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
Genealogical research from ancestry.com on Samuel Thompson; Nicholas Thompson and family, notably mentioning wife Mary McLeod and sons Leonard and Lethaniel; Nathaniel Ferguson Taggart (foster son of Nicholas & Mary) and the Vancouver Children's Home; and Miner Ira Farry/Furry/Ferry, friend of Thompson family, results from 1800s to 1900s. Excerpts from Alice Robertson's diary re: Robertson and Thompson properties, 1906. Emails regarding Nick Thompson family research, 2016
Genealogical research from ancestry.com on Samuel Thompson; Nicholas Thompson and family, notably mentioning wife Mary McLeod and sons Leonard and Lethaniel; Nathaniel Ferguson Taggart (foster son of Nicholas & Mary) and the Vancouver Children's Home; and Miner Ira Farry/Furry/Ferry, friend of Thompson family, results from 1800s to 1900s. Excerpts from Alice Robertson's diary re: Robertson and Thompson properties, 1906. Emails regarding Nick Thompson family research, 2016
Photographs depict the pupils at the second Whaletown school standing beside the school. The photograph was taken by Evelyn Dow, who taught there from February 1928 to June 1929. This school was built in 1918 near the corner of Coulter Bay Road and Carrington Bay Road, and was used (with improvements) until 1950. The front, side and surroundings of the school are clearly shown.
Front row third from left is Marion Borden; Vernon Borden next to her fourth from left.
Top row, far right: Lorna Borden
(IDs by Terrill Marlow, Marion’s daughter, and Rob Borden, Vernon’s son).
Photographs are from an album created by Evelyn Dow and were donated to CIMAS by her niece, Sharon Thomas.
Scope and Content
Photographs depict the pupils at the second Whaletown school standing beside the school. The photograph was taken by Evelyn Dow, who taught there from February 1928 to June 1929. This school was built in 1918 near the corner of Coulter Bay Road and Carrington Bay Road, and was used (with improvements) until 1950. The front, side and surroundings of the school are clearly shown.
Front row third from left is Marion Borden; Vernon Borden next to her fourth from left.
Top row, far right: Lorna Borden
(IDs by Terrill Marlow, Marion’s daughter, and Rob Borden, Vernon’s son).
Historical information on Gorge Harbour, people, properties, info dating back to 1898. Clippings with tourist info, proposed Klahoose oyster license, Island Sea Farms aquaculture, and resort upgrades from Dr. Richard and Michelle Glickman, 2007-2019. Gorge Harbour map from Hubert Steghaus, 2008. Floathouse Restaurant menu, 2011. Obituary for Mrs S.E. Corneille, 2016. Info on Gorge Government dock and tree falling, 2017. Gorge Harbour brochures, undated. Poster for talk with sailors Amanda and Barry Glickman at Gorge gazebo, undated. Photos (copies) of Gorge Marina, store and restaurant,1974.
Historical information on Gorge Harbour, people, properties, info dating back to 1898. Clippings with tourist info, proposed Klahoose oyster license, Island Sea Farms aquaculture, and resort upgrades from Dr. Richard and Michelle Glickman, 2007-2019. Gorge Harbour map from Hubert Steghaus, 2008. Floathouse Restaurant menu, 2011. Obituary for Mrs S.E. Corneille, 2016. Info on Gorge Government dock and tree falling, 2017. Gorge Harbour brochures, undated. Poster for talk with sailors Amanda and Barry Glickman at Gorge gazebo, undated. Photos (copies) of Gorge Marina, store and restaurant,1974.
Verso reads "this house was Vonn's [Vaughn's?] and somewhere near Mike Talbot's house stands now." (to the east of the Gorge Harbour government wharf). Print is mounted on board.
Verso reads "this house was Vonn's [Vaughn's?] and somewhere near Mike Talbot's house stands now." (to the east of the Gorge Harbour government wharf). Print is mounted on board.
AGM notice for HACI, 2007. Clippings with info on a Nautical Swap Meet put on by HACI, herring spawn, public dock maintenance, and the historical Rolando ship, 2015-2019. Emails with info on HACI winning the 2016 Preserved Wood in Aquatic Uses Awards Program and the model of the Lady Washington sailboat presently displated at CIMAS, 2017
AGM notice for HACI, 2007. Clippings with info on a Nautical Swap Meet put on by HACI, herring spawn, public dock maintenance, and the historical Rolando ship, 2015-2019. Emails with info on HACI winning the 2016 Preserved Wood in Aquatic Uses Awards Program and the model of the Lady Washington sailboat presently displated at CIMAS, 2017
File contains a report, "Mechanized Oyster Operation in Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island"; correspondence; photographs, a CD(2002.001.001; in the CD binder) and a VHS tape (4 minutes of oyster industry noise; 2002.001.002; in the VHS Box).
File contains a report, "Mechanized Oyster Operation in Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island"; correspondence; photographs, a CD(2002.001.001; in the CD binder) and a VHS tape (4 minutes of oyster industry noise; 2002.001.002; in the VHS Box).