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
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 correspondence, newspaper articles and handwritten notes pertaining to an exhibit about geologist Dr. Eric Mountjoy which was put on display at Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives. File also includes a 2008-2010 business plan summary for the museum and archives.
File consists of correspondence, newspaper articles and handwritten notes pertaining to an exhibit about geologist Dr. Eric Mountjoy which was put on display at Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives. File also includes a 2008-2010 business plan summary for the museum and archives.
Notes
Handwritten notes in file possibly produced by Ben Gadd.
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 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 photo order forms completed by Chic Scott for research purposes [1997-2017]. File includes order forms from the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Fondazione Sella, B.C. Archives, Glenbow Museum, Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives, Kimberley Heritage Museum, and Revelstoke Mu…
File consists of photo order forms completed by Chic Scott for research purposes [1997-2017]. File includes order forms from the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Fondazione Sella, B.C. Archives, Glenbow Museum, Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives, Kimberley Heritage Museum, and Revelstoke Museum and Archives.
File consists of research notes produced by Chic Scott pertaining to films included in the Hans Gmoser film preservation project. File includes film transcripts and summary notes, notes by Chic pertaining to interviews and project progress, loan agreements for Hans Gmoser film copies from the Whyte…
File consists of research notes produced by Chic Scott pertaining to films included in the Hans Gmoser film preservation project. File includes film transcripts and summary notes, notes by Chic pertaining to interviews and project progress, loan agreements for Hans Gmoser film copies from the Whyte Museum, and other related materials.
File consists of one DVD containing a video titled "The Geological Survey of Canada Takes on the Rockies" which was produced by Glen Edwards. Video was used as part of the Operation Bow-Athabasca exhibit at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre in 2012.
Produced by Glen Edwards, Geological Survey of Canada
Date Range
2012
Physical Description
1 DVD : 1 video file ; 4 minutes 46 seconds
Scope & Content
File consists of one DVD containing a video titled "The Geological Survey of Canada Takes on the Rockies" which was produced by Glen Edwards. Video was used as part of the Operation Bow-Athabasca exhibit at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre in 2012.
File consists of three compact discs containing a total of 38 JPG image files and 14 PDF files. Images were used in the creation of an exhibit titled "Operation Bow-Athabasca" at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre, which Ben Gadd contributed to in 2012. Some content from discs was also used i…
Images in file V810/III/D/DF-3 originally produced by Barry Corneil between 1965 and 1966.
Date Range
2012
Physical Description
3 CDs : 38 JPG files, 14 PDF files
Scope & Content
File consists of three compact discs containing a total of 38 JPG image files and 14 PDF files. Images were used in the creation of an exhibit titled "Operation Bow-Athabasca" at the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre, which Ben Gadd contributed to in 2012. Some content from discs was also used in Ben's published book, also titled "Operation Bow-Athabasca". Images, exhibit and book pertain to a geological survey of the Canadian Rockies between Canmore and Jasper, including Banff National Park and the Columbia Icefields.
Notes
Contents of individual discs:
V810 / III / D / DF - 3 : "Barry Corneil OBA pics '65-'66" [18 JPG files]
V810 / III / D / DF - 4 : "PDFs of OBA panels 2012 Full-res, as imaged by West Canadian Graphics, May 2012" [14 PDF files]
V810 / III / D / DF - 5 : "Operation Bow-Athabasca photos Ray Price collection" [20 JPG files]