Abbot Pass Hut Salvaged Materials and Heritage Resources
Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site
Background
After Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin (commonly referred to as Abbot Pass Hut) was dismantled, Parks Canada conducted broad public consultation to better understand the heritage values of this place. Parks Canada then held a workshop with impacted organizations to determine how best to communicate these heritage values in future.
One of the recommendations was a formal process to invite interested parties to make use of salvaged materials from Abbot Pass Hut. These items have been determined to be building materials rather than historic artifacts. Parks Canada accepted this recommendation.
Request for Proposals (RFP)
Parks Canada has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the use of salvaged building materials and digital heritage resources from Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site in legacy projects.
Proponents will be invited to make use of masonry, representative features, miscellaneous found items, historical research, digital heritage recordings, photographs, video and/or oral history interviews conducted by Parks Canada.
Parks Canada will enter into an Agreement with the Successful Proponent(s) for an indefinite term beginning on a mutually agreed upon date no later than one-year following the execution of the Agreement. The Successful Proponent will pay no fees to Parks Canada but will be responsible for collecting and transporting any physical materials.
Parks Canada makes no commitment to the structural suitability of any of the building materials. The risks of repurposing for potential construction are the responsibility of the proponent.
Documents may be obtained from:
Amy Krause
A/Partnering and Engagement Officer
Email to: LLYKsuperintendent-directeurLLYK@pc.gc.ca
Proposals marked “Solicitation Number: PCA-2026-01-LLYK-YNP-BNP” will be accepted at the email address noted in the Request for Proposal documents. Proposals must be received on or before 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
No proposal shall be considered unless it is accompanied by the required documents as stated in the RFP and received by the date and time specified above. Proposals received after the specified date and time will be returned unopened.
The highest rated proposal shall not necessarily be accepted.
About the Evaluation Board
Parks Canada is honoured to be working with a diverse group of external consultants with expertise in themes related to Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site. Their work is guided by a Terms of Reference which invites them to assess applications against identified criteria and make recommendations to the Field Unit Superintendent for decision.
Barry Blanchard, IFNMG/UIAGM Mountain Guide, CME
Barry Blanchard, IFNMG / UIAGM Mountain Guide, CME
Barry Blanchard was born in Calgary in 1958 and is widely regarded as one of Canada’s greatest alpinists. After discovering climbing in books at the high school library, a six-month trip to the French Alps in 1980 set the course of his life: to climb the steepest and most complicated faces of the world’s great glaciated peaks. Blanchard moved to the mountains in 1982 to pursue climbing and a career in mountain guiding.
Barry Blanchard’s accomplishments include bold first ascents and pioneering climbs in the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, the Himalayas, and Pakistan. In Canada these include among many others, the committing North Pillar of North Twin (Alberta, 1985); a legendary winter first-ascent of M-16 on the East Face of Howse Peak (Alberta, 1999); and a landmark first ascent of Infinite Patience on the Emperor Face of Mt. Robson (British Columbia, 2002).
He is an internationally certified UIAGM (Union Internationale des Associations de Guides Montagnes) mountain guide and has advised on feature films such as K-2, Cliffhanger and The Vertical Limit. He enjoys all of his outings, even those that transcend narrow definitions of “success”.
Barry Blanchard was appointed to The Order of Canada in 2024.
Katherine Hanly, MSc
Katherine Hanly, MSc
Katherine Hanly is a PhD Candidate in Geography at the University of Calgary. Her work lies at the intersection of climate change and human experience, bridging science and decision-making.
Hanly is interested in how climate change is transforming the mountain cryosphere (ice, snow, and permafrost) of the Canadian Rockies and how this reshapes risk, access, and decision-making for those who live, work and recreate in the alpine. Her PhD research examines how mountain guides in the Canadian Rockies perceive, navigate, and respond to climate-driven landscape change. Understanding the ways in which adaptive responses vary across people and institutions can help ground climate adaptation policy in a practical context. Alongside her doctoral research, Hanly works with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) assessing regional climate change adaptation initiatives across western North America.
Katherine Hanly was a member of the Canadian Long Track Speed Skating team for seven years, competing internationally while pursuing her undergraduate degree. She retired from sport in 2016. While academic in her approach, Katherine Hanly remains committed to sharing climate insights with communities and mainstream media to encourage broader public dialogue about climate change in mountain places.
Zac Robinson, PhD, FRCGS
Zac Robinson, PhD, FRCGS
Zac Robinson is a historian and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. He researches Canadian history, focusing on the cultural and social histories of the Rocky and Columbia mountains. His interests include mountaineering, travel writing, postcolonial critique, and place-based historical methods.
An award-winning author and teacher, Robinson served as the Vice-President for Mountain Culture of the Alpine Club of Canada from 2015 until 2023. He is co-editor of the Alpine Club of Canada’s State of the Mountains Report, a regular contributor to the Canadian Alpine Journal, and a reader for the annual Banff Mountain Book and Film Festival.
Robinson is also the co-creator of Mountains 101, a massive open online course dedicated to all things mountains on the Coursera platform. The course is currently the seventh highest rated Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) in the world as listed by Class Central and is the No. 1 environmental science MOOC.
An avid climber and backcountry skier, Robinson was also a long-time Camp Manager for the Alpine Club’s flagship Annual General Mountaineering Camp. He presently serves the Royal Canadian Geographic Society as the Vice-Chair of the Expeditions Committee.
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