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…
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Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.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 May 29 to December 29, 1940. Topics include travelling back to Banff from a visit to Concord by car, day to day life, weather, visits from friends and visitors, radio programs [mostly operas and the new…
1.9 cm of textual records (116 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 May 29 to December 29, 1940. Topics include travelling back to Banff from a visit to Concord by car, day to day life, weather, visits from friends and visitors, radio programs [mostly operas and the news], news pertaining to the war [including Italy entering the war in June, British children being brought to Canada, the Blitz], the Lake Louise-Jasper highway officially opening [Pete and Catharine drive up for the weekend, their first visit to Jasper National Park], the deaths of Louise Rungius in May and Dave White in late June [also includes details of Dave's funeral], errand trips to Calgary [mostly to meet with Clifford about Dave's estate], Catharine and Pete's 10th wedding anniversary, visits to Bow Lake to paint throughout July and August [a large forest fire was burning about 30 miles north of Bow for most of July], Banff Indian Days, Pete joining the militia ["Non-Permanent Active Service" force part of the 2nd Battalion of the Calgary Highlanders], going on the annual Skyline Trail Hikers trip in August, painting/sketching [including a short visit to Lake O'Hara in mid-August for this purpose], Catharine going to Concord for a few weeks in early September, Pete and Catharine going to Victoria at the end of September [Annie was having health issues and was advised to go to Victoria - they went to help], cleaning and household chores [including installing new blue linoleum in the kitchen], minor repairs to the roof and other outdoor work to the property, wildlife, books Catharine and Edith are reading, trips to Mount Temple Lodge to help Cliff with various chores, descriptions of meals, updates on the construction of the new Lake Minnewanka dam, photography and cameras [including colour photography], Pete helping construct the basement of the Mount Royal Hotel, events and people in Concord, various holidays [both Canadian and American], going to the movies, working on the annual Christmas card, and various other Christmas activities, presents, and parties.
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. 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.
109 - 17 contains a sketch of the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge's main building, recently completed.
109 - 56 contains a sketch of the ground floor of Pete and Catharine's home, including the new partition wall in the living room.
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…
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 56 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 1 to December 30, 1939. Topics include going on the annual Skyline Trail Hike to the Ptarmigan Valley in early August, day to day life, weather, painting/sketching [a mix of personal projects and…
1.7 cm of textual records (93 pages ; 20 x 24.9 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 56 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 1 to December 30, 1939. Topics include going on the annual Skyline Trail Hike to the Ptarmigan Valley in early August, day to day life, weather, painting/sketching [a mix of personal projects and commissions done both at home and out in the Park], visits from friends and visitors, slide making, photography and cameras [including colour photography], events and people in Concord, minor repairs/projects to the house and property [including installing a new water heater on the second floor], updates on Dave White's health, radio programs [mostly operas and the news], the declaration of war on Germany in early September [as well as details pertaining to local recruitment efforts and general preparations], day trips to Lake Louise, wildlife, descriptions of meals, Edith going to the 1939 World's Fair in New York City [September], construction on the new addition to the house throughout October [including a new furnace room, bathroom, and dark room on the ground floor, extending the studio on the second floor, and facing the side of the house in stone], cleaning and household chores, errand trips to Calgary, books Catharine and Edith are reading, a large blizzard at the end of October, birthdays, various holidays [both Canadian and American], attending first aid classes at the school, putting together the annual Christmas card, and various other Christmas activities and parties.
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. All 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.
107-19 contains a sketch of a mushroom on the back of the first page.
107-36 contains a sketch of the Whyte compound and details of the new extention to Pete and Catharine's house.
File pertains to 37 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 1932 to November 1932. Topics include daily life in Banff, a trip to Lake O'Hara Bungalow Camp to sketch and paint [with the Links], plans to get Skoki ready for the season, visiting Lake McArth…
1.3 cm of textual records (137 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to 37 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 1932 to November 1932. Topics include daily life in Banff, a trip to Lake O'Hara Bungalow Camp to sketch and paint [with the Links], plans to get Skoki ready for the season, visiting Lake McArthur, Castle Mountain Camp and Lake Louise, helping painter Mr. Jack find good painting spots and learning painting techniques from he and Carl Rungius, the engagement of Catharine's brother Russ, daily life in Concord [including Uncle George's finances after Stock Market Crash and Olive possibly not attending college], the marriage of Elizabeth Bosley, Peter and Cliff creating a dark room above the store and enlarging negatives and photographs, packing things into Skoki, painting J.D. Curren, making plans to head east for the holidays, and visiting with locals and others [including Mr. and Mrs. Hammond, Mr. and Mrs. Link, the Moore family, Carl Rungius, Mrs. Kerr, the Earl of Bessborough, Cyril Paris, Ted Paris, Norman Knight, Earl Spencer, Vic Kutschera, Jimmy Simpson and his cook, Jessie McClure, Margarite Orr [?], J.D. Curren, and Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Jennings].
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.
File pertains to climbing, skiing, ski touring, camps, facilities and landscape views in Banff and Yoho National Parks. Includes the construction of Bow Hut.
Alternate title: Banff, Yoho etc from 1950, Gl lake
Date Range
1944-1990
Physical Description
493 photographs : transparencies, 35mm, col
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to climbing, skiing, ski touring, camps, facilities and landscape views in Banff and Yoho National Parks. Includes the construction of Bow Hut.
* Banff climbing, landscape views, Lake Louise area, camps, Skoki area, Mount Whyte - 1954
* Climbing, Skoki Lodge, landscape views - 1955
* Ski touring, Sunshine area, Mount Temple and Skoki areas, landscape views, Skoki Lodge. Includes label: Class III, Marj Bugler - 1956
* Mount Cory, climbing and landscape views - 1957
* Mountain rescue - 1957
* Banff area, climbing and landscape views - 1958
* Mount Ishbel, Pilot Mountain, climbing - 1959
* Ice school, snow school, Banff townsite, Yoho area, climbing Mount Cory, Mount Edith, Mount Ishbel, St. Nic - 1960
* Skoki : includes Skoki Lodge, ski touring - [1960?]
* Banff : Vermilion Lakes, Bow Falls, wildlife, Mount Norquay - [1960?]
* Banff : Banff area, Mount Norquay, chairlift - [ca.1960]
* Yoho : group at Stanley Mitchell Hut - [ca.1960]
* Lake Louise - [ca.1960]
* Emerald : Mount Burgess, Kicking Horse River, ski touring at Sunshine
and Mount Temple areas, Mount Norquay ski area, landscape views and people, Peyto Lake, Emerald Lake, Banff-Jasper Highway - [ca.1960]
* Yoho area, Stanley Mitchell Hut, climber, snowman, climbing Mount Cory, Banff views - 1961
* Bow Lake - 1962
* Mount Temple, Banff area - 1963
* GL recce : Glacier Lake area reconnaissance views, horses and ski touring - 1964
* Glacier Lake, Alpine Club of Canada camp, botany, glacier climbing - 1965
* Larch Valley, Moraine Lake, Mount Inglismaldie, Dolomite Peak - 1966
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.