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. Her diverse book publishing activities include a travel memoir, Lights to Guide Me Home (2022); a children’s book, The Wonders That I Find (2021); and four photo/travel books (2017), which she created in collaboration with her husband, landscape photographer Paul Zizka. 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). She has worked on several films, most recently as co-producer and on-camera historian in the documentary film, 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 JournalKootenay Mountain Culture, Alpinist, Backcountry Magazine, Washington Post Brand Studio, Impact Magazine, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, and Travel Alberta.

On the side, Meghan 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 young 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.

For more information on Meghan’s education, professional development, and work background, please connect with her on LinkedIn.

 
 

Member:

The Writers’ Union of Canada | Writers’ Guild of Alberta

Fellow:

Royal Canadian Geographical Society

 

Highlights

Published Work

Canadian Geographic, Adventure Journal, Summit Journal, Literary Hub, Mountain Life Media, Kootenay Mountain Culture, Travel Alberta, Washington Post Brand Studio, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Outdoor Photographer, Where Magazine, Alpinist 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), winner of Honourable Mention for Mountain Culture Award at Whistler Film Festival; In the Starlight (2018, cast), Eye of the Beholder (2013), Vimeo Staff Pick; Mountain in Motion: The Canadian Rockies (2012; writer/co-director/producer), Official Selection for World Tour of the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival.

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), which won Best New Magazine at the 2017 Alberta Magazine Awards.

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.