Twin Butte book launch proved to be popular
A party at the Community Hall in Twin Butte, Aug. 29 proved to be quite popular.
The get-tgether was to celebrate the launch a book titled Greater Waterton: A Conservation Legacy.
“The launch was well attended,” said Kass, one of the servers at the Twin Butte Country Store. The Stpre hosted the event. “Drinks and food were provided by the Twin Butte Country General Store. We served beef on a bun and a variety of wine, beer, and ciders.”
“Over 100 people attended the launch. The book was launched in celebration of its release after more than 2.5 years of work by many many individuals and groups. It is a celebration of community and place.”
Beth Towe, who was involved in the creation of the book, says that the book was created by an ensemble of 16 different authors including award winning writers, Fred Stenson, Sid Marty, Charlie Russell, Chris Morrison, Kevin Van Tighem, and Harvey Locke.
Other authors that contributed to the book were Wendy Ryan, Bruce Morrison, Brittany Watson, Don Bourdon, Larry Simpson, Dave Sheppard, and Beth Towe, with excerpts from Andy Russell.
Towe says that she was inspired to involve herself in the creation of the book when she saw a photo of a high country pack train by Bert Riggall that stopped her in her tracks. Towe says she felt like she was magically transported to the wild Rocky Mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park.
“It was astounding to imagine horse travel across the steep slippery scree slope at 8,000 feet,” Towe said. “Showcased in an historic photograph exhibit, one dramatic image after another was mesmerizing. I was compelled that these extraordinary images needed to be a book.”
Towe says that the book has already been short-listed in its category at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival and a gathering for it will be held in Banff in Early November.
Towe also says that a series of speaker presentations from the book will be done during a tour of southern Alberta later this year.
“The book is a compendium of fabulous information and stories, a, photographic coffee table book about Waterton and southern Alberta, with over 300 pages,” Towe said.
“It has wide appeal to historians, horse lovers, photographers, conservationists, lovers of Waterton, and southern Alberta.”
Riggall's early 1900’s photographs, Towe says, have been declared a national treasure because they have captured the landscape and lifestyle of the era.
Towe has worked with the Bert Riggall Environmental Foundation and a stable of outstanding writers to help the concept evolve from research into a compelling story.
“The photographs and that story are of compassion and commitment,” Towe said. “Both the photographs and story carry across generations and pay homage the conservation of the region, making the book one of international significance.”