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 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.
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.
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 correspondence, mailing lists, publication announcements and email orders pertaining to Ben Gadd's publishing company, Corax Press.
Notes
File is organized in four separate folders:
M590 / III / D / 43 : Correspondence
M590 / III / D / 44 : Mailing, postal rates
M590 / III / D / 45 : Publication and distribution announcements
M590 / III / D / 46 : Mail and email orders
File consists of an Environmental Screening Report distributed by Parks Canada and filled out by Ben Gadd in 2002; and related correspondence pertaining to questions and concerns about the report, which was sent by Ben Gadd and President of the Bow Valley Naturalists, Peter Duck, to Parks Canada.
File consists of an Environmental Screening Report distributed by Parks Canada and filled out by Ben Gadd in 2002; and related correspondence pertaining to questions and concerns about the report, which was sent by Ben Gadd and President of the Bow Valley Naturalists, Peter Duck, to Parks Canada.
File consists of financial record books and invoice books belonging to Ben Gadd. Content pertains to Ben's personal and business expenses between 1981 and 2010.
File consists of financial record books and invoice books belonging to Ben Gadd. Content pertains to Ben's personal and business expenses between 1981 and 2010.
Notes
Files are arranged chronologically:
M590 / IV / B / 6 : 1981-1990
M590 / IV / B / 7 : 1990-1993 [contains one void cheque dated 2001]
M590 / IV / B / 8 : 1993-1997
M590 / IV / B / 9 : 1997-1999
M590 / IV / B / 10 : 1999-2001
M590 / IV / B / 11 : 2001-2003
M590 / IV / B / 12 : 2003-2006
M590 / IV / B / 13 : 2006-2010