Mountain Voices: The Mountain Legacy Project and a Century of Change in Western Canada

When I was invited to contribute to Mountain Voices: The Mountain Legacy Project and a Century of Change in Western Canada, I immediately thought of Bow Lake — a place that has shaped me more than almost any other. It’s where I’ve worked, lived, and returned to over and over again, learning something new each time. Writing about Bow Lake felt natural, and taking the repeat photograph that accompanies my essay added another layer of meaning.

The book itself is a rich and fascinating project. Mountain Voices pairs short essays with historic and repeat photographs from the Mountain Legacy Project — the world’s largest systematic collection of mountain images, spanning more than a hundred years. These pairs of photos show the Rockies as they once were, and as they are now, offering a clear look at change, resilience, and the stories held in the landscape.

What makes the anthology compelling is the breadth of perspectives: Indigenous activists, artists, alpinists, national park employees, scientists, historians, and others whose lives are intertwined with the mountains. Each contributor brings a different angle on what these places mean and how they’ve shaped their work, identity, or relationship with land.

I’m truly honoured to be included alongside such an inspiring group of contributors, including Leanne Allison, Renellta Arluk, Rick Arthur, Catrin Brown, Bruce Cockburn, Alison Criscitiello, Joanna Croston, Jill Delaney, Winston Delorne, Julie Fortin, Paulette M. Fox, Will Gadd, Ben Gadd, Eric Higgs, David Hik, Aerin Jacob, David P. Jones, Gùdia (Mary Jane) Jonson, Michelle Koppes, Roger Laurilla, Nikita Lopoukhine, Bruce Mayer, Bernadette McDonald, Ella Molnar-Piché, Pat Morrow, Peter Murphy, Liza Piper, Graeme Pole, Martin F. Price, Sara Renner, Jeanine Rhemtulla, Chris Rhodes, Zac Robinson, Mary Sanseverino, Chic Scott, Rain Scott, Stephen Slemon, William Snow, Karen Sorensen, Ellie Stephenson, Robert D. Turner, Nancy J. Turner, Robert Vranich, Kristen Walsh, Rob Watt, Cliff White, Andy Williams, Carmen Wong, Ken Wylie, and so many others who have devoted their lives to understanding and caring for these landscapes.

I’m grateful to share a piece of Bow Lake with readers, and I hope the collection inspires others to reflect on their own connections to the mountains — past, present, and future.