This story is part of a feature that first appeared in print in Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine’s December 2022 issue. Read the entire e-edition here:
Mount Begbie looms over Revelstoke. It’s iconized in the backdrop of photos, on logos, and in the names of businesses and schools. It’s a right of passage for adventure enthusiasts, no matter the season. Producers of the film Beyond Begbie say, “Mount Begbie has inspired an entire community.”
The short film premiered at this year’s Banff Mountain Film festival. Beyond Begbie was directed, produced and edited by Revelstoke residents Zoya Lynch, Nat Segal, Colleen Gentemann and Ryan Paul Collins.
Exploring the heavy history behind the mountain’s name, viewers are asked to consider if their connection to the land is, or isn’t, reflected in the name. The film features Nahanni Mckay, Ariel Hill, Dale Tomma, Tim Patterson and Shelly Boyd, members of Indigenous groups and mountain sports enthusiasts, sharing their histories with the land and its significance to them individually.
The film highlights that the peak has created an entire contemporary culture in Revelstoke. Still, its name and story only represent colonial history with no reference to the Indigenous heritage of the land.
“The main aim of the film is to start the conversation about colonial names of mountains,” says producer Nat Segal. “It is not a black and white film that pushes for the name to be changed.”
The Revelstoke premiere of Beyond Begbie takes place on December 2 at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre. The “For the Love Of” event hosted by Open Mountains Project — a non-profit society in Revelstoke — will screen three films that explore the topics of place and colonialism in Revelstoke and winter recreation, followed by a panel discussion. Tickets are available online through the Open Mountains Project’s social media pages and on Eventbrite.com.
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