File consists of 139 pages of handwritten research notes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings, H35 x W30 cm or smaller. File pertains to Dorothy's research on Banff and surrounding area, Parks Canada, Department of the Interior, and the history of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in general. Record…
2 cm of textual records (139 pages ; 30 x 35 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of 139 pages of handwritten research notes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings, H35 x W30 cm or smaller. File pertains to Dorothy's research on Banff and surrounding area, Parks Canada, Department of the Interior, and the history of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in general. Records were filed in an envelope that was titled "Book Notes."
Notable people include James Wardle, J.B. Harkin, Pat Brewster, Arthur Unwin, Dr. Brett, Norman Sanson, and Bill Peyto, among others. Notable places and topics include the organization of the Department of the Interior, the Banff-Windemere Highway, Rocky Mountain Park and Park Wardens, Kootenay National Park fires, coal and precious metal mines (e.g. Bankhead, Silver City), trail riding and hiking, research about James Wardle and his accomplishments, Ya-Ha-Tinda, and various parks (e.g. Glacier, Revelstoke, Elk Island, Kootenay, and Yoho).
Other records include a handwritten letter to the Auld family in Scotland (cousins of Sheila Ritchie) with a story about Glenbow and a highland cow from Oban, Scotland; personal reflections on the Banff area and mountains in general; notes that Dorothy took while doing research at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and the Banff Public Library; and a variety of newspaper clippings.
Notes
Includes request slips and stationary from the archives at the Whyte Museum.
Potentially includes a handwritten list of Dorothy's written works.
Newspaper clippings primarily from the Times Colonist, which is published in Victoria, British Columbia.
Some of the slips of paper are taped together. Was unable to remove them without damaging the materials. May present conservation issues in the future.
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).
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.
File consists of 70 lantern slide images pertaining to views from Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier, Jasper and Waterton Lakes National Parks. Specific locations include: Marble Canyon and Sinclair Canyon; Mount Stephen, Lake Oesa, Lake O'Hara, Lake McArthur, Takakkaw Falls, Twin Falls and Yoho Glacier; Ille…
Some items issued by Department of the Interior Natural Resources Intelligence Branch and by Canadian National Railways
Date Range
[ca.1925]
Physical Description
70 photographs : lantern slides
Scope & Content
File consists of 70 lantern slide images pertaining to views from Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier, Jasper and Waterton Lakes National Parks. Specific locations include: Marble Canyon and Sinclair Canyon; Mount Stephen, Lake Oesa, Lake O'Hara, Lake McArthur, Takakkaw Falls, Twin Falls and Yoho Glacier; Illecillewaet Glacier and surrounding area; Jasper town and Jasper Park Lodge; Maligne Lake, Maligne Canyon, Mount Edith Cavell and Mount Robson; and Waterton Lake area. Most items are captioned.
Notes
Slides are organized by location:
V756 / III / A / PS - 161 to 167 : Kootenay
V756 / III / A / PS - 168 to 185 : Yoho
V756 / III / A / PS - 186 to 194 : Glacier
V756 / III / A / PS - 195 to 226 : Jasper
V756 / III / A / PS - 227 to 230 : Waterton Lakes
File consists of 52 black and white photograph prints, 15.5 x 10.5 cm or smaller. File documents various trail rides and small trips (including riding, scenery, and cook camps) the Wardle family participated in with various friends and family. File pertains to early trail rides with Leette and Jame…
File consists of 52 black and white photograph prints, 15.5 x 10.5 cm or smaller. File documents various trail rides and small trips (including riding, scenery, and cook camps) the Wardle family participated in with various friends and family. File pertains to early trail rides with Leette and James Wardle (1926-1927), Waterton Ride in 1929 (includes a photograph of James Wardle at the Simpson Monument), early trail rides to Lake McArthur and Spray Lakes when Dorothy Wardle was young (1929, 1931, 1933), ride to Lake O'Hara and Lake McArthur in 1931, ride to the Cascade Amphitheatre (July 26, 1935), ride to Badger Pass and Mystic and Sawback Lakes with the McDonalds (August 8-12, 1935), Larch Valley Trail in 1937, and Yoho Vally Camp over Burgess Pass to Field in 1938.
Notes
V75 / I / PA - 131 to 139 ; V75 / I / PA - 140 to 143 ; V75 / I / PA - 144 to 154: Includes the envelope the photographs were originally stored in. There are annotations on it and the photographs were printed by George Noble in Banff.
V75 / I / PA - 155 to 159 : includes a small photograph and caption cut out from Mayfair Magazine dated October 1937, related to the Wardles and trail riding.
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
File consists of 13 black and white negatives, 16 x 9 cm or smaller. File pertains the Wardle family's travels and trail rides with various friends and family members. File documents James Wardle posing in front of the Simpson Monument during the Waterton Ride (1929), the Wardles and friends posing…
13 photographs : b&w negatives ; 16 x 9 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 13 black and white negatives, 16 x 9 cm or smaller. File pertains the Wardle family's travels and trail rides with various friends and family members. File documents James Wardle posing in front of the Simpson Monument during the Waterton Ride (1929), the Wardles and friends posing in front of a car during their Big Bend motor trip (1930), travels with Carl Rungius, James and Dorothy Wardle at the Yoho Valley Camp over Burgess Pass to Field (1938), and an undated photograph of Leette Wardle.
Notes
Original envelopes are located with corresponding prints (see related material).