"Stories from the Fishing Fleet" Bobby Ballantyne, in conversation with Dianne Hentschel and Doreen Thompson, at her home in Campbell River, 2003. Obituary for Mrs M. Elizabeth (Bobby) Ballantyne in CR Mirror, 2009. Post in CR Mirror "Heroes and Zeros" re: the nurses and caregivers that cared for Bobby in her final days, 2009. Email from Lynne Jordan re: passing of Bobby and photo albums from early life in the Gorge Harbour, 2009.
"Stories from the Fishing Fleet" Bobby Ballantyne, in conversation with Dianne Hentschel and Doreen Thompson, at her home in Campbell River, 2003. Obituary for Mrs M. Elizabeth (Bobby) Ballantyne in CR Mirror, 2009. Post in CR Mirror "Heroes and Zeros" re: the nurses and caregivers that cared for Bobby in her final days, 2009. Email from Lynne Jordan re: passing of Bobby and photo albums from early life in the Gorge Harbour, 2009.
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 a wall.
Back, L to R: Jenny Morton, Doug Morton, Rollo Boas, Zelda Landsvik, Kathleen (Kay) Boas, Meg Shaw, Ernie Kean
Front, L to R: Rollie Wilkins, Vi Wilkins, Olie Landsvik, Alice Thiel, Bill Thiel,
Photograph of a group of people, in front of a wall.
Back, L to R: Jenny Morton, Doug Morton, Rollo Boas, Zelda Landsvik, Kathleen (Kay) Boas, Meg Shaw, Ernie Kean
Front, L to R: Rollie Wilkins, Vi Wilkins, Olie Landsvik, Alice Thiel, Bill Thiel,
File contains photograph loan agreements with the Campbell River Museum for photographs May Ellingsen was borrowing from Cortes Island settler families for reproduction by the Campbell River Museum.
File contains photograph loan agreements with the Campbell River Museum for photographs May Ellingsen was borrowing from Cortes Island settler families for reproduction by the Campbell River Museum.
File contains May Ellingsen's notes on a project, sponsored by the Campbell River Museum, to find and preserve old photographs of the area. It also contains correspondence from Sue Hetherington on island settlement history.
File contains May Ellingsen's notes on a project, sponsored by the Campbell River Museum, to find and preserve old photographs of the area. It also contains correspondence from Sue Hetherington on island settlement history.
Series consists of photographs collected by May Ellingsen during her activities documenting the history of Cortes Island. Most of the photographs date from the first half of the 1900s and include pictures of the Manson and other Cortes Island settler families, places and events. A set of photographs from Slim Barnard of the Happy Ranch contains pictures of Cortes Island and B.C. from the 1950s.
Some of the photographs are copies of historic Cortes photographs which were collected by May Ellingsen and reproduced by the Campbell River Museum in 1985. Where known, the Campbell River Museum number is indicated. (See 2004.002 - May Ellingsen fonds.)
Series consists of photographs collected by May Ellingsen during her activities documenting the history of Cortes Island. Most of the photographs date from the first half of the 1900s and include pictures of the Manson and other Cortes Island settler families, places and events. A set of photographs from Slim Barnard of the Happy Ranch contains pictures of Cortes Island and B.C. from the 1950s.
Some of the photographs are copies of historic Cortes photographs which were collected by May Ellingsen and reproduced by the Campbell River Museum in 1985. Where known, the Campbell River Museum number is indicated. (See 2004.002 - May Ellingsen fonds.)
