Please note: Mountain Culture will not be offering the Heritage Interpretation course in 2005.
 Please refer to  http://www.mphia.org for details on their course offering.

Program Details

Background
May 8 - 12, 2000: 42 Banff area guides and interpreters took a crash course in the "what’s", the "where’s", the "how’s" and the "why’s" of the Canadian Rockies. The course was Mountain Culture's second annual Professional Heritage Interpreters’ Certification Course.

Being a professional guide or trip leader is a challenging job. You are expected to know every answer about the mountains, no matter what the question. You must educate and entertain visitors from every part of the globe. You are a guide, an ambassador and a teacher, all rolled into one. This week-long course addresses the skills and knowledge needed to accomplish these tasks.

Sessions included presentations on interpretation skills, the human and natural history of the Banff-Bow Valley, an overview of national park and ecosystem issues, and field trips.

Those attending this year’s course gave it a strong thumbs up: "I now have an inside knowledge of the evolution of the Canadian Rockies which I can incorporate in my interpretive walks." "Gave me a new attitude towards interpretation. Very witty and engaging." "This is what people ask us and expect us to know."

The course is also excellent preparation for those intending to seek certification from the Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association. "This course reviews all the information and skills required in our certification process", said Gord Stermann, president of MPHIA. "It covers the factual material and skills sets that people need to be effective heritage interpreters in Banff. And it’s an excellent grounding for the MPHIA certification exam."

The Professional Heritage Interpreters’ Certification Course is offered annually in the spring of each year.

Want to know more about the Mountain Park Heritage Interpretation Association and their certification? Click on http://www.mphia.org

1999: From May 17 to 21, a capacity group of 30 enthusiastic participants per day enjoyed our first-ever Professional Interpreters’ Certification Course, designed for individuals seeking professional level accreditation from the Mountain Park Heritage Interpretation Association, or those who wanted to improve their skills and knowledge as interpreters of Banff National Park’s heritage. Training content included heritage tourism strategy, human history, ecosystem fundamentals, mountain park issues, tourism and visitation trends, geology and geography, flora and fauna, and interpretive skills.

March 1998: With the help of Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre, 50 people involved in tourism in the Canadian Rockies met in February/98 to continue their pursuit of a quality experience for the mountain visitor. Specifically, they want to be part of making sure that what visitors are told about the mountains is accurate and interesting - whether the information comes from a taxi driver, a concierge, a tour guide, or a full-time interpreter.

Participants agreed to form the Mountain Park Heritage Interpretation Association and elected their first executive. The executive and the new association now take on three main tasks:

• getting more operators onside
• creating standards
• designing and delivering training for people who, as part of their daily work, tell travelers about the natural and human history of these mountains.

"It's a great challenge!" says Gord Stermann, first president of the new organization. "We're going to create a lasting legacy for the mountain parks, and I'm happy to be in at the beginning of it!"

March, 1997 marked a turning point in the evolution of quality interpretation in Canada's mountain parks. Hosted by Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre, with support from Parks Canada, the Heritage Interpretation Standards and Accreditation Forum was attended by over 40 people with a wide range of interpretive interests. They focused on how to present better and more consistent interpretation of the natural and human heritage of the mountain national parks.

A wide variety of private organizations offer guiding, soft adventure and interpretation to hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. Parks Canada is offering fewer park-staffed interpretive programs to the public than in the past.

Because of the variety of presenters and the lack of common standards, there is a tremendous range in the quality and accuracy of interpretive presentations. Since the Forum, an interim board has been working on a template for the establishment of a professional association.

For more information, please contact:
Judy Glowinski, Parks Canada 403-760-1340