Series consists of documents pertaining to the Whaletown Cemetery, including original draft of "Rules and Regulations Governing the Operation of the Whaletown Cemetery, Whaletown, B.C." (1970s), Whaletown Cemetery Board meeting minutes, a map of the old cemetery, and newspaper clipping of obituaries for Norene Kvello and Richard Irwin Teames. Series was removed from a binder when accessioned.
Series consists of documents pertaining to the Whaletown Cemetery, including original draft of "Rules and Regulations Governing the Operation of the Whaletown Cemetery, Whaletown, B.C." (1970s), Whaletown Cemetery Board meeting minutes, a map of the old cemetery, and newspaper clipping of obituaries for Norene Kvello and Richard Irwin Teames. Series was removed from a binder when accessioned.
File contains correspondence with School District 72 re the old Whaletown school property and building; a Bill of Sale for the school house for $1; a License Agreement for the school property for a term of 5 years for a fee of $150/year; a request to extend the lease for another 5 years (2015) and a receipt for payment of the annual lease fee (July 1 2015-June 30 2016).
File contains correspondence with School District 72 re the old Whaletown school property and building; a Bill of Sale for the school house for $1; a License Agreement for the school property for a term of 5 years for a fee of $150/year; a request to extend the lease for another 5 years (2015) and a receipt for payment of the annual lease fee (July 1 2015-June 30 2016).
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.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes, including minutes for a special meeting regarding the Old Whaletown School building, with related correspondence, bulletins, membership lists and financial reports. Of particular interest is correspondence pertaining to the Old Whaletown School site and correspondence with Regional Director J.R. Nursall.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes, including minutes for a special meeting regarding the Old Whaletown School building, with related correspondence, bulletins, membership lists and financial reports. Of particular interest is correspondence pertaining to the Old Whaletown School site and correspondence with Regional Director J.R. Nursall.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes, bulletins, advertising materials, memos, accounting statements, and correspondence. Of note is correspondence with Fisheries and Oceans Canada regarding the Gorge Harbour Wharf.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes, bulletins, advertising materials, memos, accounting statements, and correspondence. Of note is correspondence with Fisheries and Oceans Canada regarding the Gorge Harbour Wharf.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes with associated correspondence, membership lists, bulletins, membership applications, and advertising materials.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes with associated correspondence, membership lists, bulletins, membership applications, and advertising materials.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes, correspondence, executive membership lists, bulletins, membership applications, WCC Social Profile, membership lists, advertising materials, bulletins, events lists, and financial reports. Minutes mention Norberto de la Vega's initial proposal to use the old Whaletown schoolhouse as an art gallery.
File contains executive and general meeting minutes, correspondence, executive membership lists, bulletins, membership applications, WCC Social Profile, membership lists, advertising materials, bulletins, events lists, and financial reports. Minutes mention Norberto de la Vega's initial proposal to use the old Whaletown schoolhouse as an art gallery.
File contains membership lists, executive membership lists, bulletins, executive and general meeting minutes, correspondence, advertising materials, membership applications, financial reports, events lists, Gorge Hall building report, and invoices. Of particular interest is a letter from Doreen Thompson regarding the Gorge Hall Christmas dinner.
File contains membership lists, executive membership lists, bulletins, executive and general meeting minutes, correspondence, advertising materials, membership applications, financial reports, events lists, Gorge Hall building report, and invoices. Of particular interest is a letter from Doreen Thompson regarding the Gorge Hall Christmas dinner.
File contains newsletters, correspondence, annual report, project list, and social activities list. Of note, a letter from Don Maclean about the beginnings of the Whaletown Community Club
File contains newsletters, correspondence, annual report, project list, and social activities list. Of note, a letter from Don Maclean about the beginnings of the Whaletown Community Club
