The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) is an amateur athletic association with its national office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, who served as its first president, and Elizabeth Parker, a journalist for the Manitoba Free Press. Byron Harmon, whose 6500+ photographs of the Canadian Rockies in the early 20th century provide the best glimpse of the area at that time, was official photographer to the club at its founding. The club is the leading organization in Canada devoted to climbing, mountain culture, and issues related to alpine pursuits and ecology. It is also the Canadian regulatory organization for climbing competition, sanctioning local, regional and national events, and assembling, coaching and supporting the national team. The ACC is divided into 24 regional sections across Canada that serve local members and focus on local issues and access, linking mountain enthusiasts to the national community. The club also maintains membership in international organizations including the International Federation of Sport Climbing and the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (U.I.A.A.), provides year-round mountain adventures and an extensive system of alpine and backcountry huts throughout the Canadian Rockies, the ACC has grown from its early inception into a full-fledged mountain organization with a strong foundation of volunteer, professional and corporate support. The club's goals remain the promotion of the sport of competitive climbing, mountain culture adventure, access, and environmental responsibility. The ACC publishes the annual Canadian Alpine Journal, which serves as the journal of record for Canadian achievements in climbing, mountaineering, ski mountaineering, and exploration of mountains. While the ACC's national office is in Canmore, Alberta, the core of the Club's activities are the volunteer-led outdoor recreation opportunities offered to its approximately 10,000 members through the 24 regional sections across the country. In 2006, Canada Post issued a stamp to celebrate the club's centenary. History The founders In the spirit of the Alpine Club created in England in 1857, and the American Alpine Club (founded 1902), the ACC was established in Winnipeg in 1906 by A.O. Wheeler and Elizabeth Parker, with the support of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Arthur O. Wheeler, who was born in 1860 in Kilkenny County, Ireland, immigrated to Canada in 1876 at the age of 16 with his family. Beginning in 1883, he worked for the Dominion Government and Canadian Pacific Railway