Fonds consists of photographs of the Gorge Harbour Lodge and Lodge activities, the Corneille and Ballantyne families, and Gladys Ballantyne's house, Gypsy Hill.
Bobby (Elizabeth) Corneille Ballantyne (1914-2009) was born in Vancouver and moved to Cortes Island as a young child. She was 4 years old when her father died suddenly on Marina Island in 1919; she remembers that they had to wait 3 days for a Union Steamship to get the body. Her mother Tena (Sarah Christena) Corneille (1877-1949) bought a tourist lodge at the east end of Gorge Harbour in 1929, and ran it until 1936 with the help of her two teen-age daughters. Gorge Harbour Lodge offered accommodations in the main building or in tents, tennis and badminton courts, and excellent boating, bathing and fishing. Vacationers came up from Vancouver on the Union Steamships for a round-trip ticket price of $6.65. The annual Regatta was the main social event of the season, with people arriving by boat from Cortes and the surrounding islands. It featured boat and swimming races, and a dance in the evening.
Gladys Georgeson Ballantyne (1882-1964), first came to Cortes in about 1910. In about 1920 she bought a property in Whaletown (now 640 Whaletown Rd.) that she called "Gypsy Hill". She was one of the original members of the Whaletown Friendly Circle, later the Whaletown Women's Institute. Gladys, her son Bill, daughter Valerie and her fiance were all on Cortes building a summer cottage when the Depression suddenly hit. Their off-island jobs fell through, and they remained at "Gypsy Hill" for the duration.
Bill Ballantyne (1908-1993) was in the Merchant Marine from 1924-1929. When he was unable to find work on ships during the Depression, he took whatever jobs he could find hand-logging and fishing. Bill and Bobby Corneille were married in 1937. They and other young Whaletown residents formed the Gorge Harbour Dramatic Society to help raise funds to build a community hall, and Bill was the work boss of the building crew for the Gorge Hall. In 1941 they moved to Victoria, and after the war settled in Courtenay with their two sons Peter and Ross. In the late 1950s they returned to Whaletown on Cortes Island where they fished for many years on the gulf troller “Viking”. During that time many young “deckhands” spent time aboard during summer vacations. On retirement, Campbell River became their home.
Custodial History
Electronic records were downloaded in 2012 from an internet address provided by Peter Ballantyne. One photograph was scanned from a photograph temporarily loaned by John and De Clarke.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of the Gorge Harbour Lodge and Lodge activities, the Corneille and Ballantyne families, and Gladys Ballantyne's house, Gypsy Hill.
Photograph of a group of people in front of the freight shed on the Whaletown wharf. A sticker on the back indicates the photograph was originally from the collection of Gilean Douglas.
Photograph of a group of people in front of the freight shed on the Whaletown wharf. A sticker on the back indicates the photograph was originally from the collection of Gilean Douglas.
Photograph postcard of the Whaletown Church. Originally from the collection of Gilean Douglas.
Note - There is a digital enlargement of this postcard in the oversize box. This same postcard is found in other fonds (Items 2003.002.024 and 2019.023.013).
Photograph postcard of the Whaletown Church. Originally from the collection of Gilean Douglas.
Note - There is a digital enlargement of this postcard in the oversize box. This same postcard is found in other fonds (Items 2003.002.024 and 2019.023.013).
Photograph of the clinic building, with the Rectory beside it. Note the lack of telephone and electrical lines, which indicates the date is between 1950 and 1969.
Photograph of the clinic building, with the Rectory beside it. Note the lack of telephone and electrical lines, which indicates the date is between 1950 and 1969.
The post office was built in this location (on the property of 315 Whaletown Rd) in 1947. In 1981 it was moved across the road next to the parking area of the Whaletown store.
Likely originally from the collection of the Weiler family.
The post office was built in this location (on the property of 315 Whaletown Rd) in 1947. In 1981 it was moved across the road next to the parking area of the Whaletown store.
Likely originally from the collection of the Weiler family.
File contains a key map and list for the areas researched and information on the following:
George Herbert Wailes: 1920, Crown Grant for fractional SW 1/4 of Sec. 48; 48 acres for $217; with a tax sale notice, 1939
Ina Vernon Munro: 1920, Crown Grant for NE 1/4 of Sec. 37; 161 acres; includes a sale to Hawkins and a forfeit in 1939
Allan Olmsted: 1939, Crown Grant for SW 1/4 of Sec. 37
Ira Furry: 1911, Crown Grant for W 1/2 of SE 1/4 of Sec. 33
Walter Malcolm: 1919, Crown Grant for fractional SW 1/4 of Sec. 36
Frank Leslie Tooker: 1926, Crown Grant for N 1/2 of Sec. 36, 124 acres
Ira Furry: 1897, Crown Grant for SE 1/4 of Sec 36; 160 acres for $160.00.
Donald McDonald: 1926, Crown Grant for fractional NW 1/2 of Sec. 37; 144 acres for $1.00
File contains a key map and list for the areas researched and information on the following:
George Herbert Wailes: 1920, Crown Grant for fractional SW 1/4 of Sec. 48; 48 acres for $217; with a tax sale notice, 1939
Ina Vernon Munro: 1920, Crown Grant for NE 1/4 of Sec. 37; 161 acres; includes a sale to Hawkins and a forfeit in 1939
Allan Olmsted: 1939, Crown Grant for SW 1/4 of Sec. 37
Ira Furry: 1911, Crown Grant for W 1/2 of SE 1/4 of Sec. 33
Walter Malcolm: 1919, Crown Grant for fractional SW 1/4 of Sec. 36
Frank Leslie Tooker: 1926, Crown Grant for N 1/2 of Sec. 36, 124 acres
Ira Furry: 1897, Crown Grant for SE 1/4 of Sec 36; 160 acres for $160.00.
Donald McDonald: 1926, Crown Grant for fractional NW 1/2 of Sec. 37; 144 acres for $1.00