Invermere Valley Echo

Kain, Cairn and crowds in Wilmer

The streets were packed with people in Wilmer this weekend for the ceremonial opening of the Conrad Kain Park and the unveiling of the Conrad Kain Cairn. Speeches were made by representatives from alpine groups around the world followed by a short play, barbecue and live music. Dave Lazzarino/Echo Photo

By Dave Lazzarino - Invermere Valley Echo

Published: July 14, 2009 1:00 PM

The small town of Wilmer was host to a big event this past weekend. The crowd had gathered for the ceremonial opening of the newly upgraded Conrad Kain Park and unveiling of the Conrad Kain Cairn.

Speeches were made by MLA Norm Macdonald and regional district director Gerry Wilkie, Conrad Kain Centennial Society chair Hermann Mauthner as well as representatives from alpine and guiding clubs from around the world. Stories were told about the trailblazing explorer who came to Canada in 1909 from Austria to become the first Alpine Club of Canada guide.

Among Kain’s many credits are first ascents of Mount Robson in 1913 and Bugaboo Spire three years later.

The park in Wilmer had a new children’s area built and a new gate installed with a depiction of three of the peaks he climbed in the area. As well, the ceremonial cairn, a symbolic pile of stones brought from mountains around the world that Kain had climbed, was unveiled.

One inscription on the cairn reads “In Conrad Kain there was a splendid fire . . . He saw a peak first as something beautiful, the technical problem was always secondary and nothing counted beside that vision . . .”

Visitors who braved the heat were then treated to a play about the life of Kain as well as a barbecue and live music.

A raffle was also held for a painting of Kain by local artist Pat Bavin called “Local Ascents, Conrad Kain.”

It was painted in acrylic on Japanese rice paper and layered onto the canvas to produce a textured affect that helped to bring out the striking colours in the depiction of Kain and his hut in the Bugaboos.