Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including cor…
154 cm of textual records. -- 1304 photographs (1190 prints, 95 negatives, 19 transparencies). -- 6 photograph albums.
History / Biographical
The Wardle family was comprised of husband and wife, James Morey Wardle (June 26,1888 - May 18,1971) and Maud Leette (Roney) Wardle (May 24,1889 - December 1,1969), and their one child, Dorothy Hope Wardle (May 23,1919 - July 20,2003).
James Wardle, born in Chiliwack, British Columbia, was a civil engineer and public servant. He was the Superintendent of Banff National Park from 1918-1921, Chief Engineer for Parks Canada from 1921-1935, and Deputy Minister of the Interior from 1935-1936. He is primarily known as a highway design engineer, particularly for building the Banff-Windermere, Banff-Lake Louise, and Banff-Jasper highways. He was a councillor for the Municipality of Rockcliffe Park in Ontario and he was the President of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies in Banff from 1925-1929. Mount Wardle in Vermillion was named after him in 1921. James married Leette on November 4, 1913, with whom he had one child, Dorothy.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Dorothy (also known as Dot and Dorie) grew up in Banff, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario, due to her father's position with the federal government. She was educated at the Mountain School in Banff and at the Elmwood School in Ottawa. All three family members were graduates of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. James graduated in 1912 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Leette graduated with a Bachelor's degree, and in 1942, Dorothy also earned a Bachelor's degree. Dorothy was prominent in student life and active in athletics. In 1941, Dorothy became the first woman elected as President of the Alma Mater Society and during her academic career, Dorothy was a member of the Levana Intercollegiate Debative, University Centenary Committee, and Queen’s War Aid Commission.
Dorothy spent her career as a freelance writer however, upon graduation she served as the first Secretary-In-Charge of Records at Carleton College (now Carleton University) from 1942-1944 in Ottawa and in the mid-1950s worked as a secretary for the Glenbow Foundation in Calgary. Dorothy pursued a lifelong interest in traveling, art, and antiques. Although she was fiercely proud and protective of Banff and the Park, and remained a volunteer and patron of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Dorothy eventually settled in Sidney, British Columbia and shared an apartment with Sheila Iris Ritchie, with whom Dorothy travelled extensively. After her death in 2003, Dorothy, "Dorie," was laid to rest alongside her parents in the Old Banff Cemetery.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including correspondence with Carl Rungius and Mrs. Helen Brett, and Christmas and other greeting cards from Peter and Catharine Whyte). Series III: Queen's University, 7.5 cm, 1911-1980 (including graduation certificates for each family member and records pertaining to Dorothy's participation on the Alma Mater Society). Series IV: Travel, 44.5 cm, ca.1950-1988 (includes hand-written notebooks meticulously detailing their travels).
V75 consists of two series, 79.5 cm, ca. 1912-2001. Series I: Wardle Family, ca. 1912-1971, 6 albums, 31 cm of photograph prints and negatives (including family trips, trail rides in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and family gatherings). Series II: Dorothy Wardle, 1972-2001, 34 cm of photograph prints, negatives, and transparencies (including Dorothy's travels in Alberta and British Columbia, overseas, and various outings with friends).
Sub-series of hut registers from the Bon Echo Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1964 and 2006. 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 si…
According to the Alpine Club of Canada website:
"The rock climbing at Mazinaw Lake is some of the finest in Ontario. The area boasts quartzite cliffs up to 100m high that rise vertically out of the lake. The routes are all traditional and range in grades from 5.0 to 5.11, with the most popular routes in the 5.4 to 5.9 range. The exposure and length of the routes make for an adventure unlike any other in the province.
The Bon Echo Hut on the lake is operated by the Toronto Section which also operates a boat to ferry climbers to and from the climbs. The hut is comfortable and an excellent place to meet other climbers and get information on the climbs. The area also offers excellent swimming and hiking.
The hut is a single-room wooden structure with a fireplace and kitchen equipped with propane stoves and a large dining table. There is a sauna located near the lake. The hut is not used for sleeping, but is a day hut and cook shelter for those staying at the campsites immediately adjacent to the hut.
Bon Echo is located approximately 300 km north east of Toronto on the east side of Mazinaw Lake, a mile north of the Mazinaw Rock and Bon Echo Provincial Park.
The drive to the public dock takes three to four hours from Toronto or one and a half hours from Ottawa. The hut can be reached by hiking overland, but this would take an entire day. Boating to the hut is much more convenient."
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Bon Echo Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1964 and 2006. 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 / L / 1: [Bon Echo - register Jan 28, 1964 - Nov. 25, 1967]
M200 / IV / L / 2: [Bon Echo hut register Feb. 24, 1968 - Aug. 27, 1972]
M200 / IV / L / 3: Bon Echo hut book #3 Sept 23, 1972 - Aug. 27, 1978
M200 / IV / L / 4: Bon Echo Hut book #4 Sept. 2, 1978 - July 13, 1984.
M200 / IV / L / 5: [Bon Echo Hut Register] July 14, 1984 - Apr 20, 1987
M200 / IV / L / 6: ACC Bon Echo Log Hut book #6 May 9, 1987 - July 4, 1993
M200 / IV / L / 7: [Bon Echo Hut Register] vol. 7 July 9, 1993 - Aug. 24, 1997
M200 / IV / L / 8: Bon Echo Hut Register 1998-2006
Notes
M200 / IV / L / 3: Bon Echo hut book #3 Sept 23, 1972 - Aug. 27, 1978 included a colour photographic print that has been separated into V14 / III / C / PA under the same title: Bon Echo hut book #3 Sept 23, 1972 - Aug. 27, 1978. The print was found loose inside the hut register.
M200 / IV / L / 6: ACC Bon Echo Log Hut book #6 May 9, 1987 - July 4, 1993 included a photographic print that has been separated into V14 / III / C / PA under the same title: ACC Bon Echo Log Hut book #6 May 9, 1987 - July 4, 1993. The print was found loose inside the hut register.
M200 / IV / L / 8: Bon Echo Hut Register 1998-2006 contained loose bird feathers that have been removed from page 173.
Sub-series of hut registers from the Conrad Kain/Bugaboo Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 2000 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, …
According to the Alpine Club of Canada website, the Conrad Kain/Bugaboo hut is located in the Bugaboo Provincial Park, in British Columbia. The ACC built the hut in 1972, and named the hut after the renowned Austrian mountaineer and guide, Conrad Kain, who first visited the area in 1910. From 1972 to 2000, the hut was maintained by B.C. Parks. Today, the hut accommodates 35 people.
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Conrad Kain/Bugaboo Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 2000 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 / O / 1: Conrad Kain Hut June 20/2000 - June 26/2003
M200 / IV / O / 2: 2006 - 2008 Conrad Kain Hut, Bugaboos, Hut Register
M200 / IV / O / 3: Conrad Kain Hut Register [2008 - 2012]
M200 / IV / O / 4: Conrad Kain, Bugaboos 2012 - 2017
Series consists of hut registers produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between ca.1930-2020. 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 huts; wildlife sightings; custodi…
Series consists of hut registers produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between ca.1930-2020. 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 huts; wildlife sightings; custodial issues and updates; and related topics.
Series is separated at the sub-series level by individual huts:
M200 / IV / A : Abbot Pass Hut
M200 / IV / B : Elizabeth Parker Hut
M200 / IV / C : Wates-Gibson Hut
M200 / IV / D : A. O. Wheeler Hut
M200 / IV / E : Sydney Vallance (Fryatt) Hut
M200 / IV / F : Bow Hut
M200 / IV / G : Stanley Mitchell Hut
M200 / IV / H : Fay Hut
M200 / IV / I : Balfour Hut
M200 / IV / J : Peyto Hut/ Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut
M200 / IV / K : Elk Lakes Cabin
M200 / IV / L : Bon Echo Hut
M200 / IV / M : Bill Putnam / Fairy Meadows Hut
M200 / IV / N : Scott Duncan Hut
M200 / IV / O: Conrad Kain/Bugaboos Hut
M200 / IV / P: Neil Colgan Hut
M200 / IV / Q: Silver Spray Hut
M200 / IV / R: Asulkan Hut
M200 / IV / S: Mount Colin Hut
M200 / IV / T: Great Cairn Hut
M200 / IV / U: Other Huts [Registers]
Notes
See sub-series entries for chronological inventories of hut registers
File pertains to 47 letters and postcards written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 1930 to October 1930. Topics include the trip back to Banff after marriage, day to day life, meeting and visiting Pete's friends, the Banff community and artists [including Bill Brews…
1.3 cm of textual records (82 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 47 letters and postcards written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 1930 to October 1930. Topics include the trip back to Banff after marriage, day to day life, meeting and visiting Pete's friends, the Banff community and artists [including Bill Brewster, Jim Brewster, Guy Davenport, Sid Graves, Sid Brewster, Mary Vaux Walcott, Jimmy Simpson, Byron Harmon, Fern Brewster, Wayne Palmer, Fred McCauley, Mrs. Brett, Julia Raymond, Pearl Moore, Edmee Moore, Philip Moore, J.E.H. MacDonald, Mr. and Mrs. Link, Mr. and Mrs. Painter, George Brewster, Jessie McLean, Buddy van Dyke, Dorothy Whyte, John Murray Gibbon, Carl Rungius, Fred Arbrister, Neil Begg, Rudolph Aemner,] painting outdoors, people in Concord, meeting Noel Odell of the 1924 Everest Expedition, a fire at a tea house in town, plans for building their home [including a sketch of the lots along Bow River], visiting Castle Mountain Camp and Kicking Horse Tea House, description of Skoki Lodge building plans [with Cliff White, Cyril Paris, and Ike Mills], and builders Earl Spencer and Spud White, and painting in Morley [Mrs. Twoyoungmen, John Simian or Black Buffalo, Jonas Richson [?], Dan Wildman and other illegible names], the climb to Abbot Pass, Lake Oesa, and Lake O'Hara Camp.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, people of colour, and those of the Jewish faith used throughout is outdated and offensive. Some items were stapled together and therefore scanned together as one document.
Letters are all handwritten and include some hotel and camp letterheads. Some letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981. Some letters also have numbers written in pencil crayon, believed to be from when originally processed.
File consists of 17 cm of textual records, 34 x 44 cm or smaller. File pertains to an assortment of personal recordkeeping records and contains textual records, correspondence, photograph prints, and newspaper clippings. File documents various purchases and sales (Canmore, Alberta and Sidney, Briti…
File consists of 17 cm of textual records, 34 x 44 cm or smaller. File pertains to an assortment of personal recordkeeping records and contains textual records, correspondence, photograph prints, and newspaper clippings. File documents various purchases and sales (Canmore, Alberta and Sidney, British Columbia, mainly 1985-1986 and 1991-1995), property sales (Banff and Calgary, Alberta, 1972, and a photocopy of the original lease for the Wardle's property in Banff on Muskrat Street, 1921), Dorothy's work and membership with the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (1991-2001), art sales and appraisals (mainly Carl Rungius, 1977-2001), health and dental records detailing Dorothy's medical history (mainly 1994-2001, but goes back to 1934), a trip to Canmore (Banff Right to Reside (1984), subscriptions and miscellaneous records (including Dorothy's address book; poetry by her father, James Morey Wardle; Dorothy's passport from 1991-1996; various art collector catalogues such as Sotheby's; and commemorative coins), and Sheila Iris (S.I.) Ritchie's personal records (includes birth record from 1927 and death record from 1990).
Notes
Poetry by James Morey (J.M.) Wardle can be found in folder 34 under "miscellaneous."
Sheila Iris Ritchie was Dorothy's long-term housemate and close friend. Dorothy served as the executor of Sheila's will.
Dorothy's SIN card was originally included but has since been discarded for privacy concerns.
Photocopies of the original lease for the property on Muskrat Street were taken from Parks Canada microfiche records in 1993.
Sub-series of hut registers from the Neil Colgan Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1982 and 2003. 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…
According to the Alpine Club of Canada's website, "the Neil Colgan Hut is the highest permanent, habitable structure in Canada", and it is located in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. The hut sits at 9,700 ft, and is within distance of Mounts Little, Bowlen, Fay and Quadra. The hut accommodates 18 people and includes propane stoves and lanterns.
According to the Alpine Club of Canada's Backcountry Huts: Neil Colgan Hut: Info Sheet:
"Second to the scene of Lake Louise set against the backdrop of Mt. Victoria, Moraine Lake is perhaps the most photographed and best known mountain scene in the Canadian Rockies. The area behind the first row of peaks which can be seen from the lake provides excellent alpine climbing on snow and ice routes, and makes an ideal location for a high altitude climbing hut.
The area saw its first hut in 1964 when the Calgary Mountain Club erected a hut at the top of the couloir
between peaks 3 and 3 ½. This original hut was named for Graham Cooper, who died while descending after the construction of the hut. The hut was in a poor position, however, because it encouraged use of the couloir as an access route to the hut. By the late 1980s the couloir had seen many rockfall accidents and several fatalities. The hut was dismantled and replaced by the Neil Colgan Hut in 1983.
Neil Colgan was a warden in Banff National Park when he died from injuries sustained in a horse accident in the backcountry. The hut was largely funded by his family in his name."
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Neil Colgan Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1982 and 2003. 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 / P / 1: [Neil Colgan hut register 1982 - 87]
M200 / IV / P / 2: "Neil Colgan [hut]" July 12, 1987 - March 4, 1995
M200 / IV / P / 3: "Neil Colgan" [Hut Register] May 19, 1995 - July 7, 1999
M200 / IV / P / 4: Neil Colgan Hut Jul 7, 1999 - Jul 4, 2003
Notes
M200 / IV / P / 4: contains mold throughout the register
Alpine Club of Canada's website:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/neil-colgan-hut/
Alpine Club of Canada Backcountry Hut: Neil Colgan: Info Sheet:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NeilColganHut-InfoSheet-1.pdf
Sub-series of hut registers from the Silver Spray Cabin produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1992 and 2018. 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, wildl…
According to the Alpine Club of Canada's website, the Silver Spray Hut was built in 1994 and is located in the Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, B. C. The hut is allows mountaineers to access the Selkirk Mountains, as well as Kokanee, Caribou and Woodbury Glaciers.
According to the Alpine Club of Canada's Backcountry Huts: Silver Spray Cabin: Info Sheet:
"Constructed in the 1920s to serve as a bunkhouse for the Violet Mining Company operating in the area, the BC Parks Branch took over the maintenance of the cabin by the time the mines closed in the early 1930’s. The Kootenay Section of the Alpine Club of Canada became involved in the maintenance of the hut over many work parties throughout the 1950’s. In the 1960’s, park workers began to take a more active role once again and initiated substantial repairs to the hut, as it was clear that a lot of work needed to be done to the cabin. In the 1980’s building materials were brought into the site to replace the old cabin with a new one, but local protests to preserve the original cabin for historical interpretation stopped any new construction.
The BC Parks Branch included the cabin as one of the many provincial historic sites in the area, for the historic interest of the location, and the remaining evidence of old mine workings."
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Silver Spray Cabin produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1992 and 2018. 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 / Q / 1: [Silver Spray Cabin, 1992-95]
M200 / IV / Q / 2: Silver Spray Cabin [2002-2008]
M200 / IV / Q / 3: Silver Spray [2008-2015]
M200 / IV / Q / 4: Silver Spray Log [2015 to 2018]
Alpine Club of Canada website:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/silver-spray-cabin/
Alpine Club of Canada Backcountry Huts: Silver Spray Cabin: Info Sheet:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SilverSprayCabin.pdf