to right: tools of the trade; Lynne cleaning the nose of a deer (112.01.0009); Lynne photographing the bison (112.01.0007) before cleaning. Personal collection of Amie Lalonde. Gallery 2: Left to right: Lynne carefully using a brush to lift dust from a feathered dance bustle (112.01.0009); cobwebs between feathers; dust and dirt stuck to feathers. Personal collection of Amie Lalonde. Gallery 3: Left to right: My turn to try cleaning the bison (photo by Lynne Huras); removing dust and debris from the cheesecloth on the vacuum nozzle; the final pile of dust, dirt, and hair that was removed from the bison. Personal collection of Amie Lalonde. Sources: [1] https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/preventive-conservation/guidelines-collections/natural-history.html) [2] (https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/care-mounted-specimens-pelts.html) Back to The Cairn

By Mary Graham, Lillian Agnes Jones Scholar, Whyte Museum, 2021 Back to The Cairn I met the stubborn, meticulous, persnickety, iconic, loveable Nick (Nicholas) Morant on my first day as a Lillian Agnes Jones scholar at the Whyte Museum Archives in the winter of 2022, while researching the enduring importance of Banff to Alberta’s film industry. Image 1 The CPR had a long history of involvement in the Alberta film industry, even being given script approval on many films before 1960. So when they were enlisted to help director Arthur Hiller with the train stunt scenes for Silver Streak, they put their legendary photographer Nick Morant in charge of ensuring contractual compliance. Hiller and the producers discovered that while Nick was an annoying stickler for details who didn’t let them get away with anything not stipulated in the contract, he was meticulous and knew trains better than anyone. He knew the mountains and understood the complexities of timing shots for the railway and stopping speeding trains because he had done so many exacting shots for the CPR, all with perfect staging and composition in precise detail and the best light. He conveyed those marvelous abilities to stage the train shots for their movie, including the still legendary runaway sequence of a passenger train racing through Calgary at breakneck speed. It was done in one take. Morant had a series of strange little notes and drawings in his minuscule five by three inch, ever-present notebook, entitled “Property of Nick Morant. 20th Century. C. P. RLWY”. One page from that notebook appears to be the decapitation of the villain’s head as two trains pass each other. This appears in one scene in the runaway train sequence at the end of the movie, which was shot at the Alyth Train Yards in Calgary. If you look closely you see it: the first touch point, the head going off, and the blurry mess that is left. It's simple, brilliant, and complete in its austere orchestration of movie magic - and horrifying to watch in the movie. Nick did such a splendid job coordinating the impressive and legendary train shots for Silver Streak that when he was hired as a train consultant for the first Superman movie two years later, the contract stipulated many of the same conditions and terms of his duties. The CPR leased the train to the movie’s producers for $52,000, and six cars were brought in from across Canada. They were painted silver at the Ogden Rail Yards in Calgary just before filming. Nick oversaw it all. He also orchestrated the scene where a young Clark Kent outruns the train. They filmed the scene on tracks near Barons, Alberta, which was also the location of Clark Kent's movie high school between August 6 and 8,1977. Extra footage of the fast-moving train was taken on a run down to southern Alberta the night before they went to Barons. Soon after, Terrence Malick hired Nick for Days of Heaven. Malick was shooting scenes at odd times to capture the famous Alberta “magic hour” light; those brief, brilliant moments between day and dusk. The Hollywood technicians and producers were uncomfortable with that and relations were often strained. Matters weren’t helped when Nick wouldn’t let them move the CPR train back a couple of feet on the Lethbridge viaduct because he wanted proof of adequate insurance. He says he stood his ground. “They threatened and cajoled me and took me out to dinner. Come on, we’re just going to run it down the track a little way, you know. I said I was very sorry but I just couldn’t allow them to do that.” 1 Once the insurance matter was settled, filming continued, and a couple of days later, Nick drove down to southern Alberta from Banff with the Hollywood crew. At the end of the day, he was told they had no room for him in the car for the ride back. Nick says it was payback time. “Fine, I told them. I had my CPR radio so all I had to do was call the station and they could easily send a car down to get me. Then an impasse developed.” 2 A Calgary cameraman, an IATSE union member, declared none of his group would leave unless Nick came as well. Nick gleefully waited until they finally let him get in the car. The legendary Swiss Guides of Banff were instrumental to filmmaking in the very early and busy days of filmmaking in the Canadian Rockies, passing the torch to Banff’s “Mountain Man” Bruno Engler in the late 1950s. While trying to orchestrate the filming of an avalanche for the Academy Award-winning Walt Disney nature documentary, White Wilderness (1958), Engler says one evening he happened upon Rudolph Aemmer and Eduard Fuez, two of the most important guides to early film history. They were at the isolated alpine cabin near the Plain of Six Glaciers after waiting all day for an avalanche on the Lower Victoria Glacier. He was cold, tired, and discouraged. The three mountain legends stayed up all night discussing where Engler should hold his “vigil for the avalanche” the next day. They decided that a different spot on the glacier would yield the best results and Engler headed off in the morning with new vigor. An avalanche finally came roaring down that day, but he was on a much-needed toilet break and had to scramble back to his camera with his pants down. It also didn’t help that a pair of skiers happened to pass by at the same time. He got mostly the cloud of snow dust left in its wake. His vigil did eventually end and he did get an avalanche shot for the movie. Engler worked on many films shot in and around the Canadian Rockies in his long career in film, beginning as a mountain consultant with The Far Country (1954), which was filmed in the summer of 1953. He warned director Anthony Mann that an avalanche would happen around 3 o’clock in the afternoon while they were filming the cast trekking up the massive Athabasca Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield, with pack horses. Image 2 Mann chose to ignore him. Bad choice. Massive chunks of snow and rock came roaring down the glacier around that time and Engler saved one of the film’s stars from certain death. She later called Engler “The God of the Glacier” in media interviews. She said the cast and crew bowed to him and respected everything he said after the incident. Engler recounts that 20 years later, while working on Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) at Morley, he heard the crew talking around the fire one night about a legendary Banff mountain guide who saved Anthony Mann and his cast from an avalanche in 1953. “I didn’t tell them it was me”, said Engler. About Mary Graham Mary Graham is a writer, documentary journalist, and film historian, with a degree in Arts, and graduate degrees in Journalism and Marine Law. She has appeared as a feature film specialist at CBC Radio and ARTE, the European Culture Channel. Her book A Stunning Backdrop: Alberta in the Movies, 1917-1960 was published in October of 2022. Her research at the Whyte Archives as a Lillian Agnes Jones Fellow will contribute to a second book on filmmaking in Alberta, after 1960. About the Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship In 2001, the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation/Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies received a bequest from the estate of Lillian Agnes Jones. Lillian Agnes Jones (1909 – 2000) was a cousin to Whyte Museum founder, Peter Whyte. Her mother, Elizabeth Jane, was Dave White’s sister. She and her husband Clifford Jones moved to Calgary in 1900. Their daughter, Lillian, was educated at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and the University of Washington State, graduating in 1952 with a degree in Library Science. She was Head Librarian for Cal Standard Oil Company in Calgary and was a member of the University Women’s Club. The Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship was established “for study and research related to the history of Western Canada.” Initially administered as a graduate student scholarship through the University of Calgary, it was realigned in 2019 to be administered through the Whyte Museum, with an open call for scholarly residency proposals across Canada. Learn more about the work of past and present Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship recipients here. Images: Image 1: Nicholas Morant making a face. [ca. 1945-1955]. Photograph by Peter Whyte. Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds. V683 / III / A / 3 / PA - 92. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Image 2: "Bruno Engler and actor Corinne Calvet on the Athabasca Glacier while filming The Far Country, Jasper National Park, Alberta.", [ca. 1953], (CU1209933) by Calgary Albertan. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary. Sources: Bruno Engler fonds. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Engler, Bruno; Sandford, Robert, ed., A Mountain Life, Alpine Club of Canada, Canmore, Alberta, 1996. Nick Morant fonds. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Back to The Cairn

By Hannah Yuzwa, Archives Assistant Back to The Cairn One of the things I love about working in an archive is that you never know what you are going to find! My name is Hannah Yuzwa, and I am the Archives Assistant at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. I grew up in Calgary and attended the University of Lethbridge. While at school I was introduced to the archival profession. Working in the University Archives, I was amazed by the stories and connections that people discover within the collections. Since then, I have had the privilege to work in a variety of archival institutions which has grown my passion for cultural heritage. I was hired in August to process the Alpine Club of Canada collection and help make it available to the public. For the next several months, it will be my Everest (poor pun intended, sorry Chic Scott)! Every day I am fascinated by the range and scope of this collection. Whether you are reading through signatures and adventures in hut registers, or sassy memos from a Canadian Alpine Journal editor, the wealth of information is remarkable. One afternoon, as I sifted through the backlog, I came across a small package and a letter inside, with an address from Salt Lake City, Utah. From the moment I saw that letter, I knew I had found a gem. In 1971, the author of the letter was working for a recycling company in Calgary. She was hired to clean out the office of a former Alpine Club president when she stumbled across a collection of black and white photographs from the early 1900s. She saved and kept them in a scrapbook for decades. In the fall of 2000, the author penned the letter and mailed the package of photographs in hopes of finding a proper home. The package contained over 100 photographs of the Calgary Section at summits, club houses, camps, Sunday Services, and much more. One of these extraordinary photographs has an inscription that reads, “Members of the A.C.C. in camp 1911”. In the photograph, multiple women are wearing pants, unorthodox for the mainstream society of the time. This photograph highlights the popularity and inclusion of women in the A.C.C. since its inception. Over the years, the Club has grown to include members from all over the globe. Image 1 The photographs in this package document an important part of the A.C.C.’s history. Their collection contains more stories like this and so much more! While these photographs have not been digitized yet, the Whyte Archives are open for research appointments from Tuesday to Friday, 1 pm to 5 p.m. Please email archives@whyte.org to schedule your appointment today. You can also start your search of our collections on our website. Images: Image 1: [Photos CH Early ACC Camps], Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Alpine Club of Canada fonds (V14/M200/accn. 6376) Back to The Cairn

In 1996 and 1997 Chic Scott recorded 84 interviews with leading mountaineers all across Canada, as research for his book, Pushing the Limits, The Story of Canadian Mountaineering. These interviews have been safely stored in the archives of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies for 25 years and have now been digitized. Filmmaker Glen Crawford, working with Chic, has selected eleven of the best interviews and has edited them and added photographs to create superb enhanced interviews. These interviews are with Tim Auger, Sharon Wood, Hans Gmoser, Kevin Doyle, Brian Greenwood, Barry Blanchard, Leo Grillmair, Pat Morrow, Don Vockeroth, Charlie Locke, and Laurie Skreslet. About Laurie Skreslet: Laurie Skreslet achieved fame in 1982 when he became the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest. But before this Laurie had paid his dues and had pioneered some of the hardest waterfall ice climbs in the Rockies. After his Everest climb, Laurie went on to a successful career as a motivational speaker. In this interview, recorded in Calgary on September 20, 1996, Laurie speaks eloquently of his passion for climbing, his love of the mountains and the deep friendships he has made over the years. See more enhanced interviews in the Pushing the Limits: The Legacy project.

In 1996 and 1997 Chic Scott recorded 84 interviews with leading mountaineers all across Canada, as research for his book, Pushing the Limits, The Story of Canadian Mountaineering. These interviews have been safely stored in the archives of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies for 25 years and have now been digitized. Filmmaker Glen Crawford, working with Chic, has selected eleven of the best interviews and has edited them and added photographs to create superb enhanced interviews. These interviews are with Tim Auger, Sharon Wood, Hans Gmoser, Kevin Doyle, Brian Greenwood, Barry Blanchard, Leo Grillmair, Pat Morrow, Don Vockeroth, Charlie Locke, and Laurie Skreslet. Don Vockeroth: Don Vockeroth was one of the first Canadian-born climbers to be at the forefront of the sport in this country. He climbed with cat-like grace and put up nine new routes on Yamnuska. His route on the north buttress of Howse Peak is now one of the great classic lines of the Rockies. Don was also a fine skier and a certified ski instructor and during the winters he could be found on the ski slopes at Lake Louise and later Rossland. Don received his mountain guides license in 1967 and has devoted many years to this profession. During the 70s and 80s, he led climbs at the Alpine Club of Canada camps and was much loved by the club members. Chic interviewed Don on December 28, 1996, in his home in Rossland, British Columbia. See more enhanced interviews in the Pushing the Limits: The Legacy project.

In 1996 and 1997 Chic Scott recorded 84 interviews with leading mountaineers all across Canada, as research for his book, Pushing the Limits, The Story of Canadian Mountaineering. These interviews have been safely stored in the archives of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies for 25 years and have now been digitized. Filmmaker Glen Crawford, working with Chic, has selected eleven of the best interviews and has edited them and added photographs to create superb enhanced interviews. These interviews are with Tim Auger, Sharon Wood, Hans Gmoser, Kevin Doyle, Brian Greenwood, Barry Blanchard, Leo Grilmmair, Pat Morrow, Don Vockeroth, Laurie Skreslet, and Charlie Locke. Pat Morrow is a quiet and modest man with an impressive climbing career. He pioneered winter ascents and waterfall ice climbs in his early years in the Rockies, was the second Canadian to climb Mount Everest, and went on to become the first person to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. Pat is also an accomplished photographer and filmmaker with many books and films to his credit. Chic Scott caught up with Pat in his home in Canmore on December 5, 1996. See more enhanced interviews in the Pushing the Limits: The Legacy project.

Back to the Cairn By Dawn Saunders Dahl, Manager of Indigenous Relationships and Programs & Tera Swanson, Marketing and Communications Manager Since a time beyond memory, the Cave and Basin, Banff, and surrounding areas have been a place for gathering, healing, trade, travel, cultural exchange, economic activity, spiritual practice, and ceremony in connection with the land. Over thousands of years to the present, many different peoples have lived in and visited this place, making it what it is today—a landscape multi-layered with stories, languages, memories, and perspectives. This year, the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and Cave and Basin National Historic Site partnered to honour the rich Indigenous history and contemporary significance of this special and sacred space through the arts. Indigenous connections to the hot springs, Banff, and the mountains are visible to all site visitors in the form of colorful murals created by emerging Indigenous artists. The guiding theme for the project is “Stories of this Place.” Selected artists in 2022 are from Treaty 7 nations: Gordon Wesley - Îyârhe Nakoda, Ina Old Shoes - Kainai (Blackfoot) and Nathan Meguinis - Tsuut’tina (Dene). Ina Old Shoes shared her experience participating in this mural project, and how she interpreted the "Stories of this Place" theme. The Niitsitapi artist from Kainai illustrates the stories of her people in the mountains, stories that have not been shared often and can now be a part of the history of Banff. "Because I'm not going to be there to be able to tell people the story, I'm not going to be there to be able to represent that voice in that story, I wanted somebody who I knew was well respected within our tribe, to be able to be that face," she explained. "And that's why I chose my grandpa, Pete Weasel Moccasin to be the face of Kainai, and be the person to be able to represent all of us." One side of Ina's 8x8 foot mural is a portrait of her grandfather, with his arms outstretched and palms facing upward. "I wanted his hands out to be able to be telling the story because we speak with our hands," she said. "And when adults approach this mural, you get to go back into the perspective of a child being able to listen to a story from an Elder, so there's a lot of symbolism behind it and there's a lot of perspective." Leading up to the project, the artists toured the Cave and Basin National Historic Site and accessed the Whyte Museum Archives and Special Collections to aid in researching and developing the ideas for their mural paintings. Ina shared her experience: A settler perspective was shared about the first European visitors to the hot springs – that when they smelled sulfur, they smelled money. When they touched the warm water, they knew it was liquid gold and that they could make money off the land. This inspired me to share Blackfoot knowledge that is not centered around monetary wealth, but of spiritual wealth through knowledge. From here, she asked her Elder about the Rocky Mountains in Banff, and she was told that her people never really settled in the mountains or inhabited these parts. "We were Plains people who were around Ninaistako (Chief Mountain) most of the time and followed the buffalo," she said. "When we did come to the mountains, it was for vision quests. During this project I learned how to access and research collections at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, so I began with books that spoke about vision quests." This story is depicted in another panel of her mural, with a young man in pre-colonial times in the early morning having a vision of a Buffalo spirit. Learn more about the mural artwork of Gordon Wesley, Ina Old Shoes, and Nathan Meguinis, and read their full artist statements here. Mentorship and cooperation between partners, community, Elders, staff, and artists are key for collaborative projects to be a success. Indigenous arts and culture hold an unmeasurable wealth of knowledge, and for centuries Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Artists have provided support systems for younger generations. As generations leave, that loss of knowledge combined with integration of different worldviews reduces and limits opportunities to continue to ‘pass the fire’. Gallery 1 The goal of embedding a mentorship opportunity within the Cave and Basin Mural project is to provide positive experiences through the transfer of knowledge, strengthening Indigenous artistic voices within the public art and art exhibition fields. "The success of this project reinforces how important it is to have patience and take the time to include thoughtful conversations with the Indigenous community, artists, and partners," says Dawn Saunders Dahl, Manager of Indigenous Relationships and Programs at the Whyte Museum. "We were able to create and deliver this project to directly support emerging Indigenous artists and ensure they gain experience and skills. Having positive experiences for artists and administration solidifies future projects that ensure Indigenous artists and community have the opportunity to also share their stories of this place." This project was guided by Dawn Saunders Dahl, Angus Leech with Parks Canada, and Mural Artist AJA Louden. In addition to mentoring the artists about art techniques, research, and public art, Cheyenne Bearspaw - Îyârhe Nakoda was also mentored about events, mural, and art administration. The Whyte Museum looks forward to further collaborations and partnerships as we continue to connect with the people and the lands that we reside on. We acknowledge that in order to continue this important work, we all must learn the truths and actively reconcile the consequences of these truths, in the spaces where we learn, work and socialize. To learn more about Indigenous programs and initiatives at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, please visit whyte.org/indigenous Back to the Cairn Source: Old Shoes, Ina. Interview by Tera Swanson. Personal Interview. Banff, AB, July 15, 2022. Image Captions: Mural paintings in progress at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Photo by Josh Segeleski. Ina Old Shoes portrait painting of grandfather Pete Weasel Mocassin. Photo by Josh Segeleski. Ina Old Shoes working on mural painting. Photo by Dawn Saunders Dahl. Gallery Captions: Treaty 7 Artist Ina Old Shoes working on mural painting. Photo by Josh Segeleski. Treaty 7 Artist Nathan Meguinis working on mural painting. Photo by Josh Segeleski. Treaty 7 Artist Gordon Wesley working on mural painting. Photo by Josh Segeleski. Mentor AJA Louden putting finishing touches on Gordon Wesley's mural painting. Photo by Josh Segelski. Treaty 7 Artist Gordon Wesley working on mural painting. Photo by Josh Segeleski. Treaty 7 Artist Gordon Wesley working on mural painting. Photo by Josh Segeleski.

By Bev and Harman Delyea, Whyte Museum Members Back to the Cairn Our favourite way to connect with nature is hiking where we can stop to see vistas of lakes, woods, and wildflowers. Sitting still and observing nature can be very contemplative and put us in creative states of mind. We are a husband and wife team of artists who have travelled the Canadian Rocky Mountains together for over 50 years. Our first hike in the Bow Valley was to Lake Agnes on our honeymoon in 1969, and we have returned to the area many times. We both became artists after retirement, and as we became more familiar with Catharine and Peter Whyte, we wanted to go to the same locations they went to. With their inspiration, we hiked, sketched, and studied how they interpreted scenes and the colours they used. Back at home, we created our artwork. On the trail, we enjoy the people we talk to—occasionally a solo hiker joins us or we join others on a break. We find similar interests and share enjoyment of where we are. People we meet are happy being on a trail in nature and hiking in fresh air in spectacular settings. There is a trail up nearly every mountain and around every corner on which to be in nature and have artistic inspiration. On the trail or sitting on a bench in town, we think of these as meeting places: most people, like us, do not live in Banff, but love that we can visit any time of year and connect with the land as well as other people. Like us, they want to be here. The Bow Valley environment is inspiring and supportive, and attracts many who are experts in their fields, including visual arts. Visiting the Bow Valley and attending exhibitions and events at the Whyte Museum, we have come to appreciate the opportunities that Catharine envisaged. At times, we visit the Museum Shop for souvenirs for our family. And, when possible, we enjoy a tour of Catharine and Peter’s home next door — seeing their belongings and art has a profound effect on us because they did what we like to do. As the museum moves into the 21st century, supporters all have personal reasons to seek out and enjoy connecting to nature on the trails and discovering the enrichment of history, visual art, and conversations. For us, this yields artistic inspiration; we never know what new art might spring from a stay in the Bow Valley and a visit to the Whyte Museum. Exhibitions in the museum stay with us for many years. We always relish seeing original works by Catharine and Peter Whyte whenever we can, plus other Canadian painters. We’ve also enjoyed themed exhibitions such as Yellowstone to Yukon: The Journey of Wildlife Art (2011) and Out of the Wildfire (2004), as well as many others. From a personal point of view, we have six grandchildren to whom we hope to bestow knowledge of the arts, a deep appreciation of the history of places that were important to us, and of course, opportunities to immerse themselves in pure nature as we have been privileged to do. Images: Image 1 - [Lunch on the rocks, trail to Stanley Glacier], 2017, Personal Collection of Harman and Bev Delyea, Fernie. Image 2 – Delyea, Bev, Salmon Sunset, stained glass mosaic (stained glass on plywood, grouted), 2009 (Fernie). Image 3 – Delyea, Harman, Moiraine Lake, acrylic paint on canvas, 2016, (Fernie). Back to the Cairn

Back to the Cairn Currently at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, a variety of new exhibitions are available to enjoy on your next trip to Banff this summer. A visit to the Whyte Museum is the perfect way to enjoy the local culture and history of this area, complementing other exciting events and activities here in Banff National Park. And with a convenient location downtown on Bear Street, you're within walking distance of Banff Ave, restaurants, and several local attractions - it's never too far to stop by! The Whyte's current summer exhibitions range from traditional to contemporary, and you'll find art from creatives with a breadth of backgrounds, including Métis beadwork artists, a number of the founding members of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts (RCA), local multimedia artists, Treaty 7 artists, and even our very own founders, Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte. Some exhibitions are making a return appearance after an initial interruption by COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, and others are coming to the museum for the very first time. Find out why you should check out Canoe, Breathe, About Face, Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte: Fan Favourites, and the Cave and Basin Mural Project this summer! Canoe Displayed in its entirety for the first time this summer at the Whyte, Canoe is a private collection that spans 200 years of painting in Canada and is the only comprehensive privately held collection focusing on canoes. The canoe has been termed the vessel that shaped Canada, and it was voted one of the Seven Wonders of Canada by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in a national competition in 2007. It has captured our imagination and allowed us to explore remote areas of the country with intimacy and wonder. The canoe is our enduring connection to Canada’s remarkable geography. The collectors, Grit and Scott McCreath, have gathered works that articulate the history of Canada through depictions of Indigenous and settler populations in various landscapes. Through the works of art, the viewer learns of the historical structure and usage of Indigenous vessels and the role this plays in carrying cultural knowledge forward. The McCreath canoe collection began innocently in 2006 as a birthday present from Grit to Scott with the purchase of an 1875 watercolour by Canadian artist Lucius O’Brien (1832 – 1899). Eventually, the concept of collecting specific to subject was discussed and Rod Green of Masters Gallery in Calgary became the leading locator of the historic and contemporary paintings. The McCreaths expanded the collection with three-dimensional pieces, one of which is a 14-foot canoe made of one continuous piece of birch bark in 2017 by Canmore resident Don Gardner. The earliest work is an incredibly rare 1820 watercolour by John Halkett (1768 – 1852). The collection also includes artist-explorers of the 19th century, who were contracted by Sir William Van Horne to depict the construction of the CPR railway and expansion of western Canada. In 1880, a number of the artists were founding members of the prestigious peer-adjudicated organization the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts (RCA). The 20th-century works are by creative, well-established artists from across Canada who are also celebrated as art educators, designers, and printmakers. The collection encompasses works from all provinces and territories except the Yukon and spans all three Canadian coasts. The exhibition is supported by BMO Private Wealth and Grit and Scott McCreath and family. The Whyte Museum is most grateful to the McCreaths for lending us this important and remarkable evolving and expanding collection. Check out the recent media coverage of Canoe: Exhibit offers look at history of canoeing in Canada | Greg Colgan with Rocky Mountain Outlook Banff's Whyte Museum celebrates 200 years of canoe art in new exhibition | CBC News Breathe In early March 2020, COVID-19 arrived in Canada, beginning a long period of isolation, closures, and distress. Shortly thereafter, the Whyte Museum closed its doors but stayed in touch with the community through online video presentations. Some visitors were able to view the first Breathe exhibition in person but the majority were restricted to our online interview with co-creators and Métis artists Nathalie Bertin and Lisa Sheppard. The genesis for the exhibition first evolved within the first two weeks of the shutdown. Both Nathalie and Lisa noticed a distinct absence of beaded objects being made by traditional artisans. For them, it was curious as they assumed it was the exact time artists should be creating. Known as the Flower Beadwork People, the Métis put their distinct style of beading on a wide variety of objects and garments as a general practice. In speaking with their peers, Nathalie and Lisa learned that the pandemic had completely blocked the creativity of many. For some, it was a déja-vu to generations prior whose relatives were gravely impacted by infectious diseases. Very quickly Nathalie and Lisa invited Indigenous artists to create hand-crafted masks. Realizing the effect of the pandemic impacted all populations, they soon opened the call to anyone, in any traditional medium authentic to their own culture and artistic practice. Artists from Canada, the US, many parts of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand responded with the resulting success prompting a second circulating exhibition Each traditionally crafted mask tells a unique story of the artists’ experience and shares a common message on the importance of breath. Constructed of diverse materials, these 90 contemporary artifacts record a significant historical moment in human history. About Face About Face features multimedia works from Calgary artist Bev Tosh, exploring waste left from the pandemic. Pieces include a prom dress using the distinctive blue and white disposable face masks. These masks also appear in self-portrait paintings, as well as a depiction of the Mona Lisa in a piece entitled “Panda Mona.” Bev writes, “As a child, I recall the shock of the ground suddenly lurching and shifting under my feet while walking to school. The global pandemic shook my world no less than that earthquake of my youth. Like an aftershock, it caused a sudden 'About Face' - or reversal of direction - in my artwork. The title is intended to be both literal and figurative. When facial expression is obscured, what’s left? I probed my own masked reflection in a mirror (I was required to enter my studio masked) in a series of 'blind contour' self-portraits in ink on paper. These distorted drawings led to other masked self-portraits, both playful and serious. Disposable masks, lost or tossed, were simply gone with the wind; snagged by fences and washed into storm drains. This new detritus of our times suggested to me the old classic movie, 'Gone with the Wind,’ and the ballgowns of southern belles, the antithesis of contemporary work-from-home-wear." Bev Tosh is a contemporary artist and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. She received her Masters of Fine Art in Painting from the University of Calgary, graduated with distinction from the Alberta College of Art and Design, and was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Fine Art (U of S). Bev has lectured and taught art at several Canadian colleges and universities. As a practicing artist, Tosh has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. Cave and Basin Mural Project Featuring Treaty 7 Artists Since a time beyond memory, the Cave and Basin, Banff, and surrounding areas have been a place for gathering, healing, trade, travel, cultural exchange, economic activity, spiritual practice, and ceremony in connection with the land. Over thousands of years to the present, many different peoples have lived in and visited this place, making it what it is today—a landscape multi-layered with stories, languages, memories, and perspectives. This year, the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and Cave and Basin National Historic Site partnered to honour the rich Indigenous history and contemporary significance of this special and sacred space through the arts. Featured mural Artists include Nathan Meguinis (Tsuut'ina), Gordon Wesley (Îyârhe Nakoda), Ina Old Shoes (Blackfoot) and Mentor AJA Louden. Visit the Cave and Basin National Historic Site to see this mural project, on for the summer of 2022! Learn more about the artists and their work here. Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte: Fan Favourites This exhibition delves into the artistic practice of our founders Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte whose love of the outdoors provided endless possibilities to paint a variety of subjects all within close proximity to their Bow River log home. The Whyte’s personal artistic styles were influenced in part by Peter’s earlier awareness of artists Belmore Browne and Aldro T. Hibbard; Catharine’s family's philanthropic artistic connections, and the education they both received at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. During their tenure, the customary 19th and early 20th-century academic instruction required students to “paint what they saw” along with prescribed artistic rules. The training was in-depth, requiring discipline, patience, and stamina. These qualities proved useful when confronted by the enormity of the mountain vistas, the rapidly changing light, and frequent changing climatic conditions. Together, and often painting in close proximity to each other, Peter and Catharine produced hundreds of 8” x 10” oil sketches with many functioning as colour notes for larger canvases. Depending on the weather patterns of the day, these small works were completed within a time frame of twenty minutes to two hours. As well as small sketches, Peter completed large-scale studio works. However, Catharine’s only large canvas #19 titled Larches is relatively small in comparison. Equally as gifted a painter as her husband, one can only speculate that her wifely duties, disciplined correspondence, and endearing desire to promote Peter kept her occupied. Indeed, once the new upstairs home studio was completed in 1939 with a distant proximity to her office and the kitchen, Catharine did not attempt large-scale canvases. Of interest are the frames on the small paintings which are replications of Peter Whyte’s hand-carved one adorning canvas #40 titled Bow Lake. It was an early practice for artists to construct and decorate their own frames and a skill Peter learned from artist Aldro T. Hibbard, who was both a visitor to Banff in 1925 and 1926 as well as an alumni of the School of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston. The small speckled replicas were made by master framer Jarvis Hall of Norberg Hall Art Gallery, Calgary. In a 1979 interview for Canadian Collector Magazine with Joan Murray, Catharine recalled: “My husband was quite influenced by Belmore Browne (1880-1954) and Carl Rungius (1869-1959). We both were a bit. There was quite a group of us in Banff: Belmore Browne, Charlie Beil, Nick de Grandmaison, Walter Phillips. And so many visiting artists too: Fred Brigden, A.C. Leighton, Charlie Comfort, H.G. Glyde, George Pepper, Kay Pepper were all here at one time or another, either painting or teaching at the BSFA. Of course we also knew J.E.H. MacDonald, Lawren Harris, Arthur Lismer, and A.Y. Jackson…” Available in our shop is Artistry Revealed: Peter Whyte, Catharine Robb Whyte and Their Contemporaries which provides an in-depth understanding of their artistic careers. Back to the Cairn

By Kayla Cazes, Community Engagement and Reference Service Associate Back to The Cairn Have you wanted to volunteer but can’t imagine how to fit it into your busy schedule? Well, you’re in luck! The Archives and Special Collections is currently seeking digital volunteers to transcribe various letters and diaries! How do I help? From the comfort of your home and at your own pace create an account on transcribe.whyte.org. Once you have signed up, select the Tips and Guidelines page for helpful guidance in how to transcribe handwritten materials into useable data! Why is this important? Archives and Special Collections have a traditional stigma of elitism surrounding how and who can access our collections. Here at the Whyte, we want to change this. Our collections are for everyone to enjoy and use. This transcription initiative helps us dismantle barriers and provide access for all types of researchers including those with disabilities and individuals who live remotely. What's been done already? On the website you will find two projects already uploaded and started by other volunteers! These include a variety of travel letters from Catharine Robb Whyte including Hawaii, Japan, and locations throughout the Canadian Rockies. The other is avid explorer of the Canadian Rockies, Lillian Gest. How it works! Our transcription project works on a team-based participation system. What does this mean? Each project requires two transcriptions: one volunteer transcribes the document first, and the other double-checks the work that has been done. Finally, it comes back to us here in the archives to verify. Why is this system important? It helps us ensure that the information that is being transcribed is as accurate as possible! Find out more about the potential people in the above projects on our database below! 1. Mary (Molly) Wright Adams 2. Sid Unwin 3. Ulysses LaCasse 4. Catharine Robb Whyte Have further questions? Feel free to reach out to us at archives [at] whyte.org Here's the link to our transcription project! Back to The Cairn

By Jacinda Brisson, Archives Indigenous Research Intern Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage (Career Focus) Back to The Cairn Our staff recognizes how inaccessible and daunting archives have been due to an institutional history of colonial and elitist practices. Part of my role as the Young Canada Works Archives Indigenous Research Intern is to bridge some of the gaps that exist within museum culture, specifically in archives, that may otherwise be unrecognized by non-Indigenous individuals. One of the ways to bridge these gaps was by creating the Archives and Special Collections Indigenous Access Guide - the newest addition to the Whyte Museum’s collection of online resources. This access guide was created to give users a sense of the Indigenous materials we hold in the archives while also providing guidance on how to find materials and search using our online database. To create a guide to the Indigenous materials in the archives, I wanted to develop it with the purpose of increasing accessibility, especially for Indigenous peoples. The guide provides support for Indigenous individuals to conduct their own research in the Whyte Museum’s collections and explore the Indigenous materials we have here. The contents of this webpage are targeted toward local Indigenous audiences, however, non-Indigenous individuals are welcome to explore and use our Indigenous Access Guide as well. The guide offers a variety of information to make researching Indigenous content easier and more approachable for the user. There are several research tips, diagrams, and search terms to help with using our online database and finding specific archival materials. Additionally, I have included a section that breaks down some of the archival language we use and explains the use of reference codes in our collections and what they mean. This information can be found on the access guide under How To & FAQ, Research Tips & Tricks, Common Search Terms, and Understanding Fonds & Collections. In this guide, I have included a variety of information on general topics that pertain to Indigenous peoples such as Communities, Land, Peoples & Families, Language, Health, and more. These topics have each been assigned a page to offer a glimpse into the kinds of materials that exist in our archives, with examples of various books, maps, photographs, videos, and other documents. The topic pages can also be used as a starting point for anyone who wants to do research on Indigenous topics. They offer a variety of materials that could inspire or aid in any potential Indigenous research projects or ideas. The Indigenous Access Guide is one step in the right direction to Indigenous involvement in our archives and a future of Indigenous-led research using our collections. However, there is still much to be done to dismantle the colonial ideologies and practices that exist within our institution. My hope is that we can continue to create resources such as these to increase our accessibility and generate more opportunities for relationships with our surrounding Indigenous communities. To view the Archives and Special Collections Indigenous Access Guide, go to indigenousarchives.whyte.org Back to The Cairn

By Tera Swanson, Marketing and Communications Manager Back to The Cairn Perched on the precipice of Abbot Pass, a stone hut once sat at nearly 3000 metres, flanked by Mount Lefroy and Mount Victoria, and bordering two worlds below. To the north, Lake Louise – the epicentre of Banff National Park which attracts millions of tourists every year. And to the south, Lake Oesa and the broader Lake O’Hara region – a sensitive alpine area with restricted visitation in an effort to preserve the fragile environment. Much like the dichotomy of worlds surrounding it, Abbot Pass Hut served myriad purposes over the years: as a basecamp for classic mountaineering routes, as a destination in and of itself, and even as a lunch stop on a day hike. No matter the occasion, it has been a welcoming refuge and nostalgic reminder of a bygone era. As the years progressed, it also served as a time capsule. Although the interior was renovated in 1968 after ownership changed from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to Parks Canada and the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), few changes have been made from the original layout.[1] For a century, it has reliably stood by as an old friend to return to or remember fondly. 100 years after it was first built in 1922, Abbot Pass Hut was dismantled, with substantial removal of the hut completed on June 30, 2022. With slope erosion and glacial recession caused by climate change occurring at Abbot Pass, it was deemed uninhabitable during the summer of 2018 and was closed to overnight visitors. In February 2022, Parks Canada announced the following: When planning for the substantial removal of the hut, the Agency considered attempting to deconstruct it in a way that would allow for the hut to be rebuilt, either at Abbot Pass or at another location. This option is not feasible for two reasons: The unstable condition of the hut and the slopes at Abbot Pass mean that the delicate work required for this type of removal would pose too great a risk to the health and safety of Parks Canada staff and contractors. Based on consultations with experts in historical masonry, the type of material used to construct the hut (primarily limestone) is likely to fracture if moved and is not conducive to removal and reconstruction. Plans are being made to salvage some material from the hut for use in future commemoration of the site. Parks Canada will be working with stakeholders and interested parties to identify options for commemorating the enduring national significance of the site itself, the surrounding area, and to mountaineering in Canada. [2] Early Days of Abbot Pass Hut The hut was first brought to life thanks to the inspiration of Edward Feuz Jr. and Rudolf Aemmer, both respected mountaineers of the early 20th century. In her recently published book Edward Feuz Jr.: A Story of Enchantment, author D.L. Stephen explains: The guides were tired of leading guests up and down Mount Victoria in a single day and wanted to make the climb easier and "more enjoyable" for them. Abbot Pass was the ideal location for an alpine hut. Edward and Rudolf, used to high climbing huts in Switzerland, knew what they wanted. Putting their heads together they made some drawings and approached the construction foreman for the CPR, Basil Gardom, with their sketches. "He took things in hand," said Edward. This meant he badgered the CPR until architectural plans were made. The badgering was successful, because construction was begun and completed in 1922, at a cost of $35,000.[3] A small team of Swiss mountain guides constructed the hut using stones from the pass and supplies hauled up on horseback. The journey started from Lake Louise and over the infamous Death Trap – a route directly up the Victoria Glacier which today is not recommended due to crevasse and serac hazards. Given the location, constructing a building here would be no small feat even by today’s standards, let alone with the limitations of the time. In Stories of Ice, Lynn Martel writes in detail about the challenges of this undertaking: The logistics were stupendous. Two tons of cement, lime, timbers, windows and tools, plus a stove, beds, mattresses, bedding, cooking pots and pans, right down to the cutlery, had to be ferried up to the site. Food, too, to fuel the guides. It was all loaded onto a raft and paddled from the hotel to the southwest end of (Lake Louise). From there every piece was unloaded and carefully packed onto horses led by a wrangler who coaxed them onto the glacier – then extending some two kilometres lower than it does today – carefully guiding them around one crevasse and then the next. The steeds plodded upward on the bare summer ice until they reached a large gaping crevasse that stopped them in their tracks. From there the guides took over the Sisyphean job of man-hauling everything up the steep slope by rigging the jumbled icefall with a series of ladders and winches to facilitate carrying loads on a sled, each parcel weighing up to 35 kilograms. Anything that couldn't be loaded onto the sled they carried on their backs as they continued up the Death Trap – as they named the steep upper reaches of the glacier in apt reference to the unpredictable blocks and chunks that crash down from the unstable ice cliffs above. Once they were at the pass, thankfully, all the stones they needed to build the walls of the hut were already strewn all over the ground. With the help of a skilled stonemason they'd hired, the guides just had to gather up enough of them in the right sizes and shapes. The structure was then fastened to the bedrock with cables. Naturally, their work efforts were interrupted from time to time by howling gales. Abbot Pass Hut opened its doors to guests early in the summer of 1923. "The cabin had a big room for the kitchen and dining, a gentleman's dormitory, an attic with lots of mattresses," Feuz described. "There was even a sleeping room for ladies." For a time, there was even a pump organ for musical entertainment. As it was equipped with a pot-bellied stove, the guides carried firewood up to a spot below the hut where they kept it hidden, and then sold it by the bundle to hut users. No doubt they'd earned every cent, not an extra crumb of which was ever offered by the railway.[4] Gallery 1 An Unexpected Adventurer When news broke of the decision to dismantle Abbot Pass Hut, staff at the Whyte Museum dug into the vault of the Archives and Special Collections Library, bringing out Alpine Club of Canada hut registers that are stored here. Familiar stories jumped from the pages, both tragic and legendary. One related entry from Ernest Feuz in 1954 was also told on the walls of the hut itself, in a historic hut plaque written by Meghan J. Ward. It read: On July 30, 1954, Abbot Pass Hut played an integral role in sheltering and warming survivors of a tragic mountaineering accident on Mount Victoria in which three Mexican women and their guide were killed. In the safety of the hut, the rescuers, led by Ernest Feuz, “took off the girls’ boots and rubbed their feet, wrapped them in blankets and poured hot soup and tea into them,” wrote Harry Green in the 1955 CAJ.[5] In another entry from 1965,19-year-olds Charlie Locke and Don Gardner refer to themselves as "amateurs" on their traverse of the Ten Peaks. This still unrepeated route covered 22 peaks above Moraine Lake and Lake Louise over six-and-a-half days.[6] But a particular, peculiar entry stood out. It may be unusual for most to see a child’s drawings and “Count Dracula” signature in the logbook of the highest structure in Canada in the '60s, but for the author, Shauna Gillies-Smith, this wasn’t out of the ordinary. Having grown up at the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, trips up to Abbot Pass – over the Death Trap, no less – were a treat to look forward to. Shauna recounts her experience as a young seven-year-old girl on her first trip to Abbot Pass Hut with Pierre Lemire, a hired hand at the teahouse who frequently went up the pass. “We went up as a trip for my birthday present, late in the afternoon,” Shauna recalls. “Pierre was like a big brother to us so we’d go on lots of hikes and scrambles, but this one was kind of epic. I remember the snow bridges and being pulled across things really quickly by Pierre to make sure we were in good shape. I remember it being very steep. But I had absolute trust in him." Then in his early 20s, Pierre was at the start of his career as a respected photographer and mountain guide. His path toward becoming an ACMG mountain guide began around the same time as his summers working at the teahouse, making various trips in the nearby mountain ranges, and eventually passing his first guide's exam in 1971 with Hans Gmoser and Leo Grillmair as his examiners.[7] "As we started getting up, the weather got more and more intense," Shauna continued. "By the time we got to the top, the weather had turned for the worse. Pierre had a big sense of humor so he had me take off all of my mountaineering gear, and he sent me into the hut full of people all by myself. I made quite an entrance walking in there alone with the stormy weather outside, the snow and rain, and everybody cozy and warm inside.” She recalls the laughter from the mountaineers shocked to see a child in their midst, seemingly appearing from thin air in nothing more than climbing boots and the clothes on her back. The next morning they awoke to beautiful, clear skies for their descent to Lake Oesa, a stark contrast to her experience the day before. Shauna and her family have a special connection to Abbot Pass Hut and the Feuz family, as it was because of this hut that her childhood home was created. A few years after it was built in 1924, Edward once again persuaded the CPR to build the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse in the valley below, under the supervision of the same foreman. Although he initially, and unsuccessfully, pitched it as a personal residence, the CPR agreed to the structure serving as a teahouse for tourists. Feuz often used the teahouse as an overnight stop with clients en route to Abbot Pass for mountaineering objectives.[3] His family owned and operated the teahouse until the '50s, serving pie and tea to guests from Chateau Lake Louise. To this day, the teahouse is open every summer serving visiting hikers. In 1959, the Feuz family sold the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse to Joy Kimball who raised her two daughters, Shauna and Susanne, right on the mountain. The younger of the two, Susanne, still runs the Teahouse today. “Abbot Pass Hut has always felt like a part of our teahouse home, as if they were siblings or a part of our family,” Shauna says. “It had been there for so long and as kids we’d always try to track the climbers, watching them going up and down. So going up there was an incredible source of pride, but also a coming of age. It’s really special to us to look back on.” — The Whyte Museum Archives and Special Collections Library houses several resources to aid in research for stories like these, including the Canadian Alpine Journal, Alpine Club of Canada fonds, archival photographs including the Edward Feuz fonds, and much more. Explore for yourself online at www.archives.whyte.org – or book an appointment to visit in person. Purchase your own copy of Edward Feuz Jr: A Story of Enchantment by D.L. Stephen and Stories of Ice: Adventure, Commerce and Creativity on Canada's Glaciers by Lynn Martel at the Whyte Museum Book Shop, located at 111 Bear Street. Back to The Cairn Endnotes: [1] Parks Canada Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Government of Canada. “Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin.” December 24, 1999. https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_fhbro_eng.aspx?id=8717&i=75126. [2] Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada. “Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site.” Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site, July 13, 2022. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/yoho/culture/abbot/info. [3] Stephen, D. L. Edward Feuz Jr.: A Story of Enchantment. Rocky Mountain Books, 2021. [4] Martel, Lynn. Stories of Ice: Adventure, Commerce and Creativity on Canada's Glaciers. Rocky Mountain Books, 2021. [5] Ward, Meghan. “Farewell to Abbot Pass Hut.” Meghan J. Ward, February 24, 2022. https://www.meghanjoyward.com/blog/abbot-pass-hut. [6] Scott, Chic. Pushing the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering. Rocky Mountain Books, 2000. [7] “Rockies Guide and Photographer Awarded Summit of Excellence.” RMOToday.com. Rocky Mountain Outlook, October 21, 2015. https://www.rmotoday.com/mountain-guide/rockies-guide-and-photographer-awarded-summit-of-excellence-1567911. Source: Gillies-Smith, Shauna. Interview by Tera Swanson. Personal Interview. Banff, AB, March 15, 2022. Image Captions: Abbot Pass Hut and the Death Trap from Victoria Glacier, 1929, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds (V683/III/A/15/PA-18) Packing supplies to Abbot Pass, Alpine Cabin,1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Joe Warner fonds (V301/lC/ACCN/3044/NA66-1216) Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -79) Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Alpine Club of Canada fonds (M200). [Shauna Gillies-Smith at Abbot Pass Hut], 1969. Photo by Pierre Lemire. Personal Collection of Shauna Gillies-Smith. Gallery Captions: Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -77) Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -76) Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -75) Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -68a) Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -72a) Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -72c) Construction of Abbott Pass Hut, 1922, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Feuz fonds (V200/I/A/II/PA -69)