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).
Drawing of two palm trees bearing coconuts on a beach close to the ocean’s edge. No sky is drawn in, the horizon line is the stop point. In the TRC is says “Best Wishes In the New year,” BLC “HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.”verso: “Honolulu T.H. December 20th Dear Mother + Father - Just a note to wish you all a …
Drawing of two palm trees bearing coconuts on a beach close to the ocean’s edge. No sky is drawn in, the horizon line is the stop point. In the TRC is says “Best Wishes In the New year,” BLC “HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.”verso: “Honolulu T.H. December 20th Dear Mother + Father - Just a note to wish you all a very Happy New Year and to let you know that I haven’t forgotten. Will be writing you a regular letter soon and I hope to hear from you when you have time. My very best wishes again. Always, Peter”
File pertains to 35 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from November 15, 1950 to February 19, 1951. Topics include driving down through Idaho, Washington and Oregon to catch a boat from Los Angeles to Hawaii, time spent in San Francisco visiting with Belmore Bro…
2 cm of textual records (132 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 35 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from November 15, 1950 to February 19, 1951. Topics include driving down through Idaho, Washington and Oregon to catch a boat from Los Angeles to Hawaii, time spent in San Francisco visiting with Belmore Browne, happenings on the ship [the SS President Wilson of American President Lines], arriving and first staying in Waikiki, moving to Waimanalo, visiting with friends, weather, Christmas cards, holiday activities, tropical food and flowers, radio programs, travelling around to different parts of Oahu, travel back to San Francisco by ship [the SS President Wilson again], driving from San Francisco to Golden, and boarding the train in Golden to Banff [the Jeep was shipped via train as well]. Also includes brochures for Hawaii hotels and a map of the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are hand-written. Some letters are written on letterhead from ships or hotels. Some letters contain small sketches of hotel/motel layouts, road layouts, and room/ship cabin details.
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.
Brochures and map are not clearly attached to specific letters so are counted as their own entries.
Many letters are written on very thin paper [possibly tracing paper].
128 / 25 is mis-numbered, missed numbering page 5.
File consists of 109 black and white and colour photograph prints, 23.5 x 17 cm or smaller. File documents various unidentified family members and friends, travels and outings, special events (e.g. weddings, graduations), holidays (e.g. Easter), official portraits (including a National Film Board o…
109 photographs : b&w and col. ; 23.5 x 17 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 109 black and white and colour photograph prints, 23.5 x 17 cm or smaller. File documents various unidentified family members and friends, travels and outings, special events (e.g. weddings, graduations), holidays (e.g. Easter), official portraits (including a National Film Board of Canada portrait of James Wardle), and sports and leisure (e.g. canoeing, golf). File also includes photographs of Carl Rungius (on his birthday in 1954), Betty Ormond in Peru (with a message addressed to "Dorrie" written on the back of the print), graduation photograph of James Wardle from Queen's (c.1912), and travel photographs from the United States in 1948 (New York, Washington, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City) and Amsterdam, Netherlands (1952). Notable places the photographs depict include Banff (including Banff Train Station), the Great Divide, St. Lawrence River (the Wardle family had a cottage here), Sunshine trail, Mt. Athabasca, Columbia Icefields, Lake O'Hara, Montreal, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Paris (France), Ghost River, Ottawa, Peru, Lake Minnewanka, Elk Island, and Maligne Lake.
Notes
Most (but not all) photographs are annotated on the back identifying who is in the photograph, when it was taken, and where.
Fonds consists of manuscripts, ca.1976, "Naming Lake Louise" and untitled re skiing and ski development at Lake Louise, Skoki and Whitehorn. The latter describes history of Ski Club of the Canadian Rockies, ski lifts and the Village Lake Louise proposal. Third item is Beach House Hotel register, 1…
Rodney Touche was a businessman and ski developer at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of manuscripts, ca.1976, "Naming Lake Louise" and untitled re skiing and ski development at Lake Louise, Skoki and Whitehorn. The latter describes history of Ski Club of the Canadian Rockies, ski lifts and the Village Lake Louise proposal. Third item is Beach House Hotel register, 1887-1892, Lake Minnewanka. Includes name, residence and frequently number and size of fish caught.
A rough sketch for the 1950 Christmas card. Peter and Catharine can be seen walking on a beach with animals following them single file, but with the rabbit ahead of them. There is a palm tree in the foreground, and the ocean, mountain, and boat in the background. On the top edge of drawing “SEASONS…
A rough sketch for the 1950 Christmas card. Peter and Catharine can be seen walking on a beach with animals following them single file, but with the rabbit ahead of them. There is a palm tree in the foreground, and the ocean, mountain, and boat in the background. On the top edge of drawing “SEASONS GREETING” and on the bottom edge “CATHARINE AND PETE 1950,” on the centre left side “Or only one color? on border,” and “Or only pen and ink with border color.” The drawings edges on the top and left side have “PORT” written in pencil, and the bottom and right side have “STBT.”
File consists of 1 album comprised of 69 black and white photographs, 17.5 x 11 cm or smaller. File pertains to various family trips and outings with family and friends (including Carl Rungius), primarily in the 1940s. File documents Wardle family trips to Wolfe Island (Ontario), the Seigniory Club…
1 album (69 photographs : b&w ; 17.5 x 11 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of 1 album comprised of 69 black and white photographs, 17.5 x 11 cm or smaller. File pertains to various family trips and outings with family and friends (including Carl Rungius), primarily in the 1940s. File documents Wardle family trips to Wolfe Island (Ontario), the Seigniory Club in Montebello (Quebec), Banff-Windermere, Assiniboine, Takakkaw Falls, Yoho National Park, Mount Wardle, Bull Creek Ranch (High River), Collins Bay (Ontario), Ghost River, Lake Louise, Kingston (Ontario), and Washington, D.C., Atlantic City, and New York (USA). Includes photographs of family and friends, landmarks and scenery, picnics, James Wardle in front of the sign for Mt. Wardle, and Carl Rungius (1948-1950).
Notes
Album was a gift from Dorothy to her mother, Leette, for her birthday. It is signed: "To Mother for her birthday, May 24, 1951. With love from Dorie."
Album is also labelled "Volume II: Trips, Family, Friends."
V75 / I / PD - 2 is Volume I. Both albums were given to Leette from Dorothy as a birthday present on May 24, 1951.
Album is green with "Photo Album" written in gold on the front, it is bound with a green tassel.