Fonds consists of the personal records of Gilean Douglas which were produced and received during her personal and literary activities. There is some material dating from Douglas's early life, but the bulk of it dates from 1948 to 1993 and directly concerns her life on Cortes Island. Because of Douglas's involvement in the public life of the island, and her interest in local history, her papers contain a great deal of information about the political, community and social life of Cortes Island, particularly the Whaletown area. Fonds is composed of eighteen series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; Literary Records; Regional Director for Area I (Cortes Island); Women's Institute; Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church; School District #72; Whaletown Community Club; Channel Rock; Research; "The Log" of the Columbia Coast Mission; Journals and Notebooks; Illustrations and Sketches; Ephemera; Clippings; Maps; Albums; Photographs.
1.9 m of textual records; ca. 2,352 photographic records (1147 prints : b&w and col. - ca. 560 negatives : b&w and col. negatives ; 35 mm and 14 x 11 cm or smaller - 645 slides : col. slides ; 35 mm); 1 cm of graphic material; 8 maps.
Extent
1.9
History / Biographical
Gilean Douglas was born in Toronto, Ont. In 1900. Orphaned at the age of 16, she began to work as a free-lance writer and photographer. Over her lifetime her work appeared in more than 200 publications, often published under pseudonyms (Grant Madison, Armoral Kent and Jill MacLean). Douglas published eight books of poetry and three books of non-fiction, and, from 1961 to 1992, wrote a regular column, “Nature Rambles”, for the Victoria Times-Colonist.
In 1939, following the collapse of her third marriage, Douglas moved from Ontario to an isolated cabin in the mountains near Hope, B.C. Her first two books of nature writing (one published under the name Grant Madison) document her life there. Her cabin was destroyed by fire in 1947 and two years later she moved to a 138-acre waterfront homestead on Cortes Island with her fourth husband, Philip Douglas, (née Major). Her marriage ended in 1953, but she remained there until her death in 1993. Her home at Channel Rock was isolated, with no road access and no electricity. Douglas had a large garden, and supplemented her writing income by selling produce and plants. She was a volunteer Weather Observer for Environment Canada for 33 years, receiving several awards for her service. Starting in the 1960s, her writing centered increasingly on her life at Channel Rock. Her "Nature Rambles" columns and book "The Protected Place" reflect her life on the island.
During her years on Cortes Island, Douglas took a leading role in community affairs and local politics. She held office in several community organizations and acted as a school trustee. As a member of the Women's Institute, she held local, district, provincial and national office, edited a book on its history, and was awarded a Life Membership in 1989. Douglas was a member of the first Cortes Island Advisory Planning Commission and represented Cortes on the Regional Board of Comox-Strathcona as Alternate Director from 1968 to 1973 and as Director from 1973 until 1977.
List of Book Publications:
1952 Now the Green Word (Wings Press, Mill Valley, Ca.)
1953 Poetic Plush (The Story Book Press, Dallas, Texas)
1953 River For My Sidewalk (by “Grant Madison”; J. M. Dent & Sons, Toronto, Ont.)
1954 The Pattern Set (Quality Press, Montreal, Quebec)
1959 Modern Pioneers (a history of the Women's Institute, ed. by Douglas; Evergreen Press)
1967 Seascape With Figures (Prairie Press, Iowa City, Iowa)
1973 Now In This Night (Harlo Press, Detroit, Mi.)
1978 Silence Is My Homeland (Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pa.)
1979 The Protected Place (Gray’s Publishing, Sidney, B.C.)
1982 Prodigal (Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, B.C.)
1984 River For My Sidewalk (by Gilean Douglas; Sono Nis Press)
1985 Kodachromes at Midday (Sono Nis Press)
1992 Seascape With Figures - Poems Selected and New (Sono Nis Press)
Custodial History
Upon Douglas’ death in 1993 her papers were gathered from her house by her literary executor, Gillian Milton. Douglas’ will directed that her papers and photographs be turned over to the University of British Columbia (Douglas’ primary beneficiary), after being examined and used for literary purposes including publication or biography. Accordingly, Milton inventoried the records, and with Andrea Lebowitz made use of them for a biography and anthology of the writings of Douglas, "Gilean Douglas: Writing Nature, Finding Home" (Lebowitz and Milton, Sono Nis Press, 1999). The textual records were turned over to University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections in December 1999; the photographic records in 2002. By agreement with UBC, the records and photographs which have to do primarily with Cortes Island were turned over to the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society (Manson's Landing, B.C.) in 1999.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal records of Gilean Douglas which were produced and received during her personal and literary activities. There is some material dating from Douglas's early life, but the bulk of it dates from 1948 to 1993 and directly concerns her life on Cortes Island. Because of Douglas's involvement in the public life of the island, and her interest in local history, her papers contain a great deal of information about the political, community and social life of Cortes Island, particularly the Whaletown area. Fonds is composed of eighteen series: Manuscripts; Correspondence; Literary Records; Regional Director for Area I (Cortes Island); Women's Institute; Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church; School District #72; Whaletown Community Club; Channel Rock; Research; "The Log" of the Columbia Coast Mission; Journals and Notebooks; Illustrations and Sketches; Ephemera; Clippings; Maps; Albums; Photographs.
Gilean Douglas fonds at the University of British Columbia Library (Special Collections)
Cortes Island Ratepayers Association fonds
Gorge Harbour Community Hall fonds
Whaletown Community Club fonds
Whaletown Women's Institute fonds
Regional Director of Electoral Area I (Cortes Island) fonds
Copyright
Copyright for Douglas's published writings is held by the University of British Columbia. Permission to use Douglas's manuscripts for publication purposes must be obtained from the University of British Columbia or from Gillian Milton, literary executor for the estate of Gilean Douglas.
Arrangement
Wherever possible, Douglas’ system of arrangement has been retained, and original groupings of material have been maintained. Other material has been arranged according to type.
Handwritten daily journal of Philip Major Douglas from May of 1948 when he first moved to Channel Rock to the end of 1948. The journal was written to be sent to Gilean Douglas, who had not yet moved to Cortes, and contains many details of daily life on the island.
Handwritten daily journal of Philip Major Douglas from May of 1948 when he first moved to Channel Rock to the end of 1948. The journal was written to be sent to Gilean Douglas, who had not yet moved to Cortes, and contains many details of daily life on the island.
Health bulletin; White Star Line pamphlet and photo cards of the "SS Celtic" from a trans-Atlantic trip taken by Douglas's father; calling card of Douglas's mother
Health bulletin; White Star Line pamphlet and photo cards of the "SS Celtic" from a trans-Atlantic trip taken by Douglas's father; calling card of Douglas's mother
File contains six small leather-bound memo books with entries and jottings by Wm. Douglas which include such things as household accounts, trip diaries, appointments, and golf scores.
File contains six small leather-bound memo books with entries and jottings by Wm. Douglas which include such things as household accounts, trip diaries, appointments, and golf scores.
Letter from Mary Marlatt to Ottie Weiler and photocopied newspaper article with information about the Marlatt family, who lived on Marina Island from 1907-1912
Letter from Mary Marlatt to Ottie Weiler and photocopied newspaper article with information about the Marlatt family, who lived on Marina Island from 1907-1912
Fonds consists of a summary of the results of a questionnaire regarding ferry service composed by the Transportation Committee and sent to Cortes Island residents; the original questionnaires returned by islanders; and notes on other transportation issues such as road pavement and boat launch sites.
A District of Campbell River meeting March 22, 1993 took place in the Campbell River Hall. Present at that meeting were the Chairman of the B.C. Ferry Corporation; Peter Hughes, Operations Manager BC Ferry Corporation for North Islands; representative of the Campbell River Council and Campbell River School District; Gretchen Brewin, Chair Community Relations Committee; Colin Gabelman and his Executive Assistant; various B.C. Ferry Corp personnel including the person responsible for docks and terminals; and Jim Abrams and Ralph Nursall representing the Regional District.
At that meeting Peter Hughes recommended that Cortes Islanders form a Transportation Committee to liaison with B.C. Ferry Corp.
When Ralph returned to Cortes Island he spoke with a number of people he thought might be interested in forming the backbone of such an Island Committee. Eight of the 20+ people Ralph had contacted attended an April 21, 1993 Cortes Island preliminary meeting--Joanne Weyler, Sabina Mense, Joan Bevington, Ken Ferguson, Herbert Havelaar, Norm Gibbons, Tom Bennet and Dick Teams. What was discussed was the convening of a Transportation Committee meeting to bring together all those Islanders interested in transportation issues on the island. No one at that meeting volunteered to convene such a meeting. Ralph contacted then acting Operation Manager for B.C. Ferry Corp., Capt. Norman Craddock, and made arrangements for a public meeting with Capt. Craddock in attendance to answer questions from the floor. Joanne Weyler advertised the event through the Cortes Classifieds.
The May 12, 1993 Transportation Committee consisted of all those who attended that public meeting held at the Gorge Hall. The high turnout (50+) indicated an intense interest in transportation issues on the Island and there was a spirited exchange of questions and answers. Before this meeting, Dennis Mense had agreed to act as convener for an Executive of the Transportation Committee and Ralph Nursall asked for volunteers to serve on the Executive. Volunteers included Harry Breurkens, Glen Carleton, Norm Gibbons, Bertha Jeffery, Ted Pudden, Carol Reese and Joanne Weyler. [ . . . ]
The "mandate" for the Committee and its Executive, as expressed by Ralph Nursall, as as follows: "[I]t is intended that the Transportation Committee be an independent, community committee operating as it sees fit to collect opinions of Islanders to transport to the B.C. Ferry Corp. and getting information from the Corporation for Islanders. [ . . . ] the Committee will also interest itself in Highways and other transportation matters of the Island."
(From "Cortes Island Transportation Committee Background Information," in Regional Director fonds)
Custodial History
The material was compiled by the Cortes Island Transportation Committee. It was made available to islanders at the Manson's Landing library, and later transferred to CIMAS.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a summary of the results of a questionnaire regarding ferry service composed by the Transportation Committee and sent to Cortes Island residents; the original questionnaires returned by islanders; and notes on other transportation issues such as road pavement and boat launch sites.
