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 flyers, notes and correspondence, drafts and published advertisements pertaining to the promotion of Ben Gadd's work as an interpretive guide.
File consists of flyers, notes and correspondence, drafts and published advertisements pertaining to the promotion of Ben Gadd's work as an interpretive guide.
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.
File consists of documents pertaining to Ben Gadd's work as an interpretive guide and lecturer at the Blue Lake Centre in Hinton, Alberta. File includes informational booklets and programs, employment contracts, itineraries, correspondence and other documents.
File consists of documents pertaining to Ben Gadd's work as an interpretive guide and lecturer at the Blue Lake Centre in Hinton, Alberta. File includes informational booklets and programs, employment contracts, itineraries, correspondence and other documents.
File consists of drafts, notes and correspondence pertaining to a guidebook for the Blue Lake Centre Nature Trail near Hinton, Alberta. Ben Gadd researched, designed and produced the guidebook for the Blue Lake Centre between 1989 and 1990, while working as a freelance consultant.
File consists of drafts, notes and correspondence pertaining to a guidebook for the Blue Lake Centre Nature Trail near Hinton, Alberta. Ben Gadd researched, designed and produced the guidebook for the Blue Lake Centre between 1989 and 1990, while working as a freelance consultant.
File consists of one VHS tape containing a recorded episode of "Take an Alberta Break!" featuring Ben Gadd and cave tours which he led through Cadomin Cave. Ben discusses bat habitats, cave crawling, and vandalism issues.
File consists of one VHS tape containing a recorded episode of "Take an Alberta Break!" featuring Ben Gadd and cave tours which he led through Cadomin Cave. Ben discusses bat habitats, cave crawling, and vandalism issues.
Notes
Running time is approx. 3 minutes [episode], followed by recorded advertisements
File consists of notes, drafts, sample illustrations and other materials pertaining to an interpretive trail guide which Ben Gadd produced for the Forest Technology School in Hinton, Alberta in 1992. File includes sample images taped together and annotated with additional information. FIle also inc…
File consists of notes, drafts, sample illustrations and other materials pertaining to an interpretive trail guide which Ben Gadd produced for the Forest Technology School in Hinton, Alberta in 1992. File includes sample images taped together and annotated with additional information. FIle also includes a pressed plant sample, stored in an envelope titled "Rhytidiadelphus triquetris (Shaggy moss)".
File consists of one VHS tape containing episode 32 of the series "Great Canadian Parks", featuring Mount Robson Provincial Park. Ben Gadd appears in the video, discussing the mountain's elevation and first impressions from tourists.
File consists of one VHS tape containing episode 32 of the series "Great Canadian Parks", featuring Mount Robson Provincial Park. Ben Gadd appears in the video, discussing the mountain's elevation and first impressions from tourists.
Notes
Ben Gadd appears in video at 6 min. 35 sec.; total running time 23 min. 5 sec.
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 includes documents pertaining to Ben's work as an employee of Parks Canada (1984-1987) and as an independent guide (1987 …
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 includes documents pertaining to Ben's work as an employee of Parks Canada (1984-1987) and as an independent guide (1987 onwards).
Notes
File folders are arranged chronologically:
M590 / III / B / 1 : "Interp. guiding 1987 and earlier"
M590 / III / B / 2 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1988]
M590 / III / B / 3 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1989]
M590 / III / B / 4 and 5 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1990, files 1 and 2]
M590 / III / B / 6 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1991]
M590 / III / B / 7 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1992]
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 / 8 and 9 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1993, files 1 and 2]
M590 / III / B / 10 and 11 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1994, files 1 and 2]
M590 / III / B / 12 and 13 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1995, files 1 and 2]
M590 / III / B / 14 : "Interp. guiding, etc." [1996]