Bill Peyto
Encyclopedia
Ebenezer William "Bill" Peyto (14 February 1869 in Welling, Kent – 23 March 1943 in Banff, Alberta) was a pioneer, mountain guide, and early park warden of the Banff National Park
. As a guide, Peyto was chosen to lead Edward Whymper
to Vermilion Pass
. His large photograph prominently marks the entrance to the town of Banff, Alberta
. Peyto Glacier
on the Continental Divide
and Peyto Lake
are named in his honour.
Peyto lived in England before immigrating to Canada, arriving in February, 1887, to find his way to the Canadian Rocky Mountains where he initially worked as a railway labourer. By the mid-1890s Peyto had built a small log cabin close to the Bow River
where he kept his outfitting and trapping gear.
Peyto worked as a park warden in the Banff National Park from 1913 until his retirement in 1936, with his duties interrupted by his service in the First World War.
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
. As a guide, Peyto was chosen to lead Edward Whymper
Edward Whymper
Edward Whymper , was an English illustrator, climber and explorer best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. On the descent four members of the party were killed.-Early life:...
to Vermilion Pass
Vermilion Pass
Vermilion Pass is a high mountain pass in the Canadian Rockies, traversing the continental divide. It connects Kootenay National Park in the province of British Columbia with Banff National Park in Alberta.-External links:*...
. His large photograph prominently marks the entrance to the town of Banff, Alberta
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
. Peyto Glacier
Peyto Glacier
Peyto Glacier is located in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, approximately northwest of the town of Banff, and can be accessed from the Icefields Parkway. Peyto Glacier is an outflow glacier from the Wapta Icefield, which rests along the Continental divide...
on the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
and Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway...
are named in his honour.
Peyto lived in England before immigrating to Canada, arriving in February, 1887, to find his way to the Canadian Rocky Mountains where he initially worked as a railway labourer. By the mid-1890s Peyto had built a small log cabin close to the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
where he kept his outfitting and trapping gear.
Peyto worked as a park warden in the Banff National Park from 1913 until his retirement in 1936, with his duties interrupted by his service in the First World War.
Military service
- Boer WarBoer WarThe Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, enlisted for service in 1899, serving in Lord Strathcona's Horse RegimentLord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)Lord Strathcona's Horse is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of Land Force Western Area's 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group...
. - World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
served in Belgium and France with the Twelfth Mounted Regiment and Machine Gun Brigade. - Wounded in his right leg at the Battle of YpresSecond Battle of YpresThe Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...