Stay tuned all summer for SnowSeekers' coverage of the highly anticipated event

Swiss mountain guides Christian Haesler (right) and Joan Oliver (left) looking at stunning Mt. Assiniboine, also known as the Canadian Matterhorn, in 1936. Courtesy of the Glenbow Archives

The opening reception of the Touring Exhibition: Swiss Guides: Shaping Mountain Culture in Western Canada was held on April 8th, 2010 at the Harbour Center in Vancouver. By all accounts, the opening was a rousing success. Ms. Ilona Spaar (PhD. Cand.), curator of the exhibit, introduced the exhibition.

Swiss Guides: Shaping Mountain Culture in Western Canada illustrates the remarkable history of Swiss mountain guides and Swiss skiers in the Canadian Rockies, as well as the Columbia and Coastal Mountains. It documents the pioneering methods the Swiss, well, pioneered, in terms of mountain guiding, mountain safety, skiing, and heli-skiing.

These people made significant contributions to the mountain culture of Western Canada, and rest assured that the beloved ski resorts of Alberta and British Columbia wouldn't be where they are today without the work of these extraordinary individuals. 

The exhibition will be touring from Vancouver to the following:

• Golden BC – Golden & District Museum, June 26 – August 31, 2010 
• Lake Louise, AB – The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, September 4 – September 26, 2010
• Banff, AB – The Banff Centre, Banff Mountain Film Festival, November 2010
• Jasper, AB – Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives, March 2011
• Prince George, BC – University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), April 2011
• Smithers, BC – Bulkley Valley Museum, Smithers Culture Crawl, May-October 2011
• Calgary, AB – November 2011
• Toronto, ON – December 2011

The mountain guides came from the Swiss Alps to work for the Canadian Pacific Railway hotels between 1899 and 1954. These guides went on to lead hundreds of first ascents and taught safe climbing techniques to thousands of people. The Swiss legacy lived on in the 1950s and 60s, when a new generation of Swiss mountaineers revolutionized modern mountain rescue and avalanche control.

Stay tuned to SnowSeekers as we cover the exhibition and profile some of its most ground-breaking and influential subjects. 

For now, click here to view the exhibition catalogue.