File contains an agreement passing the responsibility for the Church Hall (at the corner of Harbour road next to the first Whaletown cemetery) from the Whaletown Community Club to the Whaletown Women's Institute. At that time, the Gorge Harbour Community Hall Society turned the Gorge Hall over to the Whaletown Community Club.
File contains an agreement passing the responsibility for the Church Hall (at the corner of Harbour road next to the first Whaletown cemetery) from the Whaletown Community Club to the Whaletown Women's Institute. At that time, the Gorge Harbour Community Hall Society turned the Gorge Hall over to the Whaletown Community Club.
Sous-fonds consists of records created by the Whaletown Women's Institute. It is arranged in seven series: Minutes Series, Financial Series, Administrative Records Series, Reports Series, Correspondence Series, Projects Series and Ephemera Series.
The Whaletown Women's Institute was formed in 1920 as the Friendship Circle, became a branch of the Women's Institute in 1923, and disbanded in 1963. During its years of activity, the WWI actively worked for local improvement. Projects included initiating a library service, donating books to the school, arranging for regular visits of a doctor and dentist, hosting an annual Christmas party and providing gifts for all the Whaletown children, maintaining the cemetery, fund-raising for a school playground, financing firefighting equipment and installing an emergency telephone network.
Custodial History
Records were donated to CIMAS by the Island Women's Club in 2009.
Scope and Content
Sous-fonds consists of records created by the Whaletown Women's Institute. It is arranged in seven series: Minutes Series, Financial Series, Administrative Records Series, Reports Series, Correspondence Series, Projects Series and Ephemera Series.
File consists of master pages of a fund-raising cookbook produced by the Whaletown Women's Institute. Typed recipes are pasted onto construction paper sheets; sheets are crumbling.
Complete copies of the cookbook may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds and the Island Women's Club fonds.
File consists of master pages of a fund-raising cookbook produced by the Whaletown Women's Institute. Typed recipes are pasted onto construction paper sheets; sheets are crumbling.
Complete copies of the cookbook may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds and the Island Women's Club fonds.
Fonds consists of textual records generated by the Whaletown Women's Institute organized into seven series: Minutes, Financial Records, Administrative Records, Reports, Projects, Correspondence and Notes.
The Whaletown Women's Institute (WWI) began in 1920 as the Friendship Circle. In 1923 it became a branch of the Women's Institute, a community service organization for women with the goals of fostering the skills of rural women, improving their lives and works, and celebrating their achievements. During its years of activity, the WWI was very active in working for local improvement. Some of their projects included initiating a library service, donating books to the school, arranging for regular visits of a doctor and dentist, hosting an annual Christmas party and providing gifts for all the Whaletown children, maintaining the cemetery, fund-raising for a school playground, financing firefighting equipment and installing an emergency telephone network. The WWI was disbanded in 1963.
Custodial History
These records of the Whaletown Women's Institute were held by Gilean Douglas, a past officer in the WWI and author of a history of the Women's Institutes in Canada. Upon her death, they went into the possession of her literary executer, Gillian Milton, who turned them over to the Cortes Island Women's Institute. They were subsequently returned to her custody, and donated to CIMAS.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of textual records generated by the Whaletown Women's Institute organized into seven series: Minutes, Financial Records, Administrative Records, Reports, Projects, Correspondence and Notes.
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.
Series consists of publicity articles written by Douglas for the Women's Institute during her term as Publicity Convener, and reports, speeches and notes from her activities on the provincial and national boards.
Series consists of publicity articles written by Douglas for the Women's Institute during her term as Publicity Convener, and reports, speeches and notes from her activities on the provincial and national boards.
Photograph of the Whaletown Women's Institute and school children at the Whaletown school on the occasion of the presentation of a library to the school. (ID)
Seated women from right: Milly Hill, Barbara Hunt, ?
In truck: Lynn and Ann Robertson
Men: Mr. Philip Douglas, School Rep, Mr. A. Ferguson, teacher, facing the camera
Seated children: Doreen Huck, Andy Robertson behind her
Standing women: Muriel Whiting, third from right; Mrs. Ferguson behind her
Photograph of the Whaletown Women's Institute and school children at the Whaletown school on the occasion of the presentation of a library to the school. (ID)
Seated women from right: Milly Hill, Barbara Hunt, ?
In truck: Lynn and Ann Robertson
Men: Mr. Philip Douglas, School Rep, Mr. A. Ferguson, teacher, facing the camera
Seated children: Doreen Huck, Andy Robertson behind her
Standing women: Muriel Whiting, third from right; Mrs. Ferguson behind her
Group photo of a Women's Institute meeting at the Smith property at Seaford.
Standing, left to right, Betty Jeffery holding Joan Jeffery, Eva Freeman, Mrs. Mary Jeffery, Florence McKay, Isla Forrest, Anna Middleton, Mrs. Cowan, May Easton, Mrs. Ada Easton (cook and partner for Walter Hansen Log), Mrs. Henry (Rose) Tiber, Jack Manson, Harry (Jr.) Middleton.
Kneeling in front, left to right, Nellie Jeffery and Julia Smith.
Group photo of a Women's Institute meeting at the Smith property at Seaford.
Standing, left to right, Betty Jeffery holding Joan Jeffery, Eva Freeman, Mrs. Mary Jeffery, Florence McKay, Isla Forrest, Anna Middleton, Mrs. Cowan, May Easton, Mrs. Ada Easton (cook and partner for Walter Hansen Log), Mrs. Henry (Rose) Tiber, Jack Manson, Harry (Jr.) Middleton.
Kneeling in front, left to right, Nellie Jeffery and Julia Smith.
Fonds consists of the records of the Whaletown Community Club from 1951 to 2016. The first accession (2003.003) consists of records from 1951 to 1985 and includes minutes of general and executive meetings, correspondence, administrative records including the original constitution and bylaws, financial records and reports on projects and functions sponsored by the organization. Files from Accession 2003.003 are described in five series: 1) Minutes; 2) Correspondence; 3) Financial; 4) Administrative Records; 5) Subject Files.
Accruals in 2017 (#2017.009) and in 2023 (#2023.008) comprise records of the Whaletown Community Club from 1985 to 2018, including minutes of executive and general meetings, financial statements, correspondence, and records of projects and programs. The material was kept in binders; it has been placed in folders maintaining original order, and described using the above five series.
The beginning of the Whaletown Community Club is unclear as almost all the Club's records were destroyed in a fire in 1950; the earliest records still existing date from 1948. (See Gilean Douglas fonds, Series 8). The WCC became a registered society in 1953 when the Gorge Harbour Community Hall Society disbanded and turned ownership of the Gorge Hall over to the Whaletown Community Club.
The activities of the Club are carried on chiefly within the Whaletown postal area, and are intended to promote the interests of the community in matters of general welfare, to sponsor recreational and sports activities, and to hold land and premises necessary for Club activities. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the Club was a channel through which Whaletown residents organized health and educational services and lobbied for better roads, hydro and ferry service, as well as sponsoring social events. From 1978 until 2010 it sponsored the Whaletown National Enquirer, a monthly community newspaper.
A main function of the Whaletown Community Club is the maintenance of the Gorge Harbour Community Hall. Originally built in 1933, it has been renovated several times and serves as the main venue for community functions in the Whaletown area. Until 1953, when the lease was turned over to the Whaletown Women's Institute, the Club maintained the Church Hall, which was owned by the Columbia Coast Mission and stood at the corner of Carrington Bay and Harbour roads. Before 1958 the Club held most of its meetings in the Church Hall.
Since 1958, when the Whaletown Women's Institute disbanded, the WCC has maintained the library in Whaletown (originally the Farmer's Institute building; now the Louisa Tooker Library) and the old and new Whaletown cemeteries. The Anglican Diocese transferred the title of the two Whaletown cemeteries to the WCC in 2012. In 1964 they acquired the lease for the last remaining piece of Crown land with access to Gorge Harbour, to preserve it as a park. They have leased the former Whaletown school property from the School Board since the school was closed in 1973, and purchased the schoolhouse for the sum of $1.00 in 2010.
Custodial History
Records were acquired directly from the Whaletown Community Club in 2003 (Accession 2003.003), 2017 (Accession 2017.009) and 2023 (Accession 2023.008). A few records were separated from the Cortes Island Ratepayers Assn. fonds in 2004 (records for both organizations had been kept in the same filing cabinet in the Gorge Hall).
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the records of the Whaletown Community Club from 1951 to 2016. The first accession (2003.003) consists of records from 1951 to 1985 and includes minutes of general and executive meetings, correspondence, administrative records including the original constitution and bylaws, financial records and reports on projects and functions sponsored by the organization. Files from Accession 2003.003 are described in five series: 1) Minutes; 2) Correspondence; 3) Financial; 4) Administrative Records; 5) Subject Files.
Accruals in 2017 (#2017.009) and in 2023 (#2023.008) comprise records of the Whaletown Community Club from 1985 to 2018, including minutes of executive and general meetings, financial statements, correspondence, and records of projects and programs. The material was kept in binders; it has been placed in folders maintaining original order, and described using the above five series.
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.
This is a recording of a skit to be performed by the Cortes Island Women's Institute, with all four parts read by Lillian Nesling. It is recorded over a music tape.
This is a recording of a skit to be performed by the Cortes Island Women's Institute, with all four parts read by Lillian Nesling. It is recorded over a music tape.
