Meghan J. Ward (she/her) is a writer, filmmaker, and historian based in Banff, Canada (Treaty 7 territory), focusing on outdoor, adventure and travel stories. A fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Meghan has written several books and contributed to anthologies, award-winning films, and some of North America’s top outdoor publications.
Raised in Ottawa, Meghan first ventured west to the mountains in 2005 and found a home in Banff National Park. The mountain life has inspired much of her writing, as have her experiences travelling the world. Her diverse book publishing activities include a travel memoir, Lights to Guide Me Home: A Journey Off the Beaten Track in Life, Love, Adventure and Parenting (2022); a children’s book, The Wonders That I Find (2021); and four photo/travel books (2017) designed to be memorable keepsakes for visitors to the Rockies. She has also contributed to several notable anthologies, including Mountain Voices: The Mountain Legacy Project and a Century of Change in Western Canada (2025) and Stories from the Trail: Field Notes on Moving Through the Wild (2024). A passionate storyteller, she has also worked in film, most recently as co-producer and on-camera historian for Wildflowers, which premiered at the 2024 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival and has since toured and streamed globally.
Photo by Alexis McKeown.
As a writer, Meghan has nearly two decades of experience working with notable publications and clients, including Canadian Geographic, Summit Journal, Mountain Life Rocky Mountains, Outdoor Photographer, Avenue Calgary, Canadian Rockies Annual, Canadian Alpine Journal, Kootenay Mountain Culture, Alpinist, Backcountry Magazine, Washington Post Brand Studio, Impact Magazine, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, Parks Canada, and Travel Alberta.
Meghan is also a partner in life, business and creativity with Paul Zizka, a mountain landscape and adventure photographer. On the side, she co-manages Paul Zizka Photography and acts as a strategic advisor for OFFBEAT Photography Inc. She also coaches writers and photographers, offering guidance and strategic insight on branding, business growth, book structure, and project development.
Meghan loves backcountry hiking, camping, and stress-free summits, and also enjoys travel and photography. Her adventures have taken her backpacking in the Caribbean, ski touring in the Arctic, climbing throughout the Canadian Rockies, and trekking in Nepal. Her travels with her family have so far taken them across Canada and to nearly 30 countries, including French Polynesia, Easter Island, Ireland, Malta, Costa Rica, Montenegro, Croatia, North Macedonia, the Baltic nations, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus.
Meghan’s latest work explores ancestry, colonial legacies, place-based connection, and the healing potential of a reciprocal, respectful relationship with the natural world.
Member:
The Writers’ Union of Canada
Writers’ Guild of Alberta
Fellow:
Royal Canadian Geographical Society
For more information on Meghan’s education, professional development, and work background, please connect with her on LinkedIn.

Exploring the historic Dubrovnik City Walls, Croatia. Photo: Paul Zizka
Highlights
Published Work
Canadian Geographic, Adventure Journal, Summit Journal, Literary Hub, Mountain Life Media, Kootenay Mountain Culture, Avenue Calgary, Alpinist.com, Impact Magazine, Canadian Rockies Annual, Where Magazine, Outdoor Photographer, Wild Women Magazine, Washington Post Brand Studio, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, Travel Alberta, Parks Canada and more.
Speaking Engagements
CanGeo Talks (Ottawa), Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Banff Centre Mountain Film & Book Festivals, Professional Photographers of Canada (Alberta Section) and Alpine Club of Canada - Calgary Section.
Podcast Appearances
10 Adventures, Let’s Take This Outside, Tough Girl, Canadian Podcast, Think Outside, Trail Dames, The Sonya Looney Show, Northern Latitudes, and Badass Writers.
Film Projects
Wildflowers (2024, co-producer/cast/writer); In the Starlight (2018, cast), Eye of the Beholder (2013, writer); Mountain in Motion: The Canadian Rockies (2012; writer/co-director/producer).
Magazine Editing
Alpinist Magazine (Online Editorial Intern, 2010); Highline Magazine, (Editor, 2011-2013); and the Canadian Rockies Annual (Co-Publisher / Editor-in-Chief, 2016-2021).

On-stage interview about the film The Trilogy with Sasha DiGiulian and Tommy Joyce, Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival.
Awards
For “Wildflowers” (2024)
Co-Producer
Honourable Mention, Mountain Culture Award
Canadian Online Publishing Awards
Writer
Silver, Best Service Article or Series (2020)
The Aftermath of Mountain Tragedy
Alberta Magazine Awards
Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Rockies Annual
Finalist, Magazine of the Year (2019)
Best New Magazine (2017)
For “Mountains in Motion” (2012-2013)
Writer, Co-Director
Honolulu Film Awards (Winner, Best Experimental Film); ColdSmoke Awards Film Festival (Winner, Best Cinematography and People’s Choice Awards), Asheville Cinema Festival (Winner, Best Documentary Short), Atlanta Shortsfest (Winner, Best Documentary)
Queen’s University
Undergraduate Student
Rod Robertson Prize for Dramatic Literature and Theatre History (2007)
I write FIELD NOTES on Substack.
My latest focus: short stories and essays inspired by nature, infused with the wisdom of the great outdoors. Learn more.