Lawrence White: Inspiring a new generation of mountain enthusiasts

by Shannon Colin

One of Lawrence White’s biggest challenges is how to get young people off the couch and into the great outdoors. As the new executive director of the Alpine Club of Canada, the Outdoor Recreation Management grad is hoping to attract a younger demographic to the 100-year-old mountaineering organization.

“My challenge is to engage a younger generation in exploring their Canadian mountain heritage, while competing with the likes of Sony Playstations,” White says. “Many young people don’t realize how much you can get out of belonging to an organization and volunteering – especially one that does such cool things.”

“I hope I can be a role model by showing them that I’m young, I volunteer and lead trips and I’m involved at the Club’s section level,” says the 33-year-old executive.

White started with the multi-million-dollar non-profit organization in an entry-level position in 2000, after completing a three-month practicum at the ACC as part of Capilano’s Outdoor Recreation Management diploma program. He worked his way up moving into middle management, then senior management, and now the executive director position.

He credits his success in part to the instruction he received at Capilano.

“The instructors instilled in me their enthusiasm for teaching and passion for life in the outdoors,” says the former Victoria native. “Outdoor recreation, and to a larger extent tourism, is very much a lifestyle choice and one that is not based on material gain, but in actually doing something.”

White’s position at the ACC gives him the opportunity to make a living doing what he loves. It also just happens to be located in Canmore, Alberta, the perfect playground to express his passion for mountain climbing and skiing. From early summer to late fall he spends as much time as possible in the backcountry. In his spare time, he also volunteers for Yellowstone to Yukon, an environmental organization working on protecting the 3,200 km corridor between Wyoming and the Yukon.

“It’s important to keep life in perspective,” says White. “I’m incredibly lucky to live in Canada and to have a career doing something I believe in and am passionate about.”

For more information about Capilano’s Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Management visit their website.