Image of a postcard depicting a group of men dressed in winter coats and hats, one with a large camera on a tripod, with "Banff Winter Carival Phil making a date with the movie man" written in white in the bottom right corner - Catharine Whyte has written on the back in pencil: "Left to right Jim W…
Image of a postcard depicting a group of men dressed in winter coats and hats, one with a large camera on a tripod, with "Banff Winter Carival Phil making a date with the movie man" written in white in the bottom right corner - Catharine Whyte has written on the back in pencil: "Left to right Jim Wardle, ?, Mr Stewart Clerk in Gov't office, Byron Harmon, Col P.A. Moore, ?, Leslie Mather, Pete Whyte [/] Swimming at Cave & Basin during Winter Carnival"
Image of (left to right) unidentifed, Peter Whyte, Catharine Whyte, unidentified, unidentified - on skis eating sandwiches from a box offered by Peter Whyte - bags and gear in foreground
Image of (left to right) unidentifed, Peter Whyte, Catharine Whyte, unidentified, unidentified - on skis eating sandwiches from a box offered by Peter Whyte - bags and gear in foreground
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 pertains to a photo album about Fulton Dunsmore, friends and family; mainly activities, including skiing, fishing, climbing, hiking, camping, picnicing, ski jumping, skating, hockey. Includes: Mount Norquay Ski Camp, 1928?; Dunsmore and friends, including Peter Whyte and possibly Paris brothe…
1 photograph album (268 prints and 1 loose print).
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to a photo album about Fulton Dunsmore, friends and family; mainly activities, including skiing, fishing, climbing, hiking, camping, picnicing, ski jumping, skating, hockey. Includes: Mount Norquay Ski Camp, 1928?; Dunsmore and friends, including Peter Whyte and possibly Paris brothers, on Banff Ski Club trips to Whitmans' Lodge warden cabin #11 and Spray Lakes Lodge warden cabin #1; ski trip to Skoki? area; Dunsmore and friends growing beards; Dunsmore (in Calgary? with fellow students?), 1930; trip to Sherbrooke Lake.
Image of (left to right) Allan Mather, Fern Brewster, Peter Whyte, Bernie Hansen, Norman Knight, Jackie White, Cyril Paris, Victor Kutschera, Cameron Stockand, Catharine Whyte standing in front of Skoki Lodge
Image of (left to right) Allan Mather, Fern Brewster, Peter Whyte, Bernie Hansen, Norman Knight, Jackie White, Cyril Paris, Victor Kutschera, Cameron Stockand, Catharine Whyte standing in front of Skoki Lodge
Image of Peter and Catharine Whyte and two unidentified people in the background on skis at Mt. Norquay - "Mt Norquay [/] 1. Peter Whyte [/] 2. Catharine Whyte [/] Photo: Dennis Mighall" written on the back in pencil
Image of Peter and Catharine Whyte and two unidentified people in the background on skis at Mt. Norquay - "Mt Norquay [/] 1. Peter Whyte [/] 2. Catharine Whyte [/] Photo: Dennis Mighall" written on the back in pencil
Image of a group of people and Ike Mills' dog sled team outside Skoki Lodge in the winter - Peter Whyte at far right, Ike Mills beside him, Catharine Whyte at far left petting a dog
Image of a group of people and Ike Mills' dog sled team outside Skoki Lodge in the winter - Peter Whyte at far right, Ike Mills beside him, Catharine Whyte at far left petting a dog
Image of Peter Whyte, Gladys Phillips, Walter J. Phillips, and Catharine Whyte standing in a row in the snow with trees and the White family home in the background
Image of Peter Whyte, Gladys Phillips, Walter J. Phillips, and Catharine Whyte standing in a row in the snow with trees and the White family home in the background
File pertains to 44 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 1 to November 20, 1935. Topics include day to day life, visits from friends and visitors, weather, a trip to Lake O'Hara in early August following the annual Skyline Trail Hikers tri…
1 cm of textual records (70 pages ; 21.2 x 26.3 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 44 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 1 to November 20, 1935. Topics include day to day life, visits from friends and visitors, weather, a trip to Lake O'Hara in early August following the annual Skyline Trail Hikers trip, photography and cameras, hiking/climbing, wildflowers, activities and people at camp, Pete's work on commission paintings/photography projects, events and people in Concord, trips to Bow Lake to paint, dinner and tea parties [both at home and around town], overnight camping trips to Lake Louise to paint, going to the movies and seeing friend's homemade films, going back to Lake O'Hara in early September to paint and hike, Russ and Kitty's travels and activities, day trips around the National Park [mostly to Lake Louise, Bow Lake and Moraine Lake] to paint/sketch, updates on what Pete and Catharine's friends are doing [mostly as it pertains to Skoki and Assiniboine Lodges], wildlife, an overnight trip to Calgary [and a visit to Morley on the way back] in early October, 3 young Doukhobor fugitives escaping police custody that resulted in a chase and shootout in Banff National Park [October 6 - 7] and the subsequent funerals, developing photos and print-making, politics [mostly pertaining to the provincial and federal elections], various holidays [both Canadian and American], skiing, matters pertaining to the Ski Club, and preparing to leave for a trip to Concord at the end of November.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
A few letters written on lodge letterhead.
Most 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.
Some letters have numbers written in pencil in the upper margin of the first pages from an unknown project.
File pertains to 46 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 7 to December 29, 1938. Topics include returning from a trip to Concord and details about the route taken, cleaning and household chores, visits from friends and visitors, weather, a…
2.5 cm of textual records (97 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 46 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from August 7 to December 29, 1938. Topics include returning from a trip to Concord and details about the route taken, cleaning and household chores, visits from friends and visitors, weather, a day trip on the new stretch of road between Bow Lake and the Saskatchewan River Crossing, trips to Lake O'Hara to paint and hike [also includes hiking the new trail Tom Link and Jimmy Simpson blazed to Linda Lake, named for Linda Castle of Honolulu], events and people in Concord, photography and cameras, day to day life, maintenance and upkeep of the house and property [mostly landscaping], descriptions of meals, painting/sketching, day trips to Lake Louise [mostly in September to paint], mentions of the threat of war in Europe, radio programs [mostly operas and the news, but also plays], slide-making, the start of construction on the Mount Temple Chalet, films and film making, Jack and Barbara starting construction on their new house, various holidays [both Canadian and American], errand trips to Calgary, wildlife [often in the yard], going to Victoria in early November to see Annie and Dave, day trips with Cliff to see the progress on Mount Temple Chalet, Christmas, and various other holiday-related activities, parties, and gifts.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Some letters 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.