Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, …
ca. 7.9 metres of textual records -- ca. 274 maps -- 29 VHS tapes -- ca.15 discs with digital files -- 21 cassettes -- photographs -- oversized materials -- USB stick with 15 sldeshows
History / Biographical
Ben Gadd (1946-) is a retired naturalist, guide, geologist, instructor, freelance writer and award-winning author based in the Canadian Rockies.
Ben was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1946. He met his wife, Cia (Langdon) Gadd at Colorado College in 1965, and the couple married four weeks later. Ben and Cia had two sons, Will and Toby. Ben and his family relocated to Jasper in the late 1960s. Ben later attended the University of Lethbridge and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Earth Science in 1972.
Between 1976 and 1980, Ben taught classes at Mount Royal College and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; he later taught additional classes at Grant MacEwan College and Lakeland College. From 1981, Ben also worked as a seasonal naturalist/guide for Parks Canada. Ben left Parks Canada in 1985 to start an independent naturalist guiding business with Cia based in Jasper and other parts of the Canadian Rockies, which the couple continued to operate for over two decades.
Ben published his best-known work, "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies", through his publishing company Corax Press in 1986. The second edition of "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies" received multiple awards after its release in 1995. Ben's fiction book, "Raven's End" won the title of Best Canadian Rockies Book at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2001 and became a Canadian bestseller. Overall, Ben has authored or co-authored 11 books and received nearly one dozen awards for his achievements as a writer, researcher and guide.
Ben continued to lead guided hikes and school programs until his retirement in 2016.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, video and sound recordings, and other related material. Materials donated in 2024 include one USB stick containing
Notes
Ben Gadd fonds arrangement:
Series I : Personal records
- Subseries A : Travel guides and maps
- Subseries B : Education and early writings
- Subseries C : Personal interest files
- Subseries D : Other personal and collected
Series II : Research and publication records
- Subseries A : Handbook of the Canadian Rockies
- Subseries B : Other publications
Series III : Professional records
- Subseries A : Parks Canada Records
- Subseries B : Interpretive guiding
- Subseries C : Teaching records
- Subseries D : Other contracts and projects
Series IV : Legal and financial records
- Subseries A : Legal records
- Subseries B : Financial records
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including cor…
154 cm of textual records. -- 1304 photographs (1190 prints, 95 negatives, 19 transparencies). -- 6 photograph albums.
History / Biographical
The Wardle family was comprised of husband and wife, James Morey Wardle (June 26,1888 - May 18,1971) and Maud Leette (Roney) Wardle (May 24,1889 - December 1,1969), and their one child, Dorothy Hope Wardle (May 23,1919 - July 20,2003).
James Wardle, born in Chiliwack, British Columbia, was a civil engineer and public servant. He was the Superintendent of Banff National Park from 1918-1921, Chief Engineer for Parks Canada from 1921-1935, and Deputy Minister of the Interior from 1935-1936. He is primarily known as a highway design engineer, particularly for building the Banff-Windermere, Banff-Lake Louise, and Banff-Jasper highways. He was a councillor for the Municipality of Rockcliffe Park in Ontario and he was the President of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies in Banff from 1925-1929. Mount Wardle in Vermillion was named after him in 1921. James married Leette on November 4, 1913, with whom he had one child, Dorothy.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Dorothy (also known as Dot and Dorie) grew up in Banff, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario, due to her father's position with the federal government. She was educated at the Mountain School in Banff and at the Elmwood School in Ottawa. All three family members were graduates of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. James graduated in 1912 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Leette graduated with a Bachelor's degree, and in 1942, Dorothy also earned a Bachelor's degree. Dorothy was prominent in student life and active in athletics. In 1941, Dorothy became the first woman elected as President of the Alma Mater Society and during her academic career, Dorothy was a member of the Levana Intercollegiate Debative, University Centenary Committee, and Queen’s War Aid Commission.
Dorothy spent her career as a freelance writer however, upon graduation she served as the first Secretary-In-Charge of Records at Carleton College (now Carleton University) from 1942-1944 in Ottawa and in the mid-1950s worked as a secretary for the Glenbow Foundation in Calgary. Dorothy pursued a lifelong interest in traveling, art, and antiques. Although she was fiercely proud and protective of Banff and the Park, and remained a volunteer and patron of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Dorothy eventually settled in Sidney, British Columbia and shared an apartment with Sheila Iris Ritchie, with whom Dorothy travelled extensively. After her death in 2003, Dorothy, "Dorie," was laid to rest alongside her parents in the Old Banff Cemetery.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including correspondence with Carl Rungius and Mrs. Helen Brett, and Christmas and other greeting cards from Peter and Catharine Whyte). Series III: Queen's University, 7.5 cm, 1911-1980 (including graduation certificates for each family member and records pertaining to Dorothy's participation on the Alma Mater Society). Series IV: Travel, 44.5 cm, ca.1950-1988 (includes hand-written notebooks meticulously detailing their travels).
V75 consists of two series, 79.5 cm, ca. 1912-2001. Series I: Wardle Family, ca. 1912-1971, 6 albums, 31 cm of photograph prints and negatives (including family trips, trail rides in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and family gatherings). Series II: Dorothy Wardle, 1972-2001, 34 cm of photograph prints, negatives, and transparencies (including Dorothy's travels in Alberta and British Columbia, overseas, and various outings with friends).
Fonds consists of three sous-fonds: M573 / V797 / S60.
M573 consists of three series, 26 cm of textual records, 1924-2005. Series I: Personal Papers, 19 cm, ca.1930-2005 (including notebooks and drafts of various talks that Jean delivered and records related to her participation in the Trail Rider…
26 cm of textual records.-- 109 photographs (42 prints, 67 lantern slides). -- 2 sound recordings.
History / Biographical
Jean Alexandra Hembroff was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on April 5, 1908 to Walter B. Hembroff (d. 1945) and Sarah Jane Hembroff (d.1952). Jean was accepted to the MacPhail School of Music and Dramatic Art at the University of Minnesota, from which she graduated in 1927. She returned to Winnipeg to begin teaching courses in speech arts and drama. To establish herself, she first volunteered as the "story lady" at the Williams Avenue Public Library and quickly became known as an excellent speaker sought by many different organizations. She taught at St. Mary's Academy and the Evening Institute at the University of Manitoba, as well as offered private sessions. Many of her students used the skills they learned from Jean as they entered radio, television, politics, and business. Jean was also very active in organizing and adjucating Speech Arts festivals in Manitoba, often going to inaccessible places to give workshops. Her teaching, broadcasting, adjucating, coaching, and speaking career spanned more than 50 years.
Jean was hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway's promotions manager to give presentations and broadcast interviews across Canada and the United States. In 1937, Jean joined the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and participated in their summer trail ride in the same year. For that year's issue of the Trail Rider's Bulletin Jean wrote an article - and became the first woman to ever do so. In 1938, during her lecture titled "Trail Riding in the Rockies" on January 18, 1938 at the Royal Alexandra Hotel, Jean met John David (Jack) MacDonald. Jack and Jean were married on June 18, 1938, and the couple had one son, Bruce Walter James MacDonald (August 28, 1946-August 25, 2016).
Jean participated in several trail rides with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Trail, and produced articles reflecting her experiences. Jean loved to travel and visited places all around Canada and the United States, Borneo, Tangier, Montevideo, Stockholm, New Delhi, and Tonga. At the age of 102, Jean passed away on February 2, 2011 and is buried in Winnipeg.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of three sous-fonds: M573 / V797 / S60.
M573 consists of three series, 26 cm of textual records, 1924-2005. Series I: Personal Papers, 19 cm, ca.1930-2005 (including notebooks and drafts of various talks that Jean delivered and records related to her participation in the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Hikers of the Canadian Rockies, particularly 1937-1939). Series II: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings, 4 cm, 1924-2000 (including correspondence with John Murray Gibbon, former students, and attendees at various talks, as well as newspaper articles that Jean wrote about various subjects and articles of her achievements). Series III: Collected Materials and Ephemera, 3 cm, ca.1930-1950 (including a variety of collected poems and ephemera, as well as a copy of The Beaver Magazine from 1940, for which Jean wrote an article titled "On the Trail of Sir George").
V797 consists of two series, 24.5 cm of visual records, ca.1928-1939. Series I: Photograph Prints, 3 cm, ca.1928-1939 (includes personal photographs of Jean and her family and friends as well as photographs of Jean and Jack's visit to Lake Louise in 1939). Series II: Lantern Slides, 21.5 cm, ca.1937-1939 (Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies official ride of 1937 to Mt. Assiniboine; Sky Line Hikers of the Canadian Rockies official ride of 1939 to Ptarmigan Valley and Skoki; collection of trail ride songs).
S60 consists of two sound recordings, 1 cm, 2004 and 2007 (Winnipeg at Christmas, narrated by Jean, broadcasted on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Fonds consists of materials collected by, and pertaining to, Maryalice Harvey Stewart. Content includes daybooks, notebooks, correspondence and various notes collected by Maryalice during her time working as Director of the Archives of the Canadian Rockies (now the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rock…
49 photographs: prints, negatives. -- 1 m textual records. -- 60 sound recordings: 52 audio cassettes, 8 reels
History / Biographical
Maryalice Harvey Stewart, 1923-2001, was Director of the Archives of the Canadian Rockies (now Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies) at Banff, Alberta, Canada from 1965 to 1976. She continued to do historical projects and was known for her knowledge of Banff and Rocky Mountain history.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of materials collected by, and pertaining to, Maryalice Harvey Stewart. Content includes daybooks, notebooks, correspondence and various notes collected by Maryalice during her time working as Director of the Archives of the Canadian Rockies (now the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies Archives and Special Collections); research materials pertaining to the town of Banff, the Brewster family and other local subjects; personal interest materials, including cassette recordings of documentaries and lectures; personal materials, including correspondence, photographs, Maryalice's birth certificate, certifications and awards, and sheet music; and other related materials.
Fonds consists of the following series and sub-series:
Series I : Professional records
Series I has two sub-series:
I / A : Archives of the Canadian Rockies records (includes cataloguing cards, notes and other materials pertaining to Maryalice's role as Archivist/Director at the Archives of the Canadian Rockies between 1965-1976)
I / B : Research and other professional records (includes Brewster family research notes, materials from various committees and organizations which Maryalice was involved in, documents related to an oral history project completed in 2000, professional correspondence, and related materials)
Series II: Personal records (includes collected materials, personal interest materials, cassette recordings of documentaries and other subjects, sheet music, and various certificates and awards given to Maryalice).
Fonds consists of photographic greeting cards featuring mountain views of the Rockies, Selkirks and Coast Range taken and inscribed by Lockie; and 9 photographs of Lockie at Powell River and Willingdon Beach, Lockie with friends, and views of Lockie's Table in British Columbia.
35 photographs : b&w and col. ; 28 x 21.5 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
Percival Robert Lockie (known as P. R. or just Lockie), 14 August, 1900 - 8 March, 1976, was born in St. Helens, England and moved to B.C. with his family in 1909. His father, Robert, was already in Canada when Percy (as he’s listed on the Immigration form) came with his mother Ethel and sisters Elizabeth, Kathleen, and Janet on the Empress of Ireland. The ship departed from Liverpool and arrived in Quebec on 25 June with a final destination listed as Vancouver. He worked in Vancouver as a draftsperson for Dominion Engineering until at least 1921 before moving to Powell River. Upon arrival to Powell River he worked a wide variety of labour jobs, as well as various odd jobs like lifeguarding and as a tap dance teacher. His main occupation in town was as a draftsperson for the Powell River Company's pulp and paper mill until 1965. His work for the mill included measuring the snow pack at the head of Powell Lake, north of the town site, each May and September, which he did for over 30 years. Measurements were taken from half-way up a mountain at the north-east of Powell Lake, which Lockie and B. Stenberg are accredited with summiting first in 1952. Over the course of his life he climbed the mountain at least 75 times. While locally known as Lockie’s Table for most of his life, the mountain was officially unnamed. In the mid-1990s Powell River community members requested the B.C. Geographical Naming Office officially recognize the name Lockie’s Table, which they did in April 1997. According to the Naming Office, the name Lockie’s Table is affixed to the flat table-like plateau on the peak of the mountain, while the rest of the mass remains unnamed. He joined the B.C. Mountaineering Association in the 1920s and travelled, climbed, and photographed throughout the interior and northern B.C. area, mainly the Selkirk and Coastal Mountain ranges. He also spent time hiking in and around Banff National Park and both the B.C. and Alberta sides of the Rocky Mountains; Lake O'Hara was one of his favorite places and features prominently in his photographs.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of photographic greeting cards featuring mountain views of the Rockies, Selkirks and Coast Range taken and inscribed by Lockie; and 9 photographs of Lockie at Powell River and Willingdon Beach, Lockie with friends, and views of Lockie's Table in British Columbia.
Fonds consists of photographs, published booklets and film reels which belonged to William Royle. Content pertains to the Banff Boy Scouts: local events, including Banff Winter Carnival, Banff Indian Days and Banff's Centennial Parade in 1967; hiking, camping, skiing and other recreational activiti…
ca.348 photographs (204 b&w and col. prints, 144 col. transparencies) -- 0.5 cm of textual records -- 7 film reels
History / Biographical
William "Bill" Royle (1905-1980) moved to Banff from Lethbridge in 1952 with his mother (Mary Elizabeth) and two young sons (Bernard and Walter), following the death of his wife. William started the business Banff Plumbing and Heating Ltd., which he operated until his death. William and his brother, John J. Royle, were also involved with a laundromat business in Banff. From its inception in 1953, William also worked as director and president of the Banff Park Savings and Credit Union (now Bow Valley Credit Union). In his spare time, William volunteered with the Banff Boy Scouts, as well as St. Mary's Church in Banff, the Seniors' Society and the Alberta Council of the Aging.
William's son, Bernard, tragically passed away in a plane crash in 1969 while searching for new heliskiing routes in British Columbia with his friend, John Gow, who survived.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of photographs, published booklets and film reels which belonged to William Royle. Content pertains to the Banff Boy Scouts: local events, including Banff Winter Carnival, Banff Indian Days and Banff's Centennial Parade in 1967; hiking, camping, skiing and other recreational activities; Bernard Royle and friends; the Banff High School curling team; natural views and wildlife in Alberta and British Columbia; and other related subjects.
Includes three visual series: I - Prints ; II - Motion pictures ; III - Transparencies. Series I includes five sub-series: A - Boy Scouts [includes o.s. items] ; B - Banff Indian Days ; C - Banff Winter Carnival ; D - St. Mary's Baptist Church ; E - Misc.
Sub-series pertains to 84 b&w and colour prints depicting assorted activities and events around Banff National Park. Includes pack trips, skiing, backcountry huts [Abbot Pass Hut and Bow Hut], community events, shops, a Canada Day Parade, the Canadian Centennial in 1967, a Royal visit in 1959, chur…
84 photographs : b&w and col. ; 25.1 x 20.1 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
Sub-series pertains to 84 b&w and colour prints depicting assorted activities and events around Banff National Park. Includes pack trips, skiing, backcountry huts [Abbot Pass Hut and Bow Hut], community events, shops, a Canada Day Parade, the Canadian Centennial in 1967, a Royal visit in 1959, churches, school programs, the 1967 Mount Royal Hotel fire, Banff Indian Days, high altitude mountaineering, conferences, boating on the Bow River, and rodeos.
File pertains to 62 b&w prints of various avalanche control operations around Banff National Park, usually along highways and around ski hills. Also includes photographs from a rescue operation and accompanying news clippings pertaining to that rescue.
File pertains to 62 b&w prints of various avalanche control operations around Banff National Park, usually along highways and around ski hills. Also includes photographs from a rescue operation and accompanying news clippings pertaining to that rescue.
Notes
Photographs included in this entry were originally housed in a photo paper box identified by Bruno Engler prior to accessioning.
File pertains to 6 boards with b&w negative contact sheets adhered to them depicting various areas prone to avalanches taken from a plane or helicopter. Includes views of ski areas and roads.
File pertains to 6 boards with b&w negative contact sheets adhered to them depicting various areas prone to avalanches taken from a plane or helicopter. Includes views of ski areas and roads.
Notes
File came from box XVI, separate from alphabetised boxes
File pertains to black and white and colour photographs of the Banff area, as well as group portraits of the Banff High School Ski Team, High School Curling Team, and the Association of Mountain Guides. Also includes scenic views around the Banff townsite as well as Banff National Park, bears, the …
53 photographs : b&w and col. ; 20.2 x 12.7 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to black and white and colour photographs of the Banff area, as well as group portraits of the Banff High School Ski Team, High School Curling Team, and the Association of Mountain Guides. Also includes scenic views around the Banff townsite as well as Banff National Park, bears, the Cave & Basin swimming pool, the Banff Winter Carnival, and unidentified First Nations people dressed in regalia as part of the Banff Indian Days parade. Group photographs have names written on the backs.
File consists of photographs pertaining to businesses, tourist attractions and natural views in and around Banff. Includes images of backcountry camps in Banff National Park; the Bow River Boat House; Beaver Lodge and Bampton Cottage [both located on Beaver Street in Banff]; fires at Breton Hall Ho…
50 photographs ; b&w prints ; 25 x 20.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs pertaining to businesses, tourist attractions and natural views in and around Banff. Includes images of backcountry camps in Banff National Park; the Bow River Boat House; Beaver Lodge and Bampton Cottage [both located on Beaver Street in Banff]; fires at Breton Hall Hotel and Banff Springs Hotel; the Park Museum and Information Bureau; early views of Banff Springs Hotel [1904]; Vermillion River Bungalow Camp and the Lake Louise Chalet; Paddy J. Nolan’s home [built by Norman Luxton]; a postcard print titled “Starved Bachelors Retreat Banff Alberta"; swimming at the Cave and Basin[?] and Banff Upper Hot Springs; the Crag and Canyon office [ca.1905]; Skoki Lodge; and the office of photographers Wilson and Fear [1896-1898].
Notes
Photographs LUX/I/D6c/PA-181 and 182 [depicting Wilson and Fear storefront] are copies of the same image but annotated with different dates [ca.1896 and ca.1898]. Based on context and dating of related images in Whyte Museum archives, actual image date may be closer to [ca.1894].
Material Details
LUX/I/D6c/PA-173 has three red sun-shaped stickers attached to back left corner, red ribbon attached to back right corner
File consists of b&w photograph negatives of unidentified people interacting with black bears in Banff, exteriors of the Indian Trading Post, view from Mount Norquay Lookout, a canyon, and winter scenes.
14 photographs: b&w negatives; 9.5 x 6 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of b&w photograph negatives of unidentified people interacting with black bears in Banff, exteriors of the Indian Trading Post, view from Mount Norquay Lookout, a canyon, and winter scenes.