Milestones: Past, Present and Future of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides [2020]
Editor’s Note: From ensuring the safety of Canadian Pacific Railway guests back in the late 1800’s to the creation of the Mountain Conditions Report (MCR) and inclusivity programming, the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) has been a staple organization within the Canadian mountain community ever since it’s inception.
How did the ACMG come to be, what do they do and where are they headed? ACMG’s President Sylvia Forest gives us a full run-down on the organization’s origins and evolving goals.
This article first appeared in the 2019 State of the Mountains Report. We'll continue to publish articles exploring the science on our current state of Canada's alpine on our blog throughout the year. Find them all here.
Speciality guiding on Mount Norquay’s Via Ferrata, Banff National Park. Photo: Norquay, 2013.
Mountain Guiding and ACMG Origins in Canada
Why go to Switzerland if there are more mountaineer - ing opportunities in the Canadian Rockies? An early CPR advertisement highlights guided mountaineering with the “Matterhorn of North America,” Mount Assiniboine, as the backdrop. CP Archives, A.17295.
Mountain exploration, travel, and tourism have been an important element of national culture for much of Canada’s history. In the late 1800s, the increasing popularity of mountain tourism prompted the Canadian Pacific Railway to hire professional mountain guides to ensure the well-being and safety of their guests. These guides were recruited from Europe, as this was the nucleus of mountain guiding.
The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) was formed in 1963. Because of the strong European influence, it wasn’t until 1966 that Canada developed its first national mountain guide training and certification courses. Even so, for several years, they were run by European mountain guides, who also had a strong influence over the development of mountain rescue.
In 1972, Canada became the first non-European country to become a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA), the international body that sets professional standards for mountain guides worldwide. Since then, Canada has sponsored other countries to gain acceptance into the IFMGA.
What Sets the ACMG Apart?
“The ACMG has grown significantly in the past few decades, both in membership, and in complexity.”
The organization and structure of the ACMG is different from that of many other IFMGA associations in that the ACMG recognized that specialty guiding is an effective pathway for delivering guiding services. The impetus for this shift came from Canada’s pioneering of the heli-ski industry, because an individual can become a competent ski guide without necessarily becoming a full mountain guide. Now, in addition to the ski guide specialty, the ACMG provides training and certification in several specialty areas, including hiking, gym and top rope climbing, alpine guiding, snow shoe guiding, and, most recently, via ferratta guiding. The ACMG sets technical standards for guiding and instructor certification in each of these disciplines at a level at, and often above, international standards.
Heli-ski guide training at CMH Bugaboo Lodge. Photo: Marc Piché, 2012.
An Evolving Organization
The ACMG has grown significantly in the past few decades, both in membership, and in complexity. In addition to ever changing technical standards, procedures, and equipment, the association faces several rising social issues.
While the name “ACMG” indicates a national association, most of members live and work in Alberta and B.C. Recently, the ACMG has developed better ties with members east of Alberta, particularly through a new Board position and a partnership with Rando-Quebec. The ACMG has held specialty hiking guide exams and professional development courses in the east, and inclusion of Eastern Canada into the ACMG is a priority going forward.
Of equal priority, the ACMG recognizes most of its members are a mono-culture of primarily white males in their thirties and forties. While this is not unreasonable, it is the association’s goal to include greater diversity among its members, including gender, LGBTQ, and visible minorities. The intent is to become a more inclusive, understanding, and welcoming association, while maintaining required technical standards. Very recently, the ACMG, in partnership with the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA), the Canadian Ski Guide Association (CSGA), and Helicat Canada, with the facilitation of Watershed Consulting, created the “Inclusive Mountain Culture Initiative” (IMCI). This is the first time these four entities collaborated on a single initiative for the betterment of the collective professional mountain community. The ACMG also struck a Diversity and Inclusion Committee, whose mandate is to foster education, inclusion, and diversity in our workplaces.
A focus on the Playground
Another core concern of the ACMG is the state of the environment and the repercussions of climate change. Some effects of global warming on the guiding industry include, for example, the rapid glacial recession resulting in changing mountain access due to loss of ice mass. There’s the subsequent exposure of rock that has been covered for millennia, which is un-weathered and unstable, increasing rock fall hazard. And there are many others. As a result, some traditional alpine routes are no longer safe, or even feasible, to climb. As the landscape is changing annually, if not monthly, this progression affects all mountain recreationists, but the guiding community must be a step ahead, anticipating these geographical and climatic shifts, in order to keep clients safe.
In a similar vein, ACMG members have had major discussions about the impact of guiding on the environment, from the responsible use of resources to driving electric vehicles. The association has created a Stewardship and Access Committee to search for ways to reduce its impact on the environment while maintaining a viable mountain business.
What the ACMG Looks Like Going Forward
Early Swiss mountain guides on loan to the ACC’s summer mountaineering camp from the Canadian Pacific Railway. Photo: Byron Harmon, c. 1910. Courtesy of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies V263-NG-0071.
Increasing tourism is another major factor affecting how the ACMG and its members navigate the landscape. As the mountains become more crowded, true wilderness is becoming increasingly difficult to find. While Canadian guides depend on tourism for employment, they also rely on wilderness. It is a paradox that all outdoor enthusiasts must manage as the mountains become even busier.
Since its inception in 1963, the ACMG has gradually shifted from a primarily member-focused organization to being more global-minded. This shift has resulted in the creation of products like the Mountain Conditions Report (MCR), designed to assist the public in decision making in the mountains. It has also led to greater collaboration with its sister organizations and with government agencies. Looking forward, the ACMG is well poised to manage these and other challenges that face our industry, both locally and internationally, while maintaining the high technical standards and international respect it has achieved over the past fifty-plus years.
The author (center, kneeling) with Club members on the ACC’s 6-Pass Ski Traverse Camp. Photo: Erin Revell-Reade, 2016.
Sylvia Forest is an IFMGA mountain guide, and President of the ACMG, living in Golden, BC. She worked as a Visitor Safety Specialist for Parks Canada for twenty-three years, and managed the Visitor Safety program in Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks for eight years. She teaches professional avalanche courses for the Canadian Avalanche Association, including international courses; frequently guides for the Alpine Club of Canada, and guides full time for a small heli-ski company. She has a degree in physical geography from the University of Calgary.