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Part Of
Byers family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
Accession Number
2020.003
Date Range
1937-1972
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten photographs (nine black and white; 1 coloured) depicting members of the extended Byers/ Manson families, logging at Seaford and Von Donop Inlet, and the Union Steamship Chelohsin.
Part Of
Byers family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Byers family
Fonds Number
2020.003
Accession Number
2020.003
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1937-1972
Physical Description
10 photographs
History / Biographical
Henry and Ruth Byers, Ervin and Florence (Manson) McKay, Clarence and Etta (McKay) Byers, Ken and Hazel (McKay) Hansen, Scotty and Amy (Byers) McKenzie moved to Von Donop Inlet in 1939, where they ran a logging operation.
Custodial History
Found in Information Files folder (Byers family), August 1, 2020 and transferred to Archives.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten photographs (nine black and white; 1 coloured) depicting members of the extended Byers/ Manson families, logging at Seaford and Von Donop Inlet, and the Union Steamship Chelohsin.
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Name Access
Byers, Henry and Ruth
Byers, Clarence and Etta
Hansen, Ken and Hazel
McKay, Ervin and Florence
McKenzie, Scotty and Amy
Subject Access
Logging
Union Steamship Company
Transportation
Water transport
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Von Donop Inlet
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Part Of
Ballantyne family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material (electronic)
sound recording (electronic)
Date Range
1929-[ca. 1950s?]
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.
Part Of
Ballantyne family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
2020.006
Material Type
graphic material (electronic)
sound recording (electronic)
Date Range
1929-[ca. 1950s?]
Physical Description
24 photographs (jpeg)
1 audio interview (mp4)
History / Biographical
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.
Name Access
Ballantyne, Peter
Ballantyne, Gladys
Ballantyne, Bill
Ballantyne, Bobby
Corneille, Sarah
Subject Access
Logging
Union Steamship Company
Fishing
Transportation
Water transport
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Whaletown
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Part Of
Maclean family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
Accession Number
2019.023
2021.003
2021.006
Date Range
1951-1971
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of sixty prints and slides dating from 1951 to 1971. It includes scenes of of Cortes Island school students, logging, and the Union Steamship. Most photographs are from the Whaletown area. There are 16 slides of a logging camp at the Quatam River in Ramsey Arm, BC.
Part Of
Maclean family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
2019.023
Accession Number
2019.023
2021.003
2021.006
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1951-1971
Physical Description
29 photographs : b&w; 31 slides : colour
History / Biographical
The Maclean family (parents Don and Doris, and children Janice, Heather and Ian) lived in Whaletown from 1961 to 1973. Don Maclean's parents, John and Edna Maclean, lived for many years in Edmonton, Alberta. When their son came home from the war they bought property near Coulter Bay and moved to Cortes Island. Don Maclean became a fisherman, eventually living on his fishing boat. Doris Lancaster Maclean was born and raised in Victoria, B.C. In the late 1940s she answered a call from the Anglican Church to come and do Vacation Bible School with the Columbia Coast Mission on Cortes and nearby islands. Doris and Don married in 1954. They moved to Cortes Island in 1961 when Don was hired to operate the Columbia Coast Mission boat, the "Alan Greene". They lived in the Mission house in Whaletown, next to the church. Don Maclean acted as a Lay Reader for the Columbia Coast Mission in the 1960s when no clergymen were available, holding services in the three Anglican churches on the island. In 1967 the Diocese sold the "Alan Greene" and the Macleans were required to move out of the mission house. Maclean built a house on the beach of what used to be called Jardine’s property, although by this time it was owned by a cousin of Doris Maclean. He was hired as the Industrial First Aid man on site for the building of the Whaletown Ferry dock and after that worked as a clam digger. The Maclean family left Cortes in 1973 and moved to Regina, SK. The house that Don built was rented for a couple of years and then sold and moved to a new location; it burned down a few years later.
Custodial History
Twenty-seven photographs and 15 slides were mailed to CIMAS by Janice Maclean Kerr in 2019; two more photos were mailed in Apr. 2021; 16 slides were mailed in Sept. 2021
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of sixty prints and slides dating from 1951 to 1971. It includes scenes of of Cortes Island school students, logging, and the Union Steamship. Most photographs are from the Whaletown area. There are 16 slides of a logging camp at the Quatam River in Ramsey Arm, BC.
Storage Location
Photo Box 3 Slide Box 2
Name Access
Kerr, Janice Maclean
Subject Access
Transportation
Columbia Coast Mission
Fishing
Union Steamship Company
Water transport
Geographic Access
Whaletown
Quatam River
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Part Of
Nichols family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records (electronic)
Date Range
1936-[ca. 1960]
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 7 photographs of the Nichols family: Valentine and Alberta Nichols and two daughters, Margery and Elsie.
Part Of
Nichols family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
2022.007
Material Type
textual records (electronic)
Date Range
1936-[ca. 1960]
Physical Description
7 photographs : b&w
Custodial History
Donated by Dorothy Mouncey Pusch, daughter of Margery Nichols Mouncey.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 7 photographs of the Nichols family: Valentine and Alberta Nichols and two daughters, Margery and Elsie.
Storage Location
Photograph Box 3
Name Access
Nichols, Valentine
Nichols, Alberta
Nichols, Elsie
Nichols, Margery
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Squirrel Cove
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McIvor/Forman family fonds

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions13916
Part Of
McIvor/Forman family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
Accession Number
2019.009
Date Range
[ca. 1950]-2015
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from Mary-Anne Forman recounting the history of her family and their connection with Cortes Island along with copies of material from their family collection: 16 digital photograph prints (12 b&w; 4 col.), an account of Eric Collins, and a photocopy of a newspaper article about Sir Edmund Hillary. The photos are labelled on the back and depict Cortes Island people and locations, including the cabins at Manson's Spit and Manson's wharf. People depicted include Dan McIvor, Mrs. Lowe, Doris Hawkins, Rev. Rollo Boas, Elmer Ellingsen, Betty Jeffery, Nellie Jeffery, and Jack Summers. There is a photo of Sir Edmund Hillary on Manson's wharf.
Part Of
McIvor/Forman family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Forman, Mary-Anne
Fonds Number
2019.009
Accession Number
2019.009
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]-2015
Physical Description
1 file of textual records 16 digital prints
History / Biographical
Mary-Anne Forman is the daughter of Daniel Erskine McIvor (1911-2005). Her family has a summer cottage on Hague Lake on Cortes Island and has spent summers on the island since the 1950s. Dan McIvor and his wife Isobel are buried in the Manson's Landing Cemetery, which also holds a memorial bench for Eric Collins. Dan McIvor joined the R.C.A.F. in 1941. After his discharge in 1945, he and his family moved to British Columbia where he flew the B.C. coast as one of the legendary "Bush Pilots." In the 1960s he found and arranged the purchase of four Martin Mars flying boats - the only ones of their kind in the world. Dan had always believed that the safest and most effective way to fight forest fires was from the air. His innovative ideas resulted in the conversion of the Martin Mars to the first modern water bomber, with each airplane able to carry 6 000 imperial gallons of water.
Custodial History
Mary-Anne Forman mailed the material in this file to Ian Disney in 2015; it was subsequently donated to CIMAS.
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from Mary-Anne Forman recounting the history of her family and their connection with Cortes Island along with copies of material from their family collection: 16 digital photograph prints (12 b&w; 4 col.), an account of Eric Collins, and a photocopy of a newspaper article about Sir Edmund Hillary. The photos are labelled on the back and depict Cortes Island people and locations, including the cabins at Manson's Spit and Manson's wharf. People depicted include Dan McIvor, Mrs. Lowe, Doris Hawkins, Rev. Rollo Boas, Elmer Ellingsen, Betty Jeffery, Nellie Jeffery, and Jack Summers. There is a photo of Sir Edmund Hillary on Manson's wharf.
Storage Location
Small fonds box
Storage Range
Small fonds box 1-12
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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Bob Brooks, Donna and Fred Brooks Jr.

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions14437
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Scope and Content
Donna lived with the Brooks family for a while; her last name is not known. Note the wagon Donna is standing in, and the house in the background.
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
2019.021
Item Number
2019.021.007
Item Number Range
2019.021.007
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Physical Description
1 photograph print : b&w ; 6 x 9 cm
Scope and Content
Donna lived with the Brooks family for a while; her last name is not known. Note the wagon Donna is standing in, and the house in the background.
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Images
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Alethea Brooks, wife of Fred Brooks Sr.

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions14446
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
2019.021
Item Number
2019.021.016
Item Number Range
2019.021.016
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Physical Description
1 photograph print : b&w ; 6 x 9 cm
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Images
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Donna (front left), who lived with the Brooks, with the Morrisette children

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions14436
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
2019.021
Item Number
2019.021.006
Item Number Range
2019.021.006
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Physical Description
1 photograph print : b&w ; 6 x 9 cm
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Images
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Fred Brooks Sr. in a boat with Bill Hawkins, by Cat Island

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions14444
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
2019.021
Item Number
2019.021.014
Item Number Range
2019.021.014
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Physical Description
1 photograph print : b&w ; 6 x 9 cm
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Images
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The Guthrie kids with Donna (middle) in Brooks' yard near Manson's Landing

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions14441
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
2019.021
Item Number
2019.021.011
Item Number Range
2019.021.011
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Physical Description
1 photograph print : b&w ; 6 x 9 cm
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Geographic Access
Manson's Landing
Images
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Molly Switzer (friend of Alethea Brooks) on the sandy beach at Hague Lake

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions14443
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
2019.021
Item Number
2019.021.013
Item Number Range
2019.021.013
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1942]
Physical Description
1 photograph print : b&w ; 6 x 9 cm
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Images
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Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
cartographic material
ephemera
Accession Number
1999.001
Date Range
1904-1993 (predominant 1948-1993)
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal records of Gilean Douglas which were produced and received during her personal and literary activities. There is some material dating from Douglas's early life, but the bulk of it dates from 1948 to 1993 and directly concerns her life on Cortes Island. Because of Douglas's involvement in the public life of the island, and her interest in local history, her papers contain a great deal of information about the political, community and social life of Cortes Island, particularly the Whaletown area. Fonds is composed of eighteen series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; Literary Records; Regional Director for Area I (Cortes Island); Women's Institute; Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church; School District #72; Whaletown Community Club; Channel Rock; Research; "The Log" of the Columbia Coast Mission; Journals and Notebooks; Illustrations and Sketches; Ephemera; Clippings; Maps; Albums; Photographs.
Other Title Info
Title based on contents of the fonds.
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Douglas, Gilean
Fonds Number
1999.001
Accession Number
1999.001
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
cartographic material
ephemera
Date Range
1904-1993 (predominant 1948-1993)
Physical Description
1.9 m of textual records; ca. 2,352 photographic records (1147 prints : b&w and col. - ca. 560 negatives : b&w and col. negatives ; 35 mm and 14 x 11 cm or smaller - 645 slides : col. slides ; 35 mm); 1 cm of graphic material; 8 maps.
Extent
1.9
History / Biographical
Gilean Douglas was born in Toronto, Ont. In 1900. Orphaned at the age of 16, she began to work as a free-lance writer and photographer. Over her lifetime her work appeared in more than 200 publications, often published under pseudonyms (Grant Madison, Armoral Kent and Jill MacLean). Douglas published eight books of poetry and three books of non-fiction, and, from 1961 to 1992, wrote a regular column, “Nature Rambles”, for the Victoria Times-Colonist. In 1939, following the collapse of her third marriage, Douglas moved from Ontario to an isolated cabin in the mountains near Hope, B.C. Her first two books of nature writing (one published under the name Grant Madison) document her life there. Her cabin was destroyed by fire in 1947 and two years later she moved to a 138-acre waterfront homestead on Cortes Island with her fourth husband, Philip Douglas, (née Major). Her marriage ended in 1953, but she remained there until her death in 1993. Her home at Channel Rock was isolated, with no road access and no electricity. Douglas had a large garden, and supplemented her writing income by selling produce and plants. She was a volunteer Weather Observer for Environment Canada for 33 years, receiving several awards for her service. Starting in the 1960s, her writing centered increasingly on her life at Channel Rock. Her "Nature Rambles" columns and book "The Protected Place" reflect her life on the island. During her years on Cortes Island, Douglas took a leading role in community affairs and local politics. She held office in several community organizations and acted as a school trustee. As a member of the Women's Institute, she held local, district, provincial and national office, edited a book on its history, and was awarded a Life Membership in 1989. Douglas was a member of the first Cortes Island Advisory Planning Commission and represented Cortes on the Regional Board of Comox-Strathcona as Alternate Director from 1968 to 1973 and as Director from 1973 until 1977. List of Book Publications: 1952 Now the Green Word (Wings Press, Mill Valley, Ca.) 1953 Poetic Plush (The Story Book Press, Dallas, Texas) 1953 River For My Sidewalk (by “Grant Madison”; J. M. Dent & Sons, Toronto, Ont.) 1954 The Pattern Set (Quality Press, Montreal, Quebec) 1959 Modern Pioneers (a history of the Women's Institute, ed. by Douglas; Evergreen Press) 1967 Seascape With Figures (Prairie Press, Iowa City, Iowa) 1973 Now In This Night (Harlo Press, Detroit, Mi.) 1978 Silence Is My Homeland (Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pa.) 1979 The Protected Place (Gray’s Publishing, Sidney, B.C.) 1982 Prodigal (Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, B.C.) 1984 River For My Sidewalk (by Gilean Douglas; Sono Nis Press) 1985 Kodachromes at Midday (Sono Nis Press) 1992 Seascape With Figures - Poems Selected and New (Sono Nis Press)
Custodial History
Upon Douglas’ death in 1993 her papers were gathered from her house by her literary executor, Gillian Milton. Douglas’ will directed that her papers and photographs be turned over to the University of British Columbia (Douglas’ primary beneficiary), after being examined and used for literary purposes including publication or biography. Accordingly, Milton inventoried the records, and with Andrea Lebowitz made use of them for a biography and anthology of the writings of Douglas, "Gilean Douglas: Writing Nature, Finding Home" (Lebowitz and Milton, Sono Nis Press, 1999). The textual records were turned over to University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections in December 1999; the photographic records in 2002. By agreement with UBC, the records and photographs which have to do primarily with Cortes Island were turned over to the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society (Manson's Landing, B.C.) in 1999.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal records of Gilean Douglas which were produced and received during her personal and literary activities. There is some material dating from Douglas's early life, but the bulk of it dates from 1948 to 1993 and directly concerns her life on Cortes Island. Because of Douglas's involvement in the public life of the island, and her interest in local history, her papers contain a great deal of information about the political, community and social life of Cortes Island, particularly the Whaletown area. Fonds is composed of eighteen series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; Literary Records; Regional Director for Area I (Cortes Island); Women's Institute; Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church; School District #72; Whaletown Community Club; Channel Rock; Research; "The Log" of the Columbia Coast Mission; Journals and Notebooks; Illustrations and Sketches; Ephemera; Clippings; Maps; Albums; Photographs.
Name Access
Douglas, Gilean
Subject Access
Women's Institute
Columbia Coast Mission
Community Associations
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Related Material
Gilean Douglas fonds at the University of British Columbia Library (Special Collections) Cortes Island Ratepayers Association fonds Gorge Harbour Community Hall fonds Whaletown Community Club fonds Whaletown Women's Institute fonds Regional Director of Electoral Area I (Cortes Island) fonds
Copyright
Copyright for Douglas's published writings is held by the University of British Columbia. Permission to use Douglas's manuscripts for publication purposes must be obtained from the University of British Columbia or from Gillian Milton, literary executor for the estate of Gilean Douglas.
Arrangement
Wherever possible, Douglas’ system of arrangement has been retained, and original groupings of material have been maintained. Other material has been arranged according to type.
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Part Of
Florence McKay fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Accession Number
2004.001
Date Range
1878-1990
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 49 original photographs from the Michael Manson family, mostly from the early 20th century (1898-1928). The photographs depict the Manson family, logging and farming on Hernando and Cortes Islands, Michael and Jane Manson's Golden Wedding anniversary, and Florence McKay's 90th birthday celebration. The photographs were originally in an album with handwritten captions along with newspaper articles about Michael Manson, Jane Manson and Florence McKay.
Part Of
Florence McKay fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
McKay, Florence
Fonds Number
2004.001
Item Number Range
2004.001.001 - 2004.001.049
Accession Number
2004.001
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Date Range
1878-1990
Digitized Date
2005/2006
Physical Description
49 photographs; 3 newspaper articles
History / Biographical
Florence Manson McKay was born Jan. 21, 1900 to Michael and Jane Manson. Michael Manson was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, a quarter section on Gunflint Lake (present-day Linnaea Farm). Florence married Ervin McKay in 1918. They moved to Hernando Island in 1921 and Ervin worked with extended family members logging there and on Cortes Island. Florence and Ervin had two children: Etta (b. 1918) and Hazel (b. 1920). In 1929 the McKays took over Michael Manson's original pre-emption on Gunflint Lake, where they farmed until retiring in 1950. They moved to Courtenay, turning the farm over to daughter Hazel and her husband Ken Hansen. Florence was widowed in 1978 and returned to Cortes to live with Ken and Hazel, who had sold the farm but kept 16 acres to live on. Florence passed away in 1995.
Custodial History
Florence McKay gathered the photographs and her daughter, Hazel Hansen, compiled the album and wrote the captions. The album was donated to CIMAS by Hazel's son, Albert Hansen, in 2004.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 49 original photographs from the Michael Manson family, mostly from the early 20th century (1898-1928). The photographs depict the Manson family, logging and farming on Hernando and Cortes Islands, Michael and Jane Manson's Golden Wedding anniversary, and Florence McKay's 90th birthday celebration. The photographs were originally in an album with handwritten captions along with newspaper articles about Michael Manson, Jane Manson and Florence McKay.
Storage Location
Photograph Box #3
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Hernando Island
Finding Aid
Item level finding aid is available.
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Part Of
May Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Accession Number
2004.002, 2004.003
Date Range
[ca.1910-1990]
Scope and Content
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
Part Of
May Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Ellingsen, May
Fonds Number
2004.002
Accession Number
2004.002, 2004.003
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Date Range
[ca.1910-1990]
Physical Description
Ten photograph albums (binders) containing 152 original photographs and 482 reproductions.
History / Biographical
May Ellingsen was born on March 13, 1914 to George and Robina Freeman. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Manson, was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, claiming a quarter section on Gunflint Lake in 1886. May spent her childhood on Hernando Island, where her family homesteaded and logged, and on Cortes Island, where she attended the log school at Manson's Landing. In 1936 May married Elmer Ellingsen. They spent the next ten years in the Loughborough Inlet/Phillips Arm area while Elmer worked for his father's logging operations. During those years their children, Shirley, Bruce and Andy, were born. In 1946 the family moved to Von Donop Creek, where Elmer was logging. In 1950 they moved their float house, built at the time of their marriage, to Manson's Landing Lagoon and two years later, to its present permanent location on Hague Lake. May and Elmer devoted much time and energy to building their community. Amongst her many community activities, May ran the library at Manson's Hall. She had a strong interest in local history, researching the history of land pre-emptions on the island, collecting and annotating photographs from pioneer families and recording interviews with old timers. She was a founder of the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society; the archives reading room is named in her honor. Historical materials and artifacts gathered by May formed the kernel of the museum's collections and archives.
Custodial History
May Ellingsen created the albums in the 1980s, and kept adding to them throughout the 1990s. She kept them at the Manson's Landing library and then at the museum from 1999. She officially donated them to CIMAS in 2004.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
Storage Location
Photograph Box #3
Storage Range
Photograph Box #3
Name Access
Ellingsen, May
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Hernando Island
Twin Islands
Cortes Island
Finding Aid
Item level finding aid for original photographs is available
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Part Of
Peggy Newsham fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
Accession Number
2019.007
Date Range
1939-1985
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of Cortes Island people and events, and one file of textual records, which includes a 13 verse poem by Mabel Christensen, "Picnic", about Cortes Island Day.
Part Of
Peggy Newsham fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Newsham, Peggy
Fonds Number
2019.007
Item Number Range
2019.007.001-.017
Accession Number
2019.007
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1939-1985
Physical Description
17 photographs : b&w 1 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Peggy Newsham (1907-1999) was born in Belfast, Ireland. At the age of 16, she emigrated to Vancouver, Canada. In 1937, Peggy met Doll (Jeffery) Hansen and together they traveled on the Union Steamship to Cortes Island. She worked for Alice Robertson at Burnside in Whaletown, helping with the gardening, livestock and household chores. Peggy moved to Manson's Landing in the late 1960s, where she was active in the Community Club and took part in many social activities. She was crowned "Queen of Cortes" by acclamation at Cortes Day in 1979. There is a memorial to Peggy in the garden of the Cortes Island Museum.
Custodial History
Donated by Dennis Newsham and Frances Guthrie.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs of Cortes Island people and events, and one file of textual records, which includes a 13 verse poem by Mabel Christensen, "Picnic", about Cortes Island Day.
Storage Location
Photograph box 3 Small fonds box
Storage Range
Small fonds box 1-9
Name Access
Newsham, Peggy
Subject Access
Union Steamship Company
Transportation
Water transport
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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Part Of
Sedley Sweeny fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
Date Range
1985-2002
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of writings by Sedley Sweeny, including a book, "The Challenge of Smallholding", and two photographs of his sailboat, "Wild Rose".
Part Of
Sedley Sweeny fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Sweeny, Sedley
Fonds Number
2019.008
Material Type
textual records
Date Range
1985-2002
Physical Description
4 cm of textual records 2 photographs : colour
History / Biographical
Sedley Bell-Irving Sweeny (November 29, 1917 - December 19, 2013) was born in England. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a commission in the Royal Engineers and went on to serve in World War II with the 8th Army from El Alamein onwards, then in Sicily, Italy and Greece; he was awarded Military Cross for valour at the Garigliano River crossing in Jan.'44. He married Diana Game in 1941 and they had three daughters: Nicola, Terry and Robin. He retired from the army in 1957, bought a farm in Wales, and for the next thirty years devoted his energies to sustainable land management, self sufficiency and, increasingly, the welfare of marginalized people. With Diana, he managed an orphanage for Tibetan refugee children in Simla, India, on behalf of Save the Children Fund, subsequently founding The Society for Training in Rural Industries and Village Enterprises, through which he provided instruction and practical experience for Tibetan family groups on his farm. Sedley returned to BC in 1985, divorced and single again. At age 71 he rowed to Cortes from Vancouver, where he met and married his second wife, Trude Albright, in 1989. Sedley was a Self Sufficiency advocate promoting a Cortes wide vision of cooperation and skill sharing. He and Trude were involved in many Cortes community initiatives including an emergency first aid and ambulance service; the Friends of Cortes Association; the Cortes Ecoforestry Society; the Cortes Earmark Book of islander skills; and The Cooperation For Cortes Self Sufficiency. Many of the associated activities happened at Trude's Café. A skilled boat-builder, he converted a fishing boat into a junk-rigged yacht, and he also instructed Cortes youth in boatbuilding and sailing. Sedley died at home at the age of 96 and is buried in the Whaletown cemetery.
Custodial History
There is no accession record; fonds has been given an arbitrary FIC (Found In Collection) number based on the date of processing.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of writings by Sedley Sweeny, including a book, "The Challenge of Smallholding", and two photographs of his sailboat, "Wild Rose".
Storage Location
Small fonds box
Storage Range
Small fonds box 1-10 - 1-11
Subject Access
Health care
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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Part Of
Doreen Thompson fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
cartographic material
Accession Number
2006.001
Date Range
[192-]-2005
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.
Part Of
Doreen Thompson fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Thompson, Doreen
Fonds Number
2006.001
Accession Number
2006.001
Material Type
textual records
graphic material
cartographic material
Date Range
[192-]-2005
Physical Description
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.
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Manson's Landing
Whaletown
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Part Of
James Layton fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
Accession Number
2019.020; 2020.001
Date Range
1948-1981
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten diaries kept by James Layton, covering the years 1948-1981, and a Time Book. (Years 1967-1971 are missing.) Layton made brief daily entries in the diaries, noting the weather, activities, social interactions and, occasionally, notable external events. Typical activities included logging, fishing, working on an oyster lease, digging clams, gardening, visiting, reading and writing letters. Times of planting and harvesting the garden, sightings of wildlife, and names of people living nearby or visiting on boats are recorded.
Part Of
James Layton fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
2019.020
Accession Number
2019.020; 2020.001
Material Type
textual records
Date Range
1948-1981
Physical Description
20 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
James (Jimmy) George Layton (1897-1990) was born in Camberwell, England. He fought in World War I, was severely wounded when he flung himself on a grenade which had landed in his foxhole, and received a medal for his bravery. In 1920, Layton emigrated to Canada, where he found work in coastal logging camps. Other members of the family, including his parents and seven of his ten siblings, also moved to Canada. At the time of his father's death in 1939, Layton, his parents and three of his brothers were living on Thurlow Island. In the 1940s he moved to the head of Von Donop Inlet on Cortes Island. His float house was drawn up on the beach next to a little islet that was joined to the shore at low tide, where he cultivated a garden and orchard. Layton found work logging and caretaking for local camps active in Von Donop, and helping his brother on his oyster lease. He moved to Lund in 1972, where he passed away at the age of 92.
Custodial History
Diaries were given to Joan Bevington by her cousin Capt. Harrison Layton, the nephew of James Layton, for donation to CIMAS.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten diaries kept by James Layton, covering the years 1948-1981, and a Time Book. (Years 1967-1971 are missing.) Layton made brief daily entries in the diaries, noting the weather, activities, social interactions and, occasionally, notable external events. Typical activities included logging, fishing, working on an oyster lease, digging clams, gardening, visiting, reading and writing letters. Times of planting and harvesting the garden, sightings of wildlife, and names of people living nearby or visiting on boats are recorded.
Name Access
Layton, James
Subject Access
Logging
Fishing
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Von Donop Inlet
Powell River
Related Material
CIMAS Photograph Collection: Items 2019.003.135, .136, and .137 Mary & Otto Weiler fonds 2003.002: Series 4 - Von Donop series
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Part Of
Donald Palmer fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1927-1984
Scope and Content
Fonds contains nine photographs depicting members of the Gibson and Palmer families who lived in Squirrel Cove; one large map (6 x 3 feet) showing the preemptions and homesteads of early Cortes settlers; and an account written by Etta (McKay) Byers of her Christmas in 1927.
Part Of
Donald Palmer fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Palmer, Donald
Fonds Number
2020.002
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1927-1984
Physical Description
9 photographs : b&w 1 map : 188 x 92 cm 5 pages of textual records
History / Biographical
Donald Palmer went to school on Cortes Island in the 1960s. His father, James Palmer, was born in 1927 to Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Cliff Palmer, who lived on the homestead of Lizzie's parents, Agnes and James Gibson, in Squirrel Cove. Their large property was on the uphill side of the road across from Tork Road.
Custodial History
Donated to CIMAS in July, 2020, by Donald Palmer
Scope and Content
Fonds contains nine photographs depicting members of the Gibson and Palmer families who lived in Squirrel Cove; one large map (6 x 3 feet) showing the preemptions and homesteads of early Cortes settlers; and an account written by Etta (McKay) Byers of her Christmas in 1927.
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Small fonds box
Name Access
Palmer, Donald
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Squirrel Cove
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Part Of
Eleanor Milne fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Accession Number
2004.005
Date Range
[ca. late 1800s-ca. 1969]
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of one scrapbook with 20 pages of photographs depicting Cortes Island people and places. Photographs, with penciled captions, are pasted onto the pages. Pages have been interleaved for conservation. There are also nine loose photographs of relatives from a later accrual, and a file of textual records from a third accrual.
Part Of
Eleanor Milne fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Milne, Eleanor
Fonds Number
2004.005
Accession Number
2004.005
Material Type
graphic material
textual records
Date Range
[ca. late 1800s-ca. 1969]
Physical Description
1 album (69 photographs : b&w)
9 photographs : b&w and col.
1 file of textual records
History / Biographical
Eleanor (Christensen) Milne is a third generation Cortes Islander. Her parents are Mabel (Lowe) and Buster Christensen; her grandparents are Henry and Lydia (Heay) Hague. The Christensen/Hague families lived in the Manson's Lagoon area.
Custodial History
Album was donated to CIMAS by Eleanor Milne in 2004, and an accrual of nine photographs was donated in 2019.
Textual records were donated anonymously to the Museum in 2021 and have been described as part of this fonds as they are Milne/Hague family records.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of one scrapbook with 20 pages of photographs depicting Cortes Island people and places. Photographs, with penciled captions, are pasted onto the pages. Pages have been interleaved for conservation. There are also nine loose photographs of relatives from a later accrual, and a file of textual records from a third accrual.
Storage Location
Oversize materials box
Photo box 3
Small fonds box
Name Access
Milne, Eleanor
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