final credits - andy russell
Often referred to as the Last of the Mountain men, Andy Russell lived most of his life in a log cabin on his ranch near Waterton National Park, Alberta. While he wore many hats during his lifetime, he will be best remembered for sharing his appreciation for nature as one of the province's best-known conservationists and storytellers. Andy Russell died June 1, 2005 at the age of 89.
Russell's father was the first white baby born in what is now Lethbridge, Alberta. Andy dropped out of high school during the Depression era and settled in the foothills, near Pincher Creek, where he raised a family of five. He became a trapper, cowboy, hunter, bronco buster and trail guide. It was around the campfire that Russell found his knack, telling yarns that eventually found their way into print, radio, film and the stage of politics.
Russell sold his first magazine article to Outdoor Life in 1945. He continued to shoot wildlife, but traded his gun for a camera to do so. What he saw through his lens was the Alberta wilderness slowly disappearing, and he then devoted his life to the cause of conservation.
Russell wrote twelve books and their titles speak for themselves: Horns in the High Country, The Rockies, The High West, Memoirs of a Mountain Man, Andy Russell’s Adventures With Wild Animals, The Life of a River, The Canadian Cowboy, Andy Russell’s Campfire Stories. His last book, Wild Country, was published in 2004. His first book, Grizzly Country, stayed in print for almost 40 years. Russell sold almost a million books in Canada and the United States, and has been placed by some in the company of Pierre Berton as one of Canada's most engaging storytellers. Grizzly Country became a feature film, one of three that Russell produced.
Most Albertans of a certain age heard Russell's voice on a near daily basis. His stories about the province's history and colourful characters were turned into a series of radio vignettes called "Our Alberta Heritage," which he wrote and narrated. Ironically, the series, heard on stations throughout Alberta, was sponsored by Calgary Power.
Always an outspoken public figure, Russell was famous for his battles with the oil and gas industry, a major player in the Alberta economy. He railed against the development of the Oldman River dam, writing The Life of A River as a plea to stop the project. While the book did not halt the building of the dam, it had a major impact on public understanding of the fragile environment of the Rockies, foothills and prairies. In 1972, he ran as a liberal in the riding of Lethbridge in a federal election, with a platform based on protection the environment. Even with his wisdom he did not recognise that liberals were an endangered species in Alberta, and he finished a distant second behind Tory Ken Hurlburt.
Russell never left the wilderness far behind. As his prominence as an authority on matters of conservation rose, he continued to dress as if it was just another day around the ranch. Whenever he appeared for speaking engagements and awards ceremonies, Russell was instantly recognisable in his western gear and trademark hat.
In 1976, Russell was made a member of the Order of Canada. He received the Crandall Award for Conservation in 1977. He was inducted into the Alberta Order of the Bighorn in 2002. A year later the Alberta Wilderness Association presented him with its Defender Award. Russell also received the J.B. Harkin Conservation Award and four honourary degrees from universities.
In addition to receiving awards, he also gave them. The first Andy Russell Nature Writing Award was presented in 1995.
Russell spent his final years in a care home in Pincher Creek, Alberta.