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
File consists of 0.5 cm of textual records, 60.5 x 48.5 cm. File pertains to a trail map of the Lake O'Hara area created by Murray Hay. File consists of one published poster depicting a reproduced map of the trails at Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park (British Columbia).
File consists of 0.5 cm of textual records, 60.5 x 48.5 cm. File pertains to a trail map of the Lake O'Hara area created by Murray Hay. File consists of one published poster depicting a reproduced map of the trails at Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park (British Columbia).
The classic guidebook to cross country ski trails in Waterton, Banff, Kootenay, Yoho and Jasper National Parks as well as Mount Assiniboine and Mount Robson Provincial Parks and Kananaskis Country, now greatly expanded to includes ski trails in the front ranges of the Rockies, in the Crowsnest Pass and in the Columbia Valley. Jointly authored with Darren Farley.
This book also covers topics such as accommodation, regulations, weather and snow conditions.
Scope & Content
Series consists of research documents, published materials and maps used during the creation of the book Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies.
Notes
Series consists of three sub-series:
M57 / VI / A: Research Files
File consists of contract agreements, employment documents and related correspondence pertaining to writing projects which Ben Gadd completed for National Geographic. Projects include an article titled "Best of the Rockies: Hiking" [2003]; and summaries of several national parks and other regions o…
File consists of contract agreements, employment documents and related correspondence pertaining to writing projects which Ben Gadd completed for National Geographic. Projects include an article titled "Best of the Rockies: Hiking" [2003]; and summaries of several national parks and other regions of the Canadian Rockies for use in the publication "National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of Canada" [2010].
File consists of business licenses, application forms and letters of approval sent between Parks Canada and Ben Gadd's guiding company, Ben Gadd Interpretive Services. File includes laminated and paper business license cards used by Ben Gadd between 1997 and 2016.
Produced by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Parks Canada
Date Range
1996-2017
Physical Description
4 cm of textual records
Scope & Content
File consists of business licenses, application forms and letters of approval sent between Parks Canada and Ben Gadd's guiding company, Ben Gadd Interpretive Services. File includes laminated and paper business license cards used by Ben Gadd between 1997 and 2016.
Sub-series consists of travel brochures and maps which were collected and used by Ben Gadd. Sub-series contains five sub-sub series:
M590 / I / A / i : Travel guides and pocket maps
M590 / I / A / ii : Topographical maps
M590 / I / A / iii : Geological maps
M590 / I / A / iv : Highway maps
M590 / …
Sub-series consists of travel brochures and maps which were collected and used by Ben Gadd. Sub-series contains five sub-sub series:
M590 / I / A / i : Travel guides and pocket maps
M590 / I / A / ii : Topographical maps
M590 / I / A / iii : Geological maps
M590 / I / A / iv : Highway maps
M590 / I / A / v : Index maps, other
Notes
Some materials in sub-series are annotated with notes by Ben Gadd
Sub-series of hut registers from the Elizabeth Parker Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1982 and 2019. 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, wil…
The Elizabeth Parker hut was named after one of the founding members of the Alpine Club of Canada, Elizabeth Parker. The hut is located in Yoho National Park, near Lake O'Hara in British Columbia. The hut is one of the most popular accommodations run by the Alpine Club of Canada. The Elizabeth Parker hut is made up of two buildings; the main hut and Wiwaxy Cabin. The total capacity of the two buildings is 24 people in the summer and 20 people in the winter.
According to the Alpine Club of Canada Guide for Backcountry Huts: Elizabeth Parker Info Sheet:
"The present Wiwaxy cabin was the first hut in the Lake O’Hara area, built in 1912 by the Canadian Pacific
Railway. This was the same year that the ACC applied for and was granted a two-acre lease for a future hut on the south shore of Lake O’Hara, the site of the Club’s 1909 annual camp. In 1919, the CPR built the present Elizabeth Parker Hut, and by 1923 had built a further 11 huts in the meadow. In 1923/24, the CPR moved all but the first two huts down to the lakeshore, and seven years later donated the last two in the meadow to the ACC. The Club was able to exchange its lakeshore lease for a meadow lease, and in 1931 was in business with a hut at Lake O’Hara - the Elizabeth Parker Hut.
As you can expect with log buildings, the Elizabeth Parker Hut has required substantial renovations and upkeep. Over the years the hut has seen a new floor, a new roof, new timbers and new foundation logs, as well as completely new interior furnishings. The outhouses are new, a stove in the Wiwaxy Cabin has been added and the entire meadow around the hut has been rehabilitated and reseeded. Over the past couple of years, the Huts Committee has worked very hard to restore the appearance of the hut as closely as possible to its original state. The Canadian government designated the Elizabeth Parker Hut as a Federal Heritage Building in 1997."
“...her memory is preserved by the very popular tribute inscribed with her name, the ‘Elizabeth Parker Hut’,
maintained in one of the most charming centres of the Canadian Rockies, close by beautiful Lake O’Hara.” (Quotation from Elizabeth Parker’s obituary by A. O. Wheeler, CAJ #29."
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Elizabeth Parker Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1982 and 2019. 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.
Series is separated into individual hut registers, arranged by date:
M200 / IV / B / 1: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register June 21, 1982 - April 14, 1985
M200 / IV / B / 2: Eliz. Parker Hut register 1985 - 88
M200 / IV / B / 3: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register [1988 - 1991]
M200 / IV / B / 4: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register 1991 - 92
M200 / IV / B / 5: [Elizabeth Parker Hut Register 1992 - 94]
M200 / IV / B / 6: Elizabeth Parker Hut register June 17, 1994 - Nov. 13, 1995
M200 / IV / B / 7: [Elizabeth Parker] hut register Oct. 28, 1995 - Jan. 25, 1997
M200 / IV / B / 8: Elizabeth Parker Hut register Jan. 19, 1997 - Jan. 25, 1998
M200 / IV / B / 9: "Elizabeth Parker Hut Register" January 29, 1998 - September 10, 1998
M200 / IV / B / 10: "Elizabeth Parker Hut Register" November 4, 1998 - September 22, 1999
M200 / IV / B / 11: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register Oct. 2, 1999 - Jan. 1, 2000
M200 / IV / B / 12: Elizabeth Parker Mar 7, 2000 - Feb 9, 2002
M200 / IV / B / 13: Elizabeth Parker Sep 7, 2000 - Jan 27, 2002
M200 / IV / B / 14: Elizabeth Parker Mar 13, 2002 - Mar 31, 2003
M200 / IV / B / 15: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register 2003 - 2004
M200 / IV / B / 16: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register 2005 - 2007
M200 / IV / B / 17: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register 2006 - 2007
M200 / IV / B / 18: [2007 - 2009 Elizabeth Parker Hut Register]
M200 / IV / B / 19: [2009 -2010 Elizabeth Parker Hut Register]
M200 / IV / B / 20: Elizabeth Parker Hut Registry, 2011 - 2012
M200 / IV / B / 21: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register Aug 2012 - Nov. 2014
M200 / IV / B / 22: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register [2014 -2016]
M200 / IV / B / 23: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register 2016 -2018
M200 / IV / B / 24: The Alpine Club of Canada Hut Register Elizabeth Parker Hut 2017 - 2019
M200 / IV / B / 25: Elizabeth Parker Hut Register [2019-2020]
Alpine Club of Canada website: https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/elizabeth-parker-hut/
Alpine Club of Canada Backcountry Huts: Elizabeth Parker Info Sheet:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EParkerHut-InfoSheet.pdf
Sub-series of hut registers from the Stanley Mitchell Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1985 and 2019. 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, wil…
The Stanley Mitchell Hut was constructed in 1939 and it is recognized as a Federal Heritage Building.
According to the Parks Canada Directory of Federal Heritage Designations:
"The Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut is a rustic log cabin located at the edge of a forest, and enjoys scenic views across a meadow to a glacier and mountains. It is comprised of a centre section flanked by two, modest wings and features a steeply pitched gable roof. Located in the centre, the main entrance is covered by a porch gable. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
The Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
The Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut, built by the Alpine Club of Canada for the use of its members, is associated with the development of mountaineering in Canada. It is also associated with the opening up of Yoho National Park of Canada to ski mountaineering and winter recreation.
Architectural Value
The Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut is a good example of rustic architecture. Its natural building materials and construction methods reflect the rustic aesthetic. It is also a very good example of functional design, to serve as a base facility for summer camp programs and winter ski touring.
The Environmental Value
The Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut maintains an unchanged historical relationship with the natural character of its site at Yoho National Park of Canada. Located in an alpine meadow at the edge of a coniferous forest, it is compatible with its picturesque setting and well known by the hiking and climbing community.
Character-Defining Elements
The following character-defining elements of the Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut should be respected.
The rustic aesthetic, for example:
the simplicity of the overall form of the building as expressed by the scale, massing and symmetrical composition of the main block, entrance porch and side wings, all sheltered by steeply pitched gable roofs; the choice of local materials, indigenous building methods and rustic design details such as the horizontally laid, peeled round logs with saddle-notched corners, the exposed rafters at the roof eaves, the random rubble masonry fireplace and chimney, the exposed beams and joists, the hardwood floor, and the inscription carved into the face of the wood mantelpiece.
The unchanged historical relationship of the Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut to its alpine meadow site, and the manner in which it is compatible to its picturesque setting which is familiar to the hiking and climbing community of Yoho National Park, as evidenced by:
the building’s unchanged relationship with its natural site; the overall rustic appearance and natural building materials of the building, which harmonize with its natural environment; the building’s visible location in a meadow at the edge of a forest."
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from the Stanley Mitchell Hut produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1985 and 2019. 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 / G / 1: [Stanley Mitchell Hut register 1985 - 1987]
M200 / IV / G / 2: Stanley Mitchell Hut [1987 - 1989]
M200 / IV / G / 3: Stanley Mitchell Hut Register [1990-92]
M200 / IV / G / 4: [Stanley Mitchell Hut Register 1992 -1994]
M200 / IV / G / 5: "Stanley Mitchell Hut Register" July 4, 1994 - Sept. 29, 1995
M200 / IV / G / 6: Stanley Mitchell Hut Register Oct. 7, 1995 - Aug. 30, 1997
M200 / IV / G / 7: "The Alpine Club of Canada Stanley Mitchel [Mitchell] Hut Register" Sept 17, 1997 - January 31, 1999
M200 / IV / G / 8: Stanley Mitchell [1999 - 2000]
M200 / IV / G / 9: Stanley Mitchell Hut [2000-2001]
M200 / IV / G / 10: Stanley Mitchell Aug 31/01 - Sep 5/02
M200 / IV / G / 11: Stanley Mitchell Sep 6/02 - Jul 1/04
M200 / IV / G / 12: Stanley Mitchell July 14, 2004 - Apr 17, 2006
M200 / IV / G / 13: Stanley Mitchell Hut Register 2005 - 2007
M200 / IV / G / 14: Stanley Mitchell Hut Register 2007 - 2009
M200 / IV / G / 15: Stanley Mitchell Hut Register, 2010-2013
M200 / IV / G / 16: Stanley Mitchell Hut Registry [2013 - 2015]
M200 / IV / G / 17: Stanley Mitchell Hut Register 2015 - 2018
M200 / IV / G / 18: [Stanley Mitchell Hut Register 2017 - 2019]
Kate MacFarlane, Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut, Little Yoho Valley, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report, 98-074; Stanley Mitchell Alpine Hut, Little Yoho Valley, Yoho National Park of Canada, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 98-074.
Parks Canada Directory of Federal Heritage Designations website:
https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_fhbro_eng.aspx?id=8809
Alpine Club of Canada website:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/stanley-mitchell-hut/
Series of summit records from various summits produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1916 and 2020.
Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wil…
Series of summit records from various summits produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1916 and 2020.
Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
Notes
See file-level entries for inventories of summit registers and notes.
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers and notes from Isolated Peak between 1996 and 2012 produced by the Alpine Club of Canada. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which …
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1996-2012
Physical Description
2 volumes
ca. 2 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Isolated Peak is located in Little Yoho Valley of Yoho National Park, B.C. in the Canadian Rockies. Nearby are Mount McArthur, Arete Peak and Mont des Poilus, Vice President and President Mountains.
Scope & Content
Files consist of summit notes and summit registers and notes from Isolated Peak between 1996 and 2012 produced by the Alpine Club of Canada. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
Files include:
M200 / V / A / 83: Summit Register - Isolated Peak, July 1996 - Aug 2009
M200 / V / A / 84: Isolated Peak [2009-2012]