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).
File consists of cards, stationery, small publications and other collected items. Includes thank you and business cards for The Home Insurance Company in Calgary and the Canadian Bank of Commerce; two blank pages with letterhead for Hotel Wales in Calgary; a round paper placemat/coaster advertising…
File consists of cards, stationery, small publications and other collected items. Includes thank you and business cards for The Home Insurance Company in Calgary and the Canadian Bank of Commerce; two blank pages with letterhead for Hotel Wales in Calgary; a round paper placemat/coaster advertising La Ronde Revolving Restaurant in Edmonton; a copy of "Bill and Al's Happy Motoring" by Esso Imperial Service containing an article about Banff National Park [pages 2-3]; a Laura Secord advertisement and info booklet, "The History of Our Flag"; a partial pack of blank score cards titled Auction Bridge; a page titled "Rules for the Game of Five Hundred"; a newspaper clipping with comics on both sides; and a large [23 x 15 cm] postcard with illustration titled "What Would You Have Done?" [see notes].
Notes
NOTE: Large postcard "What Would You Have Done?" contains outdated and potentially offensive language which is reflective of the time period in which it was produced.
"Bill and Al's Happy Motoring" publication has mailing stamp on back addressed to Norman Luxton.
"Rules for the Game of Five Hundred" card annotated in pencil
File consists of 139 pages of handwritten research notes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings, H35 x W30 cm or smaller. File pertains to Dorothy's research on Banff and surrounding area, Parks Canada, Department of the Interior, and the history of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in general. Record…
2 cm of textual records (139 pages ; 30 x 35 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of 139 pages of handwritten research notes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings, H35 x W30 cm or smaller. File pertains to Dorothy's research on Banff and surrounding area, Parks Canada, Department of the Interior, and the history of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in general. Records were filed in an envelope that was titled "Book Notes."
Notable people include James Wardle, J.B. Harkin, Pat Brewster, Arthur Unwin, Dr. Brett, Norman Sanson, and Bill Peyto, among others. Notable places and topics include the organization of the Department of the Interior, the Banff-Windemere Highway, Rocky Mountain Park and Park Wardens, Kootenay National Park fires, coal and precious metal mines (e.g. Bankhead, Silver City), trail riding and hiking, research about James Wardle and his accomplishments, Ya-Ha-Tinda, and various parks (e.g. Glacier, Revelstoke, Elk Island, Kootenay, and Yoho).
Other records include a handwritten letter to the Auld family in Scotland (cousins of Sheila Ritchie) with a story about Glenbow and a highland cow from Oban, Scotland; personal reflections on the Banff area and mountains in general; notes that Dorothy took while doing research at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and the Banff Public Library; and a variety of newspaper clippings.
Notes
Includes request slips and stationary from the archives at the Whyte Museum.
Potentially includes a handwritten list of Dorothy's written works.
Newspaper clippings primarily from the Times Colonist, which is published in Victoria, British Columbia.
Some of the slips of paper are taped together. Was unable to remove them without damaging the materials. May present conservation issues in the future.
File consists of collected newspaper articles and other published materials. File includes a Trail Riders and Skyline Hikers bulletin [ca.1938] with an image of Maryalice and trail rider Steve Cody on the cover; several newspaper articles pertaining to Maryalice's career, hobbies, and friends (incl…
File consists of collected newspaper articles and other published materials. File includes a Trail Riders and Skyline Hikers bulletin [ca.1938] with an image of Maryalice and trail rider Steve Cody on the cover; several newspaper articles pertaining to Maryalice's career, hobbies, and friends (including Lorna Oliver and Reverend R. M. Bourke); and a journal article from the Nature Conservation Society of Japan.
File consists of 8 cm of textual records, 65 x 40 cm or smaller. File pertains to the personal and professional records of the Wardle family, particularly James M. Wardle. Records include: birth certificates for each family member (James Morey Wardle, 1888; Leette (Roney) Wardle, 1889; and Dorothy …
File consists of 8 cm of textual records, 65 x 40 cm or smaller. File pertains to the personal and professional records of the Wardle family, particularly James M. Wardle. Records include: birth certificates for each family member (James Morey Wardle, 1888; Leette (Roney) Wardle, 1889; and Dorothy Hope Wardle, 1919); James and Leette's marriage certificate from 1913; proof of age certificates and various notes on family (Roney) history; records pertaining to the family plot in the Old Banff Cemetery (including a photocopy of a blueprint plan of the cemetery grounds); records pertaining to the estates of James (d. 1971) and Leette (d. 1969); miscellaneous family items (including records about Dorothy's cousin Jack WIlliams who died overseas during World War II); photocopies of records pertaining to appointments and certificates for James (including his appointment to Deputy Minister of the Interior in 1935); and James' shares with the Alaska Yukon Pipeline (1966-1967). Records also include newspaper clippings (Banff Crag and Canyon, Calgary Herald) and various correspondence (related to the material) interspersed throughout.
M521 / II / A / 1 : Includes James Wardle's original birth certificate. In okay condition (some tears), currently in mylar. Consider digitizing.
M521 / II / A / 7 : The original shareholder certificate was ripped and then heavily taped back together. It is currently in mylar but could present issues in the future. Consider digitizing.
File consists of one photograph album containing 54 photograph prints and 2 newspaper clippings pertaining to Norman Luxton winning a turkey shooting contest [ca. 1940] and an Old Timers Association event attended by Eleanor Luxton in Calgary in 1964. Photographs pertain to Eleanor Luxton as a baby…
1 album (54 b&w prints ; 9 x 14 cm or smaller -- 2 newspaper clippings)
Scope & Content
File consists of one photograph album containing 54 photograph prints and 2 newspaper clippings pertaining to Norman Luxton winning a turkey shooting contest [ca. 1940] and an Old Timers Association event attended by Eleanor Luxton in Calgary in 1964. Photographs pertain to Eleanor Luxton as a baby and young child with her parents, posing with chickens and a turkey on a farm, with other small children [unidentified] and standing by the Bow River; portrait photographs of Eleanor as a young girl [roughly ages 5 to 12 years old]; a wedding celebration [possibly that of Norman and Georgina Luxton in 1904]; and images of a pregnant woman and a man on a farm [likely Georgina Luxton and possibly her father, David McDougall, ca. 1908]
Notes
One photograph of Eleanor Luxton as a young child, posing alone and smiling in a dark dress, was moved to its current location from album LUX / III / A3 / PD - 2.
File consists of 3.5 cm of handwritten and typed correspondence, 21.5 x 27.5 cm or smaller. File pertains to letters sent by Mrs. Helen Brett to Leette Wardle from 1935-1944. The letters mostly document the progress of the Wardles payment for a lease that they had with Mrs. Brett, but also includes…
3.5 cm of textual records (21.5 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of 3.5 cm of handwritten and typed correspondence, 21.5 x 27.5 cm or smaller. File pertains to letters sent by Mrs. Helen Brett to Leette Wardle from 1935-1944. The letters mostly document the progress of the Wardles payment for a lease that they had with Mrs. Brett, but also includes local town gossip (including drama with Dr. Dean Robinson) and musings regarding the progress of the war (World War II). File also includes obituaries in the Banff Crag and Canyon for Helen Brett.
Notes
Helen Brett was married to Dr. Harry Brett, son of the founder of the Brett Sanitarium.
File consists of 11.5 cm of textual records, 32 x 42 cm or smaller. Records include: Book of Common Prayer (1872); The Pocket Cook Book by Elizabeth Woody (1942); Guide to Marks of Origin on British and Irish Silver Plate from mid-16th Century to the Year 1943 and Old Sheffield Plate Makers' Marks,…
11.5 cm of textual records (32 x 42 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of 11.5 cm of textual records, 32 x 42 cm or smaller. Records include: Book of Common Prayer (1872); The Pocket Cook Book by Elizabeth Woody (1942); Guide to Marks of Origin on British and Irish Silver Plate from mid-16th Century to the Year 1943 and Old Sheffield Plate Makers' Marks, 1743-1860 (1943); four booklets related to the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies (1934-1950); a booklet titled "Sir George Simpson Centennial Celebration" (1928); an assortment of recipes; "The Margaret P. Hess Collection" booklet published by the University of Calgary (1977) and a related Calgary Herald newspaper clipping (1986); one Carl Rungius postcard; and six miscellaneous postcards depicting a former school teacher of Leette Wardle (1911), James Wardle at the Cave and Basin (1920), the Wardles in San Francisco (n.d.), two unidentified men (n.d.), and visitors to the Banff Springs Hotel (n.d.).
Notes
Book of Common Prayer inscribed with: “Martha Morey, November 4, 1872. New Westminster, BC. From her mother.” It belonged to James Wardle's mother.
The Pocket Cook Book contains annotations and written notes tucked in among the pages of the book.
Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies booklets kept because the Wardles participated in trail rides and there are photos/mentions of James and Dorothy, and possibly Leette.
The "Sir George Simpson Centennial Celebration" booklet contains a photograph print between pages 32 and 33.
Some of the postcards are annotated on the back, specifically the postcard depicting the Banff Springs Hotel which is addressed to Dorothy.
File consists of one scrapbook [possibly compiled by Maud Kidney] with ca. 100 newspaper articles and full pages attached inside. Contents pertain to golden wedding anniversaries of Frank and Alice Wheatley and Annie and Ulysses LaCasse; obituary notices for numerous individuals including Norman an…
Articles mainly published by the Crag and Canyon and the Calgary Herald
Date Range
1933
1935 - 1940
1947
1950
1956
1960 - 1965
1968
1969
1974
Physical Description
1 cm of textual records (1 scrapbook : 52 pages ; 31 x 39 cm)
Scope & Content
File consists of one scrapbook [possibly compiled by Maud Kidney] with ca. 100 newspaper articles and full pages attached inside. Contents pertain to golden wedding anniversaries of Frank and Alice Wheatley and Annie and Ulysses LaCasse; obituary notices for numerous individuals including Norman and Georgina Luxton, Jimmy Simpson Sr. and Jim and Fern Brewster; articles on achievements by Jimmy Simpson Sr., Norman Luxton, Norman B. Sanson and others; and other news including opinion articles, sports updates and articles on construction/expansion projects and local events held in Banff.
Notes
Newspaper articles attached to inside of scrapbook cover wide range of dates. Scrapbook has been placed in sub-series M74 / IV / C [1946 - 1970] as a large portion of articles fall within specified dates.
Some articles are loose in scrapbook
Material Details
Most newspaper clippings attached inside with adhesive, some items loose.
File consists of 49 newspaper clippings, H32 x W22.5 cm or smaller. Content pertains primarily to sporting events and Charlie Reid's athletic accomplishments, however there are marriage announcements and obituaries (for athletes), as well as other miscellaneous subject matter. Locations include Ban…
1 cm of textual records (49 pages ; 22.5 x 32 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of 49 newspaper clippings, H32 x W22.5 cm or smaller. Content pertains primarily to sporting events and Charlie Reid's athletic accomplishments, however there are marriage announcements and obituaries (for athletes), as well as other miscellaneous subject matter. Locations include Banff, Medicine Hat, Calgary, and Lethbridge. The only identifiable newspapers are the Calgary Herald and the Vancouver Sun. Sports include canoeing, golf, snow shoe races, and track.
Notes
Most of the clippings are not dated, however three are: