June Mickle

June Mickle was a defining figure in Banff National Park’s backcountry culture; co-manager of Skoki Lodge and Temple Lodge during the 1960s and early 1970s, and a pioneer artist who painted the landscape she lived in. She bridged the rough outfitting era and modern park tourism with warmth, artistry, and resilience.

Early life. Born in Vancouver in 1920; raised on a ranch west of Turner Valley by her mother Clara and stepfather “Tip” Johnson, a renowned cowboy and horse trainer. She learned to break horses, hunt, and work a ranch. She married Bert Mickle in 1942; their courtship was conducted on horseback across 40 miles of foothills (neither owned a car). They ranched near Square Butte and Millarville before moving to Lake Louise in 1961.

Skoki and Temple. In 1961 the Mickles took over Ray Legace’s outfitting business; Timberline Tours and the management of Skoki and Temple lodges. June ran the domestic heart of Skoki: kitchen, housekeeping, and guest care, cooking on wood stoves for dozens of skiers and hikers with no electricity or telephone. Supplies came by horse in summer, by ski or early snowmobile in winter; she improvised when weather cut the 11 km backcountry lodge off from the outside world. Under the Mickles, Skoki was less a commercial hotel than a backcountry home; guests treated like extended family. Park wardens of the 1960s considered the Mickles ideal “backcountry neighbors,” stopping for warm meals and news from town.

Artist and “Millarville Mafia.” June was widely known as a pioneer artist; painting alpine meadows, Skoki Valley peaks, and portraits of First Nations chiefs (Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph). She painted ceiling tiles at the Black Diamond Hotel and sold paintings and leathercrafts at a novelty shop at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge on the Icefields Parkway. The Mickles were central to the “Millarville Mafia”; ranch hands from the foothills (Bob Haney, Keith Foster) who followed them to Lake Louise and became wardens and park leaders. June was the matriarch, feeding them and patching their clothes.

Legacy. Son Don Mickle became a Park Warden (avalanche control, cultural resources); daughter Faye was deeply involved in the outfitting life until her death in 1980. June proved that outfitting could be tempered with artistry and hospitality; thriving in a harsh environment without losing creativity or pioneer grit. She died in 2011, aged 90.