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 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 correspondence, notes, finished drafts and other materials pertaining to a paper which Ben Gadd wrote for Parks Canada about bicycle use in the Four Mountain Parks (Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay). Ben's paper was used as background information/reference material during the creat…
File consists of correspondence, notes, finished drafts and other materials pertaining to a paper which Ben Gadd wrote for Parks Canada about bicycle use in the Four Mountain Parks (Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay). Ben's paper was used as background information/reference material during the creation of the Four Mountain Parks Planning Program by Parks Canada.
File consists of handwritten notes by Ben Gadd describing his thuoghts and concerns pertaining to the Four Mountains Parks Planning Program led by Parks Canada.
File consists of handwritten notes by Ben Gadd describing his thuoghts and concerns pertaining to the Four Mountains Parks Planning Program led by Parks Canada.
File consists of approved drafts of three articles which Ben Gadd wrote on behalf of Parks Canada Interpretive Services while employed as a Park Naturalist. Articles pertain to waterfall climbing, the 75th anniversary of Jasper National Park, and a summary of the 1981 summer interpretive season. Fi…
File consists of approved drafts of three articles which Ben Gadd wrote on behalf of Parks Canada Interpretive Services while employed as a Park Naturalist. Articles pertain to waterfall climbing, the 75th anniversary of Jasper National Park, and a summary of the 1981 summer interpretive season. File includes a copy of an article titled "Happy 75th Anniversary, Jasper National Park" which was printed in the Jasper Booster newspaper.
File consists of loose notes, pamphlets, newspaper clippings and other textual records which were collected or produced by Ben Gadd between 1968 and 1989. Some materials are annotated with sketches, maps and diagrams drawn by Ben.
File consists of loose notes, pamphlets, newspaper clippings and other textual records which were collected or produced by Ben Gadd between 1968 and 1989. Some materials are annotated with sketches, maps and diagrams drawn by Ben.
Notes
Contents of file folders:
M590 / I / D / 8 : Other notes/collected, 1968-1971
M590 / I / D / 9 : Other notes/collected, 1972-1984
M590 / I / D / 10 : Other notes/collected, 1985-1986
M590 / I / D / 11 and 12 : Other notes/collected, 1987-1989
File consists of research notes, drafts and published copies of articles which Ben Gadd wrote for the "Park Notebook" column in the Jasper Booster newspaper while working for Parks Canada between 1981 and 1984; and notes related to an interpretive teaching guide for Jasper National Park.
File consists of research notes, drafts and published copies of articles which Ben Gadd wrote for the "Park Notebook" column in the Jasper Booster newspaper while working for Parks Canada between 1981 and 1984; and notes related to an interpretive teaching guide for Jasper National Park.
File consists of photographs depicting Ben Gadd and coworkers between 1981 and 1982, when Ben worked as a Park Naturalist for Parks Canada. File includes group photos of interpretive staff, and photos of Ben speaking to participants during a guided hike through Maligne Canyon. Photos are accompanie…
9 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs depicting Ben Gadd and coworkers between 1981 and 1982, when Ben worked as a Park Naturalist for Parks Canada. File includes group photos of interpretive staff, and photos of Ben speaking to participants during a guided hike through Maligne Canyon. Photos are accompanied in file by one newspaper clipping from the Jasper Booster depicting Ben and fellow Parks Canada staff, December 1981.
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
Notes
Contents of individual folders in file:
M590 / I / C / 1 : AGT Parkway Phone Line
M590 / I / C / 2 : Airline Boarding Passes
M590 / I / C / 3 : Airstrip
M590 / I / C / 4 : Alberta Ecotrust
M590 / I / C / 5 : Alberta Environmental Network
M590 / I / C / 6 to 7 : Alberta Power Line Proposal [Files 1 and 2 of 2]
M590 / I / C / 8 : Association for Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment (AMPPE)
M590 / I / C / 9 to 10 : Alberta Speleological Society [Files 1 and 2 of 2]
Material Details
Note on original storage folder of "Alberta Speleological Society" materials reads: "See also Cadomin Cave"