This page features long-form stories and historical accounts that stretch across decades, weaving together the experiences, places, and people that shaped the Edmonton Section of the Alpine Club of Canada.
Dr. H. E. Bulyea (1873-1976) was a Harvard-trained dentist who became the first Dean of Dentistry at the University of Alberta, while also being an artist, photographer, mountaineer, and active supporter of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC)’s Edmonton section. His photos, sketches, and archival material document early 20th-century campus life, outdoor recreation, and the history of the ACC Edmonton section. Bulyea remained deeply engaged in art, dentistry, and mountain culture throughout his long life, living to 103.
2. Tragedy Sidetracks Early Ski Mountaineering, 1937-38
This article recounts the 1937-38 Mount Schaffer avalanche that claimed the life of Edmonton climber John Bulyea (son of the prominent Edmonton Section member Dr. Harry Bulyea) and briefly stalled early ski mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies. Despite national media attention and implied criticism of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), the ACC issued no formal response and largely avoided the incident in its publications. While the tragedy deeply affected the Edmonton Section, public scrutiny faded quickly, and by 1939 winter ski activities and hut development resumed.
3. Helen Burns: Teacher, Climber, and Community Leader in Edmonton’s Alpine History
Helen Aleda Burns (1899–1976) was a pioneering mountaineer, educator, and community leader whose influence helped shape the early Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) Edmonton section. An accomplished climber, she completed multiple first ascents, became the first woman to ascend Mount Edith Cavell via the east ridge, and was deeply involved in exploratory climbing and skiing in the Tonquin Valley during the 1920s and 1930s. Burns was the first female Chair of the Edmonton Section (1936–1938), during which time she expanded winter programming, helped establish section infrastructure, and strengthened the club’s social and organizational foundations. Alongside her mountaineering achievements, she dedicated decades to public service as a teacher, Girl Guide leader, volunteer with several civic organizations, and later as one of the first women from Edmonton to serve in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service during the Second World War, leaving a lasting legacy of leadership, service, and alpine exploration.
