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
File consists of documents pertaining to the Geology Car Caravans tour program which was hosted by the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre, including schedules, participant lists and related newspaper articles. Ben Gadd worked as the lead guide for the Geology Car Caravans tours.
File consists of documents pertaining to the Geology Car Caravans tour program which was hosted by the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre, including schedules, participant lists and related newspaper articles. Ben Gadd worked as the lead guide for the Geology Car Caravans tours.
File consists of documents pertaining to Ben Gadd's involvement in the creation of "GeoVista" downloadable brochures for areas of Jasper National Park, which were published by the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences in 2011. File includes correspondence between Ben and other individuals involved …
From the Canadian Federation of Earth and Space Sciences website:
"GeoVistas are downloadable brochures that explain iconic views in Canadian parks. They are site-specific vignettes that combine engaging descriptions of geological features in the landscape with information on how they have influenced climate, ecology and culture. Precise GPS coordinates allow you to reach these accessible sites."
Scope & Content
File consists of documents pertaining to Ben Gadd's involvement in the creation of "GeoVista" downloadable brochures for areas of Jasper National Park, which were published by the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences in 2011. File includes correspondence between Ben and other individuals involved with the project; drafts of written material and excerpts from brochures, including images; a Canadian Geological Foundation grant application form; handwritten notes; and other related materials.
File consists of published research material collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to the study of Geomorphology and the Pleistocene Epoch. File includes one photograph print sent to Ben Gadd depicting a boulder [in file M590/II/A/32].
12 cm of textual records -- 1 photograph : col. print
Scope & Content
File consists of published research material collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to the study of Geomorphology and the Pleistocene Epoch. File includes one photograph print sent to Ben Gadd depicting a boulder [in file M590/II/A/32].
Storage Range
Materials stored in two file boxes: M590/II/A/26 to 32 and M590/II/A/33 to 38
File consists of newspaper articles, notes and published research materials collected by Ben Gadd, pertaining to the provenance of place names, the history of human settlement and regional populations in the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of newspaper articles, notes and published research materials collected by Ben Gadd, pertaining to the provenance of place names, the history of human settlement and regional populations in the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of published research material collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to stratigraphy and fossils. File includes one print photograph depicting a fossil found near Mt. Stephen, British Columbia [in folder M590/II/A/27] and one print depicting a geological feature in Jasper National Park.
Photographs produced by Christian W. Gronau of Whaletown, B.C. and Ron Kratochvil
Date Range
[1980-2012]
Physical Description
10 cm of textual records -- 2 photographs : col. prints ; 10 x 15 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of published research material collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to stratigraphy and fossils. File includes one print photograph depicting a fossil found near Mt. Stephen, British Columbia [in folder M590/II/A/27] and one print depicting a geological feature in Jasper National Park.
Notes
Some items in file are annotated by Ben Gadd
Material Details
Photographs stored in file with textual records to maintain original order
File consists of notes, correspondence, pamphlets and other textual records pertaining to Ben Gadd's career as an interpretive guide and naturalist in the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of notes, correspondence, pamphlets and other textual records pertaining to Ben Gadd's career as an interpretive guide and naturalist in the Canadian Rockies.
Notes
File folders are arranged chronologically:
M590 / III / B / 29 : "Interp. guiding, speaking, etc." [2007]
M590 / III / B / 30 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [2008]
M590 / III / B / 31 : "Interp. guiding, etc" [2009]
M590 / III / B / 32 : "Interp. guides, etc." [2010-2014]
File consists of correspondence, maps and other documents pertaining to the Operation Bow-Athabasca exhibit, which was displayed at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre in 2012. File includes a programme for the opening of the exhibition; geological maps and other research materials; a quote fo…
File consists of correspondence, maps and other documents pertaining to the Operation Bow-Athabasca exhibit, which was displayed at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre in 2012. File includes a programme for the opening of the exhibition; geological maps and other research materials; a quote for the production of display signs for the exhibit; Ben Gadd's personal notes pertaining to the exhibit; and other related materials.
File consists of CVs, interviews and other documents pertaining to geologists Barry Corneil, Brian Norford and Eric Mountjoy. Materials were used as background research for the creation of an exhibit about the Operation Bow-Athabasca geological survey, which was displayed at the Canmore Museum and …
File consists of CVs, interviews and other documents pertaining to geologists Barry Corneil, Brian Norford and Eric Mountjoy. Materials were used as background research for the creation of an exhibit about the Operation Bow-Athabasca geological survey, which was displayed at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre in 2012.