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 documents pertaining to the publication of Ben Gadd's book "The Canadian Hikers' and Backpackers' Handbook" through Whitecap Books Ltd. File includes correspondence between Ben Gadd and Whitecap Publishers Ltd.; a publication style guide; publication royalty statements; a draft and…
File consists of documents pertaining to the publication of Ben Gadd's book "The Canadian Hikers' and Backpackers' Handbook" through Whitecap Books Ltd. File includes correspondence between Ben Gadd and Whitecap Publishers Ltd.; a publication style guide; publication royalty statements; a draft and signed copy of a contract between Ben Gadd and Whitecap Books Ltd.; and other related materials.
File consists of correspondence, contracts and other related materials pertaining to proposed publication agreements between Ben Gadd and various publishing companies regarding "The Canadian Hikers' and Backpackers' Handbook". File includes a proposed agreement with Rocky Mountain Books which was r…
File consists of correspondence, contracts and other related materials pertaining to proposed publication agreements between Ben Gadd and various publishing companies regarding "The Canadian Hikers' and Backpackers' Handbook". File includes a proposed agreement with Rocky Mountain Books which was rejected by Ben in 2003; a publication agreement which was accepted and later cancelled between Ben and McClelland & Stewart Publishers; and a publication proposal and rejection letter sent between Ben and Raincoast Books.
Sub-series consists of textual records and photographs collected by Ben Gadd. Content pertains to various research subjects, current events and other topics of interest, including: environmental science; wildlife; sports and recreation; Parks Canada; clubs, charities and organizations; natural hist…
ca.180 cm of textual records -- 5 CDs with digital image files -- 1 floppy disk -- ca.122 photograph prints : b&w and col. -- 2 negatives : b&w ; 6 x 7.5 cm -- 26 film strips : col. negatives ; 35 mm
Scope & Content
Sub-series consists of textual records and photographs collected by Ben Gadd. Content pertains to various research subjects, current events and other topics of interest, including: environmental science; wildlife; sports and recreation; Parks Canada; clubs, charities and organizations; natural history; and conservation.
Notes
Subjects are arranged alphabetically by title. Original titles and arrangement of materials by Ben Gadd has been preserved. See file-level descriptions for content details.
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
Notes
Contents of individual folders in file:
M590 / I / C / 94 : Maligne Canyon Teahouse
M590 / I / C / 95 : Maligne Valley Caribou and Maligne Tours
M590 / I / C / 96 : Maligne Valley History
M590 / I / C / 97 to 99 : Maligne Valley Planning [Files 1 to 3 of 3]
M590 / I / C / 100 : Maligne Valley - Not Canyon
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
Notes
Contents of individual folders in file:
M590 / I / C / 144 : Robson Provincial Park
M590 / I / C / 145 : "Rocks in the River"
M590 / I / C / 146 : Torry Schultz
M590 / I / C / 147 : Sewage and Treatment
M590 / I / C / 148 : Sierra Legal Defense Fund
M590 / I / C / 149 : Skiing
M590 / I / C / 150 : Ski Areas
M590 / I / C / 151 : Society for Technical Communication
M590 / I / C / 152 : State of the Parks Meetings
M590 / I / C / 153 : Superwood
M590 / I / C / 154 : Surveys, Opinion Polls
M590 / I / C / 155 : Timoney, Kevin
M590 / I / C / 156 : Tonquin Valley
M590 / I / C / 157 : Chris Townsend
M590 / I / C / 158 to 160: Townsite Issues [Files 1 to 3 of 3]
File consists of financial records pertaining to Ben Gadd's company Corax Press, including invoices for books sold, lists of outstanding and completed payments by clients, and lists and promissory notes regarding loans given to Ben Gadd by family members Christopher, William, and Cecilia (Cia) Gadd…
File consists of financial records pertaining to Ben Gadd's company Corax Press, including invoices for books sold, lists of outstanding and completed payments by clients, and lists and promissory notes regarding loans given to Ben Gadd by family members Christopher, William, and Cecilia (Cia) Gadd to support the creation of Corax Press.
File consists of a certificate of insurance covering Verdant Pass Ltd., as well as Ben and Cia Gadd, under the company Intact Insurance. Insurance agreement was filed by Carlton Insurance Brokers in Jasper.
File consists of a certificate of insurance covering Verdant Pass Ltd., as well as Ben and Cia Gadd, under the company Intact Insurance. Insurance agreement was filed by Carlton Insurance Brokers in Jasper.