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).
File contains digitized copies of photographs from Norm Gibbons' photograph album of Refuge Cove. For the stories behind the photos, see 2003.007.001, a recording of Norm and Lisa Gibbons talking about their experiences living at Refuge Cove.
File contains digitized copies of photographs from Norm Gibbons' photograph album of Refuge Cove. For the stories behind the photos, see 2003.007.001, a recording of Norm and Lisa Gibbons talking about their experiences living at Refuge Cove.
Buildings, from L to R: Norm and Doris Hope's house, far left; small house where the store keeper lived; the old store; fuel tanks with house to their right; teacher's cottage and school building at far right. In front are several fish boats; the dock with a freight shed; a barge for ice storage and fish-buying; float houses near the school.
The Hope's house is the only one of these buildings still there (2023). The old store burned down in 1968.
Buildings, from L to R: Norm and Doris Hope's house, far left; small house where the store keeper lived; the old store; fuel tanks with house to their right; teacher's cottage and school building at far right. In front are several fish boats; the dock with a freight shed; a barge for ice storage and fish-buying; float houses near the school.
The Hope's house is the only one of these buildings still there (2023). The old store burned down in 1968.
Photograph of the original store at Refuge Cove, taken from the head of the ramp by Norman and Doris Hope's house. To the right of the store is a fuel tank and a shed used for storing the tools needed for the tanks, drums of oil, etc. The store burned down in 1968.
Photograph of the original store at Refuge Cove, taken from the head of the ramp by Norman and Doris Hope's house. To the right of the store is a fuel tank and a shed used for storing the tools needed for the tanks, drums of oil, etc. The store burned down in 1968.
Doris Hope provided a fish and chips dinner for the Refuge Cove community every Friday, cooking on two large propane burners set up on the back porch of her house,
Doris Hope provided a fish and chips dinner for the Refuge Cove community every Friday, cooking on two large propane burners set up on the back porch of her house,
The Hopes are standing beside the cook house at their logging camp in Lewis Channel. Their water spaniel Stinky once swam home to Refuge Cove from Squirrel Cove, a distance of 3.7 miles.
The Hopes are standing beside the cook house at their logging camp in Lewis Channel. Their water spaniel Stinky once swam home to Refuge Cove from Squirrel Cove, a distance of 3.7 miles.
Photograph of Michael Gibbons, taken beside Alice's house at the end of the board walk at Refuge Cove. Alice was the cook at the Hope's logging camp and stayed on after the camp closed.
Photograph of Michael Gibbons, taken beside Alice's house at the end of the board walk at Refuge Cove. Alice was the cook at the Hope's logging camp and stayed on after the camp closed.
Norm Gibbons holding a salmon caught while fishing with Bud Jarvis. Bud Jarvis married Rene Hope's daughter Joan and they were at Refuge Cove for their honeymoon.
Norm Gibbons holding a salmon caught while fishing with Bud Jarvis. Bud Jarvis married Rene Hope's daughter Joan and they were at Refuge Cove for their honeymoon.