Clifford White

Clifford White was instrumental in developing internationally known ski destinations in Alberta. His vision and enthusiasm helped shape Skoki, Temple (now Lake Louise), Mount Norquay and Sunshine.

Born in 1902 in Banff, Alta., Clifford was the oldest of four children of the town’s principal merchant. His love of skiing began in his teenage years, learning on barrel staves from his father’s store. An avid ski mountaineer, he became the first to explore the Canadian Rockies in winter. His first skis were for jumping, but he soon found other uses for them.

Around 1917, Clifford and a group of local youths formed the Banff Ski Club. They skied local pony trails, ascended easier peaks and held jumping competitions during the Banff Winter Festival. By the mid-1920s, they were exploring the potential for winter recreation as a business.

In 1926 or 1927, Clifford and others received permission from national parks authorities to build a lodge on Norquay Pass above Banff. The parks superintendent advised them not to cut down every tree while clearing runs — they left one, the “Lone Pine,” which gave the run its name.

In 1928, Norquay hosted the Western Canadian Championship combined ski tournament, a successful event that drew more than 2,000 spectators. Always seeking good snow, Clifford was encouraged to explore Skoki, 16 kilometres northeast of Lake Louise, where he built the first wilderness lodge in the Rockies in 1929 and 1930.

In 1931, he introduced investor Sir Norman Watson to the Mount Temple area. Watson was persuaded to invest, and by 1937–38, the Mount Temple Chalet was completed. Clifford helped cut runs from the chalet to Silvertip Valley and Larch Hill — the first runs developed at the Lake Louise ski area.

In March 1932, accompanied by two friends, Clifford made an epic 320-kilometre trip from Jasper to Lake Louise, crossing the Columbia Icefields and ascending the Snow Dome. The journey was recorded in the 1932 Canadian Ski Annual. In 1933, he and two others made a return ski trip from Skoki to the Columbia Icefields via Molar Pass and Bow Summit.

By 1933, Clifford had gained recognition as a talented mountain photographer. His images were exhibited at the Banff Springs Hotel and admired by his friend Sir Norman Watson, who called the 1932 Jasper–Lake Louise expedition “one of the great feats of pioneer skiing in the Rockies, comparable with Sir Arnold Lunn’s early work in the Bernese Oberland.”

Clifford’s photography skills were acknowledged by the National Parks Branch in 1931 when he assisted in promotional films for Parks Canada, including Skiing in Cloudland, featuring the Skoki Valley, and a film on alpine skiing potential in Banff National Park titled Sunshine and Powder Snow.

Clifford is widely credited with bringing skiing as a sport to the Canadian Rockies, perhaps more than anyone else.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• c. 1917 – Co-founded Banff Ski Club; organized ski jumping competitions during the Banff Winter Festival
• 1926–27 – Helped secure permission to build lodge on Norquay Pass above Banff; created “Lone Pine” run
• 1928 – Organized Western Canadian Championship combined ski tournament at Norquay, drawing more than 2,000 spectators
• 1929–30 – Built first wilderness ski lodge in the Rockies at Skoki, 16 km northeast of Lake Louise
• 1931 – Introduced Sir Norman Watson to Mount Temple area, leading to investment in ski development; assisted Parks Canada in films Skiing in Cloudland and Sunshine and Powder Snow
• 1932 – Completed 320-km ski expedition from Jasper to Lake Louise via Columbia Icefields and Snow Dome; journey documented in Canadian Ski Annual
• 1933 – Completed return ski trip from Skoki to Columbia Icefields via Molar Pass and Bow Summit; exhibited mountain photography at Banff Springs Hotel
• 1937–38 – Contributed to development of Mount Temple Chalet and cut first ski runs at Lake Louise area

Note: The information gathered in this biography was compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum. For personal and/or educational use only. All rights reserved.