Jimmy Simpson

Jimmy Simpson is one of the most significant figures in the history of the Canadian Rockies. Often called the “Grand Old Man of the Mountains,” he went from a runaway British immigrant to a legendary guide, outfitter, and artist who helped open the Banff and Lake Louise backcountry to the world. His life is tied to Bow Lake, where he built Num-Ti-Jah Lodge.

From England to the Rockies. Born in England, Simpson reached Canada in 1896 at 19. After failing at farming in Winnipeg he stowed away on a westbound train, was put off near Castle Junction, and walked to Laggan (Lake Louise). Tom Wilson, the pioneering outfitter who had employed guides like Bill Peyto (“Wild Bill”), hired him. Under Wilson, Simpson learned guiding, packing, and survival in the mountains.

The vow at Bow Lake. In 1898, while working for Wilson, Simpson camped at the northern end of Bow Lake. Struck by the turquoise water and hanging glaciers, he vowed, “I’ll build a shack here sometime.” In 1920 he secured a five-acre lease and built a small octagonal log cabin; the “Ram’s Pasture.” As the Icefields Parkway was built in the 1930s, he expanded into a larger lodge and named it Num-Ti-Jah, which he understood to mean “Pine Marten” in Stoney Nakoda.

Nashan-esen. Simpson was known for his stamina. He was an expert snowshoer and covered long distances in winter on his trap lines. The Stoney Nakoda gave him the name Nashan-esen; “Wolverine-Go-Quickly.”

Artist and storyteller. Simpson was intellectual and artistic as well as rugged. He was close friends with Carl Rungius, North America’s leading wildlife painter; Simpson guided Rungius to painting locations and Rungius taught him to paint. Simpson became a skilled amateur artist. At the lodge he was a famous raconteur; he once said the mountains were the only place humans could feel their “utter helplessness and insignificance.”

Legacy. Simpson died in 1972 at 95. Mount Jimmy Simpson, overlooking Bow Lake, was named in his honour in 1973. In recent years the lodge has been rebranded as The Lodge at Bow Lake after consultation with Stoney Nakoda Elders, who clarified that “Num-Ti-Jah” was not formally gifted to Simpson under cultural protocols; the Simpson family’s history remains central to the property’s identity.