Fonds consists of personal, professional and legal documents and photographs pertaining to Maud and Forest Kidney, Jack MacAulay, Kidney and Woodworth family members, friends and the Banff community. Items are organized by subject and date ranges.
Fonds consists of six series:
Series I - Maud (Wo…
66 cm of textual records -- ca. 963 photographs : 870 prints, 62 postcards, 30 negatives, 1 tintype (31.5 x 37 cm or smaller) -- 7 photograph albums (26 x 33.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
Ella Maud [Woodworth] Kidney (1894-1977) was born in Banff as the fourth of 11 siblings. Her parents were Benjamin Woodworth and Elizabeth [McIntire] Woodworth. Growing up, Maud worked briefly for the Alberta Hotel and the Bottling Works company in Banff. Maud was married to John A. MacAulay in 1917, and widowed later that year. Her twin sons, John A. [Jack] and Thomas A. [Ted] MacAulay, were born in 1918. Maud married Forest H. "Pop" Kidney (1889-1979) on February 14, 1923, and the new family settled into the Kidney home on Wolf and Muskrat Street. The Kidney residence was originally located in Bankhead, but was moved to Banff and sold following the town's closure in 1922.
Maud and Forest operated several local businesses including Banff Grocery, Quaker Coffee Shop, Pop's Bakery and Kidney Kabins. The Kidneys were also active in community affairs throughout their lives. Maud Kidney was a long-time member of the Girls' Sunshine Flower Club in Banff [and the club's president for over a decade spanning across the 1940's], as well as the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire [I.O.D.E.] and Rebekah Lodge, and she was matron of the Order of the Eastern Star in Banff in 1950. Forest Kidney was involved in the Banff Shriners Club, the Kiwanis Club, the Independent Order of Oddfellows and the Canadian Restaurants Association [CRA], among other groups; in the early 1960's, Forest also served as the President of the Calgary branch of the CRA.
Jack and Ted MacAulay grew up together in Banff, where they were involved in Banff's Boy Scouts program and local hockey teams. Jack in particular was an avid hockey player, until an accident in 1940 caused damage to his right eye which kept him from competing. From 1943 to 1945, Jack worked for Boeing Aircraft of Canada Ltd., and in 1946 he was appointed as the Chief Inspector of War Assets for Alberta and the Yukon Territories. Jack married Karin Wallensteen in 1946, and the couple had 6 children together: sons Herb and John, and daughters Karen, Shelley, Jodi and Julie-Ann. Jack served as a coach for the Banff Minor Hockey League for 46 years. Jack also took on several other positions within the Bow Valley community, including working as a volunteer with the Banff Figure Skating Club, a co-founder of the Banff Recreation Board, and a member of the Banff Advisory Council, the Banff Hospital Board and the Banff School Board.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of personal, professional and legal documents and photographs pertaining to Maud and Forest Kidney, Jack MacAulay, Kidney and Woodworth family members, friends and the Banff community. Items are organized by subject and date ranges.
Fonds consists of six series:
Series I - Maud (Woodworth) Kidney records: contains 3 sub-series [ A) 1894 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1950, C) 1951 - 1977 ]
Series II - Forest Kidney records: contains 3 sub-series [ A) 1889 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1950, C) 1951 - 2008 ]
Series III - Jack MacAulay records: contains 3 sub-series [A) 1920 - 1945, B) 1946 - 1980, C) 1981 - 2000 ]
Series IV - Family, friends and community records: contains 5 sub-series [ A) 1886 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1945, C) 1946 - 1970, D) 1970 - 2013, E) Maude Kidney Collection ]
Series V - Legal and business records : contains 3 sub-series [ A) 1894 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1950, C) 1951 - 1980 ]
Series VI - Collected materials
Series I content pertains to Maud Woodworth Kidney. Includes scrapbooks, photographs of Maud and her siblings and parents, trips to Calgary and local activities with family and friends, Maud working for the Alberta Hotel and the Banff Bottling Factory [ca. 1905 - 1915], and local clubs and societies which Maud was involved in between 1930 - 1977 including the Girls' Sunshine Flower Club, the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, the Senior Friends Club of Banff, Rebekah Lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Series II content pertains to Forest Kidney during his World War I military service in Petawawa, Ontario; swimming with friends at the Cave and Basin and other social activities; travelling with family; local newspaper clippings noting Forest's achievements and community involvement; and Forest participating in events as a member of the Banff Shriners Club and the Canadian Restaurant Association.
Series III content pertains to Jack MacAulay at the Kidney family home with his twin brother, Ted; coaching for the Banff Minor Hockey League; participating in other community meetings and programs; personal, professional and medical correspondence [1940 - 1992]; Jack's wife, Karin MacAulay, and their children; and Jack's awards and achievements.
Series IV content pertains to extended family and friends of the Kidneys and the wider Banff community.
Includes sports and outdoor activities [including swimming, hiking, trail riding, camping, snowshoeing, skiing, and track and field]; early Banff [including businesses, Banff Elementary School and Banff High School, the Woodworth family residence, and construction of the Icefields Parkway]; family friends of the Woodworths and Kidneys [including the Brett family, the Stafford family and the Simpson family]; personal correspondence pertaining to Fred "Ty" Cobb (1931 - 1933); clubs and societies [including the Independent Order of Oddfellows, the Senior Friends Club, and the Order of the Eastern Star]; community events [including dances, meetings, dinners and award ceremonies]; weddings and anniversaries; a visit to Num-Ti-Jah Lodge in 1964; and biographical and genealogical information about Maud Kidney, Forest Kidney and the Woodworth family.
Series V content pertains to businesses owned and operated by the Kidney family [ca. 1930 - 1970], including Kidney Kabins, Quaker Coffee Shop and Pop's Bakery; mortgage agreements and property contracts; and government documents. Includes receipts, log books and financial records, photographs of Kidney Kabins and Quaker Coffee Shop, and receipts for land purchased by Forest Kidney, George Noble and others.
Series VI contains commercial postcards collected by the Kidney family. Postcards mostly produced by Byron Harmon, and some by G & W Fear and other photographers, and mostly pertain to Banff and the surrounding area [winter sports, wildlife, Banff Zoo, Banff Avenue, scenic views and mountain landscapes, etc].
Notes
Contains duplicate photographs
Duplicate commercial postcards have been kept in separate folder within file box containing other commercial postcards [V324 / IV / E / PG - 1 to 20 and V324 / VI / PG - 1 to 42]
Sub-series IV / E : Maude Kidney Collection was donated with existing numbering system [Items 1 to 47] prior to processing; original order and corresponding annotations have been transferred to database entries from original handwritten notes
File pertains to 61 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 2 to December 27, 1943. Topics include Catharine's activities while Pete is posted in Vancouver, day to day life, news pertaining to the war, Pete's work as part of the RCAF, weather, military pa…
Date Range
1943
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 116
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
comes to Banff every winter
for skating and skii ng and often steye with Yrs
MacDonald) is coming
1.9 cm of textual records (102 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 61 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 2 to December 27, 1943. Topics include Catharine's activities while Pete is posted in Vancouver, day to day life, news pertaining to the war, Pete's work as part of the RCAF, weather, military parades and concerts, going to the movies and live shows [mostly operas and the ballet], radio programs [including operas, news, sports, and a program called Quiz Kids], visits from friends, cleaning and household chores, moving back to Victoria in mid-August, painting/sketching, visiting various parks around Victoria, events and people in Concord, various holidays [both Canadian and American], Pete getting posted to Tofino in late August, details pertaining to the various modes of travel around Vancouver Island [5 hours by sailboat from Vancouver to Victoria; 2 days by train and boat from Victoria to Tofino], details on the different kinds of rations, Catharine spending September in Banff while Pete looks for a house in Tofino [time in Banff includes upkeep on the house, visiting Mount Temple Chalet, sketching, visits with friends, and Pete arriving for his 2-week leave], wildlife, moving to Tofino and getting settled [Pete worked at an Air Force base outside of town, but spent his nights at home with Catharine], walks on the beaches near town, new routines and friends, Christmas in Tofino, and travelleing to Banff for New Years Eve.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Japanese people used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are mostly hand-written, some typed. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout. Some letters written on hotel letterhead.
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.
A few letters have red numbers written at the top of the page from an unknown project.
116-40 includes a sketch of the Tofino apartment floorplan.
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…
Date Range
1940
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 108
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
yesterday as ~·ell, and ·e rather hope it is, for it is more like
winter "Iith lots of snoe, .1nd also we
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 127 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to December 29, 1948. Topics include New Years activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, weather, matters pertaining to the store on Banff Ave, hockey games [on the radi…
Date Range
1948
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 123
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
in London last· winter that the woul, ·vear
•- long underwear and a sweater , tbe yellow one he h
2.5 cm of textual records (157 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 127 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to December 29, 1948. Topics include New Years activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, weather, matters pertaining to the store on Banff Ave, hockey games [on the radio and live], events and people in Concord, world news, radio programs, photography, painting, the new Greyhound Station being built behind the Mount Royal Hotel, the Winter Carnival, errand trips to Calgary, the annual Ski Championships at Norquay [February], putting together sketches to send to Ontario for an exhibition [the pictures were later sent to Concord to be shown], concerts, the death and funeral of Mark Poucette, cleaning and household chores, business and issues pertaining to the store on Banff Ave, installing a new electric stove in the kitchen, flooding during the spring [mostly in BC], Elizabeth Rummel leaving Skoki Lodge, Banff Indian Days [which included a ceremony to induct Pearl and Phillip Moore as honourary Princess and Chief], the Calgary Stampede, concerns over Pete's health, a day trip to Lake O'Hara with George Noble in September [they were given permission to drive themselves up], the opening of the White Groceteria on October 1, making the annual Christmas card, and various Christmas/holiday activities and parties. Also includes a pressed flower and the annual Christmas card, mounted on cardstock.
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. Some letters have small notes written in pencil, possibly by Edith or Pete.
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.
123-09 has four small sketches of pictures made by Jon Whyte on the second page.
123-36 is a carbon copy of 123-35.
123-47 contains a sketch of the new electric stove.
File pertains to 82 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to July 30, 1943. Topics include New Years activities and parties, day to day life, news pertaining to the war, errand trips to Calgary, cameras and photography, slide making and presentations…
Date Range
1943
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 115
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
had been away from
"ew York for a month this winter, and couldn ' t he do it again and come
out
1.7 cm of textual records (121 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 82 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to July 30, 1943. Topics include New Years activities and parties, day to day life, news pertaining to the war, errand trips to Calgary, cameras and photography, slide making and presentations, winter sports, weather, wildlife, radio programs [including operas, news, sports, and a program called Quiz Kids], visits from friends, cleaning and household chores, painting/sketching, books Catharine and Edith are reading, installing a new permanent staircase in the house [also installed was a door at the bottom of the stairs], painting/sketching, events and people in Concord, various holidays [both Canadian and American], matters pertaining to the store and apartments on Banff Ave, Pete being enlisted as a "skilled tradesman" in the Royal Canadian Air Force in March and then going to Edmonton for training [occasionally Catharine would join him there for weekends], relocating to Vancouver and then getting posted to Patricia Bay (Victoria) in May [Catharine goes at the same time], Catharine going to Concord for a month early June-early July, moving between Victoria and Vancouver as Pete's responsibilities change, Catharine's involvement with the Red Cross, and life/activities in both cities [including visiting parks/beaches, eating out with and without friends, shopping, sketching/painting, watching military training exercises, and going to shows/movies].
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 letters written on hotel letterhead.
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.
115 - 26 contains a sketch of the top of the new staircase as it is situated in the second-floor studio.
115 - 78 contains a sketch of their apartment at the Hotel Devonshire in Vancouver.
File pertains to 62 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 22, 1941. Topics include New Years Eve activities and parties, day to day life, weather, painting/sketching [particularly Pete working on a piece to be auctioned in a fundraiser for th…
1.4 cm of textual records (84 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 62 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 22, 1941. Topics include New Years Eve activities and parties, day to day life, weather, painting/sketching [particularly Pete working on a piece to be auctioned in a fundraiser for the construction of a new Spitfire plane], books Catharine and Edith are reading, visits from friends and visitors, radio programs [mostly operas and the news], kitchen appliances and descriptions of meals, news pertaining to the war, updates on the construction of the new Lake Minnewanka dam, photography and cameras [including colour photography], Pete participating in drills as a reservist in the RCAF, ski trips to Mount Temple Lodge throughout February and March [includes helping improve ski runs and getting a sleigh for the tractor, guests at the lodge, evening conversations, clothing, and food], the Winter Carnival [including swim races by Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand Air Force members at the Cave and Basin], errand trips to Calgary, events and people in Concord, Edith's involvement with the Red Cross, wildlife, going on a road trip to Victoria in April [staying in Calgary, Creston, Grand Forks, and Vancouver on the way there and Lytton and Revelstoke on the way back], cleaning and household chores, and preparing for Edith and Mildred Owen to arrive for a visit at the end of June.
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.
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.
110 - 39 contains sketches of the 2-storey privy at a hotel in Cowley [?] and a corner decoration in their hotel room in Grand Forks.
File pertains to 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 26, 1949. Topics include holiday activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, bonspiels, watching local hockey games, the Banff Winter Carnival, weather, events and …
Date Range
1949
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 124
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
on the laundry when
Lael !hcDougall called. She is the little girl who used to come
down last winter with Susan
1.7 cm of textual records (101 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 26, 1949. Topics include holiday activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, bonspiels, watching local hockey games, the Banff Winter Carnival, weather, events and people in Concord, a train crash east of Banff in late February [no one was injured, Syd Vallance was on the train], new household appliances like a washing machine [Bendix] and electric sewing machine, world news, radio programs, photography, painting, Catharine going to Concord in May [she was called back to Banff early due to concerns for Pete's mental health], the death and funeral of Norman Sanson, and Pete and Catharine going to Victoria and Vancouver for the month of June [they stayed at the Empress in Victoria and the Hotel Georgia in Vancouver before moving to an apartment at the Ritz Vancouver].
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.
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.
124-21 contains a note written after Catharine's post script, possibly by Pete.
File pertains to 66 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to May 31, 1944. Topics include New Years Eve activities in Banff, travelling back to Tofino, day to day life, news pertaining to the war, Pete's work as part of the RCAF, weather, painting/sk…
Date Range
1944
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 117
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
to you in shortening the
winter with such a high light. and one chance for you
to have him to yourself,for the vi sit
2 cm of textual records (104 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 66 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to May 31, 1944. Topics include New Years Eve activities in Banff, travelling back to Tofino, day to day life, news pertaining to the war, Pete's work as part of the RCAF, weather, painting/sketching, radio programs [including operas, news, and sports], visits from friends, cleaning and household chores, visiting the beach, wildlife, Tofino events and life in the apartment building, events and people in Concord, various holidays [both Canadian and American], matters pertaining to the store/Banff Ave property, trips to Victoria for Pete's monthly 48 hours leave, preparations for an Airforce exhibiting in Ottawa in April [including Pete recieving an honourary mention], Pete being reassigned to Vancouver and them leaving Tofino [Catharine travelled from Tofino to Banff breifly before coming to Vancouver], Pete working on films for the Photo Section of the Air Force, moving into a room at the Hotel Devonshire in downtown Vancouver, going to plays/shows, military parades, shopping and fashion, Pete being promoted to Seargant and getting temporarily relocated to Ottawa where he is appointed War Artist and sent back to Calgary to paint, and Catharine returns to live in Banff.
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 letters written on hotel letterhead.
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 63 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 27 to December 31, 1941. Topics include details of things immediately following Edith and Mildred Owen's visit to Banff, day to day life, weather, visits from friends, Pete and Catharine sorting ou…
1.4 cm of textual records (78 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 63 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 27 to December 31, 1941. Topics include details of things immediately following Edith and Mildred Owen's visit to Banff, day to day life, weather, visits from friends, Pete and Catharine sorting out their plot in the cemetery, trips to Bow Lake [Num-Ti-Jah Lodge] and Lake O'Hara for sketching/painting and hiking throughout August, events and people in Concord [including Russell's activities in the US Army], updates on war-time rations [mostly on food items and gasoline/coal], books Catharine and Edith are reading, wildlife, painting/sketching, photography, errand trips to Calgary and Lake Louise [the latter mostly to help Jack with matters pertaining to the Mount Temple Lodge], radio programs [mostly operas and the news], matters pertaining to the the store and apartments on Banff Ave [mostly consisting of settling the affairs and estate following Dave's death], the sudden death of Margaret Simpson in September, installing a partition screen/wall in the front room to make it smaller and easier to heat, cleaning and household chores, Pete participating in drills as a reservist in the RCAF, various holidays [both Canadian and American], news pertaining to the war, installing a stoker for the furnace, construction of the new dam at Lake Minnewanka, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7 and America's subsequent entry into the war [also included Canadian reserve forces being placed on 2-hour call to mobilize], putting together slides, and Christmas activities 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 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.
111 - 25 contains a sketch of the new partion in the front room.
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…
Date Range
1940
Reference Code
M36 / I / A / 2b / i / 109
Description Level
5 / File
GMD
Private record
end in the sUllllDer and they ,•;i}.l live
�in the house Lil a used to live in, in winter .
We found
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.