Recording is an oral history interview of Duncan Robertson by Oonagh O'Connor at his home in Whaletown (Part 1 of 2). Topics covered include some family history; people and customs of the early days on the island; logging; fishing; hunting; cougars; Cortes in the 1950s and 1960s. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Recording is an oral history interview of Duncan Robertson by Oonagh O'Connor at his home in Whaletown (Part 1 of 2). Topics covered include some family history; people and customs of the early days on the island; logging; fishing; hunting; cougars; Cortes in the 1950s and 1960s. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Recording consists of interviews with Fred Reedel and Frank Tooker, done to gather information for the "Windows on Whaletown" exhibit. (see also 1999.004.034, for Part 2)
Recording consists of interviews with Fred Reedel and Frank Tooker, done to gather information for the "Windows on Whaletown" exhibit. (see also 1999.004.034, for Part 2)
Fonds consists of material that was gathered by Thompson as she researched island history for museum exhibits and local history albums. It includes land title information about Cortes Island properties going back to the original Crown Grants, correspondence and notes about Cortes Island history, photographs, maps and ephemera.
Fonds is arranged in five series: Land Titles Research; Historical Information; Maps; Photographs; and Ephemera.
30 cm of textual records
40 photographs
12 maps
2 CDs
History / Biographical
Doreen (Huck) Thompson, 1944-2006:
Doreen’s grandparents, William Edward Huck and Mabel Wells Huck, arrived on Cortes Island in 1915. Widowed in WWI, Mabel and her four children left Cortes for Vancouver in 1923. Her son Harry, Doreen’s father, returned to Cortes in the 1930s. He married Edith Launchbury in 1937 and had two children, Doreen (b.1944) and Ed (b.1945, d.1993). Doreen and Ed were raised in Whaletown and attended school there and at Manson’s Landing.
Doreen graduated from Vic High in Victoria before marrying Bob Thompson in 1962. From 1961 to 1963, Doreen lived in Teakerne Arm in a floathouse Bob had built on the shore of the Whaletown Lagoon and then moved to the shores of Heriot Bay on Quadra Island. Her children were born in 1964 (Janny) and 1965 (Debby). In 1970 the family and the house moved to Cortes Island where both daughters attended school to Grade 10.
Doreen spent a few years living in Alberta and Victoria in the early 1980s and then returned to Cortes Island. Doreen developed a deep knowledge of the history of the island and she devoted considerable time to preserving, gathering and sharing her own and others knowledge of the island through her volunteer work at the Cortes Island Museum and Archives.
Doreen was one of the founders of the Cortes Island Museum. She curated four exhibits at the Museum, including “Windows on Whaletown” in 1999, “Von Donop Inlet”, the commercial fishing portion of “Celebrating Wild Salmon”, and “Memories of Manson’s Landing”. She researched and created albums which combine photographs, reminiscences and clippings to document the history of various island areas, such as Green Valley and Whaletown. The Doreen Thompson Exhibit Gallery at the Museum commemorates her contributions.
Doreen was making a fourth cross-Canada road trip from Cortes to Newfoundland when she was killed in a car accident near Fort McLeod, Alberta on August 1, 2006.
Custodial History
Material was stored at the museum or collected from Doreen Thomas' house.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of material that was gathered by Thompson as she researched island history for museum exhibits and local history albums. It includes land title information about Cortes Island properties going back to the original Crown Grants, correspondence and notes about Cortes Island history, photographs, maps and ephemera.
Fonds is arranged in five series: Land Titles Research; Historical Information; Maps; Photographs; and Ephemera.
Info and photographs scanned from CIMAS albums, Doreen Thompson and family, 1930s-2000s. Newsletters and articles written by and featuring Doreen & family (specifically daughters Debby & Janny Thompson), 1988-2007. Info on The History of Von Donop Creek exhibit and interviews by Doreen and Dianne Hentschel, 2000-2001. Memorial handout for Doreen, 2006. CIMAS letters from Lynne Jordan regarding Manson's Landing exhibit, Doreen's passing, and donations, 2006-2007. Donation notes, 2006. Printed search list of related items in museum fonds. Keywords: WNE
Info and photographs scanned from CIMAS albums, Doreen Thompson and family, 1930s-2000s. Newsletters and articles written by and featuring Doreen & family (specifically daughters Debby & Janny Thompson), 1988-2007. Info on The History of Von Donop Creek exhibit and interviews by Doreen and Dianne Hentschel, 2000-2001. Memorial handout for Doreen, 2006. CIMAS letters from Lynne Jordan regarding Manson's Landing exhibit, Doreen's passing, and donations, 2006-2007. Donation notes, 2006. Printed search list of related items in museum fonds. Keywords: WNE
Fonds comprises material created or collected by Wilfred (Wilf) Freeman in the course of his work as a logger and during his community activities. It includes correspondence, logging records, maps, minutes of committee meetings, financial records, ephemera and clippings. It is arranged in four series: Logging; Centennial Committee; Ephemera; and Cortez Grapevine Telephone Association.
Wilfred (Wilf) Michael Freeman was born October 21, 1917 in Vancouver B.C. and died December 23, 2012. He was the son of William George Freeman and Robina Steel (Manson) Freeman and brother to Elizabeth Jane May (Freeman) Ellingsen (born March 13, 1914). His grandparents were Michael and Jane Manson. Wilf grew up on Hernando Island until 1926 when the family moved to Vancouver. One of his first jobs in the early 1930s was in Powell River where, among other things, he was hand digging basements under some of the original Powell River townsite homes.
He gravitated to the logging industry, working for Sigurd Ellingsen and Eric Flescher in Phillips Arm through the late ’30’s and into the 1950’s. He was an excellent worker; strong, resourceful, thoughtful, humorous and thorough, and, as well, he enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Wilf and his wife, May (Spence; died 1970) moved down to Smelt Bay on Cortes in the early 1950s from Phillips Arm. He logged with Bill Mathews between 1954 and 1965 in the Von Donop Creek areas. As well, they both crewed on the seine boat “Courtenay Maid” with Pat Andrews for a few summers.
When the ferry came to Cortes Island, both Wilf and Bill worked as deckhands, always cheerful and busy throughout the trips, often chipping and repainting rust spots on the ship.
Wilf was active in many community affairs over all the years living on Cortes: among them the Ratepayers Association, the 1958 Centennial Committee, the Cortes Grapevine Telephone Assoc. (a local telephone system, 1959 - 1966), Cortes Days summer celebrations, Cortes Island Firefighters Assoc., Cortes Rod and Gun Club.
Wilf and his second wife, Nora, lived on in Smelt Bay until they moved to Willow Point, South of Campbell River, in 2002. There they lived until, on December 23, 2102, he passed away while shovelling snow in their back yard.
Custodial History
Accession 2001.001 was donated to CIMAS by Wilfred Freeman on June 16, 2001. Accession 2002.002 was gathered at Wilf Freeman's garage sale by Bonnie MacDonald and donated to the museum in June of 2002. Accession 2017.006 was donated to CIMAS by Bruce Ellingsen, Freeman's nephew, in July of 2017.
Scope and Content
Fonds comprises material created or collected by Wilfred (Wilf) Freeman in the course of his work as a logger and during his community activities. It includes correspondence, logging records, maps, minutes of committee meetings, financial records, ephemera and clippings. It is arranged in four series: Logging; Centennial Committee; Ephemera; and Cortez Grapevine Telephone Association.
Recording is an oral history interview of Nora Thompson and Jack Cowan by Oonagh O'Connor and contains reminiscences of their childhood on Cortes Island; conditions on the island; people and schools. There is a short summary of the interview in the cassette case.
Recording is an oral history interview of Nora Thompson and Jack Cowan by Oonagh O'Connor and contains reminiscences of their childhood on Cortes Island; conditions on the island; people and schools. There is a short summary of the interview in the cassette case.
Recording is an oral history interview of Nesta Stackhouse by Oonagh O'Connor. Topics covered include Nesta moving to Cortes to help the Boas at the Columbia Coast Mission post in Whaletown; the clinic in Whaletown; names of people living in the Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay area; involvement in local politics. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Recording is an oral history interview of Nesta Stackhouse by Oonagh O'Connor. Topics covered include Nesta moving to Cortes to help the Boas at the Columbia Coast Mission post in Whaletown; the clinic in Whaletown; names of people living in the Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay area; involvement in local politics. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Photograph labelled on the back: "Rendezvous Patrol. Dr. B. Hall and Dr. R. Rose, the dentist, with their black bags, getting ready to go aboard the "Rendezvous". They are being taken to Whaletown for their monthly visit to the Mission clinic."
Photograph labelled on the back: "Rendezvous Patrol. Dr. B. Hall and Dr. R. Rose, the dentist, with their black bags, getting ready to go aboard the "Rendezvous". They are being taken to Whaletown for their monthly visit to the Mission clinic."
This recording was made at a party at John and Joanne Wasyliw's property, formerly part of the John Manson farm. It includes recollections of Rose (Manson) McKay, and a sing-along interspersed with conversation.
This recording was made at a party at John and Joanne Wasyliw's property, formerly part of the John Manson farm. It includes recollections of Rose (Manson) McKay, and a sing-along interspersed with conversation.
