Vancouver Island Section Recipients who hold Honorary Membership
An honour for contributions in Canadian mountaineering.
Honorary Membership in the Alpine Club of Canada was instituted in 1906 at the first meeting of the club. The current form of this award is a special pin accompanied by a brass on wood plaque.
Honorary Membership is the highest recognition the Alpine Club of Canada offers for contributions to Canadian mountaineering and includes a life membership in the ACC. It is presented to individuals with a strong and sustained commitment to the Canadian mountain environment and Canadian mountaineering – recipients will have given outstanding service to the Canadian climbing community.
1922 – Oliver Wheeler
1947 – Horace “Rusty” Westmorland
1979 – Roger Neave
2017 – Gil Parker
Vancouver Island Section recipients of the Distinguished Service Award
An award for Distinguished Service to the club in matters other than mountaineering.
The Distinguished Service Award is presented to members of the Alpine Club of Canada who have given outstanding service to the ACC either on a voluntary basis or as employees who have given service exceeding the value of their remuneration. These individuals will have contributed to furthering the aims of the club or a section of the club, working on committees and projects or providing leadership for large undertakings. The ACC’s Service Badge was instituted in 1906 and the name was changed to the Distinguished Service Award in 1970.
1990 – Syd Watts
2001 – Margaret Brown, Ian Brown
2002 – Gil Parker
2008 – Peter Rothermel
2018 – Chris Jensen, Chris Ruttan
2021 – Catrin Brown
Vancouver Island section recipients of the Eric Brooks Leader Award
A mountaineering and ski mountaineering award for strong commitment to learning and applying technical and leader skills.
The Eric Brooks Leader Award was instituted in 2001; its name was changed to honour Eric Brooks in 2005.
It is intended, under normal circumstances, that the Eric Brooks Leader Award would be awarded as a prerequisite to obtaining the Silver Rope for Leadership Award.
Born in England in 1902, Eric Brooks was a teacher by profession. He joined the ACC in 1929, and until his death in 2001, Eric devoted much of his energy to the club. In 1937 he was awarded the Silver Rope for Leadership, was President from 1941 to 1947, and Honorary President from 1954 to 1964. While representing the ACC at The Alpine Club of Canada centenary in London, he was made an Honorary Member of that club. He acted for many years as the Camp Manager of the General Mountaineering Camp. In 1995 he was awarded the A.O. Wheeler Legacy Award. Few members have made such a significant contribution to the club over such a prolonged period of time. But Eric’s contribution to the club was not restricted to his lifetime. As part of his estate, Eric bequeathed $50,000 to the club, the annual investment income to be used to support the publication of the ACC’s Canadian Alpine Journal.
2002 – Claire Ebendinger
2005 – Peter Rothermel
2012 – Nadja Steiner, Harry Steiner, David Campbell
2016 – Martin Hoffman
2022 – Derek Sou
Vancouver Island Section Recipients of the Don Forest Service Award
The ACC Don Forest Service Award is awarded for significant service to the Alpine Club of Canada in areas such as volunteerism, community engagement, leadership, or exceptional contributions to the club’s mission and operations.
The award was established in 2001 and its name was changed in 2004 to honour Don Forest.
2002 – Jules Thomson
2005 – Viggo Holm, Judy Holm
2008 – Richard Keltie
2009 – Kayla Stevenson, Russ Moir, Mike Hubbard
2010 – Cedric Zala
2011 – Rick Hudson, Phee Hudson
2012 – Tak Ogasawara, Catrin Brown
2013 – Lindsay Elms
2014 – Peggy Taylor, Christine Fordham
2015 – Colleen Casting
2019 – Barbara Baker
2022 – Janelle Curtis
2023 – Laura Darling
Vancouver Island Section Recipients of the Silver Rope for Leadership Award
The ACC Silver Rope for Leadership Award is a Mountaineering and Ski Mountaineering Award for Excellence in Leadership and Technical Ability. The award is presented to members in good standing with the ACC who have demonstrated technical skills and leadership abilities of a high caliber in mountaineering or ski mountaineering over a number of years. The term “mountaineering” will include activities such as technical rock or ice climbing or route-finding abilities demonstrated on National or Section organized activities. The Silver Rope for Leadership Award was instituted in 1933. The form of this award is the Silver Rope pin and a brass on wood plaque describing the award.
1934 – Arthur Wheeler, Rex Gibson, John Forde
1936 – Ferris Neave, Roger Neave
1947 – Horace “Rusty” Westmorland
1958 – Alfred “Bill” Lash
2001 – Sandy Briggs
2012 – Don Morton