Category Archives: Place

Mount Kerkeslin

Alberta. Mount
S of Jasper, E of Athabasca River
52.6486 N 117.8267 W — Map 083C12 — GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1956
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names
This mount appears on:
Palliser Map 1863
This mountain was named by James Hector [1834–1907] in 1859. The origin of the name is uncertain, although it is similar to the what Hector reported as the Native name for the wolverine,which he mentioned on his trip to Jasper House along the Athabasca River:

January 22nd [1859] — At noon to-day we halted to cache another bag of pemican, which we did by building logs over it, carefully fitting them together by notches. The great danger to a caché is from the wolverine, a small rough-haired animal, like a miniature bear, but much stronger in proportion to his size than any other animal in the country. He is posessed of great cunning also, and it is very difficult to defeat his marauding propensities. Their Indian name is ker-kes-shu, and many wonderful yarns are told about them round the camp fire. For instance, that a man once left his gun, with the leather cover on, leaning against a tree, while he went to skin a deer he had killed, on his return his gun was gone, and no trace of anything to be seen in the snow excepting the track of a wolverine, that seemed to have gone to where the gun had been left. Following the animal’s track, he found after more than 300 yards, the mark of his gun trailing in the snow as the animal had dragged it along, but for this distance it must have carried it clear of the ground, a matter of some difficulty to a little beast not higher than a fox. [1]

References:

  • 1. Hector, James [1834–1907]; Palliser, John [1817–1887]; Spry, Irene Mary Biss [1907–1998], editor. The papers of the Palliser Expedition 1857-1860. Toronto: Publications of the Champlain Society XLIV, 1968, p. 365. Internet Archive [accessed 4 March 2025]

Mount Christie

Alberta. Mount
Head of Whirlpool River
52.5311 N 117.8108 W — Map 083C12 — GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1947
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names
This mount appears on:
Palliser Map 1863
This mountain was named by James Hector [1834–1907] in 1859 after William Joseph Christie, the chief factor at Edmonton House when Hector was there.

After serving the Hudson’s Bay Company [founded 1670] as a clerk, Christie was appointed chief trader in charge of the Swan River District in 1854. He became a chief factor in 1858, and he retired in 1870, settling in Brockville, Ontario. He played a part as a commissioner in the negotiation of Indian Treaties in 1874-1876.

References:

  • Karamitsanis, Aphrodite [1961–]. Place names of Alberta. Volume 1: Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1991. Internet Archive [accessed 25 February 2025]
  • British Columbia Geographical Names. Christie, Mount

Mount Tekarra

Alberta. Mount
10km SE of Jasper
52.8417 N 117.9394 W — Map 083C13 — GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1947
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names
This mount appears on:
Palliser Map 1863
This prominent mountain was named by James Hector [1834–1907] in 1859 after Tekarra, a local Iroquois hunter. Tekarra, along with Henry John Moberly [1835–1931], accompanied Hector on a journey toward Athabasca Pass in 1859.

References:

  • Hector, James [1834–1907]; Palliser, John [1817–1887]; Spry, Irene Mary Biss [1907–1998], editor. The papers of the Palliser Expedition 1857-1860. Toronto: Publications of the Champlain Society XLIV, 1968. Internet Archive [accessed 4 March 2025]

Pyramid Mountain

Alberta. Mountain
Approximately 9 km NW of Jasper
52.9511 N 118.1492 W — Map 083D16 — GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1951
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names
This mountain appears on:
Palliser Map 1863
Approximately 9 km north-west of Jasper.

This pyramid-shaped mountain was given its name in 1859 by James Hector [1834–1907] while on an expedition to Athabasca Pass, accompanied by Henry John Moberly [1835–1931] and Tekarra, their Iroquois guide. It is a well-known landmark near Jasper.

References:

  • Karamitsanis, Aphrodite [1961–]. Place names of Alberta. Volume 1: Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1991. Internet Archive [accessed 25 February 2025]