Let the Images Speak: The Mountain Legacy Project, Re-photography, and Voices from the Canadian Mountain West

“Awe. How many thoughtful people can claim that awe is or was at the centre of their lives or careers? Inhabiting mountains permits, engenders, and upholds that blessing”.

Ian S. MacLaren in the forward to Mountain Voices: The Mountain Legacy Project and a Century of Change in Western Canada.

Date: March 6th, 2026
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm, (Doors Open 6:30pm)
Location: Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College, Courtenay
Tickets: Adults $20 (Online), $25 (At the Door). Students (Valid ID) and Youth (16 and Under) $10.

Event Details: Strathcona Wilderness Institute is excited to hold a fundraising presentation by Mary Sanseverino on the University of Victoria’s Mountain Legacy Project. Expect an image-rich evening of lively discussion centred on mountains, why they matter to us, and how we can turn mountain awe and awareness into mountain advocacy and action.

For 30 years the University of Victoria’s Mountain Legacy Project (MLP) has been using repeat photography to examine the awe-filled landscapes of the Canadian mountain west. Working with Library and Archives Canada, provincial archives, museums, and individuals to uncover historical mountain images (many over a century old), MLP teams seek to determine the location images were taken from, go to the same place, and rephotograph them as accurately as possible. The historic and modern images are then aligned, analyzed, and made available to anyone – from scientist to mountaineer – interested in exploring Canada’s mountain heights.

These remarkable historic/modern image pairs are the basis of the MLP collection. The data from these pairs have been used primarily in academic and land-management research. But as climate change overtakes us we need to tell mountain stories in a different and more personal context. One that not only stirs the awe that mountains can evoke, but reminds us – almost on an individual level – of what is at stake in a rapidly warming world.

With this in mind, join mountain researcher and author Mary Sanseverino as she guides us through an exploration of the transformative power of mountains. We’ll look at why Canada has the world’s largest systematic collection of historic mountain images, and examine some of the science (and adventure!) behind repeat mountain photography. We’ll close with a peek into Mountain Voices – a compelling new work which directly lifts and connects MLP’s world-renowned mountain imagery with a diverse range of personal mountain interactions.

Expect an image-rich evening of lively discussion centred on mountains, why they matter to us, and how we can turn mountain awe and awareness into mountain advocacy and action.

Added Bonus – a free in-person draw for a copy of Mountain Voices: The Mountain Legacy Project and a Century of Change in Western Canada (U of Calgary Press) and for Native Plants of BC’s Coastal Dry Belt (Harbour Publishing).

Mary Sanseverino’s Bio:

Mary Sanseverino is a retired faculty member from the University of Victoria’s Department of Computer Science. Most at home in the mountains with a camera in her hand, Mary looks for any excuse to get out in the hills – making her a good fit with the Mountain Legacy Project! A long-time member of the Alpine Club of Canada, Mary is active in her section (Vancouver Island) and at the national level. She contributes to and is co-editor of the ACC’s State of the Mountains Report. Mary also serves as Vice-President of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation’s Mountain Protection Commission.

Her photographic work has appeared in Canadian Geographic, Discover Magazine, and in many of Canada’s mountain parks. Mary’s recent publications include Mountain Voices: The Mountain Legacy Project and a Century of Change in Western Canada (with Eric Higgs, Zac Robinson, and Kristen Walsh), and Native Plants of BC’s Coastal Dry Belt (with Hans Roemer).

Further Resources:
Let’s Talk Glaciers: Reflections celebrating the 2025 UN International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation
Repeat Photography on the Campbell Icefield – In the footsteps of Wheeler & Campbell
The Mountain Legacy Project Overview
Mountain Legacy Project Explorer

About Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI):

Each year SWI holds a variety of events to help with fundraising for the organization. This can include film festivals, talks from local experts, workshops and much more. Proceeds from our ticket sales will be supporting Strathcona Wilderness Institute in its mission to inspire awareness, appreciation and stewardship of the natural world through research, education and participation within Strathcona Provincial Park. The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is a non-profit society incorporated in 1995 to promote responsible and enjoyable use of the wilderness areas of Strathcona Provincial Park in central Vancouver Island on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada.

The Information Centres are staffed by volunteers and university summer students through Canada Summer Jobs grants. Additionally, SWI is at the forefront of research and data collection in Strathcona Provincial Park. This includes Floral and Faunal Inventories in the SWI Data Collection Project on iNaturalist, Adventure Science Reports of Wildlife Sightings and supports Current Research Projects (Canada Jay, Vancouver Island Marmots, Lichens, Bryophytes…) and much more.

To learn more about SWI please visit: strathconapark.org

The Mountain Legacy Project

The Mountain Legacy Project

Event Info

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Strathcona Wilderness Institute

Strathcona Wilderness Institute

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