Keeping history, culture, & traditions alive for the next generation!
Willmore Wilderness Foundation
The Willmore Wilderness Preservation and Historical Foundation
is a Canadian Registered Charity since 2003,
that promotes health and education while preserving and sharing the
heritage of Alberta’s Eastern Slopes through
nature-based wellness, cultural learning, youth mentorship,
and community stewardship.
Through their programs, the Foundation also restore and maintain
historic pack trails, backcountry campsites, and heritage sites,
in and around Willmore Wilderness Park.
The organization provide provide hands-on education rooted in
Rocky Mountain traditions and shares the stories of Alberta’s Eastern Slopes
through research, books, film, and social media,
keeping this remarkable wilderness,
its culture, and its traditions alive for future generations.
About
Willmore Wilderness Foundation
The Willmore Wilderness Foundation shares the stories, history, and traditions of Alberta’s eastern slopes. We help people learn about the mountain culture, wildlife, and landscapes of Willmore Wilderness Park and the surrounding region.
Willmore Wilderness Park
Located directly north of Jasper National Park, Willmore Wilderness Park stretches across 4,597 square kilometres of remote mountain country. Its western boundary follows the Great Continental Divide. For generations, people have hunted, trapped, and travelled through the area by horseback.
The Beginnings
In 2002, a group of people who cared about the Park came together to form the Willmore Wilderness Foundation. Their first priority was clearing historic pack trails. They also wanted to publish information and create educational programs that would help share the region’s stories.
Sharing Our Stories
For many years, little had been written about Willmore Wilderness Park and the people connected to it. The Foundation works to bring these stories forward and share the region’s history, traditions, and knowledge with the public.
We believe understanding the past helps build a stronger future. Through trail work, publications, and education, we help keep the history and traditions of the eastern slopes alive.
Our Vision
A thriving Willmore Wilderness Park where people heal, learn, and connect—and where historic trails, stories, and Rocky Mountain traditions are protected for generations to come.
Photo by Arthur Veitch
Treasurer of the Willmore Wilderness Foundation
In Riding Horses We Borrow Freedom
Historical Research since 2002
Restore Historical Gravesites
& Historical Reserch
For the past 25 years, the Willmore Wilderness Foundation has helped restore historic gravesites, cabins, and has researched the mountain history and stories connected to Willmore, preserving this heritage for future generations.
For the past 25 years, the Willmore Wilderness Foundation has filmed and photographed Willmore Wilderness Park, capturing its landscapes, wildlife, history, and the people who know and care for this remarkable wilderness.
Wildlife Filming & Photographing
For 25 years, the Willmore Wilderness Foundation has worked to restore and maintain historic trails in Willmore Wilderness Park. Using saddle and packhorses to reach remote areas, our crews clear fallen trees, improve access, and help preserve the park’s traditional routes for future generations.
Trail Clearing the Network
Stewards of
Willmore Wilderness Park
The Foundation is the steward of Willmore Wilderness Park, and looks after the infrastructure of the Park including trail systems, campground, grave sites, trapline cabins, and historic sites.
The Willmore Wilderness Foundation provides educational programs and services, offers community and youth development programs, as well as health and wellness programs which focus on the culture and traditions of the Rockies. The Foundation also promotes tourism, as well as restoring historical pack trails and sites that enhances the use of Willmore Wilderness Park for Albertans and visitors alike.
The Foundation is building awareness of the region’s unique mountain culture and traditions through book publications, educational film production, multimedia production and tourism promotion.
The Foundation supports traditional regional businesses that work in and around Willmore Wilderness Park through tourism promotion initiatives.
The Foundation actively researches the history of the region. It is building a database and inventory of film, photos, GPS coordinates, maps old and new, historical records, and data that pertains to Willmore Wilderness Park and surrounding area.
Your Support is Needed!
Our Mission
To advance health and education, and to preserve and share the heritage of Alberta’s Eastern Slopes by conducting historical research, restoring traditional pack trails and heritage sites, delivering land-based learning and wellness programs, mentoring youth, and producing digital media that supports stewardship, and sustainable tourism in and around Willmore Wilderness Park.
Purpose:
To advance health and education, and to preserve and share the heritage of Alberta’s Eastern Slopes through nature-based wellness programs, cultural education, and community-based initiatives.
To advance education by publishing books and producing documentaries that focus on traditional knowledge and landscapes in Alberta
To advance education by conducting courses, workshops, and operating a Traditional Skills Training Centre that will focus on wilderness safety, and preserving the history, traditions, and culture of the Canadian Rocky Mountains region
To protect the environment by developing and maintaining public trails in Willmore Wilderness Park to enable the public to observe and appreciate nature
To do all such things as are incidental and ancillary to the attainment of the above charitable purposes
With Gratitude to Our Sponsors
Preserving traditional knowledge, culture and history.
The Willmore Wilderness Foundation extends a heartfelt thank you to the sponsors and supporters who believe in our work. Your generosity helps us care for historic trails, share the stories of Alberta’s eastern slopes, and pass on the skills and traditions that connect people to the mountains.
Mountain Métis
Youth Connections
New Horizon Co-operative Ltd.
Grande Cache
Mountain Métis
Community Association
