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Aftermath of steam donkey explosion on Hague Lake

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions13962
Part Of
May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1923
Scope and Content
"One man (operator) was killed. One piece of donkey went through the air and landed on other side of lake (near where Bert Hansen now lives)." (Item #2007.001.234 is a duplicate.)
Part Of
May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
2007.001
Series Number
13
Item Number
2007.001.697
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1923
Physical Description
1 photograph print: b&w; 13 x 8 cm
Scope and Content
"One man (operator) was killed. One piece of donkey went through the air and landed on other side of lake (near where Bert Hansen now lives)." (Item #2007.001.234 is a duplicate.)
Storage Location
Photograph Box 4
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Images
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Andy and Aaron Ellingsen on the trail to Manson's on a snowy day

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions15716
Part Of
Cortes Walking Group fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
2005
Part Of
Cortes Walking Group fonds
Description Level
Item
Creator
Cortes Walking Group
Fonds Number
2022.002
Series Number
1
Item Number
2022.002.151
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
2005
Physical Description
1 photograph: col ; 15 x 10 cm
Storage Location
Cortes Walking Group box
Name Access
Cortes Walking Group
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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Part Of
Ballantyne family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material (electronic)
sound recording (electronic)
Date Range
1929-[ca. 1950s?]
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.
Part Of
Ballantyne family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
2020.006
Material Type
graphic material (electronic)
sound recording (electronic)
Date Range
1929-[ca. 1950s?]
Physical Description
24 photographs (jpeg)
1 audio interview (mp4)
History / Biographical
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.
Name Access
Ballantyne, Peter
Ballantyne, Gladys
Ballantyne, Bill
Ballantyne, Bobby
Corneille, Sarah
Subject Access
Logging
Union Steamship Company
Fishing
Transportation
Water transport
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Whaletown
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Base of a spar tree surrounded by piles of logs which have been yarded to it (ID)

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions11785
Part Of
Mary and Otto Weiler fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[195?]
Part Of
Mary and Otto Weiler fonds
Description Level
Item
Creator
Weiler, Mary
Fonds Number
2003.002
Series Number
1
Item Number
2003.002.498
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[195?]
Physical Description
1 photograph: b&w; 15 x 9 cm
Storage Location
Photograph box 3
Name Access
Weiler, Mary
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Images
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Basil and Jill Seaton fonds

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions13917
Part Of
Basil and Jill Seaton fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
cartographic material
Accession Number
2019.011
Date Range
1987-1992
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of correspondence, notes and maps relating to the establishment of Von Donop Marine Park (now known as Háthayim Marine Park).
Part Of
Basil and Jill Seaton fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Seaton, Basil and Jill
Fonds Number
2019.011
Accession Number
2019.011
Material Type
textual records
cartographic material
Date Range
1987-1992
Physical Description
4 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Basil (1910-2012) and Jill Seaton, environmentalists and naturalists, lived on Cortes Island from 1982 to 1992.
Custodial History
The Seatons gave these records to Fred Zwickel when they moved from Cortes Island; they were subsequently given to Nancy Kendel for donation to the museum in 2012.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of correspondence, notes and maps relating to the establishment of Von Donop Marine Park (now known as Háthayim Marine Park).
Storage Location
Small fonds box Oversize materials box
Storage Range
Small fonds box 1-14 to 1-17 Oversize materials box
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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BC Ministry of Lands and Forests Land Referral form re Elmer Ellingsen's subdivision at Hague Lake

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions11877
Part Of
Regional Director of Area I (Cortes Island) fonds
Description Level
File
Material Type
textual records
Accession Number
2004.004
Date Range
1989
Part Of
Regional Director of Area I (Cortes Island) fonds
Description Level
File
Fonds Number
2002.001.3
Sous Fonds Number
3
Series Number
3
File Number
1
Accession Number
2004.004
Material Type
textual records
Date Range
1989
Storage Location
4-16
Storage Range
4-16
Name Access
Sirk, George
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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Booming ground in Knight Inlet

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions9676
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Scope and Content
Photograph of the booming ground at the mouth of the river in Knight Inlet. Captioned by Douglas: "Grizzlies and loggers like this country of lush meadows and evergreen woods, tall trees and swift rivers."
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.1057
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Physical Description
3 photograph prints: b&w ; 15 x 10 cm, 21.5 x 16.5 cm & 25 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of the booming ground at the mouth of the river in Knight Inlet. Captioned by Douglas: "Grizzlies and loggers like this country of lush meadows and evergreen woods, tall trees and swift rivers."
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Knight Inlet
Images
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Booming logs on the Klina Klini River, Knight Inlet

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions9674
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Scope and Content
Photograph of a log booming ground at the mouth of the river in Knight Inlet. Captioned by Douglas: "Booming on the Klina Klini River (Dot houses in the background) in country that loggers and grizzlies love." Another print is captioned "Mountain meadows and a log boom at the Dot Logging Camp on the Klinaklini River"
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.1055
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Physical Description
2 photograph prints: b&w ; 15 x 10 cm & 21.5 x 16.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a log booming ground at the mouth of the river in Knight Inlet. Captioned by Douglas: "Booming on the Klina Klini River (Dot houses in the background) in country that loggers and grizzlies love." Another print is captioned "Mountain meadows and a log boom at the Dot Logging Camp on the Klinaklini River"
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Knight Inlet
Images
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Boom of logs at the east end of Gorge Harbour

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions11725
Part Of
Mary and Otto Weiler fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[196?]
Part Of
Mary and Otto Weiler fonds
Description Level
Item
Creator
Weiler, Mary
Fonds Number
2003.002
Series Number
1
Item Number
2003.002.439
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[196?]
Physical Description
1 photograph: b&w; 15 x 9 cm
Storage Location
Photograph box 3
Name Access
Weiler, Mary
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Images
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Boom of logs at the eastern end of Gorge Harbour

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions11726
Part Of
Mary and Otto Weiler fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[196?]
Scope and Content
(Possible duplicate: 2019.023.024)
Part Of
Mary and Otto Weiler fonds
Description Level
Item
Creator
Weiler, Mary
Fonds Number
2003.002
Series Number
1
Item Number
2003.002.440
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[196?]
Physical Description
1 photograph: b&w; 15 x 9 cm
Scope and Content
(Possible duplicate: 2019.023.024)
Storage Location
Photograph box 3
Name Access
Weiler, Mary
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
Accession Number
2019.021
Date Range
1941-1956
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of sixteen photographs depicting people and scenes, primarily of the Manson's Landing area. Identification was provided by Fred Brooks Jr. in an interview with Cathy Jenks.
Part Of
Brooks family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
2019.021
Item Number Range
2019.021.001 - .016
Accession Number
2019.021
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1941-1956
Physical Description
15 photographs : b&w 1 photograph : colour
History / Biographical
Alethea and Frederick (Fred) James Brooks Sr. and their two sons, Frederick (Fred) Earl, Jr. and Bob, lived on Cortes Island from ca. 1941 to 1944, near Manson's Landing. Fred Sr. logged in Cortes Bay and employed two of the Hawkins boys, Bill and George. Fred Jr. attended grades three to six at Cortes Island school before the family moved to Pender Harbour. Some of the names he recalls are: the Christiansen kids (Robert, Jim, and a sister), the Tibers on the west side of Cortes Island, and the Jefferys of Smelt Bay.
Custodial History
Fred Brooks Jr. gave the photographs to Cathy Brooks of Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society, who facilitated the donation by collecting the photographs, donation form and information from Brooks and sending the materials to CIMAS.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of sixteen photographs depicting people and scenes, primarily of the Manson's Landing area. Identification was provided by Fred Brooks Jr. in an interview with Cathy Jenks.
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Name Access
Brooks, Fred
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Manson's Landing
Related Material
Pender Harbour Living Heritage holds related material from the Brooks family: https://penderharbourheritage.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Brooks+family
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Buddy Dewar driving his skidder when logging at Channel Rock

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions11473
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1967
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.2408
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1967
Physical Description
1 colour slide, 5 x 5 cm
Storage Location
Slide box 1
Subject Access
Logging
Channel Rock
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Images
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Buddy Dewar's Tree Farmer skidder logging at Channel Rock

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions11472
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1967
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.2407
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1967
Physical Description
1 colour slide, 5 x 5 cm
Storage Location
Slide box 1
Subject Access
Logging
Channel Rock
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Images
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Bulldozer used to make logging roads, Knight Inlet

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions9679
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Scope and Content
Photograph of a bulldozer of the Dot logging camp in Knight Inlet, on a logging road it has made.
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.1060
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Physical Description
3 photograph prints: b&w ; 15 x 10 cm, 21.5 x 16.5 cm & 25 x 20 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of a bulldozer of the Dot logging camp in Knight Inlet, on a logging road it has made.
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Knight Inlet
Images
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Part Of
Byers family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
graphic material
Accession Number
2020.003
Date Range
1937-1972
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten photographs (nine black and white; 1 coloured) depicting members of the extended Byers/ Manson families, logging at Seaford and Von Donop Inlet, and the Union Steamship Chelohsin.
Part Of
Byers family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Byers family
Fonds Number
2020.003
Accession Number
2020.003
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1937-1972
Physical Description
10 photographs
History / Biographical
Henry and Ruth Byers, Ervin and Florence (Manson) McKay, Clarence and Etta (McKay) Byers, Ken and Hazel (McKay) Hansen, Scotty and Amy (Byers) McKenzie moved to Von Donop Inlet in 1939, where they ran a logging operation.
Custodial History
Found in Information Files folder (Byers family), August 1, 2020 and transferred to Archives.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten photographs (nine black and white; 1 coloured) depicting members of the extended Byers/ Manson families, logging at Seaford and Von Donop Inlet, and the Union Steamship Chelohsin.
Storage Location
Photo box 3
Name Access
Byers, Henry and Ruth
Byers, Clarence and Etta
Hansen, Ken and Hazel
McKay, Ervin and Florence
McKenzie, Scotty and Amy
Subject Access
Logging
Union Steamship Company
Transportation
Water transport
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Von Donop Inlet
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Cedar stump with a cedar tree growing out of it; a building and a trailer may be seen behind it (ID location)

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions11667
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1972
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.2602
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
1972
Physical Description
1 colour slide, 5 x 5 cm
Storage Location
Slide box 1
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Images
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Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Scope and Content
Photo of a young child asleep in a crib. Captioned "Pussy on guard".
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.1175
Material Type
graphic
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Physical Description
2 photograph prints: b&w ; 15 x 10 cm & 21 x 16 cm
Scope and Content
Photo of a young child asleep in a crib. Captioned "Pussy on guard".
One of a series of photographs taken at Clarence and Doug Boardman's Dot Logging Co. camp in Knight Inlet.
Subject Access
Logging
Geographic Access
Knight Inlet
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The "Columbia" tied up to a floating camp

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions9641
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Scope and Content
Photograph titled "The second "Columbia" tied up to a floating logging camp in the beautiful Knight Inlet country. When it's rough enough you can be seasick right in your own livig-room." Note: This photograph appears to be the source of the painting on the cover of "God's Little Ships" by Michael Hadley (Harbour Publishing, 1995). It was probably printed in "The Log".
Part Of
Gilean Douglas fonds
Description Level
Item
Fonds Number
1999.001
Series Number
18
Item Number
1999.001.1022
Material Type
graphic material
Date Range
[ca. 1950]
Physical Description
1 photograph print: b&w; 13 x 10.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph titled "The second "Columbia" tied up to a floating logging camp in the beautiful Knight Inlet country. When it's rough enough you can be seasick right in your own livig-room." Note: This photograph appears to be the source of the painting on the cover of "God's Little Ships" by Michael Hadley (Harbour Publishing, 1995). It was probably printed in "The Log".
Subject Access
Logging
Columbia Coast Mission
Geographic Access
Knight Inlet
Images
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Cortes Ecoforestry Society fonds

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions13411
Part Of
Cortes Ecoforestry Society fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
textual records
object
graphic material
ephemera
Accession Number
2017.011
Date Range
1988-2006
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of documents created and accrued by CES between 1988 and 2006, including financial statements, correspondence, meeting minutes, notes, maps, reports, legal documents, and publications. It includes 62 files arranged in thirteen series following the original order of the material.
Part Of
Cortes Ecoforestry Society fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Creator
Cortes Ecoforestry Society
Fonds Number
2017.011
Accession Number
2017.011
Material Type
textual records
object
graphic material
ephemera
Date Range
1988-2006
Physical Description
.6 m of textual records (2 boxes) 29 photographs : col.
Extent
0.6
History / Biographical
The Cortes Ecoforestry Society (CES) was incorporated in March 1999, under the following mission statement: "To work in partnership with the Klahoose First Nation, to gain community stewardship of the working forest lands on Cortes to create perpetual ecological and economic benefits for the entire community, and to serve as a model for sustainable ecoforestry." Preceding names for the organization include Cortes Island Forestry Committee (ca. 1988-1990), Cortes Island Forest Resource Committee (c. 1990) and Cortes Island Forest Committee (ca. 1991-1999). A draft document from October 1991 states that, "[T]he Cortes Island Forest Committee (CIFC) was formed in 1988. The purposes of the CIFC are to develop ecologically responsible and balanced forest use of Cortes Island forests, to develop a sustainable forest-based economy, to educate ourselves and the public regarding appropriate use of Cortes Island forests, and to work towards a broad based public consensus for the use of these forests." In July 1999 Klahoose First Nation and CES signed an unprecedented Memorandum of Understanding, stating that the two parties would work together to create a community forest that used eco-system forestry. In 1999 and 2000 the Cortes Ecoforestry Society began planning and preparing a community forest proposal. In 2003, volume was made available for small community tenures, including Woodlot Licences and Community Forest Agreements (CFAs). Klahoose supported the efforts to revitalize the community forest proposal and a small, voluntary advisory group was formed (Bruce Ellingsen, Chief Kathy Francis, Liz Richardson and Ron Wolda). To ensure the proposal was seen to be inclusive of all islanders, the proponent name was changed to the Cortes Island Community Forest advisory group. The community forest proposal stalled, and CES, which at one point had a membership of 400 residents supporting their goals, became less active. In May of 2011, the Cortes Community Forest Advisory Group was invited to apply for a Community Forest Agreement (CFA) by the Minister of Forests, and in September 2013 the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations issued a Community Forest Agreement to the Cortes Forestry General Partnership, which was established on June 2012. The Cortes Forestry General Partnership is managed and governed equally by two partners, the Klahoose Forestry No. 2 Limited Partnership (KF2LP) and the Cortes Community Forest Co-operative. The tenure agreement lasts for 25 years and encompasses 3,869 hectares of crown land, about 35% of the island. The Klahoose Nation holds ancestral tenure over Cortes Island. They are currently at stage 4 in the process of negotiating a treaty agreement with the province of British Columbia and Canadian government.
Custodial History
Donated to CIMAS on Dec. 16, 2017 by David Shipway.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of documents created and accrued by CES between 1988 and 2006, including financial statements, correspondence, meeting minutes, notes, maps, reports, legal documents, and publications. It includes 62 files arranged in thirteen series following the original order of the material.
Storage Range
1-1 - 2-35 Photograph Box
Name Access
Cortes Ecoforestry Society
Subject Access
Community Associations
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
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Cortes Island Ratepayers Association fonds

https://collections.cortesmuseum.com/en/permalink/descriptions7136
Part Of
Cortes Island Ratepayers Association fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
cartographic material
textual records
Accession Number
2000.003
Date Range
1963-1984
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the records of the Cortes Island Ratepayers Association, an organization of the property owners and residents of Cortes Island from 1963 to 1984. They include administrative documents such as the constitution and membership lists, minutes of CIRA meetings, annual reports, newsletters to members, correspondence and materials related to the provision of services, land use planning and other issues of island concern. The fonds is composed of the following series: Administrative Documents; Minutes; Financial; Newsletters and Notices; Correspondence; Subject; Community Planning and Land Use (Advisory Planning Commission); Clippings; and Maps and Plans.
Part Of
Cortes Island Ratepayers Association fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Fonds Number
2000.003
Accession Number
2000.003
Material Type
cartographic material
textual records
Date Range
1963-1984
Physical Description
94 cm. of textual records and 5 cm. of maps
Extent
94 cm
History / Biographical
The Cortes Island Ratepayers Association (CIRA) was an association of property owners and residents formed in 1963 to "further the development of the island and to have a representative body in dealing with the Provincial government." The first activity initiated by CIRA was to lobby the provincial government for the provision of electricity and ferry service to Cortes Island. Their efforts met with success. Electricity was brought to the island in 1970 and ferry service from Quadra Island to Cortes Island began in 1969. CIRA also became an important forum for the discussion of other important services on Cortes Island, including roads, fire protection, garbage disposal, water quality, rural mail delivery and library facilities. As a result of CIRA's efforts to bring electricity to Cortes Island, in 1967 the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Dan Campbell, designated Cortes Island a Local Improvement District. This made Cortes Island into a legal entity for the purpose of negotiating with the province for electrical power. In that same year, Minister Campbell invited CIRA to participate in discussions and committee work on the formation of a regional district level of government. In 1968, Cortes Island was designated 'Electoral Area I' in the Regional District of Comox-Strathcona (RDCS) with an elected director. Under this system, a Regional Director is elected who in turn sits on the Board of the RDCS. Each Regional Director appoints an Advisory Planning Commission (APC), a committee of island residents who advise the Director on matters of island concern. In 1968, CIRA determined that the elected members of the executive of CIRA would form the APC for Cortes Island. This arrangement lasted until the dissolution of CIRA in 1984. The first zoning by-law was completed in 1970 and an Official Settlement Plan and zoning by-law in 1979. In 1982, CIRA initiated a court case against Raven Lumber for non-compliance with the Cortes Island Official Settlement Plan and zoning by-law. CIRA won the case upon appeal, but in 1984 an Order in Council allowed Raven Lumber to proceed with their development. The court case had absorbed a great deal of CIRA energy and fund raising effort over a four year period. At the General Meeting in November, 1984 there were no candidates willing to stand for the executive. CIRA was declared inactive at that meeting and was never reactivated.
Custodial History
During the term of the last president of CIRA, the records were kept in the Gorge Harbour Community Hall on Cortes Island. After the dissolution of the CIRA in 1984, the records continued to be stored in the hall. The records were transferred to the Cortes Island Museum and Archives by the Whaletown Community Club (owner of the hall) in 2000.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the records of the Cortes Island Ratepayers Association, an organization of the property owners and residents of Cortes Island from 1963 to 1984. They include administrative documents such as the constitution and membership lists, minutes of CIRA meetings, annual reports, newsletters to members, correspondence and materials related to the provision of services, land use planning and other issues of island concern. The fonds is composed of the following series: Administrative Documents; Minutes; Financial; Newsletters and Notices; Correspondence; Subject; Community Planning and Land Use (Advisory Planning Commission); Clippings; and Maps and Plans.
Storage Range
1-1 - 3-55
Name Access
Cortes Island Ratepayers Association
Subject Access
Ferries
Transportation
Local governments
Water transport
Community Associations
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Related Material
Regional Director of Electoral Area I (Cortes Island) fonds Gilean Douglas fonds
Finding Aid
File list available
Arrangement
Materials were received in their original file folders, however the files were not in any discernible order. In the absence of original order, materials were arranged by function and subject at the series level and chronologically within series.
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20 records – page 1 of 1.