By Mary Sanseverino & Kate Fryer
In honour of the 2025 International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation the Mountain Legacy Project (MLP) and the Alpine Club of Canada are collaborating on an exciting citizen science repeat photography project in some of Canada’s high places.
Glaciers and the cryosphere (Earth’s ice and snow) play a critical role in our climate systems, hydrological cycles, and global water resources—not to mention the deep value they hold for us mountain enthusiasts! With 2025 declared the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, many projects are afoot across Canada and around the world. Of course the MLP wants to contribute!
Those of you who know us will say, “wait, isn’t MLP already contributing through research?” Absolutely! Our researchers will be heading back into the field again this summer. But for some time now, we’ve also been exploring ideas to engage non-specialists in meaningful ways with the MLP image collections.
Enter: the Alpine Club of Canada. In late 2024 the ACC reached out to us with an idea to engage hikers, climbers, and mountaineers with Library and Archives Canada imagery, MLP techniques and expertise, and the MLP Explorer website. We said: Let’s do it!
And so, the Alpine Club of Canada + Mountain Legacy Project (MLP) Repeat Photography Challenge was born. Together, we have curated a few historic mountain photos from the turn of the 20th century. They were all taken in the summer months and feature glaciers, snow, and ice. None of them have, as yet, been repeated.
More historic photos and info here: https://explore.mountainlegacy.ca/stations/show/2256
That’s where you come in.
We’re inviting citizen scientists and mountain enthusiasts to help us repeat these shots. We’ve curated the images, provided approximate locations, and included tips for repeat photography. The ACC has officially launched the Challenge – yes, there are prizes! All you have to do is head out and try to match the views.
There are nine photographs in total. Some are easy to access; others are a bit more difficult. All offer outstanding views of mountain, glaciers and icefields that are integral to these landscapes. Each repeat photo contributes to telling stories of change in the Canadian mountain west.
Interested? Read all about it at the Alpine Club of Canada’s Repeat Photography Challenge website.
On the north gendarme of Mt Jimmy Simpson looking over the Peyto Glacier – A.O. Wheeler, 1903
More historic images and info here: https://explore.mountainlegacy.ca/stations/show/2253
More Information
Want to learn more or dive deeper into the world of glaciers and mountains? Here are some great resources to explore:
ACC’s Website on Environment
ACC’s website on Environment
Canada’s 2025 International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation
Learn about Canada’s involvement in the 2025 International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation
UN International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation
Hear more on the international scale about the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation
ACC’s Glacier Hub
Find glacier-related news, stories, and initiatives from the ACC
Let’s Talk Glaciers
A story map exploring glacial change in the Canadian Rockies through images, science, and Indigenous voices.
UIAA Mountain Voices – Glaciers: What Future Podcast
Hear voices from the global mountain community
Title Photograph:
The Fay Glacier from below Sentinel Pass, Banff National Park – A.O. Wheeler 1903
Exact location is not known – possibly near these coordinates: 51.3294 -116.2173