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 five discs containing video files and three VHS tapes, which were collected by Ben Gadd. Videos pertain to mountaineering and mountain sports; documentary footage about Mount Robson and other regions in the Canadian Rockies; icebergs; ice climbing in Maligne Canyon; and a talk abou…
File consists of five discs containing video files and three VHS tapes, which were collected by Ben Gadd. Videos pertain to mountaineering and mountain sports; documentary footage about Mount Robson and other regions in the Canadian Rockies; icebergs; ice climbing in Maligne Canyon; and a talk about the Association of Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment (AMPPE) presented in the Jasper Chamber of Commerce.
Notes
Individual contents in file:
V810 / I / D / NV - 1 : "A Life Ascending" [produced by Stephen Grynberg]
V810 / I / D / NV - 2 : "Mt. Robson: Giant of Canadian Rockies"
V810 / I / D / NV - 3 : "Aweberg!" [video about icebergs, attributed to Ben Gadd]
V810 / I / D / NV - 4 : "The Rockies: A two-part documentary by Stefan Tolz in cooperation with Fritz Pleitgan and Gerd Ruge" [Ben and Will Gadd appear in video]
V810 / I / D / NV - 5 : "Queen of Maligne Feb. '06" [video of Ben and Will Gadd ice climbing in Maligne Canyon]
V810 / I / D / NV - 6 : "Northlands 12/6/88" [wildlife footage with commentary]
V810 / I / D / NV - 7 : "The Rockies - Fine Cut" [n.d., no audio; footage of wildlife, landscapes, etc.]
V810 / I / D / NV - 8 : Dave Day / Jasper Chamber of Commerce [n.d.; discussing AMPPE and membership, issues in Banff National Park]
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 / 71 : Guitar
M590 / I / C / 72 : "Grizzlies Need Friends, Too"
M590 / I / C / 73 : Heli-Hiking
M590 / I / C / 74 : Hemp
M590 / I / C / 75 : Horses
M590 / I / C / 76 : Icefield Centre Redevelopment
M590 / I / C / 77 : Interpretation Canada
M590 / I / C / 78 : JPC Expansion, Other CP Hotel
M590 / I / C / 79 : Jasper Environmental Association
M590 / I / C / 80 : Jasper Management Plan Forum
M590 / I / C / 81 : JNP Issues - Not Tours
M590 / I / C / 82 : Jeeps, ATVs, etc.
M590 / I / C / 83 : Kananaskis Country"
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 / 94 : Maligne Canyon Teahouse
M590 / I / C / 95 : Maligne Valley Caribou and Maligne Tours
M590 / I / C / 96 : Maligne Valley History
M590 / I / C / 97 to 99 : Maligne Valley Planning [Files 1 to 3 of 3]
M590 / I / C / 100 : Maligne Valley - Not Canyon
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 / 101 : Marmot Basin Expansion
M590 / I / C / 102 : Military
M590 / I / C / 103 : Mining
M590 / I / C / 104 : Mission Statement, Policy
M590 / I / C / 105 : MLAs, MPs
M590 / I / C / 106 : Pat Morrow
M590 / I / C / 107 : Mountain Biking, New Jasper Trails Project
M590 / I / C / 108 : Mumm Creek
M590 / I / C / 109 : Nakimu Cave
M590 / I / C / 110 : National Party
M590 / I / C / 111 : National Parks
M590 / I / C / 112 : Natural Areas, Special Places 2000
M590 / I / C / 113 : Natural History Tours
M590 / I / C / 114 : Northern River Basins Study
M590 / I / C / 115 : Oldman Dam
M590 / I / C / 16 : Park Link
M590 / I / C / 117 : Parks for Tomorrow
M590 / I / C / 118 to 119 : Palisades Centre [Files 1 and 2 of 4]
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 / 144 : Robson Provincial Park
M590 / I / C / 145 : "Rocks in the River"
M590 / I / C / 146 : Torry Schultz
M590 / I / C / 147 : Sewage and Treatment
M590 / I / C / 148 : Sierra Legal Defense Fund
M590 / I / C / 149 : Skiing
M590 / I / C / 150 : Ski Areas
M590 / I / C / 151 : Society for Technical Communication
M590 / I / C / 152 : State of the Parks Meetings
M590 / I / C / 153 : Superwood
M590 / I / C / 154 : Surveys, Opinion Polls
M590 / I / C / 155 : Timoney, Kevin
M590 / I / C / 156 : Tonquin Valley
M590 / I / C / 157 : Chris Townsend
M590 / I / C / 158 to 160: Townsite Issues [Files 1 to 3 of 3]
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 / 161 : Trapping, Furs
M590 / I / C / 162 : Tri-Council JNP Study
M590 / I / C / 163 : U.S. Parks
M590 / I / C / 164 : User Fees
M590 / I / C / 165 : Vermont
M590 / I / C / 166 : Volunteering
M590 / I / C / 167 : Warden-Arming Issue
M590 / I / C / 168 : WCWC [Western Canada Wilderness Committee]
M590 / I / C / 169 : Weldwood
M590 / I / C / 170 to 171 : Whitehorse Wildland Park [Files 1 and 2 of 2]
M590 / I / C / 172 : Wildflower Survey
M590 / I / C / 173 : Willmore Wilderness Park
M590 / I / C / 174 : Wolves
M590 / I / C / 175 : Yellowstone to Yukon Biodiversity Strategy
Sub-series consists of travel brochures and maps which were collected and used by Ben Gadd. Sub-series contains five sub-sub series:
M590 / I / A / i : Travel guides and pocket maps
M590 / I / A / ii : Topographical maps
M590 / I / A / iii : Geological maps
M590 / I / A / iv : Highway maps
M590 / …
Sub-series consists of travel brochures and maps which were collected and used by Ben Gadd. Sub-series contains five sub-sub series:
M590 / I / A / i : Travel guides and pocket maps
M590 / I / A / ii : Topographical maps
M590 / I / A / iii : Geological maps
M590 / I / A / iv : Highway maps
M590 / I / A / v : Index maps, other
Notes
Some materials in sub-series are annotated with notes by Ben Gadd