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

German-Canadian German Canadians ( 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 immigrants came from wh ...

environmentalist Environmentalism is a broad Philosophy of life, philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of Green politics, g ...

and

mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...

. In 1980, she was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

Biography

Rummel was born Baroness Elizabet von Rummel in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The Rummels permanently moved to Millarville,

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. 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 general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

Rummel sold Sunburst Lake Camp, retired, and moved to

Canmore, Alberta Canmore is a List of towns in Alberta, town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies, Alberta's Rocky Mountains. The to ...

. 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, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

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 great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

with all who meet her."

Legacy

The Elizabeth Rummel School in

, 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 is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, 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