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.
Photograph of teacher Don McDevitt and Sarah Weiler blowing out the candles on a birthday cake inside the Whaletown school. Mr McDevitt and Sarah had the same birthday.
L to R: Don McDevitt, Janice Maclean, Jeannie Matthews, Johnny Weiler, Heather Maclean, Sheryl Matthews in behind Heather, Philip Bergman, Doug McCoy, Ian Maclean, and Sarah Weiler.
Photograph of teacher Don McDevitt and Sarah Weiler blowing out the candles on a birthday cake inside the Whaletown school. Mr McDevitt and Sarah had the same birthday.
L to R: Don McDevitt, Janice Maclean, Jeannie Matthews, Johnny Weiler, Heather Maclean, Sheryl Matthews in behind Heather, Philip Bergman, Doug McCoy, Ian Maclean, and Sarah Weiler.
Verso says "Easter Egg Hunt 1966. Johnny Weiler (back); Janice Maclean, Heather Maclean, Ian Maclean (back), Philip Bergman, Doug McCoy, Sarah Weiler (kneeling)
Verso says "Easter Egg Hunt 1966. Johnny Weiler (back); Janice Maclean, Heather Maclean, Ian Maclean (back), Philip Bergman, Doug McCoy, Sarah Weiler (kneeling)
Back row L to R: Janice Maclean, Sarah Weiler, Christine Froese, Kim Hogan, Philip Bergman.
Front Row L to R: Cindy Irwin (?), Ernie Halliday, Kelly Hogan, John Froese, Eugene Hogan, Jeff Hogan.
Back row L to R: Janice Maclean, Sarah Weiler, Christine Froese, Kim Hogan, Philip Bergman.
Front Row L to R: Cindy Irwin (?), Ernie Halliday, Kelly Hogan, John Froese, Eugene Hogan, Jeff Hogan.
Photograph of Santa and students holding their Christmas presents.
L to R: Heather Maclean, Johnny Weiler, Philip Bergman, ? Santa, Janice Maclean, Gary York (?), Ian Maclean, ?, Jeannie Matthews, Sheryl Matthews, Ricky Matthews. Kneeling in front: Doug McCoy, Barbie McCoy.
Photograph of Santa and students holding their Christmas presents.
L to R: Heather Maclean, Johnny Weiler, Philip Bergman, ? Santa, Janice Maclean, Gary York (?), Ian Maclean, ?, Jeannie Matthews, Sheryl Matthews, Ricky Matthews. Kneeling in front: Doug McCoy, Barbie McCoy.
Photograph postcard of the Whaletown Church. This same postcard is found in other fonds (Items 2003.002.024 and 2006.001.001). This one is dated on the back and is in very good condition.
Photograph postcard of the Whaletown Church. This same postcard is found in other fonds (Items 2003.002.024 and 2006.001.001). This one is dated on the back and is in very good condition.
Fonds consists of sixty prints and slides dating from 1951 to 1971. It includes scenes of of Cortes Island school students, logging, and the Union Steamship. Most photographs are from the Whaletown area. There are 16 slides of a logging camp at the Quatam River in Ramsey Arm, BC.
The Maclean family (parents Don and Doris, and children Janice, Heather and Ian) lived in Whaletown from 1961 to 1973.
Don Maclean's parents, John and Edna Maclean, lived for many years in Edmonton, Alberta. When their son came home from the war they bought property near Coulter Bay and moved to Cortes Island. Don Maclean became a fisherman, eventually living on his fishing boat.
Doris Lancaster Maclean was born and raised in Victoria, B.C. In the late 1940s she answered a call from the Anglican Church to come and do Vacation Bible School with the Columbia Coast Mission on Cortes and nearby islands.
Doris and Don married in 1954. They moved to Cortes Island in 1961 when Don was hired to operate the Columbia Coast Mission boat, the "Alan Greene". They lived in the Mission house in Whaletown, next to the church. Don Maclean acted as a Lay Reader for the Columbia Coast Mission in the 1960s when no clergymen were available, holding services in the three Anglican churches on the island.
In 1967 the Diocese sold the "Alan Greene" and the Macleans were required to move out of the mission house. Maclean built a house on the beach of what used to be called Jardine’s property, although by this time it was owned by a cousin of Doris Maclean. He was hired as the Industrial First Aid man on site for the building of the Whaletown Ferry dock and after that worked as a clam digger.
The Maclean family left Cortes in 1973 and moved to Regina, SK. The house that Don built was rented for a couple of years and then sold and moved to a new location; it burned down a few years later.
Custodial History
Twenty-seven photographs and 15 slides were mailed to CIMAS by Janice Maclean Kerr in 2019; two more photos were mailed in Apr. 2021; 16 slides were mailed in Sept. 2021
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of sixty prints and slides dating from 1951 to 1971. It includes scenes of of Cortes Island school students, logging, and the Union Steamship. Most photographs are from the Whaletown area. There are 16 slides of a logging camp at the Quatam River in Ramsey Arm, BC.
Item is a Christmas card with a photograph on Whaletown as seen from the opposite bluff. The front says "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - John Nagel".
Item is a Christmas card with a photograph on Whaletown as seen from the opposite bluff. The front says "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - John Nagel".
Back row L to R: Janice Maclean, Johnny Prestley, Tracy Prestley, Nita Prestley, Sarah Weiler behind Nita, Christine Froese, Kim Hogan, Philip Bergman.
Front Row L to R: Jeff Hogan, Joanne Dewar (?), John Froese, ?, ?, Kelly Hogan, Eugene Hogan.
Slide has markings indicating it has been enlarged for publication ("Jack & Jill, pg 53; 800% aprox.").
Back row L to R: Janice Maclean, Johnny Prestley, Tracy Prestley, Nita Prestley, Sarah Weiler behind Nita, Christine Froese, Kim Hogan, Philip Bergman.
Front Row L to R: Jeff Hogan, Joanne Dewar (?), John Froese, ?, ?, Kelly Hogan, Eugene Hogan.
Slide has markings indicating it has been enlarged for publication ("Jack & Jill, pg 53; 800% aprox.").
Front row L to R: Jeff Hogan, Eugene Hogan, Kelly Hogan, Philip Bergman, Kim Hogan.
Middle row L to R: Janice Maclean, Danny Hogan.
Back row: Katie Lambert.
Front row L to R: Jeff Hogan, Eugene Hogan, Kelly Hogan, Philip Bergman, Kim Hogan.
Middle row L to R: Janice Maclean, Danny Hogan.
Back row: Katie Lambert.
Teacher Don McDevitt with group of Whaletown pupils holding ribbons and trophies.
L to R: Pat McCoy, Johnny Weiler with Jeannie Matthews in front, Sheryl Matthews, Brigid Weiler with Janice Maclean in front, Mr. Don McDevitt with Ian Maclean in front, Heather Maclean.
Teacher Don McDevitt with group of Whaletown pupils holding ribbons and trophies.
L to R: Pat McCoy, Johnny Weiler with Jeannie Matthews in front, Sheryl Matthews, Brigid Weiler with Janice Maclean in front, Mr. Don McDevitt with Ian Maclean in front, Heather Maclean.
L to R Doug McCoy, Phillip Bergman, Ian Maclean,Gary York (?), Mr. Don McDevitt, Sheryl Matthews, Heather Maclean, Jeannie Matthews, Johnny Weiler, Sarah Weiler.
Back Row Pat McCoy.
L to R Doug McCoy, Phillip Bergman, Ian Maclean,Gary York (?), Mr. Don McDevitt, Sheryl Matthews, Heather Maclean, Jeannie Matthews, Johnny Weiler, Sarah Weiler.
Back Row Pat McCoy.
