Phyllis Munday: Mountaineer

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Phyllis Beatrice (James) Munday was born on September 24, 1894, in
Ceylon. In 1901, she and her family immigrated to Canada to an isolated
settlement in the Kootenay Mountains. It was here, in the rugged
interior of British Columbia, that she began a love affair with nature,
hiking, and mountain climbing.

As a founding member of the Vancouver Girl Guides (guiding was then in
its infancy in Canada), through her work as a nurse’s aide and St.
John Ambulance first-aid volunteer during the war years, and as an
active participant in the British Columbia Mountaineering Club and later
the Alpine Club of Canada, Munday achieved many “firsts.” In 1924,
she became the first woman

to reach the summit of Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Rocky
Mountains. She and her husband, Don, explored, photographed, and
documented precise topographical details of their climbs, forwarding
them to provincial and federal authorities for inclusion on future maps.
They recorded their observations, took notes and measurements, and
collected specimens. Munday shared her knowledge of B.C. geography,
plants, and animals through her acclaimed natural history lectures.

Munday received numerous honors and awards during her lifetime,
including an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of
Victoria and, in 1972, the Order of Canada. She died in 1990. This
fascinating biography chronicles the life and achievements of a woman
years ahead of her time. Although liberally illustrated with
black-and-white photos, it is not the type of book teens will reach for.
The cover design does little to enhance its appeal. Despite these
limitations, high-school librarians should consider adding it to their
collections. Recommended.