Guardians of the Ice

Guardians of the ice team

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

– Margaret Meade

Guardians of the ice team

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

– Margaret Meade

Jim Elzinga

Project Lead, Photographer, Alpinist, Organizational Development Consultant

Read MoreShow Less

Jim has been an active and influential alpinist for over 40 years. Noted alpinist Steve House refers to Jim as the “original Canadian hardman.” Jim’s climbing journey includes seminal first ascents in the Canadian Rockies such as the North Face of Mount Kitchener in winter and the world’s longest ice climb, Slipstream on the east face of Mount Snow Dome. Both mountains are among the eleven peaks at the Columbia Icefield. Snow Dome is the triple hydrographic apex of the Columbia Icefield.
Jim worked as the climbing cameraman on the award winning film Challenge the Canadian Rockies, which featured climbing and filming the 1000 meter Slipstream in extreme winter conditions.
Jim has led and guided multiple expeditions to the Himalaya and the Andes. Significantly, in 1986, he led the most successful Canadian expedition to Everest to date (Everest Light), establishing a new route on the Tibetan side, enabling two members of the team to summit (including Sharon Wood, the first North American woman to summit the mountain) and all without Sherpa support.
He received a rare Award of Recognition from the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation. recognizing his leadership of the historic Canadian Everest Light Expedition.
Jim’s four years of study at Ryerson University were focused on a BAA in Photography. As a photojournalist he worked for Maclean’s Magazine among others, and was one of the first western photographers into China to document the lives of ordinary people. While acting as Assistant Director and cameraman of a field unit for the feature film The Climb on Nanga Parbat, he photographed the historic opening of the Khunjerab Pass between China and Pakistan on the Karakorum Highway.
Jim has been photographer on multiple expeditions, for some time sponsored by Leica, becoming accustomed to working in extreme conditions. Currently his work explores the beauty of the mountain world and the growing impact of human activity upon it.

Roger Vernon

Filmmaker, Cinematographer

Read MoreShow Less

A native of Alberta and infused from birth with a deep and life long connection to the mountains of Western Canada, Roger Vernon solidified his love for life behind the camera at the age of 13. He succeeded in combining his love for the mountains and his desire to make images into a flourishing career as an internationally respected cinematographer.  

Although his early passion was rooted in the documentary world, Roger has made significant contributions to numerous feature length dramas, most notably Unforgiven, the western that was nominated for best cinematography and won four Academy awards including Best Picture. 

For over 46 years, Roger has applied his skills throughout the genres in motion picture photography.  Fictional films, documentaries, educational films and TV commercials, are all part of his visual language. He is the recipient of a Gemini Award for Cinematography, The Kodak Spectrum Award and ten awards from the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association.

While he has traveled and worked in many remote corners of the earth including Tibet, Mongolia, Kashmir, Bhutan, the Karakoram to name a few, he says that nowhere inspires him quite like the Canadian Rockies, which is why he continues to return to his mountain home in the Bow Valley.

Jim Elzinga

GOTI Founder, Photographer, Alpinist, Organizational Development Consultant

Read MoreShow Less

Since Jim founded Heroic Hearts Inc., an organizational development company, in 1993, he has accrued over 25 years of experience as an Organizational Development Consultant, coaching and training business executives in the fields of Leadership, Team Effectiveness and Leading Change, working with multiple transnational corporate leadership teams in North America, Europe and Asia.

Currently his passions are focused through Guardians of the Ice on the growing impact of human activity on the mountain world and the rapidly developing downstream effects on natural and human systems around the planet. Jim’s role as planetary change agent derives directly from his experience in addressing the human dimension of change in organizations and thus informs the Guardians of the Ice mission to profoundly change our relationship with our planet and its living systems.

Jim has been an active and influential alpinist for over 40 years. Noted alpinist Steve House refers to Jim as the “original Canadian hardman.” Jim has led and guided multiple expeditions in North America, the Himalaya and the Andes. In 1986, he led the most successful Canadian expedition to Everest (Everest Light), establishing a new route on the Tibetan side, enabling two members of the team to summit, including Sharon Wood, the first North American woman to summit the mountain. He received a rare Award of Recognition from the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation recognizing his leadership of this historic expedition.

During the course of the expedition, a major financial institution partnered with Jim to use the climb as a metaphor for a “heroic” undertaking within its organization. Jim’s internal motivational and marketing program resulted in a massive cultural shift within the organization that unified the 1500 employees into a powerful force that turned around a $3 billion shortfall in deposits and nearly doubled the bank’s share price.

Jim has also had a lifelong interest in photography. He worked as the climbing cinematographer on the award-winning film Challenge the Canadian Rockies. As a photojournalist, sponsored by Leica, Jim was one of the first western photographers into China to document the lives of ordinary people.

“One of the many reasons I want still photography to be part of the Guardians project is the ability to make large high-quality prints that will immerse the viewer, like an Imax film. I feel this is the best way to create an emotional connection with the viewer and provide them an experience as if they were actually in the mountains. The intent within the Guardians Project is to produce environmental photographs as opposed to decorative imagery. We want to show nature, the ice, the mountains in a way that catalyses people to act in their own way towards greater engagement and ecological responsibility.”

Roger Vernon, C.S.C.

Filmmaker, Cinematographer

Read MoreShow Less

A native of Alberta and infused from birth with a deep and life long connection to the mountains of Western Canada, Roger Vernon solidified his love for life behind the camera at the age of 13. He succeeded in combining his love for the mountains and his desire to make images into a flourishing career as an internationally respected cinematographer.  

Although his early passion was rooted in the documentary world, Roger has made significant contributions to numerous feature length dramas, most notably Unforgiven, the western that was nominated for best cinematography and won four Academy awards including Best Picture. 

For over 46 years, Roger has applied his skills throughout the genres in motion picture photography.  Fictional films, documentaries, educational films and TV commercials, are all part of his visual language. He is the recipient of a Gemini Award for Cinematography, The Kodak Spectrum Award and ten awards from the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association.

While he has traveled and worked in many remote corners of the earth including Tibet, Mongolia, Kashmir, Bhutan, the Karakoram to name a few, he says that nowhere inspires him quite like the Canadian Rockies, which is why he continues to return to his mountain home in the Bow Valley.

  

Alison Criscitiello PhD

Ice Core Scientist, Alpinist

Read MoreShow Less

Dr. Alison Criscitiello is the Director of the Canadian Ice Core Archive (CICA) at University of Alberta. Alison is an ice core scientist with extensive field experience in Antarctica, the Canadian high Arctic, Greenland, Alaska, and the Canadian Rockies. Broadly, her research utilizes new polar ice core records to address how the marine influence on coastal ice caps and ice sheets has changed over time, and how remote atmospheric dynamics impact regional and local processes and climate. Ultimately, this work helps constrain projections of future contributions of polar ice caps to global sea level, and is extremely valuable in advancing our understanding of the complex and coupled ocean-ice-atmosphere system.
Dr. Criscitiello obtained her BA in Earth and Environmental Science from Wesleyan University (2003), her MA in Geology and Geophysics from Columbia University (2006), and her PhD in Glaciology from the MIT/WHOI Joint Program (2014). She moved to Canada to complete a post-doctoral fellowship at University of Calgary (2014-2016) where she expanded her work in the Canadian Arctic to encompass investigations of environmental contaminants in ice cores, and subsequently began her position as Director of CICA in May 2017.

  

John A. Stevens

GOTI Co-Founder, Creative Consultant, Writer and Editor

Read MoreShow Less

John’s has accumulated 30-plus years of story work as writer and editor, coaching and drawing out stories of depth and meaning from the memories of veterans, business and political leaders, survivors and artists.

He also consults on the shaping and refining of works of fiction, carrying their authors’ ambitions, dreams and insights into courageous narratives. He has applied his unique expertise to more than one hundred published books.

“I have always sought out the edges, the frontiers and interfaces where we are most alive, most creative and most engaged. It’s all a great adventure, whether hitchhiking through the Khyber Pass as I did as a young man, or partnering with a writer to find the most compelling ways to express the deepest most heartfelt truths.”

John’s mission with Guardians of the Ice is to find and tell the great stories of resilience and resourcefulness among the “ordinary” people all over the world who are adapting with courage and imagination to the harshest consequences of the climate crisis, and thereby creating the regeneration of our world.

 

 

Anthony Walsh

Journalist, Photographer, Alpinist

Read MoreShow Less

Anthony Walsh is a journalist, photographer and alpinist based in Golden, British Columbia. When he’s not climbing in the Bugaboos or ski touring in Rogers Pass, Anthony strives to string words together to weave a tale of the mountain experience. He holds a Bachelors of Journalism from Carleton University and has written for outlets including Maclean’s, Black Press Media and Gripped Magazine. Anthony has a special interest in how climate change is affecting climbers around the world and finds purpose in sharing his findings with the vertically inclined community. He can often be found studying dusty copies of the Canadian Alpine Journal in Golden’s local gym or re-reading his beloved copy of the Canadian Press Stylebook.

 

 

Lin Oosterhoff

GOTI Co-Founder, Creative Director + Designer

Read MoreShow Less

Lin is an award-winning designer based in Exshaw, Alberta.
Born and raised in The Netherlands, her passion and talent for drawing got her into a Communications Design program where she first learned about Graphic Design, which soon became her greatest passion.
In 2009, she followed the love of her life to Canada. There she decided to take her craft further and went back to school to immerse herself in Graphic Design and Typography at Conestoga College in Ontario, where she graduated with distinction.
Lin currently works as Creative Director at Critical Mass, a full service digital experience design agency in Calgary, Alberta. In her spare time, she loves working with local clients to create bold design concepts that bring brands to life. When she is not working, she can be found enjoying the Rockies by bicycle or climbing to new heights.

 

Jennifer Janzen BEd, BSc

Biologist/Educator, Executive Director, Alberta Tomorrow

Read MoreShow Less

Jennifer has been developing diverse educational resources in both the formal K-12 education system as a teacher and for educational organizations as a consultant for over 25 years. She possesses excellent communication skills, detailed knowledge of the Alberta Program of Studies, as well as skills in developing and using technology in the 21st Century classroom.
Jennifer has developed educational software, videos, video scripts, slide shows, hands-on activities, as well as teacher lesson plans for Parks Canada, Elbow River Watershed Partnership, Alberta Tomorrow Foundation, Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon Board of Education, and Saskatchewan Environment and Parks.
Jennifer is active in the classroom with all ages of students and has worked with various stakeholders to present bias-free information.
When not working, she can be found with her husband and two daughters, exploring Alberta’s amazing landscapes on foot, bike or ski.

 

Kristi Beetch

Professional Guide and Master Interpreter

Read MoreShow Less

Kristi is an accredited Hiking and Winter Travel Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and an accredited Professional and Master Interpreter with the Interpretive Guides Association.  Her guiding career spans over 20 years in the mountain national and provincial parks.  She loves connecting people with the wilderness, while making their experiences relevant and memorable.  “At the end of the day, I want my clients to become inspired stewards of the world!”  For 10 years, Kristi guided the Parks Canada Burgess Shale hikes and won the CEO Awards of Excellence for her work on the Expansion of the Burgess Shale Guided Hike project.

Since 2006, Kristi has developed and instructed guide accreditation courses for the Interpretive Guides Association. “I love mentoring new guides and sharing my passion for the outdoors, while reveling in their excitement to be a guide!  I also want them to recognize the importance of their role as messengers to what is happening here in the Canadian Rockies with Climate Change and what we can do about it.”

You may have seen Kristi on “Canada A.M.”, “CTV Travels”, Oasis TV, National Geographic Channel or CNN, hiking snow-covered ridge tops while sharing her knowledge of the natural and cultural history in the Canadian Rockies; or read about her in the Calgary Herald “Snow Profiles on Women”, Mountain Life Annual and Canadian Geographic magazine.

Kristi also works for the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival and is a Road Warrior with the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Canada and the US.  In 2018, Kristi met Jim Elzinga at the Film Festival, when she was emceeing a show where he announced the John Lauchlan Award winners.  That meeting lead to Kristi volunteering with Guardians of the Ice almost since its inception.  In her guiding career Kristi has seen the glaciers recede, prompting her to learn more and teach more about what we all can do to reduce our carbon footprint.  She’s credited with coming up with the first Guardians phrase, “Ice = Water = Life”.

In her down time, Kristi recharges in the mountains by road biking, SUP, and downhill or Nordic skiing!

 

Gurminder Banga

Photographer, Multidimensional Artist

Read MoreShow Less

Gurminder, the CEO of Banga Studios for the past 14 years, has been recognised as one of the top photographers in Toronto. He has aligned his artistic vision with a foundation of storytelling, human connection and creativity. As a multidimensional artist capturing intimate events and stunning landscapes the focus for Gurminder is to document the moments within the moment. Whether it be successful celebrities, influential leaders or mother nature Gurminder’s passion is to share stories that aid humanity in recognizing the inner abilities that live within us. Gurminder is also on his own personal journey to uncover the teachings of his inner being, so he can live by them in the outer world, with more calm, balance, peace and ease.

 

OUR PARTNERS

We are very thankful for the great contributions from our partners:

 

 

Mount Andromeda Columbia Icefield meltwater Athabasca Glacier

Jim Elzinga

GOTI Founder, Photographer, Alpinist, Organizational Development Consultant

Read MoreShow Less

Since Jim founded Heroic Hearts Inc., an organizational development company, in 1993, he has accrued over 25 years of experience as an Organizational Development Consultant, coaching and training business executives in the fields of Leadership, Team Effectiveness and Leading Change, working with multiple transnational corporate leadership teams in North America, Europe and Asia.

Currently his passions are focused through Guardians of the Ice on the growing impact of human activity on the mountain world and the rapidly developing downstream effects on natural and human systems around the planet. Jim’s role as planetary change agent derives directly from his experience in addressing the human dimension of change in organizations and thus informs the Guardians of the Ice mission to profoundly change our relationship with our planet and its living systems.

Jim has been an active and influential alpinist for over 40 years. Noted alpinist Steve House refers to Jim as the “original Canadian hardman.” Jim has led and guided multiple expeditions in North America, the Himalaya and the Andes. In 1986, he led the most successful Canadian expedition to Everest (Everest Light), establishing a new route on the Tibetan side, enabling two members of the team to summit, including Sharon Wood, the first North American woman to summit the mountain. He received a rare Award of Recognition from the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation recognizing his leadership of this historic expedition.

During the course of the expedition, a major financial institution partnered with Jim to use the climb as a metaphor for a “heroic” undertaking within its organization. Jim’s internal motivational and marketing program resulted in a massive cultural shift within the organization that unified the 1500 employees into a powerful force that turned around a $3 billion shortfall in deposits and nearly doubled the bank’s share price.

Jim has also had a lifelong interest in photography. He worked as the climbing cinematographer on the award-winning film Challenge the Canadian Rockies. As a photojournalist, sponsored by Leica, Jim was one of the first western photographers into China to document the lives of ordinary people.

“One of the many reasons I want still photography to be part of the Guardians project is the ability to make large high-quality prints that will immerse the viewer, like an Imax film. I feel this is the best way to create an emotional connection with the viewer and provide them an experience as if they were actually in the mountains. The intent within the Guardians Project is to produce environmental photographs as opposed to decorative imagery. We want to show nature, the ice, the mountains in a way that catalyses people to act in their own way towards greater engagement and ecological responsibility.”

Roger Vernon, C.S.C.

Filmmaker, Cinematographer

Read MoreShow Less

A native of Alberta and infused from birth with a deep and life long connection to the mountains of Western Canada, Roger Vernon solidified his love for life behind the camera at the age of 13. He succeeded in combining his love for the mountains and his desire to make images into a flourishing career as an internationally respected cinematographer.  

Although his early passion was rooted in the documentary world, Roger has made significant contributions to numerous feature length dramas, most notably Unforgiven, the western that was nominated for best cinematography and won four Academy awards including Best Picture. 

For over 46 years, Roger has applied his skills throughout the genres in motion picture photography.  Fictional films, documentaries, educational films and TV commercials, are all part of his visual language. He is the recipient of a Gemini Award for Cinematography, The Kodak Spectrum Award and ten awards from the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association.

While he has traveled and worked in many remote corners of the earth including Tibet, Mongolia, Kashmir, Bhutan, the Karakoram to name a few, he says that nowhere inspires him quite like the Canadian Rockies, which is why he continues to return to his mountain home in the Bow Valley.

  

Alison Criscitiello PhD

Ice Core Scientist, Alpinist

Read MoreShow Less

Dr. Alison Criscitiello is the Director of the Canadian Ice Core Archive (CICA) at University of Alberta. Alison is an ice core scientist with extensive field experience in Antarctica, the Canadian high Arctic, Greenland, Alaska, and the Canadian Rockies. Broadly, her research utilizes new polar ice core records to address how the marine influence on coastal ice caps and ice sheets has changed over time, and how remote atmospheric dynamics impact regional and local processes and climate. Ultimately, this work helps constrain projections of future contributions of polar ice caps to global sea level, and is extremely valuable in advancing our understanding of the complex and coupled ocean-ice-atmosphere system.
Dr. Criscitiello obtained her BA in Earth and Environmental Science from Wesleyan University (2003), her MA in Geology and Geophysics from Columbia University (2006), and her PhD in Glaciology from the MIT/WHOI Joint Program (2014). She moved to Canada to complete a post-doctoral fellowship at University of Calgary (2014-2016) where she expanded her work in the Canadian Arctic to encompass investigations of environmental contaminants in ice cores, and subsequently began her position as Director of CICA in May 2017.

  

John A. Stevens

GOTI Co-founder, Creative Consultant, Writer and Editor

Read MoreShow Less

John’s has accumulated 30-plus years of story work as writer and editor, coaching and drawing out stories of depth and meaning from the memories of veterans, business and political leaders, survivors and artists.

He also consults on the shaping and refining of works of fiction, carrying their authors’ ambitions, dreams and insights into courageous narratives. He has applied his unique expertise to more than one hundred published books.

“I have always sought out the edges, the frontiers and interfaces where we are most alive, most creative and most engaged. It’s all a great adventure, whether hitchhiking through the Khyber Pass as I did as a young man, or partnering with a writer to find the most compelling ways to express the deepest most heartfelt truths.”

John’s mission with Guardians of the Ice is to find and tell the great stories of resilience and resourcefulness among the “ordinary” people all over the world who are adapting with courage and imagination to the harshest consequences of the climate crisis, and thereby creating the regeneration of our world.

 

 

Anthony Walsh

Journalist, Photographer, Alpinist

Read MoreShow Less

Anthony Walsh is a journalist, photographer and alpinist based in Golden, British Columbia. When he’s not climbing in the Bugaboos or ski touring in Rogers Pass, Anthony strives to string words together to weave a tale of the mountain experience. He holds a Bachelors of Journalism from Carleton University and has written for outlets including Maclean’s, Black Press Media and Gripped Magazine. Anthony has a special interest in how climate change is affecting climbers around the world and finds purpose in sharing his findings with the vertically inclined community. He can often be found studying dusty copies of the Canadian Alpine Journal in Golden’s local gym or re-reading his beloved copy of the Canadian Press Stylebook.

 

Jennifer Janzen BEd, BSc

Biologist/ Educator, Executive Director, Alberta Tomorrow

Read MoreShow Less

Jennifer has been developing diverse educational resources in both the formal K-12 education system as a teacher and for educational organizations as a consultant for over 25 years. She possesses excellent communication skills, detailed knowledge of the Alberta Program of Studies, as well as skills in developing and using technology in the 21st Century classroom.
Jennifer has developed educational software, videos, video scripts, slide shows, hands-on activities, as well as teacher lesson plans for Parks Canada, Elbow River Watershed Partnership, Alberta Tomorrow Foundation, Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon Board of Education, and Saskatchewan Environment and Parks.
Jennifer is active in the classroom with all ages of students and has worked with various stakeholders to present bias-free information.
When not working, she can be found with her husband and two daughters, exploring Alberta’s amazing landscapes on foot, bike or ski.

 

 

Lin Oosterhoff

GOTI Co-founder, Creative Director + Designer

Read MoreShow Less

Lin is an award-winning designer based in Exshaw, Alberta.
Born and raised in The Netherlands, her passion and talent for drawing got her into a Communications Design program where she first learned about Graphic Design, which soon became her greatest passion.
In 2009, she followed the love of her life to Canada. There she decided to take her craft further and went back to school to immerse herself in Graphic Design and Typography at Conestoga College in Ontario, where she graduated with distinction.
Lin currently works as Creative Director at Critical Mass, a full service digital experience design agency in Calgary, Alberta. In her spare time, she loves working with local clients to create bold design concepts that bring brands to life. When she is not working, she can be found enjoying the Rockies by bicycle or climbing to new heights.

 

 

Nino Guagliano

Professional Guide and Master Interpreter

Read MoreShow Less

Kristi is an accredited Hiking and Winter Travel Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and an accredited Professional and Master Interpreter with the Interpretive Guides Association.  Her guiding career spans over 20 years in the mountain national and provincial parks.  She loves connecting people with the wilderness, while making their experiences relevant and memorable.  “At the end of the day, I want my clients to become inspired stewards of the world!”  For 10 years, Kristi guided the Parks Canada Burgess Shale hikes and won the CEO Awards of Excellence for her work on the Expansion of the Burgess Shale Guided Hike project.

Since 2006, Kristi has developed and instructed guide accreditation courses for the Interpretive Guides Association. “I love mentoring new guides and sharing my passion for the outdoors, while reveling in their excitement to be a guide!  I also want them to recognize the importance of their role as messengers to what is happening here in the Canadian Rockies with Climate Change and what we can do about it.”

You may have seen Kristi on “Canada A.M.”, “CTV Travels”, Oasis TV, National Geographic Channel or CNN, hiking snow-covered ridge tops while sharing her knowledge of the natural and cultural history in the Canadian Rockies; or read about her in the Calgary Herald “Snow Profiles on Women”, Mountain Life Annual and Canadian Geographic magazine.

Kristi also works for the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival and is a Road Warrior with the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Canada and the US.  In 2018, Kristi met Jim Elzinga at the Film Festival, when she was emceeing a show where he announced the John Lauchlan Award winners.  That meeting lead to Kristi volunteering with Guardians of the Ice almost since its inception.  In her guiding career Kristi has seen the glaciers recede, prompting her to learn more and teach more about what we all can do to reduce our carbon footprint.  She’s credited with coming up with the first Guardians phrase, “Ice = Water = Life”.

In her down time, Kristi recharges in the mountains by road biking, SUP, and downhill or Nordic skiing!

 

 

Gurminder Banga

Photographer, Multidimensional Artist

Read MoreShow Less

Gurminder, the CEO of Banga Studios for the past 14 years, has been recognised as one of the top photographers in Toronto. He has aligned his artistic vision with a foundation of storytelling, human connection and creativity. As a multidimensional artist capturing intimate events and stunning landscapes the focus for Gurminder is to document the moments within the moment. Whether it be successful celebrities, influential leaders or mother nature Gurminder’s passion is to share stories that aid humanity in recognizing the inner abilities that live within us. Gurminder is also on his own personal journey to uncover the teachings of his inner being, so he can live by them in the outer world, with more calm, balance, peace and ease.

OUR PARTNERS

We are very thankful for the great contributions from our partners:

 

 

Mount Andromeda Columbia Icefield meltwater Athabasca Glacier

 

Jim Elzinga

GOTI Founder, Photographer, Alpinist, Organizational Development Consultant

Read MoreShow Less

Since Jim founded Heroic Hearts Inc., an organizational development company, in 1993, he has accrued over 25 years of experience as an Organizational Development Consultant, coaching and training business executives in the fields of Leadership, Team Effectiveness and Leading Change, working with multiple transnational corporate leadership teams in North America, Europe and Asia.

Currently his passions are focused through Guardians of the Ice on the growing impact of human activity on the mountain world and the rapidly developing downstream effects on natural and human systems around the planet. Jim’s role as planetary change agent derives directly from his experience in addressing the human dimension of change in organizations and thus informs the Guardians of the Ice mission to profoundly change our relationship with our planet and its living systems.

Jim has been an active and influential alpinist for over 40 years. Noted alpinist Steve House refers to Jim as the “original Canadian hardman.” Jim has led and guided multiple expeditions in North America, the Himalaya and the Andes. In 1986, he led the most successful Canadian expedition to Everest (Everest Light), establishing a new route on the Tibetan side, enabling two members of the team to summit, including Sharon Wood, the first North American woman to summit the mountain. He received a rare Award of Recognition from the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation recognizing his leadership of this historic expedition.

During the course of the expedition, a major financial institution partnered with Jim to use the climb as a metaphor for a “heroic” undertaking within its organization. Jim’s internal motivational and marketing program resulted in a massive cultural shift within the organization that unified the 1500 employees into a powerful force that turned around a $3 billion shortfall in deposits and nearly doubled the bank’s share price.

Jim has also had a lifelong interest in photography. He worked as the climbing cinematographer on the award-winning film Challenge the Canadian Rockies. As a photojournalist, sponsored by Leica, Jim was one of the first western photographers into China to document the lives of ordinary people.

“One of the many reasons I want still photography to be part of the Guardians project is the ability to make large high-quality prints that will immerse the viewer, like an Imax film. I feel this is the best way to create an emotional connection with the viewer and provide them an experience as if they were actually in the mountains. The intent within the Guardians Project is to produce environmental photographs as opposed to decorative imagery. We want to show nature, the ice, the mountains in a way that catalyses people to act in their own way towards greater engagement and ecological responsibility.”

 

 

Roger Vernon, C.S.C.

Filmmaker, Cinematographer

Read MoreShow Less

A native of Alberta and infused from birth with a deep and life long connection to the mountains of Western Canada, Roger Vernon solidified his love for life behind the camera at the age of 13. He succeeded in combining his love for the mountains and his desire to make images into a flourishing career as an internationally respected cinematographer.  

Although his early passion was rooted in the documentary world, Roger has made significant contributions to numerous feature length dramas, most notably Unforgiven, the western that was nominated for best cinematography and won four Academy awards including Best Picture. 

For over 46 years, Roger has applied his skills throughout the genres in motion picture photography.  Fictional films, documentaries, educational films and TV commercials, are all part of his visual language. He is the recipient of a Gemini Award for Cinematography, The Kodak Spectrum Award and ten awards from the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association.

While he has traveled and worked in many remote corners of the earth including Tibet, Mongolia, Kashmir, Bhutan, the Karakoram to name a few, he says that nowhere inspires him quite like the Canadian Rockies, which is why he continues to return to his mountain home in the Bow Valley.

 

  

Alison Criscitiello PhD

Ice Core Scientist, Alpinist

Read MoreShow Less

Dr. Alison Criscitiello is the Director of the Canadian Ice Core Archive (CICA) at University of Alberta. Alison is an ice core scientist with extensive field experience in Antarctica, the Canadian high Arctic, Greenland, Alaska, and the Canadian Rockies. Broadly, her research utilizes new polar ice core records to address how the marine influence on coastal ice caps and ice sheets has changed over time, and how remote atmospheric dynamics impact regional and local processes and climate. Ultimately, this work helps constrain projections of future contributions of polar ice caps to global sea level, and is extremely valuable in advancing our understanding of the complex and coupled ocean-ice-atmosphere system.
Dr. Criscitiello obtained her BA in Earth and Environmental Science from Wesleyan University (2003), her MA in Geology and Geophysics from Columbia University (2006), and her PhD in Glaciology from the MIT/WHOI Joint Program (2014). She moved to Canada to complete a post-doctoral fellowship at University of Calgary (2014-2016) where she expanded her work in the Canadian Arctic to encompass investigations of environmental contaminants in ice cores, and subsequently began her position as Director of CICA in May 2017.

 

 

  

John A. Stevens

GOTI Co-founder, Creative Consultant, Writer and Editor

Read MoreShow Less

John’s has accumulated 30-plus years of story work as writer and editor, coaching and drawing out stories of depth and meaning from the memories of veterans, business and political leaders, survivors and artists.

He also consults on the shaping and refining of works of fiction, carrying their authors’ ambitions, dreams and insights into courageous narratives. He has applied his unique expertise to more than one hundred published books.

“I have always sought out the edges, the frontiers and interfaces where we are most alive, most creative and most engaged. It’s all a great adventure, whether hitchhiking through the Khyber Pass as I did as a young man, or partnering with a writer to find the most compelling ways to express the deepest most heartfelt truths.”

John’s mission with Guardians of the Ice is to find and tell the great stories of resilience and resourcefulness among the “ordinary” people all over the world who are adapting with courage and imagination to the harshest consequences of the climate crisis, and thereby creating the regeneration of our world.

 

 

 

Anthony Walsh

Journalist, Photographer, Alpinist

Read MoreShow Less

Anthony Walsh is a journalist, photographer and alpinist based in Golden, British Columbia. When he’s not climbing in the Bugaboos or ski touring in Rogers Pass, Anthony strives to string words together to weave a tale of the mountain experience. He holds a Bachelors of Journalism from Carleton University and has written for outlets including Maclean’s, Black Press Media and Gripped Magazine. Anthony has a special interest in how climate change is affecting climbers around the world and finds purpose in sharing his findings with the vertically inclined community. He can often be found studying dusty copies of the Canadian Alpine Journal in Golden’s local gym or re-reading his beloved copy of the Canadian Press Stylebook.

 

 

Jennifer Janzen BEd, BSc

Biologist/Educator, Executive Director, Alberta Tomorrow

Read MoreShow Less

Jennifer has been developing diverse educational resources in both the formal K-12 education system as a teacher and for educational organizations as a consultant for over 25 years. She possesses excellent communication skills, detailed knowledge of the Alberta Program of Studies, as well as skills in developing and using technology in the 21st Century classroom.
Jennifer has developed educational software, videos, video scripts, slide shows, hands-on activities, as well as teacher lesson plans for Parks Canada, Elbow River Watershed Partnership, Alberta Tomorrow Foundation, Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon Board of Education, and Saskatchewan Environment and Parks.
Jennifer is active in the classroom with all ages of students and has worked with various stakeholders to present bias-free information.
When not working, she can be found with her husband and two daughters, exploring Alberta’s amazing landscapes on foot, bike or ski.

 

 

 

 

Lin Oosterhoff

GOTI Co-founder, Creative Director + Designer

Read MoreShow Less

Lin is an award-winning designer based in Exshaw, Alberta.
Born and raised in The Netherlands, her passion and talent for drawing got her into a Communications Design program where she first learned about Graphic Design, which soon became her greatest passion.
In 2009, she followed the love of her life to Canada. There she decided to take her craft further and went back to school to immerse herself in Graphic Design and Typography at Conestoga College in Ontario, where she graduated with distinction.
Lin currently works as Creative Director at Critical Mass, a full service digital experience design agency in Calgary, Alberta. In her spare time, she loves working with local clients to create bold design concepts that bring brands to life. When she is not working, she can be found enjoying the Rockies by bicycle or climbing to new heights.

 

 

 

Kristi Beetch

Professional Guide and Master Interpreter

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Kristi is an accredited Hiking and Winter Travel Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and an accredited Professional and Master Interpreter with the Interpretive Guides Association.  Her guiding career spans over 20 years in the mountain national and provincial parks.  She loves connecting people with the wilderness, while making their experiences relevant and memorable.  “At the end of the day, I want my clients to become inspired stewards of the world!”  For 10 years, Kristi guided the Parks Canada Burgess Shale hikes and won the CEO Awards of Excellence for her work on the Expansion of the Burgess Shale Guided Hike project.

Since 2006, Kristi has developed and instructed guide accreditation courses for the Interpretive Guides Association. “I love mentoring new guides and sharing my passion for the outdoors, while reveling in their excitement to be a guide!  I also want them to recognize the importance of their role as messengers to what is happening here in the Canadian Rockies with Climate Change and what we can do about it.”

You may have seen Kristi on “Canada A.M.”, “CTV Travels”, Oasis TV, National Geographic Channel or CNN, hiking snow-covered ridge tops while sharing her knowledge of the natural and cultural history in the Canadian Rockies; or read about her in the Calgary Herald “Snow Profiles on Women”, Mountain Life Annual and Canadian Geographic magazine.

Kristi also works for the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival and is a Road Warrior with the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Canada and the US.  In 2018, Kristi met Jim Elzinga at the Film Festival, when she was emceeing a show where he announced the John Lauchlan Award winners.  That meeting lead to Kristi volunteering with Guardians of the Ice almost since its inception.  In her guiding career Kristi has seen the glaciers recede, prompting her to learn more and teach more about what we all can do to reduce our carbon footprint.  She’s credited with coming up with the first Guardians phrase, “Ice = Water = Life”.

In her down time, Kristi recharges in the mountains by road biking, SUP, and downhill or Nordic skiing!

 

 

 

Gurminder Banga

Photographer, Multidimensional Artist

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Gurminder, the CEO of Banga Studios for the past 14 years, has been recognized as one of the top photographers in Toronto. He has aligned his artistic vision with a foundation of storytelling, human connection and creativity. As a multidimensional artist capturing intimate events and stunning landscapes the focus for Gurminder is to document the moments within the moment. Whether it be successful celebrities, influential leaders or mother nature Gurminder’s passion is to share stories that aid humanity in recognizing the inner abilities that live within us. Gurminder is also on his own personal journey to uncover the teachings of his inner being, so he can live by them in the outer world, with more calm, balance, peace and ease.

OUR PARTNERS

We are very thankful for the great contributions from our partners:

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Andromeda Columbia Icefield meltwater Athabasca Glacier

          OVERVIEW       

  COLUMBIA ICEFIELD

    FOUR OUTCOMES   

           THE LOGO         

OUR MISSION

To marry art and science in film, photography and text to illuminate the significance of what is being lost and the infinite possibilities to be realized in grappling with this urgent global climate crisis.

To mobilize a broad social movement around the retreat of the Columbia Icefield breaking the logjam of apathy and complacency towards the climate crisis. We can accomplish this by becoming committed climate activists in a community of individual action, community collaboration and policy change.

 

      TAKE ACTION: DONATE TODAY!   

      TAKE ACTION: JOIN THE GUARD!   

 

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD

   FOUR OUTCOMES 

         THE TEAM       

          THE LOGO       

       TAKE ACTION   

 

OUR MISSION

To marry art and science in film, photography and text to illuminate the significance of what is being lost and the infinite possibilities to be realized in grappling with this urgent global climate crisis.

To mobilize a broad social movement around the retreat of the Columbia Icefield breaking the logjam of apathy and complacency towards the climate crisis. We can accomplish this by becoming committed climate activists in a community of individual action, community collaboration and policy change.

      TAKE ACTION: DONATE TODAY!     

      TAKE ACTION: JOIN THE GUARD!  

 

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD

   FOUR OUTCOMES 

         THE TEAM       

          THE LOGO       

       TAKE ACTION   

 

      TAKE ACTION: DONATE TODAY!     

      TAKE ACTION: JOIN THE GUARD!   

OUR MISSION

To marry art and science in film, photography and text to illuminate the significance of what is being lost and the infinite possibilities to be realized in grappling with this urgent global climate crisis.

To mobilize a broad social movement around the retreat of the Columbia Icefield breaking the logjam of apathy and complacency towards the climate crisis. We can accomplish this by becoming committed climate activists in a community of individual action, community collaboration and policy change.

 

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD

   FOUR OUTCOMES 

         THE TEAM       

          THE LOGO       

       TAKE ACTION   

 

Your generous gift will help us keep moving forward on our purpose: to build broad support for a low carbon future

 

With any gift of $100 or more, we will send you one of our Guardians of the Ice tee shirts ($45 retail)

 

They are made with a beautifully soft bamboo material by Jerico, a Socially Conscious Canadian Company

 

Guardians of the Ice is incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act

 

Your generous gift will help us keep moving forward on our purpose: to build broad support for a low carbon future

 

With any gift of $100 or more, we will send you one of our Guardians of the Ice tee shirts ($45 retail)

 

They are made with a beautifully soft bamboo material by Jerico, a Socially Conscious Canadian Company

 

Guardians of the Ice is incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act

 

info@guardiansoftheice.com © 2021
  • Overview
  • The Columbia Icefield
  • The Four Tangible Outcomes
  • The Team
  • The Logo
  • Take Action: Donate Today!
  • Take Action: Join the Guard!
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  • Blog