Elizabeth von Rummel (February 19, 1897—October 10, 1980) was a

German-Canadian German Canadians (german: Deutsch-Kanadier or , ) are Canadian citizens of German ancestry or Germans who emigrated to and reside in Canada. According to the 2016 census, there are 3,322,405 Canadians with full or partial German ancestry. Some i ...

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

and

mountaineer Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...

. In 1980, she was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

Biography

Rummel was born Baroness Elizabet von Rummel in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

on February 19, 1897. Her father, Baron Gustav von Rummel, was an actor and an officer in the German army while her mother was descended from a wealthy publishing family. Her parents divorced when she was young. Rummel, her mother, and her sister came to Canada for summer vacations starting in 1911. Rummel attended the first Calgary Stampede in 1912. On their 1914 vacation to Alberta, the family was unable to return to Germany due to the sudden outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The Rummels permanently moved to

Millarville Millarville is a hamlet (place), hamlet in Alberta, Canada within the Foothills County. It is located in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, foothills of the Canadian Rockies at an elevation of . The hamlet is located northwest of the intersection of ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Rummel spent much of her early life helping out on the family ranch in Millarville. Aside from a brief return to Germany in 1919 to care for her dying grandmother, Rummel spent the majority of her life after the war in Canada. In 1938, Rummel moved to the mountains of Alberta where she began working in early skiing and backcountry operations. Rummel was employed by various ski lodges including Mount Assiniboine Lodge, Skoki Lodge, Temple Chalet and Lake Louise Ski Lodge, and Sunburst Lake Camp which she owned and operated from 1950 to 1970. While working at Skoki Lodge, Rummel adopted the nickname Lizzie. Rummel is credited with inspiring summer heli accessed hiking at Canadian Mountain Holidays Cariboo. Rummel was a member of the

Alpine Club of Canada The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) is an amateur athletic association with its national office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, ...

. In 1970, due to worsening

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

Rummel sold Sunburst Lake Camp, retired, and moved to Canmore, Alberta. From 1966 until her death in 1980, Rummel worked as an oral history interviewer and assistant at the Archives of the Canadian Rockies (now called the Archives of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies). She died on October 10, 1980.

Awards

On December 17, 1979, Rummel was appointed to the

. Her formal investiture as a member happened in April 1980. Rummel was made a member of the order of Canada for her

mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...

and environmental contributions as well as for "enrich ngher country by sharing her deep love of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

with all who meet her."

Legacy

The Elizabeth Rummel School in Canmore, Alberta, an elementary school serving children from kindergarten to grade 3 is named after Rummel. The Elizabeth Rummel School is part of the Canadian Rockies Public Schools. Rummel Lake and Rummel Pass, both in Kananaskis County, are also named after Rummel. Elizabeth Lake, near Cranbrook,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, is named after Rummel as well. Rummel's life is recounted in the 1983 novel
Lizzie Rummel: Baroness of the Canadian Rockies
' by Rummel's friend Ruth Oltmann. In 2019, Rummel's story was adapted into a one-woman show, "A Woman in Wildflowers", written and performed by Shirley Truscott. "A Woman in Wildflowers" was the third one-woman show in Truscott's "Mountain Women" plays.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rummel, Elizabeth 1897 births 1980 deaths 20th-century Canadian women Canadian mountain climbers German emigrants to Canada Members of the Order of Canada Canadian women environmentalists