Fonds consists of the personal, business and research records of May and Elmer Ellingsen. Textual records include personal and business correspondence; financial and legal records; information about local history; records and newsletters of various community organizations; records created by John Manson and by the St. James Ladies' Guild; maps; ephemera; and clippings about Cortes Island people and events. Fonds also includes photographs of the Manson family and other island people and places, and cassette tapes of oral history and music.
Fonds is arranged in 14 series: Correspondence; Financial records; Elmer Ellingsen records (business and personal); May Ellingsen personal records; Local history subject files; John Manson records; St. James Ladies' Guild records; Community organizations and services records; Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society records; Maps; Ephemera; Clippings; Photographs and Audio tapes.
Records from Accessions 2017.003 and 2019.002, which were processed after the other material had been arranged, have been interfiled.
3 meters of textual records
726 photographs
21 audio cassette tapes
Extent
252 cm
History / Biographical
Elmer Ellingsen (1913-2002) was born in North Vancouver to Sigurd and Gladys Ellingsen. After graduating from high school, he took a short course in business at Sprott Shaw College. In the early 1930s Elmer worked in logging and became a strong supporter of the trade union movement. He also had classical piano training in school, later turning to popular music; he played for many dances and parties until well into his eighties.
May Ellingsen (1914-2012) was born in Vancouver to George and Robina Freeman. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Manson, was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, in 1886. May grew up on Cortes and Hernando Islands until grade six, then moved to Vancouver with her family to finish her schooling.
May and Elmer met on Cortes in 1935 and were married on August 1, 1936. They built a float house and spent the next ten years in the Loughborough Inlet/Phillips Arm area where Elmer worked in his father's logging operations. While there, their children Shirley (1939), Bruce (1940) and Andy (1941) were born. In 1946 they moved to Von Donop Creek, where Elmer formed a logging partnership with Mike Herrewig and Scotty McKenzie. In 1950, he formed a new partnership with Erne Anderson for logging in the Whaletown area, and moved the floathouse to Manson's Landing lagoon. Two years later their floathouse was moved to its present location on Hague Lake.
After travelling from home to various logging operations, Elmer retired from logging. He bought a D8 Caterpillar tractor, backhoe and gravel truck and worked for the next forty years excavating, delivering gravel and moving things. He often worked with BC Hydro and BC Tel on pole installation, repair and maintenance.
Both Elmer and May were very active in community life. They sponsored weekly movie nights through the 1950s and square dancing in the sixties. May's many involvements included the Ladies' Guild, Women's Institute, Ratepayers Association, Post Office, Vancouver Regional Library development and Cortes Island Days. Elmer was a leading promoter of bringing ferry and hydro service to the island; he helped renovate Manson's Hall in the late 1970s, lobbied for road paving and helped initiate the Cortes Island Firefighters Assoc. in the 1980s. Both were founding members of the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society.
Custodial History
Records were collected from the home of May and Elmer Ellingsen by Andy and Susan Ellingsen and by Bruce Ellingsen and donated to CIMAS. There are eight accessions in this fonds: 2007.001, 2007.002, 2007.003, 2007.005, 2008.002 and 2010.001, 2018.002 and 2019.002.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal, business and research records of May and Elmer Ellingsen. Textual records include personal and business correspondence; financial and legal records; information about local history; records and newsletters of various community organizations; records created by John Manson and by the St. James Ladies' Guild; maps; ephemera; and clippings about Cortes Island people and events. Fonds also includes photographs of the Manson family and other island people and places, and cassette tapes of oral history and music.
Fonds is arranged in 14 series: Correspondence; Financial records; Elmer Ellingsen records (business and personal); May Ellingsen personal records; Local history subject files; John Manson records; St. James Ladies' Guild records; Community organizations and services records; Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society records; Maps; Ephemera; Clippings; Photographs and Audio tapes.
Records from Accessions 2017.003 and 2019.002, which were processed after the other material had been arranged, have been interfiled.
The base map is a zoning map produced by the Regional District of Comox-
Strathcona for the Cortes Island Land Use Project (Aug 1969). Edwards used
coloured pencil to show land and foreshore zones, and transferred information
about early preemptions and old roads and trails from an earlier map (see
Donald Palmer fonds, 2020.002.011, map of Cortes Island, Sayward District, ca.
1915).
The base map is a zoning map produced by the Regional District of Comox-
Strathcona for the Cortes Island Land Use Project (Aug 1969). Edwards used
coloured pencil to show land and foreshore zones, and transferred information
about early preemptions and old roads and trails from an earlier map (see
Donald Palmer fonds, 2020.002.011, map of Cortes Island, Sayward District, ca.
1915).
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "In this documentary a rag-tag team of Cortes wreckers demolish a giant warehouse in James Bay, Victoria. The remove 100-year old maple flooring, which is bound for Cortes, while the building falls down around them. They have to get the flooring out before the bulldozers arrive! Shot on 16 mm film."
Cast: Pierre deTrey, Stephen Foster, Al Murray, John Wasyliw
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "In this documentary a rag-tag team of Cortes wreckers demolish a giant warehouse in James Bay, Victoria. The remove 100-year old maple flooring, which is bound for Cortes, while the building falls down around them. They have to get the flooring out before the bulldozers arrive! Shot on 16 mm film."
Cast: Pierre deTrey, Stephen Foster, Al Murray, John Wasyliw
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "A play on the work "divot" - "a piece of turf cut out of the ground by a golf club in making a stroke." The golfer who does this, according to George, is a "divotee" and this silly game needed a large dose of extra silliness doused on it. The attempt to just shoot one hole takes George and his caddy more on a cross-country steeplechase that a casual day on the course. Puns abound and the Voice of Doom, played by John Gregg, gets it in the end Watch for it! Shot at Gorge Harbour on 16mm."
Cast: Jon Gregg, Leon, George and a horse
Stagehand/Props: Jim Palmer
Cinematography: John Gregg
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "A play on the work "divot" - "a piece of turf cut out of the ground by a golf club in making a stroke." The golfer who does this, according to George, is a "divotee" and this silly game needed a large dose of extra silliness doused on it. The attempt to just shoot one hole takes George and his caddy more on a cross-country steeplechase that a casual day on the course. Puns abound and the Voice of Doom, played by John Gregg, gets it in the end Watch for it! Shot at Gorge Harbour on 16mm."
Cast: Jon Gregg, Leon, George and a horse
Stagehand/Props: Jim Palmer
Cinematography: John Gregg
File contains zoning maps for Bylaw 41, Electoral Area I, Schedules A1-A7 with revisions to 1999. There is a map of the whole island and larger scale maps of island areas.
File contains Plan Map Schedule A-1, Development Proposal Referral forms about changing the zoning bylaw designations to reflect the Official Community Plan of 1995, the agenda for an APC meeting and photocopies of FOCI/CIFC maps of Cortes Island land tenure.
File contains Plan Map Schedule A-1, Development Proposal Referral forms about changing the zoning bylaw designations to reflect the Official Community Plan of 1995, the agenda for an APC meeting and photocopies of FOCI/CIFC maps of Cortes Island land tenure.
File contains correspondence re Aquaculture bylaw #2300, a draft Cortes Island zoning bylaw (2001), and a map, the Official Community Plan Map Schedule A, 1993 and Bylaw 1896 to amend the OCP if 1995.
File contains correspondence re Aquaculture bylaw #2300, a draft Cortes Island zoning bylaw (2001), and a map, the Official Community Plan Map Schedule A, 1993 and Bylaw 1896 to amend the OCP if 1995.
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "Chickens are a large source of entertainment, remakable pets with personalities, and they give us eggs. But when it came to dinner time, they were sadly the main guest of honour. George wanted to immortalize, and thus keep his chickens alive forever. This film does just that. On 16mm, shot at George and Lauren Hay's homestead on Seascape Rd."
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "Chickens are a large source of entertainment, remakable pets with personalities, and they give us eggs. But when it came to dinner time, they were sadly the main guest of honour. George wanted to immortalize, and thus keep his chickens alive forever. This film does just that. On 16mm, shot at George and Lauren Hay's homestead on Seascape Rd."
In the realm of "home movies", the film contains vignettes of Cortes island life including Aislinn Sirk and Mayan Wooley bathing a remarkably patient cat and Jim Palmer using an Alaska mill.
Digitized by Doug McCaffry, ScanLab, 2022
In the realm of "home movies", the film contains vignettes of Cortes island life including Aislinn Sirk and Mayan Wooley bathing a remarkably patient cat and Jim Palmer using an Alaska mill.
Digitized by Doug McCaffry, ScanLab, 2022
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "In the 70s many bathtubs were outside and heated by wood fires. This amusing (and smoky!), satisfying way of having a nice long bath, in the great outdoors, inspired making this short on 16mm film. There was a twist to the scenario of course. Why not make soup while having a bath? Shot at John and Anna Gregg's home on Beasley Road. Cast: George /Cinematography : Anna Sirk ??"
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "In the 70s many bathtubs were outside and heated by wood fires. This amusing (and smoky!), satisfying way of having a nice long bath, in the great outdoors, inspired making this short on 16mm film. There was a twist to the scenario of course. Why not make soup while having a bath? Shot at John and Anna Gregg's home on Beasley Road. Cast: George /Cinematography : Anna Sirk ??"
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "When Linnaea was established, Robert Cabot commissioned Cortes Cinema to produce a film abot the Turtle Island Land Steward Society. The day-to-day life of the farm is documented as is the Hansen's move across the road to their new property. Ken, Hazel and Flo (Hazel's mom) are all in the film helping to clear land on yet another farm! Using Bear Air (Barry Miles), aerial footage of the farm and the island is also in the film. A gliimpse into the past. With sound and narration. On 16mm.
Music: Glen Dias / Narration: Peter Gibson
Cast: Thousands of cows!"
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "When Linnaea was established, Robert Cabot commissioned Cortes Cinema to produce a film abot the Turtle Island Land Steward Society. The day-to-day life of the farm is documented as is the Hansen's move across the road to their new property. Ken, Hazel and Flo (Hazel's mom) are all in the film helping to clear land on yet another farm! Using Bear Air (Barry Miles), aerial footage of the farm and the island is also in the film. A gliimpse into the past. With sound and narration. On 16mm.
Music: Glen Dias / Narration: Peter Gibson
Cast: Thousands of cows!"
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "The Cortes Hippy Gen of the 70s were, amongst many odd things, frugulous. Homes were never done on credit, one just built with whatever one could find or demolish. "Scoring" was a good thing, the term "recycling" was not yet in the mainstream vernacular. Adaptability, innovation and just plain dumb luck helped to preserve this culture from going extinct. Named after a famed hallucinogen, the film was a victim of accidental deterioration; dyes melted and images appear distorted; a vitreous detachment from reality. The Hippy Gen in a nutshell. Shot on Super 8 / Cast of Hippies"
Scenes and people include: Jim Palmer (in boat), Alex Nichol (with windmill), Alex, George, Jim Palmer, Izzy ?? moving building materials across the Gorge and up to the building site, ??? constructing George & Izzy's cabin, George Sirk in boat, ?? throwing a fish which an eagle swoops down on, Jean Fontaine wrangling logs in the water.
1 moving image : 13 minutes ; with background music
Scope and Content
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "The Cortes Hippy Gen of the 70s were, amongst many odd things, frugulous. Homes were never done on credit, one just built with whatever one could find or demolish. "Scoring" was a good thing, the term "recycling" was not yet in the mainstream vernacular. Adaptability, innovation and just plain dumb luck helped to preserve this culture from going extinct. Named after a famed hallucinogen, the film was a victim of accidental deterioration; dyes melted and images appear distorted; a vitreous detachment from reality. The Hippy Gen in a nutshell. Shot on Super 8 / Cast of Hippies"
Scenes and people include: Jim Palmer (in boat), Alex Nichol (with windmill), Alex, George, Jim Palmer, Izzy ?? moving building materials across the Gorge and up to the building site, ??? constructing George & Izzy's cabin, George Sirk in boat, ?? throwing a fish which an eagle swoops down on, Jean Fontaine wrangling logs in the water.