File consists of three copies of the Handbook of BC Women's Institutes; the BCWI News (3 issues 1960; 4 issues 1964); Notice of Meeting cards (blank); two copies of the Institute Ode; the WI prayer; constitution and by-laws. Material was originally in the possession of Gilean Douglas.
File consists of three copies of the Handbook of BC Women's Institutes; the BCWI News (3 issues 1960; 4 issues 1964); Notice of Meeting cards (blank); two copies of the Institute Ode; the WI prayer; constitution and by-laws. Material was originally in the possession of Gilean Douglas.
File contains an advertising brochure of the Union Steamship company, including a menu, and a catalog of telephone supplies used while installing the Cortes Grapevine local telephone system.
File contains an advertising brochure of the Union Steamship company, including a menu, and a catalog of telephone supplies used while installing the Cortes Grapevine local telephone system.
Sous-fonds consists of records of the Cortes Island Women's Institute. It is arranged in nine series: Minutes, Reports, Financial, Administrative Records, Correspondence, Subject Files, Ephemera, Photographs and Artifacts.
The Cortes Island Women's institute was formed in 1984. Although Cortes Island had historically been difficult to traverse, and the communities consequently insular, by the 1980s the road systems were such that "a Women's Institute for the whole of Cortes Island" seemed to make sense.
CIWI was founded with the bank balance of a Manson's Landing service group called the Ladies Guild, which was founded in the 1940s. When membership and activity in the guild declined in the 1970s, the focus was shifted to a renovation and addition to Manson's Hall. Once the Hall had been sufficiently updated, it was thought that the remaining funds might be put to use "creating an instrument for better communication between all our women and a chance to work together in the community".
Charter members of the CIWI were Heather Berry, Peggy Newsham, Maryann McCoy, Linda Hendricks, and Mary Block.
Custodial History
Records were donated to CIMAS by the Island Women's Club in 2009.
Scope and Content
Sous-fonds consists of records of the Cortes Island Women's Institute. It is arranged in nine series: Minutes, Reports, Financial, Administrative Records, Correspondence, Subject Files, Ephemera, Photographs and Artifacts.
File consists of histories of the past and present Women's Institutes on Cortes Island, including handwritten histories by May Elliingsen; notes for the histories; material regarding a luncheon of past members held to collect WI recollections.
File consists of histories of the past and present Women's Institutes on Cortes Island, including handwritten histories by May Elliingsen; notes for the histories; material regarding a luncheon of past members held to collect WI recollections.
File consists of papers about the start of the local Women's Institutes, including a letter by May Ellingsen outlining the history of the women's service groups in Manson's Landing.
File consists of papers about the start of the local Women's Institutes, including a letter by May Ellingsen outlining the history of the women's service groups in Manson's Landing.
A description of the event may be found in “Whistle Up the Inlet,” by G.A. Rushton (J.J. Douglas Ltd., Vancouver BC,1974; p 50):
"Good teamwork in the handling of the ships by the Union Company’s marine department was evidenced when, on September 19, 1907, at 4:30 a.m., the Comox, running in a heavy fog, went aground on Cortez Island reef. All passengers were landed safely in small boats, then picked up by the Cassiar and taken to Heriot Bay for transfer to their destination aboard the Coquitlam. The Comox was pulled from her rocky perch at high water the following day and beached at Mansons, where a three-foot hole between the boiler and starboard bunker were patched. The vessel was towed back to Vancouver on September 22 by the tug Tartar.”
A description of the event may be found in “Whistle Up the Inlet,” by G.A. Rushton (J.J. Douglas Ltd., Vancouver BC,1974; p 50):
"Good teamwork in the handling of the ships by the Union Company’s marine department was evidenced when, on September 19, 1907, at 4:30 a.m., the Comox, running in a heavy fog, went aground on Cortez Island reef. All passengers were landed safely in small boats, then picked up by the Cassiar and taken to Heriot Bay for transfer to their destination aboard the Coquitlam. The Comox was pulled from her rocky perch at high water the following day and beached at Mansons, where a three-foot hole between the boiler and starboard bunker were patched. The vessel was towed back to Vancouver on September 22 by the tug Tartar.”