The Three Sisters (Alberta)
The Three Sisters are a trio of peaks near Canmore, Alberta, Canada. They are known individually as Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister.
In the traditional language of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney) the peaks are also referred to as the three sisters. However, the name refers to a story of Ĩ-ktomnĩ, the old man or trickster, who would promise 'three sisters' in marriage whenever he was in trouble.
This trio of peaks has a significant role in the town of Canmore, tourism, and hiking in the area. The Three Sisters may be the most recognized peaks in the Bow River Valley.
In 1883, Albert Rogers, a nephew of Major A. B. Rogers, was the first settler to name the mountains when he saw the sides of the peaks covered in snow, resembling three praying nuns:[1][2]
There had been quite a heavy snowstorm in the night, and when we got up in the morning and looked out of the tent I noticed each of the three peaks had a heavy veil of snow on the north side and I said to the boys, 'Look at the Three Nuns'.
Initially called the Three Nuns, they were later renamed the Three Sisters. This last name first appeared on George Mercer Dawson's 1886 map, which apparently found the name, and was more appropriate in a spirit of Protestantism.[2]
Another story is that the first superintendent of Banff National Park, George Stewart, named it after his three daughters: Frances, Olive, and Grace.[3]
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