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.
Info on Southern Cortes Community Association, 1956-2017. Info on building a new Manson's community hall, 1978-1979. Clippings, and emails regarding hall, and full issue of The Howling Wolf, 1982-2019. Additional info on history of Manson's hall, grant application, and community hall and tax service.
Info on Southern Cortes Community Association, 1956-2017. Info on building a new Manson's community hall, 1978-1979. Clippings, and emails regarding hall, and full issue of The Howling Wolf, 1982-2019. Additional info on history of Manson's hall, grant application, and community hall and tax service.
Clippings and emails with info on park, 1973-2018. Mansons Landing Provincial Park Master Plan, Province of British Columbia, 1987. Info packet "Fauna and Flora Associated with Manson's Lagoon, a portion of Manson's Landing Park," Fred and Ruth Zwickel, 2003. Info on Robert James Taylor, title holder of Manson's Landing in 1966-1967, received in 2010.
Clippings and emails with info on park, 1973-2018. Mansons Landing Provincial Park Master Plan, Province of British Columbia, 1987. Info packet "Fauna and Flora Associated with Manson's Lagoon, a portion of Manson's Landing Park," Fred and Ruth Zwickel, 2003. Info on Robert James Taylor, title holder of Manson's Landing in 1966-1967, received in 2010.
Info and photographs on history of businesses in Manson's Landing, from CIMAS "Manson's Landing & Lagoon" photo album, 1880s-1996. Documents for the operation of Manson's Landing store: Grant of Concession and additional documents; mandatory site inspection documents; and tender for operation, 1985. Correspondence re Robert James Taylor, owner of the store in 1966/67.
Info and photographs on history of businesses in Manson's Landing, from CIMAS "Manson's Landing & Lagoon" photo album, 1880s-1996. Documents for the operation of Manson's Landing store: Grant of Concession and additional documents; mandatory site inspection documents; and tender for operation, 1985. Correspondence re Robert James Taylor, owner of the store in 1966/67.
Historical info packets on history of colonization and early settlers, including info on the park and lagoon, from 1886 onwards. Timeline of early settlers, 1887-1940s. Publications of "Manson's Landing Mirror," Peg Pyner, 1954-1958. Transcribed interviews: Bert and Ken Summers in conversation with Susan Ellingsen, Dianne Hentschel and Doreen Thompson, 2005; Sue Ellingsen, Doreen Thompson, and Dianne Hentschel in conversation with Maryann McCoy, Anne Barton, and Fred Reedel; interview with Barbie Pyner; and interview with Nancy Anderson. Info on Heay Family and George Leask. Excerpts from: The Log, 1940-1946; Goosegrass and Buttercups, D.C. Kirk; The Columbia is Coming; Chalkdust & Outhouses, Barbara Ann Lambert; Seven-Knot Summers, Beth Hill; and PHSC Journal, 2012. Play script, "Gracious Living." Additional info in clippings, handwritten notes, pictures, and emails.
Historical info packets on history of colonization and early settlers, including info on the park and lagoon, from 1886 onwards. Timeline of early settlers, 1887-1940s. Publications of "Manson's Landing Mirror," Peg Pyner, 1954-1958. Transcribed interviews: Bert and Ken Summers in conversation with Susan Ellingsen, Dianne Hentschel and Doreen Thompson, 2005; Sue Ellingsen, Doreen Thompson, and Dianne Hentschel in conversation with Maryann McCoy, Anne Barton, and Fred Reedel; interview with Barbie Pyner; and interview with Nancy Anderson. Info on Heay Family and George Leask. Excerpts from: The Log, 1940-1946; Goosegrass and Buttercups, D.C. Kirk; The Columbia is Coming; Chalkdust & Outhouses, Barbara Ann Lambert; Seven-Knot Summers, Beth Hill; and PHSC Journal, 2012. Play script, "Gracious Living." Additional info in clippings, handwritten notes, pictures, and emails.
This folder is for the copies of Peg Pyner's column, "Manson's Landing Mirror," containing a wealth of information on local people and daily happenings, 1954-1958
This folder is for the copies of Peg Pyner's column, "Manson's Landing Mirror," containing a wealth of information on local people and daily happenings, 1954-1958
Email from Richard Lawton with aerial photographs and map of the Lawton land between Beasley and Cemetery Road, from a meeting on July 18, 2008. 10-part series of articles written by Lawton entitled "The End of an Era," published in the Cortes Marketer, 2013
Email from Richard Lawton with aerial photographs and map of the Lawton land between Beasley and Cemetery Road, from a meeting on July 18, 2008. 10-part series of articles written by Lawton entitled "The End of an Era," published in the Cortes Marketer, 2013
BC gov pamphlets from Victoria: Purchase and Lease of Crown Lands, Travel Bureau, Department of Trade and Industry, 1945; The Acquisition of Crown Lands, Lands Service, Deaprtment of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources, 1962
BC gov pamphlets from Victoria: Purchase and Lease of Crown Lands, Travel Bureau, Department of Trade and Industry, 1945; The Acquisition of Crown Lands, Lands Service, Deaprtment of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources, 1962
Folder labelled Bee Islets Growers Corporation Financial Statement Year Ended December 31, 2007 containing three CD's labelled "A History of Cortes Isl Shellfish," "Misty Isles Oysters," and "Oyster April 06"; printed photographs of shellfish farming; Cortes Women in the Shellfish Industry; laminated photographs from Misty Isles Adventures. And Cortes Island shellfish features printouts from www.cortesshellfish.ca
Folder labelled Bee Islets Growers Corporation Financial Statement Year Ended December 31, 2007 containing three CD's labelled "A History of Cortes Isl Shellfish," "Misty Isles Oysters," and "Oyster April 06"; printed photographs of shellfish farming; Cortes Women in the Shellfish Industry; laminated photographs from Misty Isles Adventures. And Cortes Island shellfish features printouts from www.cortesshellfish.ca
Information packets on the flaura, fauna, and marine life of Manson's Lagoon from CIMAS, Fred and Ruth Zwickel, Sierra Sullivan, and others, 1990-2007. Transcript from Ken Summers in conversation with Susan Ellingsen, Dianne Hentschel and Doreen Thompson, 2005.
Information packets on the flaura, fauna, and marine life of Manson's Lagoon from CIMAS, Fred and Ruth Zwickel, Sierra Sullivan, and others, 1990-2007. Transcript from Ken Summers in conversation with Susan Ellingsen, Dianne Hentschel and Doreen Thompson, 2005.
Wealth of typed historical information on Manson family dating back to mid 1800s, including excerpt from Chalkdust and Outhouses, by Lambert; and "Cortez History: Manson Family," by Etta Byers. Manson genealogical information, handwritten notes on family trees. Photocopies from CIMAS Photo Albums with photographs and info, 1910-1936. Excerpt of From Shetland to British Columbia, Alaska and the United States, Sinclair Thomson Duncan, 1911. Letters to/from Mansons, 1923-2013. Various magazine and newspaper excerpts, 1923-2013. Info on Alexander Malcolm Manson. Info on Shetland Islands. Photographs. Emails, 2005-2017.
Wealth of typed historical information on Manson family dating back to mid 1800s, including excerpt from Chalkdust and Outhouses, by Lambert; and "Cortez History: Manson Family," by Etta Byers. Manson genealogical information, handwritten notes on family trees. Photocopies from CIMAS Photo Albums with photographs and info, 1910-1936. Excerpt of From Shetland to British Columbia, Alaska and the United States, Sinclair Thomson Duncan, 1911. Letters to/from Mansons, 1923-2013. Various magazine and newspaper excerpts, 1923-2013. Info on Alexander Malcolm Manson. Info on Shetland Islands. Photographs. Emails, 2005-2017.
Manson genealogical information from late 1700s onward. Government certificates of banns & marriage, John Manson and Margaret Ellen Smith, late 1800s. Info on Raven Farm; Sunnybrae Farm, early 1900s. Photocopied letters, early 1900s. Letters from Education Office, 1914. Military papers for John Manson, 1917. Issue of Campbell River Courier, 1957. Newspaper excerpt about Manson Family, undated. Info on Mansons Landing Cemetery. Emails, 2013-2015.
Manson genealogical information from late 1700s onward. Government certificates of banns & marriage, John Manson and Margaret Ellen Smith, late 1800s. Info on Raven Farm; Sunnybrae Farm, early 1900s. Photocopied letters, early 1900s. Letters from Education Office, 1914. Military papers for John Manson, 1917. Issue of Campbell River Courier, 1957. Newspaper excerpt about Manson Family, undated. Info on Mansons Landing Cemetery. Emails, 2013-2015.
Typed up information including newspaper excerpts including info from Shetland Islands, Scotland, "Story of the Weeks" by Peg Pyner (1950s), a letter from Mike to John Manson (1923), and general info on Manson family early days, from late 1800s-mid 1950s. Certificate of Competency as Master of a Passenger Steamer, M. Manson, 1890s; and info on M. Manson's Steam Tug Stella, 1892. Info on Read Island Murder Mystery, early 1900s. Info on Steam Donkey explosion @ Hague Lake, 1923. M. Manson diary from trip to Washington, 1923. Letters from Wilfred Freeman (grandson of M. Manson) from 2005 re: "Sketches from the Life of Michael Manson," 1932. Excerpt from The Log, 1944. Info on Murder at Savary Island, published in 1982. Excerpt from Seven Knot Summers, Beth Hill. Genealogical info, charts, old letters. Additonal keywords: Columbia Coast Mission; Queen's Tyee
Typed up information including newspaper excerpts including info from Shetland Islands, Scotland, "Story of the Weeks" by Peg Pyner (1950s), a letter from Mike to John Manson (1923), and general info on Manson family early days, from late 1800s-mid 1950s. Certificate of Competency as Master of a Passenger Steamer, M. Manson, 1890s; and info on M. Manson's Steam Tug Stella, 1892. Info on Read Island Murder Mystery, early 1900s. Info on Steam Donkey explosion @ Hague Lake, 1923. M. Manson diary from trip to Washington, 1923. Letters from Wilfred Freeman (grandson of M. Manson) from 2005 re: "Sketches from the Life of Michael Manson," 1932. Excerpt from The Log, 1944. Info on Murder at Savary Island, published in 1982. Excerpt from Seven Knot Summers, Beth Hill. Genealogical info, charts, old letters. Additonal keywords: Columbia Coast Mission; Queen's Tyee
Blog posts from Mike Manson, Sunnybrae, 2016-2020. Historical info on Sunnybrae, early 1900s. Maps and Sunnybrae site plan. Crown Grant for Sunnybrae, 1893.
Blog posts from Mike Manson, Sunnybrae, 2016-2020. Historical info on Sunnybrae, early 1900s. Maps and Sunnybrae site plan. Crown Grant for Sunnybrae, 1893.
