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 copy of a recording made by Imbert Orchard as part of a "People in Landscape" series for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In this program, some of the people who grew up on Cortes Island recall how the settlement began, and discuss the quality of life there -- as it is today, and as it used to be. Voices heard include: Otto and Mary Weiler, Elmer and May Ellingsen, Rose (Manson) MacKay, Allen Robertson, and Duncan Robertson.
Tape was found at the Cortes Island Recycling Center and donated to the museum by Gail Ringwood on Oct. 3, 2004. Original owner is unknown.
Scope and Content
This is a copy of a recording made by Imbert Orchard as part of a "People in Landscape" series for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In this program, some of the people who grew up on Cortes Island recall how the settlement began, and discuss the quality of life there -- as it is today, and as it used to be. Voices heard include: Otto and Mary Weiler, Elmer and May Ellingsen, Rose (Manson) MacKay, Allen Robertson, and Duncan Robertson.
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "Chickens are a large source of entertainment, remakable pets with personalities, and they give us eggs. But when it came to dinner time, they were sadly the main guest of honour. George wanted to immortalize, and thus keep his chickens alive forever. This film does just that. On 16mm, shot at George and Lauren Hay's homestead on Seascape Rd."
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "Chickens are a large source of entertainment, remakable pets with personalities, and they give us eggs. But when it came to dinner time, they were sadly the main guest of honour. George wanted to immortalize, and thus keep his chickens alive forever. This film does just that. On 16mm, shot at George and Lauren Hay's homestead on Seascape Rd."
In the realm of "home movies", the film contains vignettes of Cortes island life including Aislinn Sirk and Mayan Wooley bathing a remarkably patient cat and Jim Palmer using an Alaska mill.
Digitized by Doug McCaffry, ScanLab, 2022
In the realm of "home movies", the film contains vignettes of Cortes island life including Aislinn Sirk and Mayan Wooley bathing a remarkably patient cat and Jim Palmer using an Alaska mill.
Digitized by Doug McCaffry, ScanLab, 2022
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "In the 70s many bathtubs were outside and heated by wood fires. This amusing (and smoky!), satisfying way of having a nice long bath, in the great outdoors, inspired making this short on 16mm film. There was a twist to the scenario of course. Why not make soup while having a bath? Shot at John and Anna Gregg's home on Beasley Road. Cast: George /Cinematography : Anna Sirk ??"
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "In the 70s many bathtubs were outside and heated by wood fires. This amusing (and smoky!), satisfying way of having a nice long bath, in the great outdoors, inspired making this short on 16mm film. There was a twist to the scenario of course. Why not make soup while having a bath? Shot at John and Anna Gregg's home on Beasley Road. Cast: George /Cinematography : Anna Sirk ??"
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "This extravaganza marked the peak of Cortes Cinema's (CC) exploits in madness. Inspired by Saturday being the day that Cortes's gravel roads were littered in paper garbage (it flew off the dump truck). The script was a collaboration of some of the most unstable minds at CC's arsenal. The plot is, like the scriptwriters' minds, simple, but the late Al Murray's acting as the Lone Ranger left eceryone in the dust. The film is a tribute to Al, the funniest man that stepped in front of the CC's lens. Shot on Super 8 on location at the Cortes Island Dump."
Cast: Al Murray, Pierre & Wendy deTrey, Jean Fontaine, Jim Palmer, Isolde Ruthenberg
Cameos: Gary Bergman, the Reverand Rollo Boas, Wlmer Ellingsen, Jo-Ann Green, Peggy (the Queen of Cortes) Newsham, George Sirk
From the "Out of the Archives" program: "This extravaganza marked the peak of Cortes Cinema's (CC) exploits in madness. Inspired by Saturday being the day that Cortes's gravel roads were littered in paper garbage (it flew off the dump truck). The script was a collaboration of some of the most unstable minds at CC's arsenal. The plot is, like the scriptwriters' minds, simple, but the late Al Murray's acting as the Lone Ranger left eceryone in the dust. The film is a tribute to Al, the funniest man that stepped in front of the CC's lens. Shot on Super 8 on location at the Cortes Island Dump."
Cast: Al Murray, Pierre & Wendy deTrey, Jean Fontaine, Jim Palmer, Isolde Ruthenberg
Cameos: Gary Bergman, the Reverand Rollo Boas, Wlmer Ellingsen, Jo-Ann Green, Peggy (the Queen of Cortes) Newsham, George Sirk
This fonds comprises records of four Cortes Island women's service organizations, including minutes, financial records, administrative records, correspondence, photographs, ephemera and artifacts. It is arranged in four sous-fonds according to the creator of the records: Whaletown Women's Institute (2009.001.1); Whaletown Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church (2009.001.2); Cortes Island Women's Institute (2009.001.3); and Island Women's Club (2009.001.3). Related material in CIMAS archives may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds (1999.002), the Gilean Douglas fonds (1999.001), and the May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds (2007.001).
The Island Women's Club was formed in 2000, when the members of the Cortes Island Women's Institute withdrew from the British Columbia Women's Institute in order to focus their efforts locally. It was the successor to previous women's service organizations on Cortes, local branches of the Women's Institute and the Anglican Church Women's Auxiliary. Activities included awarding bursaries to graduating high school students, contributing to school projects such as printing yearbooks, sponsoring sports teams and building playground equipment, supporting the community halls and organizing memorial teas on behalf of bereaved families. They disbanded in 2016.
Custodial History
After they disbanded, records of the Whaletown Women's Institute and the Whaletown Women's Auxiliary passed into the hands of the Cortes Island Women's Institute and its successor, Island Women's Club, who donated them to CIMAS in 2009. The organizational records created by the Island Women's Club were donated to CIMAS in 2018.
Scope and Content
This fonds comprises records of four Cortes Island women's service organizations, including minutes, financial records, administrative records, correspondence, photographs, ephemera and artifacts. It is arranged in four sous-fonds according to the creator of the records: Whaletown Women's Institute (2009.001.1); Whaletown Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church (2009.001.2); Cortes Island Women's Institute (2009.001.3); and Island Women's Club (2009.001.3). Related material in CIMAS archives may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds (1999.002), the Gilean Douglas fonds (1999.001), and the May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds (2007.001).
