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 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 26, 1949. Topics include holiday activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, bonspiels, watching local hockey games, the Banff Winter Carnival, weather, events and …
1.7 cm of textual records (101 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 26, 1949. Topics include holiday activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, bonspiels, watching local hockey games, the Banff Winter Carnival, weather, events and people in Concord, a train crash east of Banff in late February [no one was injured, Syd Vallance was on the train], new household appliances like a washing machine [Bendix] and electric sewing machine, world news, radio programs, photography, painting, Catharine going to Concord in May [she was called back to Banff early due to concerns for Pete's mental health], the death and funeral of Norman Sanson, and Pete and Catharine going to Victoria and Vancouver for the month of June [they stayed at the Empress in Victoria and the Hotel Georgia in Vancouver before moving to an apartment at the Ritz Vancouver].
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are mostly typed, some hand-written. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout.
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.
124-21 contains a note written after Catharine's post script, possibly by Pete.
File pertains to 51 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to June 29, 1955. Topics include day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, painting, photography, camping, weather, events and people in Concord, radio programs [mostly news and hock…
1 cm of textual records (61 pages ; 22.3 x 27.4 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 51 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to June 29, 1955. Topics include day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, painting, photography, camping, weather, events and people in Concord, radio programs [mostly news and hockey games], various holidays [both Canadian and American], errand trips to Calgary, Peter working on paintings for the Luxton Museum, the Winter Carnival [including Peter and Catharine judging the ice sculptures], Edith's companion Hanne moving in, the death of Ted Paris in April, replacing the oil furnace with a gas one in the house, Peter's mother Annie dying suddenly in May, and sketching trips, mostly around the Bow Lake area.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Most letters typed, some hand-written. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout.
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 45 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from June 11 to October 3, 1937. Topics include day to day life, visits from friends and visitors, world news [often pertaining to politics and the British Royal family], maintenance and upkeep …
1.7 cm of textual records (108 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 45 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from June 11 to October 3, 1937. Topics include day to day life, visits from friends and visitors, world news [often pertaining to politics and the British Royal family], maintenance and upkeep of the house and property [mostly landscaping], cleaning and household chores, weather, gifting a stove to the Simpsons for use at Bow Lake [currently a camp], events and people in Concord, various holidays [both Canadian and American], day trips around the National Park [mostly to Lake Louise, Bow Lake and Moraine Lake], making frames and prepping canvas for painting, books Catharine and Edit are reading, dinner parties, rearranging the kitchen [including getting a new refrigerator and a new table with two bench seats], trips to Bow Lake to paint throughout the summer, hiking, wildlife [often in the yard], updates on the new trail being built from Moraine Lake to Taylor Lake, Banff Indian Days, photography and cameras, print-making, descriptions of meals, the birth of Russ and Kitty's first son in July [Russle Jr. aka Rusty], the annual Sky Line Trail Hikers trip in early August [Pete' s last year as President], trips to Lake O'Hara and Assiniboine to paint and hike throughout August and September [the trip to and from Assiniboine was carried out on horseback], painting/sketching, activities and people at various camps, descriptions of the weather and conditions riding in and out of Assiniboine, developing and colouring photographs, working on a portrait of Mark Poucette, and news of Margaret and Mary Simpson going to Boston to skate.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Some 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.
102 - 07 contains a sketch of the main floor of the Whyte home illustrating the placement of the new dining table.
File pertains to a scrapbook of ephemera and memorabelia pertaining to Pat Brewster. Includes newsclippings and sketches pertaining to Nicholas Morant, personal correspondence letters and greeting cards sent from Pat Brewster, and photographs of Pat Brewster and his family.
Sheila Keough had worked with Pat Brewster on his books
Scope & Content
File pertains to a scrapbook of ephemera and memorabelia pertaining to Pat Brewster. Includes newsclippings and sketches pertaining to Nicholas Morant, personal correspondence letters and greeting cards sent from Pat Brewster, and photographs of Pat Brewster and his family.
File pertains to the 1930 & 1931 personal diaires/daytimers of A. O. Wheeler.
M546 / 37 : Pertains to the 1930 persoanl diary/daytimer of A. O. Wheeler. Topics include: Day to day activities, times of meals, leisure, financial notations, correspondence. Daily documentation of temperature and weathe…
4.9 cm of textual records (2 volumes ; 7.5 x 11.9 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to the 1930 & 1931 personal diaires/daytimers of A. O. Wheeler.
M546 / 37 : Pertains to the 1930 persoanl diary/daytimer of A. O. Wheeler. Topics include: Day to day activities, times of meals, leisure, financial notations, correspondence. Daily documentation of temperature and weather. Time in January spent at Circular camp. March travel in Vancouver area. May spent in Banff, interactions with locals, leisure around town including trips to theatre, Lake Minnewanka, Lake Louise, Golden, ACC responsibilities, interactions with Pat Brewster.
M546 / 38 : Pertains to the 1931 personal diary/daytimer of A. O. Wheeler. Topics include: Day to day office work, correspondence, personal and ACC financial documentation. Extensive documentation of travel and leisure around Vancouver Island, Vancouver area, Banff. Banff social interactions with Brewsters and Jimmy Simpson
File consists of 49 photographs pertaining to the Woodworth family, the LaCasse family, the Kidney family, events and friends in Banff. Includes photos of Benjamin Woodworth Sr., the Natural Bridge at Yoho National Park, family members at the Kidney home and Woodworth family residence in Banff, mem…
Some photographs produced by Duke Photo in Banff and Onions Photography in Calgary
Date Range
[ca. 1905 - ca. 1910]
1928
1937
1939
1944
[ca. 1960]
1966 - 1970
1973
[ca. 1975]
Physical Description
49 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 12.5 x 17 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 49 photographs pertaining to the Woodworth family, the LaCasse family, the Kidney family, events and friends in Banff. Includes photos of Benjamin Woodworth Sr., the Natural Bridge at Yoho National Park, family members at the Kidney home and Woodworth family residence in Banff, members of the Al Azhar Banff Shriners Club, Forest Kidney receiving a certificate from the Canadian Restaurant Association in 1973, Banff Indian Day celebrations in 1969, Maud Woodworth as a young girl, Annie and Ulysses LaCasse's 50th wedding anniversary party, and LaCasse family members at home.
Notes
File contains duplicates
Some dates are estimates provided by the Processing Archivist
Photographs in this file were accompanied by notes made shortly before or after accession in 1979 giving names/contextual information about photographs. Some notes are by Jim Deegan, 1987. Information has been transferred to the back of each photograph.