Bert Riggall Foundation honours his life with a photographic display

Self portrait of F.H. Riggall in a tent in Canada

Toni Lucas with information from Judy Huntley and Wendy Ryan

Bert Riggall Environmental Foundation's (BREF) Annual General Meeting was held on March 26 at the Lebel Mansion. According to members in attendance the foundation was developed over 30 years ago to be an educational venue to encourage people in the community to learn more about the environment, and raise awareness of the factors that  impact the environment in a negative way.


The largest initiative that the BREF are taking on in 2014 is a photography display. To celebrate the life and work of Bert Riggall (1884 - 1959), a historical art exhibit of his photographs are being assembled from a selection that numbers in the thousands.

One of Riggall's photos

BREF Vice President Wendy Ryan is actively organizing this display. An avid guide, outfitter and photographer, Riggall captured a way of life that has all but disappeared. Ryan plans on choosing approximately 20 photos that relate to his guiding and outfitting experiences. The photos will be chosen from the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies archives and supplemented with information gleaned from his daughter's biographical book 'Bert Riggall Mountain Guide Extraordinary', now out of print but sometimes available as a collectible. Riggall's grandson John Russell is also involved in the creation of this project.

Photo detail

In addition to the main body of the display, an additional 10 photographs will be chosen from his wild flower photographs. These will be displayed in Waterton during the Wildflower Festival in June.

Planned activities expected for for the BREF in 2014 are to assist with the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition website update, and the implementation of the Bert Riggall historical photo exhibit. BREF is also active in the Reseau Canada Environment Network Environmental Assessment Caucus.

Directors were elected for the coming year during the AGM. Judy Huntley is President and Secretary, Wendy Ryan is Vice President, David McNeill is Treasurer, and Dave Sheppard and James Tweedie are Directors.