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 136 b&w & colour prints of various Banff community events, including Back to Banff 1985, unseasonable snowfall, mild flooding of area around the recreation grounds and Buffalo Nation Museum, summer traffic jams, an unidentified parade, the designation of Mt. Jimmy Simpson, Banff Wi…
136 photographs : b&w & col. ; 25.2 x 20.2 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to 136 b&w & colour prints of various Banff community events, including Back to Banff 1985, unseasonable snowfall, mild flooding of area around the recreation grounds and Buffalo Nation Museum, summer traffic jams, an unidentified parade, the designation of Mt. Jimmy Simpson, Banff Winter Carnival, RCMP Musical Ride, Banff Triathlon, and filming at Norquay Ski Hill.
File pertains to 74 colour 35mm slides of Banff Winter Carnival events, possibly from multiple years. Includes parade floats, ice sculptures, Ice Pinnacles on the Bow River, and scenes of a large crowd - possibly part of opening or closing ceremonies.
File pertains to 74 colour 35mm slides of Banff Winter Carnival events, possibly from multiple years. Includes parade floats, ice sculptures, Ice Pinnacles on the Bow River, and scenes of a large crowd - possibly part of opening or closing ceremonies.
Notes
Slides are sectioned into series, noted by stamped numbers in one corner of the cardboard mounts - some appear to be curated by Royle and are denoted with ink dots.
Image of Banff Avenue with Winter Carnival ice structures along one side of the road with businesses down both sides and Cascade Mountain in the background
Image of Banff Avenue with Winter Carnival ice structures along one side of the road with businesses down both sides and Cascade Mountain in the background
File pertains to black and white photographs of the 1959 Banff Winter Carnival. Includes various floats in the parade, an ice sculpture made by Charlie Beil, and the Carnival Queen and her court posed at the Ice Pinnacle on the Bow River.
File pertains to black and white photographs of the 1959 Banff Winter Carnival. Includes various floats in the parade, an ice sculpture made by Charlie Beil, and the Carnival Queen and her court posed at the Ice Pinnacle on the Bow River.
File pertains to 47 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 2 to April 29, 1940. Topics include New Year's Eve celebrations and activities, day to day life, weather, visits from friends and visitors, radio programs [mostly operas and the news], print-mak…
Date Range
1940
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 108
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
yesterday as ~·ell, and ·e rather hope it is, for it is more like
winter "Iith lots of snoe, .1nd also we
1.4 cm of textual records (71 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 47 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 2 to April 29, 1940. Topics include New Year's Eve celebrations and activities, day to day life, weather, visits from friends and visitors, radio programs [mostly operas and the news], print-making, photography and cameras, events and people in Concord, day trips to Lake Louise, wildlife, cleaning and household chores [including the instillation of storm doors/windows and a veneer partition in the front room], the opening of the new base ski lodge at Norquay, discussions and opinions about modern art and artists [including Picasso], trips to Mount Temple Lodge to ski [Pete and Catharine also helped with chores and general repairs to the Lodge and facilities], skiing, the Winter Carnival, updates on Dave White's health, watching hockey games and curling matches, errand trips to Calgary, painting/sketching, books Catharine and Edith are reading, descriptions of meals, the death and funeral of Pete's maternal grandfather in mid-March, a trip to Vancouver and Victoria in late March, news pertaining to the war, various holidays [both Canadian and American], another long visit to Temple in April, and leaving for a trip to Concord at the end of April.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are typed and hand-written. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout. Some are written on hotel/lodge letterhead. Most typed letters are written on a single side of paper, hand-written letters are mostly double-sided.
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.
File pertains to 65 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to July 31, 1939. Topics include New Year's Eve celebrations and activities, Christmas presents, radio programs [mostly operas and the news, but also plays], books Catharine and Edith are read…
Date Range
1939
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 106
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
a contrast to the other winter we were h1:1re
when for six weeks it only got up above 20 degrees
t1vo
2.3 cm of textual records (138 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 65 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to July 31, 1939. Topics include New Year's Eve celebrations and activities, Christmas presents, radio programs [mostly operas and the news, but also plays], books Catharine and Edith are reading, day to day life, weather, slide-making, skiing at Norquay, visits from friends and visitors, descriptions of meals, wildlife [often in the yard], print-making, photography and cameras, events and people in Concord, day trips to Lake Louise, the Winter Carnival, construction of the Mount Temple Chalet finishing and subsequent trips to Temple to ski, cleaning and household chores, trips to Skoki to ski, painting/sketching, photography, updates on Dave White's health, errand trips to Calgary, various holidays [both Canadian and American], planning a new additon to the back of the house, going to Victoria and back in April-May [they stayed in Lethbridge, Nelson, Grand Forks, Kamloops, and Vancouver before arriving in Victoria by car and then took the train back to Banff from Prince George through Revelstoke and Golden], preparing the house for renovations [includes deep cleaning and having the floors sanded], the King and Queen visiting in late May, the 1939 World's Fair in New York City, Russ' health concerns, short trips around the mountains to paint/sketch [mostly up to Bow Lake/Saskatchewan River Crossing and into Yoho National Park], the Calgary Stampede, Banff Indian Days, progress on the construction of Num-Ti-Jah Lodge at Bow Lake, and preparing for the annual Skyline Trail Hikers trip.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are typed and hand-written. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout. Some are written on hotel/lodge letterhead. Most typed letters are written on a single side of paper, hand-written letters are mostly double-sided.
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.
106 - 47 contains details of the 1939 Royal Visit.
File pertains to 62 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 22, 1941. Topics include New Years Eve activities and parties, day to day life, weather, painting/sketching [particularly Pete working on a piece to be auctioned in a fundraiser for th…
1.4 cm of textual records (84 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 62 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 22, 1941. Topics include New Years Eve activities and parties, day to day life, weather, painting/sketching [particularly Pete working on a piece to be auctioned in a fundraiser for the construction of a new Spitfire plane], books Catharine and Edith are reading, visits from friends and visitors, radio programs [mostly operas and the news], kitchen appliances and descriptions of meals, news pertaining to the war, updates on the construction of the new Lake Minnewanka dam, photography and cameras [including colour photography], Pete participating in drills as a reservist in the RCAF, ski trips to Mount Temple Lodge throughout February and March [includes helping improve ski runs and getting a sleigh for the tractor, guests at the lodge, evening conversations, clothing, and food], the Winter Carnival [including swim races by Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand Air Force members at the Cave and Basin], errand trips to Calgary, events and people in Concord, Edith's involvement with the Red Cross, wildlife, going on a road trip to Victoria in April [staying in Calgary, Creston, Grand Forks, and Vancouver on the way there and Lytton and Revelstoke on the way back], cleaning and household chores, and preparing for Edith and Mildred Owen to arrive for a visit at the end of June.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoplesand Japanese people used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are typed and hand-written. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout. Some are written on hotel/lodge letterhead.
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.
110 - 39 contains sketches of the 2-storey privy at a hotel in Cowley [?] and a corner decoration in their hotel room in Grand Forks.
File pertains to 17 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 8 to March 9, 1936. Topics include travelling from New York to Austria via England in mid-January, activities aboard ship [including descriptions of the ship itself and other passen…
Date Range
1936
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 99
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
Wintersportpla1Jcs. Sic hebcn in Ober-
Idcshelb die Gcwihr, keincn «gr0n•n•Winter 1nrutrclfcn.
~
~
•✓,
~ -~ ~ ~Al
1.5 cm of textual records (62 pages ; 22.4 x 28.9 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 17 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 8 to March 9, 1936. Topics include travelling from New York to Austria via England in mid-January, activities aboard ship [including descriptions of the ship itself and other passengers], the death of the King George V while Pete and Catharine are in London, books Catharine and Edith are reading, travelling to the mainland and arriving in Innsbruck [Austria], travelling to Obergurgl by train, meeting new people, exploring the local towns and cities, skiing and ski lessons [mostly for Catharine], architecture, descriptions of local landscapes, people and events in Concord, photography and cameras, visiting local historic churches, going to museums and galleries, watching Olympic ski races and other skiing events in Garmisch Bavaria, meeting with friends, descriptions of different kinds of snow and skiing conditions, travelling to Zurich at the end of February, making a short trip to Murren and Gindlewald Switzerland before returning to Zurich, and then making preparations to return to Canada in early March. Also includes newspaper clippings and brochures for the Hotel Goldener Adler in Innsbruck and the area of Obergurgl.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Most letters are written on hotel/lodge letterhead.
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 have been numbered in pencil in the upper margin of the first page for an unknown project.
Inserts 1-5 have been seperated from their accompanying letters at an unknown point.
File pertains to 139 b&w & colour prints of production photos from the shoot of "Hoax," including portraits of the director, cast, and crew, shots from scenes being filmed, and members of the cast interacting with locals.
139 photographs : b&w & col. ; 24.7 x 19.7 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
"Vanishing Act," called "Hoax" during production, 1986, directed by David Greene and starring Elliott Gould, Mike Farrell, Margo Kidder, and Fred Gwynne.
A husband loses his wife during their honeymoon at a U.S. Rocky Mountain resort town. After going to local authorities to initiate a search, the mystery deepens when a strange woman shows up claiming to be his wife.
Location filming primarily around the Banff townsite, including the Banff Park Lodge, CIBC, various private residences on Buffalo Street, and Banff Avenue.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 139 b&w & colour prints of production photos from the shoot of "Hoax," including portraits of the director, cast, and crew, shots from scenes being filmed, and members of the cast interacting with locals.