Named by Order-in-Council in 1885. "Sir Donald (mountain and glacier), not Syndicate Peak" confirmed in the 3rd Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 30 June 1901.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After Sir Donald A. Smith (1820-1914), of CPR fame; later Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal. See Strathcona Park for biographical information.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

"In 1884-5-6 the engineers building the Canadian Pacific Railway in the vicinity of Rogers Pass, gave the name Syndicate to the peak now known as Sir Donald." .... "When the engineering party under J.E.Griffith was constructing snow sheds in the Rogers Pass district, the mount now known as Sir Donald was given the name of Syndicate, and was called that until 1886. This was referred to, in a Privy Council Order-in-Council creating a Park Reserve in this vicinity dated 10th [ Oct ?] 1886." [the month is not decipherable in this note on the BC name card.]

Source: BC place name cards, files, correspondence and/or research by BC Chief Geographer/Geographical Names Office.

Named 'Syndicate Peak' by the party led by Major A.B.Rogers - the group exploring routes for the transcontinental railway, May 1881. (A.O. Wheeler, The Selkirk Range of British Columbia, 1905, p.420).

Source: included with note

"Highest peak of the Sir Donald group [sic]. First ascent credited to E.Huber, C.Sulzer and H.Cooper in 1890." (Thorington, A Climber's Guide to the Interior Ranges of British Columbia, American Alpine Club 1947, p.12) See also Canadian Alpine Journal, vol XXX, 1947, p 106- .

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office