Fonds consists of materials generated or gathered by Nursall in the course of his activities as Regional Director for Cortes Island, and as a participant in the Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee and the treaty negotiations process. Fonds is arranged in three series: Regional Director of Cortes Island Electoral Area, Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee, and Treaty Negotiations. Original order has been maintained.
The Regional Director series includes minutes, community plans and maps, correspondence, background material and ephemera. Fonds 2002.001 Regional Director of Area I (Cortes Island) contains related records.
The Salmon Aquaculture Review series includes terms of reference, correspondence, background information and clippings, material from sessions of the Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee (SARC), submissions from industry and environmental groups, reports, and Nursall's notes and comments.
The Treaty Negotiations series includes records of the Cortes Island Local Advisory Committee (CILAC) including Terms of Reference, minutes, lists of members, correspondence, notes and background material, minutes of meetings of the Klahoose Table and copies of the newsletter "Treaty Talks". There are also records relating to the Desolation Sound Regional Advisory Committee and its successor, the North Island Regional Advisory Committee, and background materials on the treaty negotiation process.
(John) Ralph Nursall was born in 1925. He joined the University of Alberta in 1953 as a lecturer in marine zoology and was granted full professorship in 1964. Nursall chaired the Department of Zoology for three terms, retiring in 1988. A specialist in freshwater biology and the anatomy of fish, he was president of the Edmonton Zoological Society and Chair of the panel on hazardous waste for the Environmental Council of Alberta. Material relating to his professional career may be found in the John Ralph Nursall fonds in the University of Alberta Archives.
Ralph and Mary (Stewart) Nursall (1924-2017) married in 1953. They lived in Edmonton for thirty-five years, both working at the University of Alberta, and moved to Cortes Island in 1989.
Nursall was elected Regional Director of Electoral Area I (Cortes Island) for the Regional District of Comox-Strathcona (RDCS) in November of 1990. He served two terms as Director: 1990-1993, and 1993-1996. From 1995 to 1997 the BC government undertook a comprehensive review of salmon aquaculture; continuing after the end of his term, Nursall represented the RDCS on a Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee. He was involved in the BC First Nations treaty process from 1996 to 2002 as chair of the Cortes Island Local Advisory Committee (CILAC).
Custodial History
This fonds was donated to CIMAS by Ralph Nursall in 2008.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of materials generated or gathered by Nursall in the course of his activities as Regional Director for Cortes Island, and as a participant in the Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee and the treaty negotiations process. Fonds is arranged in three series: Regional Director of Cortes Island Electoral Area, Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee, and Treaty Negotiations. Original order has been maintained.
The Regional Director series includes minutes, community plans and maps, correspondence, background material and ephemera. Fonds 2002.001 Regional Director of Area I (Cortes Island) contains related records.
The Salmon Aquaculture Review series includes terms of reference, correspondence, background information and clippings, material from sessions of the Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee (SARC), submissions from industry and environmental groups, reports, and Nursall's notes and comments.
The Treaty Negotiations series includes records of the Cortes Island Local Advisory Committee (CILAC) including Terms of Reference, minutes, lists of members, correspondence, notes and background material, minutes of meetings of the Klahoose Table and copies of the newsletter "Treaty Talks". There are also records relating to the Desolation Sound Regional Advisory Committee and its successor, the North Island Regional Advisory Committee, and background materials on the treaty negotiation process.
Regional Director of Cortes Island Electoral Area fonds
John Ralph Nursall fonds at the University of Alberta Archives (https://albertaonrecord.ca/john-ralph-nursall-fonds)
Series consists of material generated and collected by Douglas during her term on the Comox-Strathcona Regional Board. Douglas served as Alternate Director from 1968 to 1973, and as Director from 1973 to 1978. During this time, island residents were actively involved in the formulation of Cortes' first Official Settlement Plan and Zoning By-law. Series includes reports, correspondence, notes, copies of studies, Regional District by-laws and drafts of by-laws, including the Official Settlement Plan. It also contains materials on community organizations generated after her term which she collected because of a continuing interest in local government and community planning, and because, as a former Director, she was often consulted on island issues.
Series consists of material generated and collected by Douglas during her term on the Comox-Strathcona Regional Board. Douglas served as Alternate Director from 1968 to 1973, and as Director from 1973 to 1978. During this time, island residents were actively involved in the formulation of Cortes' first Official Settlement Plan and Zoning By-law. Series includes reports, correspondence, notes, copies of studies, Regional District by-laws and drafts of by-laws, including the Official Settlement Plan. It also contains materials on community organizations generated after her term which she collected because of a continuing interest in local government and community planning, and because, as a former Director, she was often consulted on island issues.
This file contains the handbook given to APC members. It includes Regional District administrative information and copies of bylaws pertaining to Cortes Island.
This file contains the handbook given to APC members. It includes Regional District administrative information and copies of bylaws pertaining to Cortes Island.
Fonds consists of materials created or collected by Directors of Cortes Electoral Area during their terms of office. Because outgoing Directors may turn their current files over to their successors, the papers of one Director may contain materials generated during a previous term.
Fonds includes minutes of Cortes Advisory Planning Commission meetings; minutes of Regional Board and committee meetings with related background material; records of public hearings; correspondence; community plans and by-laws with associated planning material; licenses for the use of foreshore and crown land; and materials relating to island issues such as parks, aquaculture, forestry, garbage disposal, recycling and water quality.
Fonds is arranged into sous-fonds based on accession of records and contains four sous-fonds: Linda Gagnon, Regional Director; Ralph Nursall, Regional Director; George Sirk, Regional Director; and Jeanette Hiebert, Regional Director.
The Regional Director of Electoral Area I (Cortes Island) was the elected representative to the Regional District of Comox-Strathcona (RDCS), one of 28 regional districts in British Columbia. The RDCS covered an area of North Vancouver Island and surrounding islands which included the municipalities of Campbell River, Comox, Courtenay, Cumberland, Gold River, Sayward, Tahsis and Zeballos, and 10 rural Electoral Areas. Initially enabled by the Municipal Act of 1965, Regional Districts act as a regional government over issues affecting their entire region. In the absence of incorporated municipalities, they function as the "local" government for rural areas by providing planning and land use regulations, and facilitating the delivery of services such as garbage disposal, fire protection and house numbering. Cortes Island was designated Electoral Area I when the RDCS was formed in 1968, and was the smallest electoral area in both population and size. In 2008 the RDCS was split, and Cortes Island became Area B in the newly-formed Strathcona Regional District.
Cortes was represented on the RDCS by one Director, elected for a three year term, who appointed an Alternate Director and an Advisory Planning Commission (APC). From 1968 until 1984, the Cortes Island APC was formed by the elected executive of the Cortes Island Ratepayers Association. The first Director of Area I was George Griffin (1968-1973), followed by Gilean Douglas (1973-1978), Irv Reedel (1978-1981), David Hansen (1981-1984), Bruce Ellingsen (1984-1987), Linda Gagnon (1987-1990), Ralph Nursall (1990-1996), George Sirk (1996-2005) and Jeanette (Jenny) Hiebert (2005-2008).
Custodial History
Material in the Linda Gagnon, Regional Director sous-fonds (Accession 2002.001) was passed on to her successor, Ralph Nursall, at the end of her term. It was donated to CIMAS in 2002 by Ralph Nursall. Material in the Ralph Nursall, Regional Director sous-fonds (Accession 2003.001) was donated to CIMAS by Nursall in 2003 and in 2008 (Accession 2008.001). Material in the George Sirk, Regional Director sous-fonds (Accession 2004.004) was donated to CIMAS by Sirk in 2004. Material in the Jeanette Hiebert Regional Director sous-fonds (Accession 2019.015) was donated to CIMAS by Hiebert in 2019.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of materials created or collected by Directors of Cortes Electoral Area during their terms of office. Because outgoing Directors may turn their current files over to their successors, the papers of one Director may contain materials generated during a previous term.
Fonds includes minutes of Cortes Advisory Planning Commission meetings; minutes of Regional Board and committee meetings with related background material; records of public hearings; correspondence; community plans and by-laws with associated planning material; licenses for the use of foreshore and crown land; and materials relating to island issues such as parks, aquaculture, forestry, garbage disposal, recycling and water quality.
Fonds is arranged into sous-fonds based on accession of records and contains four sous-fonds: Linda Gagnon, Regional Director; Ralph Nursall, Regional Director; George Sirk, Regional Director; and Jeanette Hiebert, Regional Director.
The Gilean Douglas fonds contains records from Douglas's term as Regional Director (1973 to 1978). The Cortes Island Ratepayers Association fonds contains material relating to Cortes' incorporation into the Regional District, and minutes, correspondence and other materials from the APC (1968-1984).
Photographic essay from the North Island News, July 26, 1960 about the celebration for the opening of the Gorge Road connecting Whaletown and Manson's Landing
