Columbia Icefields (1999)

It was cold that night, so naturally I picked a tape about an icefield. The bus on the case looked cool, and the copy was still wrapped. I opened it on stream, put it in the VCR and got a line through the picture and lousy color. I tried a known-good tape in the same machine to make sure the VCR wasn’t the problem.

I kept watching because I wanted to see that bus. The show gets into how the glaciers work and takes a trip from the visitor centre out onto the Athabasca Glacier. Eventually the big ice vehicles show up, including one that looks like somebody put a bus body on tracks. I wanted to drive it. It’s a shame the picture looked like that, because I actually liked the part I came for.

Seen on this tape

• Columbia Icefield and glacier formation: The narrator introduces the Columbia Icefield and explains ice accumulation, glacier movement and crevasses.
• Icefield Visitor Centre: An excursion begins at the visitor centre, with an interpretive gallery and information about the icefield.
• Athabasca Glacier snow vehicles: The program shows earlier bus-bodied tracked vehicles and a shuttle transfer to a large-wheeled snow coach for the glacier tour.
• Tour onto the Athabasca Glacier: The snow coach carries visitors onto the glacier. The narrator describes the driver's commentary and a designated walking area.
• Visitor centre return: Later the program returns to visitor services and dining at the Icefield Centre.

On the label

• Columbia Icefields English version: The cassette states English Version, running time 25 minutes and ©1999 Peter Wright Associates Ltd. The case carries product sticker PM-21.

Tape details

• Archive ID: VHS-2025-003
• Recording type: Commercial release
• Format: VHS
• Copyright year: 1999, printed on cassette
• Program running time: 25 minutes, printed on cassette
• Publisher credit: Peter Wright Associates Ltd., printed on cassette
• Product code: PM-21, case sticker
• Viewing: Streamed December 30, 2025
• Playback condition: Line through picture and poor color on this copy