1985 Centennial Climb

Back row:  John Nylund (Banff Barn Boss); Frank Burstrom (Rev/Glacier); Brent Kozachenko (Waterton);

Ed Abbott (Elk Island); Ron Tessolini (Banff); Darro Stinson (Jasper) Peter Deering (Gros Morne)

Front Row:  Clair Israelson (Banff); Dale Loewen (Banff); Hans Fuhrer (Kootenay); Tom Elliot (Yoho);

Eric Dafoe (Rev/Glacier); Willi Pfisterer (Jasper).  Missing from photo:  Don Mickle, Tim Auger, Gaby Fortin

and 30 head of national parks patrol horses.

The 1985 National Parks Centennial Climb involved park wardens from across Canada.  Six peaks in the Clearwater Group were climbed between July 25th – July 31, 1985 to commemorate the Centennial and proposed names for  these peaks in honour of the following park wardens who had lost their lives while on duty for the National Park Warden Service.

  1. Proposed name – Mt. Colgan after Neil Colgan who died as a result of injuries sustained from a kick from a horse while on duty on back country patrol in Banff National Park in 1981.
  2. Proposed name – Mt. Brink – after James Brink who died in 1971 in a collision with a semi trailer west of  Lake Louise.
  3. Proposed name – Mt. Marak – after Bob Marak who died in 1971 in a collision with a semi trailer west of Lake Louise.
  4. Proposed name – Mt. Lees – after Lawrence Lees who was shot by poacher(s) in 1932 in Riding Mountain National Park.
  5. Proposed name – Mt. Goodair – after Percy Goodair who was killed by a grizzly bear in 1929 in Jasper National Park.
  6. Proposed name – Mt. LeBlanc – after Robert LeBlanc who was killed in a fire fighting accident in 1981 in Kouchibougeiac National Park.