Jimmy Simpson Mountain Man

This interview with Jimmy Simpson Sr. conducted by Catharine Robb Whyte took place in the original cabin Jimmy built on the shores of Bow Lake in the 1920s. Their conversation follows the paths of his life from his native Scotland to the Canadian Rockies. Discussing everything from his slap-dash trip across Canada in his youth, working as a pack hand out of early Lake Louise, hunting trips, and his friendship with Carl Rungius, the pair reminisce on Jimmy’s almost 80 years of living, working, and playing in the mountains.
The 1972 film was directed by Jon Whyte, who was a poet, author, and journalist. Jon Whyte was born and raised in Banff, Alberta, and was the nephew of the interviewer, Catharine Robb Whyte. The film was part of his thesis for his Masters in Communications from Stanford University in California.
Jimmy Simpson: Mountain Man, 1972, Jon Whyte fonds, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V690/NF-5