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 personal photographs, biographical notes, memoir drafts and other collected materials pertaining to Robert Neville (Bob) Smith. Fonds also includes plans and maps pertaining to the development of land near Lake Minnewanka and the Cascade Power Plant project (1943).
ca.300 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 12 x 18 cm or smaller -- 7 cm of textual records -- 7 topographical maps/plans -- 8 postcards
History / Biographical
Robert Neville (Bob) Smith (1926-2021) was born in Banff. He was the only child of parents Enoch Smith and Laurene Smith (nee Munson). Bob grew up near Lake Minnewanka until 1941, when a hydro dam was installed resulting in the intentional flooding of the area. The family moved to Banff, where Bob met his future wife, Mary Parkinson. The couple were married in 1953 and moved to Seebe, where they raised two daughters, Marjory and Shirley.
Bob worked for Calgary Power Co. (later renamed TransAlta Utilities) from 1953 until his retirement in 1986. In his spare time, Bob founded the Bow Valley Camera Club and the Bow Valley Naturalists organization. In 1999, Bob was part of a successful project with the Bow Valley Naturalists to designate the Mount Yamnuska area as a Bow Valley Protected Area, following 25 years of lobbying with the Government of Alberta. Bob also formed the Meanderthals seniors hiking club in 1993 and led various local hiking trips in his later years.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of personal photographs, biographical notes, memoir drafts and other collected materials pertaining to Robert Neville (Bob) Smith. Fonds also includes plans and maps pertaining to the development of land near Lake Minnewanka and the Cascade Power Plant project (1943).
File consists of 7 cm of correspondence and an assortment of greeting cards, 21.5 x 28 cm or smaller. File pertains to personal correspondence between Dorothy and family and friends between 1979 and 1999, primarily 1995-1996. Records include handwritten (and photocopies) letters, greeting cards, on…
File consists of 7 cm of correspondence and an assortment of greeting cards, 21.5 x 28 cm or smaller. File pertains to personal correspondence between Dorothy and family and friends between 1979 and 1999, primarily 1995-1996. Records include handwritten (and photocopies) letters, greeting cards, one postcard (from Venice), and one newspaper clipping (July 22, 1998, Calgary Herald). File documents old memories and reminiscing about friend and loss of friends, Christmas and the holidays (weather, winter), everyday life, personal and world news, friendly gossip, Dorothy's research, and oldtimers.
Notes
The last folder titled "Special cards from Sheila" was originally separated from the rest of the correspondence and remains in its own folder. Sheila Iris Ritchie was Dorothy's longtime friend and housemate.
1 page from Spanner (CPR) magazine, a tribute to dog Paddy, 'official' greeter at Banff Station, June 1958 1 article from Crag & Canyon re: Bill Young's retirement, November 1, 1961
File consists of one scrapbook containing photograph prints, postcard prints, newspaper clippings, and two typed pages pertaining to John McDougall and the "Indian Uprising" in Alberta in 1880, and Marion Carson. Visual content pertains to various members and friends of the Luxton family attending …
1 scrapbook (59 b&w and col. prints ; 16.5 x 21.5 cm or smaller -- 3 newspaper clippings - 2 textual records)
Scope & Content
File consists of one scrapbook containing photograph prints, postcard prints, newspaper clippings, and two typed pages pertaining to John McDougall and the "Indian Uprising" in Alberta in 1880, and Marion Carson. Visual content pertains to various members and friends of the Luxton family attending domestic and international trips between 1954 and 1970, including trips to Victoria, B.C., Hawaii, Italy, Egypt, Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland, India, Greece and England.
Notes
Some items are heavily annotated on back, some dates and locations provided on pages of scrapbook