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 summit notes from Mount Fay produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1998 and 1999. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildl…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1998-1999
Physical Description
0.5 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Mount Fay is located along the Continental/Great Divide, along the Alberta and British Columbia border. Mount Fay is part of the Canadian Rockies.
Scope & Content
File consists of summit notes from Mount Fay produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1998 and 1999. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
File:
M200 / V / A / 156: [100 YR SWISS CENTENNIAL CLIMB 1999: Faye Summit notes. Bow Hut OCT - DEC 1998]
File consists of meeting minutes of the Board of Directors from May 1995, a memo to the Board of Directors before the May 1995 Board Meeting, a proposal for the creation of the Prince George Section of the Alpine Club of Canada. Includes reports to the Board from the Treasurer, Publications Committ…
File consists of meeting minutes of the Board of Directors from May 1995, a memo to the Board of Directors before the May 1995 Board Meeting, a proposal for the creation of the Prince George Section of the Alpine Club of Canada. Includes reports to the Board from the Treasurer, Publications Committee and VP Facilities. Also includes Section reports to the Board from the Calgary Section, Rocky Mountain Section, Vancouver Section, Central Alberta Section, and others.
File contains correspondence regarding a donation from the Alberta Sections of the ACC in 1998.
Notes
Financials have been separated out from their corresponding Club Meeting Minutes and Reports. For these records, see file M200 / I / A / 193 AB SECTIONS [ca. 1989-2001] accn. 2023.11.
Sub-series of hut registers from Abbot Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1954 and 2017. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the hut, wildlife sightings…
Abbot Pass Hut was built in 1922 and sits at an elevation of 2,926 meters. It is one of the highest structures in Canada. The hut was named after Philip Stanley Abbot who had died from a fall during the first known attempt to reach the summit of Mount Lefroy. The hut was a national historic site, but the hut was closed to visitors in 2018 due to the erosion of the slope beneath the hut. On June 30, 2022 Parks Canada officially removed Abbot Pass Hut, due to those environmental factors.
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from Abbot Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1954 and 2017. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the hut, wildlife sightings, custodial issues and updates, and related topics.
The sub-series is separated into individual hut registers, arranged by date:
M200 / IV / A / 1: Abbot Pass Hut register [1954 - 1960]
M200 / IV / A / 2: [Abbot Pass Hut Register 1954 - 1970]
M200 / IV / A / 3: [Abbot Pass Hut? loose register 1972 - 1974]
M200 / IV / A / 4: [Abbot] Pass Hut [register 1974 - 1978]
M200 / IV / A / 5: Abbot Hut [register 1979 - 1980]
M200 / IV / A / 6: [Abbot]'s Hut Registry [1980 - 1982]
M200 / IV / A / 7: [Abbot Pass Hut Register 1982 - 1983]
M200 / IV / A / 8: [Abbot Pass register 1983]
M200 / IV / A / 9: [Abbot Hut Register 1987]
M200 / IV / A / 10: Abbot's Hut Bible [register, 1988 - 1992]
M200 / IV / A / 11: Abbot Pass Hut 1992 - 93
M200 / IV / A / 12: "Abbot Pass Hut Log Book" Aug. 24, 1993 - July 20, 1995
M200 / IV / A / 13: Abbot Pass hut register Aug. 11, 1995 - July 30, 1996.
M200 / IV / A / 14: [Abbot Pass] hut register July 30, 1996 - May 4, 1997
M200 / IV / A / 15: "Abbot Pass Hut Register" June 26, 1997 - September 3, 1998
M200 / IV / A / 16: Abbot Pass Hut [1998- 2000]
M200 / IV / A / 17: Abbot Pass Sep 6, 2000 - July 26, 2002
M200 / IV / A / 18: Abbot Hut Register 2002 - 2003
M200 / IV / A / 19: Abbot Pass Aug 31, 2003 - Aug 20, 2005
M200 / IV / A / 20: Abbot Pass Register 2004 - 2007
M200 / IV / A / 21: Abbot Hut Register 2007 - 2009
M200 / IV / A / 22: [2011 Abbot Hut Register]
M200 / IV / A / 23: Abbot Hut Register [2012 - 2014]
M200 / IV / A / 24: Abbot Pass Hut Register [2014 - 2016]
M200 / IV / A / 25: Abbot Pass Hut Register, 2016 - 2017
M200 / IV / A / 26: [Abbot Pass Hut Register: 2017-2018]
The Alpine Club of Canada website:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/abbot-pass-hut/
The Government of Canada website:
https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/culture/abbot
File consists of textual records pertaining to promotional work and advertising for Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. File includes correspondence between Ben Gadd and several individuals regarding advertising and other promotional work; notes and sample copies of advertisements, i…
File consists of textual records pertaining to promotional work and advertising for Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. File includes correspondence between Ben Gadd and several individuals regarding advertising and other promotional work; notes and sample copies of advertisements, including paste-ups; finished posters and flyers; booklets and brochures for companies and products involved with promotional material and marketing; newspaper clippings advertising Ben's book; and other related materials.
File consists of aerial photographs of terrain in British Columbia and Alberta. Including Banff National Park, Canmore, Kananaskis, Kootenay National Park and Jasper National Park. Images include glaciers, lakes, mountain ranges, forest, highways, and trails.
File consists of aerial photographs of terrain in British Columbia and Alberta. Including Banff National Park, Canmore, Kananaskis, Kootenay National Park and Jasper National Park. Images include glaciers, lakes, mountain ranges, forest, highways, and trails.
File consists of aerial photographs of terrain in Banff National Park, Yoho National Park, Jasper National Park. Images include glaciers, lakes, mountain ranges, forest, highways, and trails.
File consists of aerial photographs of terrain in Banff National Park, Yoho National Park, Jasper National Park. Images include glaciers, lakes, mountain ranges, forest, highways, and trails.
File consists of a summit record from Arête Peak produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between around 1994 and 2016. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the su…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
ca. 1994-2016
Physical Description
0.5 cm of textual record
1 volume
History / Biographical
Arête Peak is located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Nearby are Mount des Poilus and Isolated Peak.
Scope & Content
File consists of a summit record from Arête Peak produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between around 1994 and 2016. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
File:
M200 / V / A / 137: ARÊTE [ca. 1994-2016]
File consists of author's copies of multiple editions of Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Editions in file are annotated with notes and corrections by the author.
File consists of author's copies of multiple editions of Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Editions in file are annotated with notes and corrections by the author.
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from Big Sister produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1994 and 2004. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred whil…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1994-1998
2000-2001
2003-2004
Physical Description
3 volumes
3 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Big Sister peak is one of the Three Sisters Mountains near Canmore, AB, and is the highest mountain of the Three Sisters.
Scope & Content
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from Big Sister produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1994 and 2004. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
Files include:
M200 / V / A / 65: Big Sister Summit Register May 8, 1994 - Sept. 5, 1998
M200 / V / A / 66: Big Sister [Canmore, 2000-2001]
M200 / V / A / 67: Summit Register - Big Sister, Sept 2003 - Sept. 2004
File consists of a summit record from Bluerock Mountain produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1989 and 1992. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the su…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1989-1992
Physical Description
0.5 cm of textual record
1 volume
History / Biographical
Mount Bluerock is located in Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park in Kananaskis, Alberta. Nearby are Mount Rose and Mount Ware.
Scope & Content
File consists of a summit record from Bluerock Mountain produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1989 and 1992. Summit record includes entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
File:
M200 / V / A / 147: [Bluerock Mountain 1989-1992]
File consists of collected research documents pertaining to Stanley J. Carr and the Brewster family in Banff. File includes correspondence from the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development pertaining to requests for information about the Brewster family; autobiographical information ab…
Stanley "Windy" Carr (1890-1983) immigrated to Canada from England in 1907, and worked at ranches in Calgary before he was hired as a guide by the Brewster brothers in 1910. Stanley was active in the Canadian Army between 1916 and 1918, and returned to Alberta after being injured in France. Shortly after, Stanley and two other veterans started an outfitting business in Banff. Stanley married his wife, Jessie, in 1921. Around 1927, Stanley and Jessie purchased property at Tête Jaune Cache, where they built a home and opened a guest ranch. Stanley was a lifetime member of the Masonic Lodge in Cochrane and was actively involved in the construction of the Yellowhead Highway near Mount Robson. Carr Road (located by Red Pass Junction and Highway 16) was named in Stanley's honour.
Scope & Content
File consists of collected research documents pertaining to Stanley J. Carr and the Brewster family in Banff. File includes correspondence from the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development pertaining to requests for information about the Brewster family; autobiographical information about Stanley J. Carr, who started working as a guide for the Brewster brothers in 1910; newspaper clippings; scanned copies of photographs depicting Stanley Carr and others on horseback, ca. 1915; a genealogical timeline of Sarah (Irvine) Brewster, William Brewster and their descendants; and poetry written by Stanley Carr about the Brewsters.
FIle consists of documents pertaining to the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names collected by Maryalice Harvey Stewart. File includes a list of members of the Committee and their contact information from 1997, which names Maryalice as a "Corresponding Member"; and signed approval doc…
FIle consists of documents pertaining to the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names collected by Maryalice Harvey Stewart. File includes a list of members of the Committee and their contact information from 1997, which names Maryalice as a "Corresponding Member"; and signed approval documents for seven renaming decisions, including Castle Mountain (previously named Eisenhower Peak) and six locations in British Columbia.
Notes
Most items in file are annotated by Maryalice Harvey Stewart.
File consists of notes and a draft introduction produced by Ben Gadd pertaining to a film project about the Canadian Rockies which was produced by Pat Morrow. Notes include a list of possible titles for the video, as well as lists of topics to include for different regions discussed in the film.
File consists of notes and a draft introduction produced by Ben Gadd pertaining to a film project about the Canadian Rockies which was produced by Pat Morrow. Notes include a list of possible titles for the video, as well as lists of topics to include for different regions discussed in the film.
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from Castle Mountain produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1995 and 2010. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1995-2003
2005-2010
Physical Description
3 volumes
3 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Castle Mountain is located in Banff National Park. The mountain is named for the castle-like appearance due to erosion. From 1946 to 1979 it was known as Mount Eisenhower in honour of war veteran, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The pinnacle on the mountain's southeastern side is called Eisenhower Tower or Eisenhower Peak.
Scope & Content
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers from Castle Mountain produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1995 and 2010. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
Files include:
M200 / V / A / 51: Castle Mountain Summit Register 1995 - 1998
M200 / V / A / 52: Castle Mountain Sep 26, 1998 - July 20, 2003
M200 / V / A / 53: Summit Reg. Castle Mtn. [2005 - 2010]
A history of West Castle to Castle Mountain Resort 1967 to 2007 : for skiing pleasure unlimited, 2014, Steven Kenworthy, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Archives Library, Call No: 08.3 K42h
Sub-series consists of the meeting minutes and reports of the Alpine Club of Canada between 1913 and 2011. Records pertain to meetings of the Executive Committee of the ACC, as well as the Executives of the various sections of the ACC, including the Banff Section, the Calgary Section, the Edmonton …
Sub-series consists of the meeting minutes and reports of the Alpine Club of Canada between 1913 and 2011. Records pertain to meetings of the Executive Committee of the ACC, as well as the Executives of the various sections of the ACC, including the Banff Section, the Calgary Section, the Edmonton Section and others. Records also include the Annual General Meeting minutes of the ACC during this time period.
Sub-series is arranged chronologically.
Notes
See file-level entries for inventories of club meeting minutes and reports.
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.