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).
File pertains to 58 handwritten and typewritten letters by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb between April 1933 and September 1933. Topics include news from Concord, daily life in Banff, the fire at Bretton Hall, Peter out painting and sketching, Sam Ward continuously adding cab…
1.3 cm of textual records (173 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to 58 handwritten and typewritten letters by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb between April 1933 and September 1933. Topics include news from Concord, daily life in Banff, the fire at Bretton Hall, Peter out painting and sketching, Sam Ward continuously adding cabinets and cupboards to the Whyte Home, Catharine practicing typewriting and the beginning of some typewritten letters to her mother, the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. John Walker, moving a cabin on the property for their Stoney friends to stay in while they paint portraits, selling two sketches, various baking recipes from Edith, Peter painting Mark Poucette, a visit from children from the Mountain School, Peter and Catharine visiting the west coast [via Bonners Ferry and Spokane] and seeing Fern Brewster in Vancouver, writing Mrs. Paley, attending the Calgary Stampede, painting J.D. Curren, painting David Bearspaw, hiking at Lake O'Hara with Skyline Trail Hikers [with participant names], a visit with Mary Vaux in Banff, a Pacific Relations Conference at the Banff Springs Hotel and cleaning the house expecting visits from participants, Catharine discussing Adolf Hitler with a Swiss man visiting the house, a boat trip with the White Family and Allen Mather to Lake Minnewanka, meeting Mr. Anasaki from the Conference [an old friend of Edward Morse] and looking at Catharine's Japanese collection with Mr. Miyoaka and Mr. Takaki, Peter taking photographs at the Indigenous Camp during Banff Indian Days, Peter receiving a beaded coat from Mrs. Jonie, buying some items from the Indigenous Camp that belonged to Old Hector [Crawler?], Jackie heading east to meet Barbara before the birth of their child, and Peter and Catharine heading east via the United States to attend the World Fair and visit Edith Morse Robb and then family in Gorham, Maine.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, people of colour, and those of the Jewish faith used throughout is outdated and offensive.
Letters are all handwritten and typewritten and include some hotel, business 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 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.