A mountain formerly known as Mount Pétain, but with no current official name, is located on the border of the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia (BC) on the Continental Divide.
| Unnamed Alberta–BC mountain | |
|---|---|
| Mount Pétain (1919–2022) | |
  Unnamed Alberta–BC mountain Location in Alberta and British Columbia  Unnamed Alberta–BC mountain Unnamed Alberta–BC mountain (British Columbia) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,196 m (10,486 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 326 m (1,070 ft)[1] |
| Listing | Mountains of Alberta Mountains of British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 50°32′39″N 115°11′07″W / 50.54417°N 115.18528°W[2] |
| Geography | |
| Country | Canada |
| Provinces | Alberta and British Columbia |
| Parent range | Park Ranges[1] |
| Topo map | NTS 82J11 Kananaskis Lakes[2] |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1930 Katie Gardiner, Walter Fuez[3] |
Original nomenclature
editIt was named in 1918 after French Marshal Philippe Pétain,[3][1] who was then an honoured war hero for the Allies of World War I. The name was retained despite the later reversal in Pétain's reputation after his having been Head of State of Vichy France and being partly responsible for the murder of 76,000 Jews.[4][5]
Besides the mountain several other geographical points were named for Pétain. Pétain Glacier is found next to Mount Joffre and Mount Pétain forming the Pétain Basin, with melt cascading down Pétain Creek Falls into the Pétain Creek below.[6]
Renaming
editIn 2019, the Government of Alberta rescinded Pétain's name from the Alberta side of the border. In October 2021, the Regional District of East Kootenay, upon being consulted by BC Geographical Names, voted to support removing Pétain's name from the British Columbia side.[7] On June 29, 2022, the Government of British Columbia also rescinded the name, rendering the mountain officially nameless.[8] The names of Pétain Creek and Pétain Glacier were also rescinded.[9]
As of July 2022, neither of the provinces in which the mountain sits have decided on a new name, but "will work together" with local stakeholders to determine one.[10]
Access
editThe snow-capped mountain can be reached from Height of the Rockies Provincial Park and Elk Lakes Provincial Park within British Columbia or Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Alberta.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Mount Petain". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
- ^ a b "Mount Pétain". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
- ^ a b "Mount Petain". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
- ^ Golinkin, Lev. "Nazi collaborator monuments around the world". The Forward. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Mount Pétain". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
- ^ "Elk Lakes Park: Hiking". BC Parks. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
- ^ "Mount Pétain in the Rockies to have name rescinded". Cranbook Daily Townsman. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
- ^ Kaufmann, Bill (July 4, 2022). "After Calgarian's efforts, Nazi collaborator's name removed from Alberta-B.C. peak". Calgary Herald. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "British Columbia to Rename Geographical Sites Honoring Nazi Collaborator Pétain". The Algemeiner. July 5, 2022.
- ^ "Canadian mountain no longer named for Nazi collaborator thanks to father and son". CBC Radio. July 5, 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-06.