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.
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.
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.
One DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of a performance of the Cortes Theatre Group.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
Copied from George Sirk's VHS tapes with his permission to use the contents for display and research purposes.
Scope and Content
One DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of a performance of the Cortes Theatre Group.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
One DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of performances by the Cortes Theatre Society and the Cortes Singing Society, and the Gorge Hall Christmas Party, filmed by George Sirk.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
Copied from George Sirk's VHS tapes with his permission to use the contents for display and research purposes.
Scope and Content
One DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of performances by the Cortes Theatre Society and the Cortes Singing Society, and the Gorge Hall Christmas Party, filmed by George Sirk.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
DVD of a short film directed and shot by George Sirk at the Cortes Recycling Center and footage shot by Sirk of a performance by the Cortes Theatre Group.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
Copied from George Sirk's VHS tapes with his permission to use the contents for display and research purposes.
Scope and Content
DVD of a short film directed and shot by George Sirk at the Cortes Recycling Center and footage shot by Sirk of a performance by the Cortes Theatre Group.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of the Bergmans' retirement party (from the Whaletown store) held at the Gorge Hall.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
Copied from George Sirk's VHS tapes with his permission to use the contents for display and research purposes.
Scope and Content
DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of the Bergmans' retirement party (from the Whaletown store) held at the Gorge Hall.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
DVD of footage shot by George Sirk of Jim Guthrie and his skidder (198-), and building a boat (1990).
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
Copied from George Sirk's VHS tapes with his permission to use the contents for display and research purposes.
Scope and Content
DVD of footage shot by George Sirk of Jim Guthrie and his skidder (198-), and building a boat (1990).
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
DVD is a documentary shot by George Sirk of Gary and Velma Bergman's store, Carlberg General Merchants in Whaletown (Dec. 1986), and the Bergmans' retirement party (May 1987).
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
Copied from George Sirk's VHS tapes with his permission to use the contents for display and research purposes.
Scope and Content
DVD is a documentary shot by George Sirk of Gary and Velma Bergman's store, Carlberg General Merchants in Whaletown (Dec. 1986), and the Bergmans' retirement party (May 1987).
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of Carlberg General Merchants before it closed in May, 1987.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
Copied from George Sirk's VHS tapes with his permission to use the contents for display and research purposes.
Scope and Content
DVD with footage shot by George Sirk of Carlberg General Merchants before it closed in May, 1987.
Copyright George Sirk; to be used for display and research purposes only.
CD contains recordings of a tribute to Gordon (Gordie) Carr (1921-2012) held at the Gorge Hall, and of The Gig that Never Was (old standards recorded at the home of Gordie Carr ca. 1988 with Art Monk on saxophone and clarinet, Gordie Carr on piano; George Lake added his part at his home in Edmonton, Alta. in 2001).
CD contains recordings of a tribute to Gordon (Gordie) Carr (1921-2012) held at the Gorge Hall, and of The Gig that Never Was (old standards recorded at the home of Gordie Carr ca. 1988 with Art Monk on saxophone and clarinet, Gordie Carr on piano; George Lake added his part at his home in Edmonton, Alta. in 2001).
Series consists of cassette tapes of interviews with residents of Cortes Island and nearby islands, of recordings of events which occurred on the island, and of musical performances by island artists and groups. Twenty-six of the tapes are interviews about the history of the island and early settler families done by Oonagh O'Connor for the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society in 1995. Other interviews were recorded by museum volunteers gathering information for exhibits.
In 2017 the 54 cassette tapes in the collection at that time (along with 21 cassette tapes from Fonds # 2007.001: May and Elmer Ellingsen, 1 VHS tape and 1 mini-DVD) were digitized with a $1,000 grant from the Terry Reksten Memorial Fund, administered by Friends of the BC Archives. There are three components to each item: the original cassette tape, an electronic .wav file preservation master made from the original tape, and an .mp3 access file. The electronic files are stored on archival quality CDs as well as on a dedicated hard drive and the .mp3 files are available on the Museum and the Archives computers.
Series consists of cassette tapes of interviews with residents of Cortes Island and nearby islands, of recordings of events which occurred on the island, and of musical performances by island artists and groups. Twenty-six of the tapes are interviews about the history of the island and early settler families done by Oonagh O'Connor for the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society in 1995. Other interviews were recorded by museum volunteers gathering information for exhibits.
In 2017 the 54 cassette tapes in the collection at that time (along with 21 cassette tapes from Fonds # 2007.001: May and Elmer Ellingsen, 1 VHS tape and 1 mini-DVD) were digitized with a $1,000 grant from the Terry Reksten Memorial Fund, administered by Friends of the BC Archives. There are three components to each item: the original cassette tape, an electronic .wav file preservation master made from the original tape, and an .mp3 access file. The electronic files are stored on archival quality CDs as well as on a dedicated hard drive and the .mp3 files are available on the Museum and the Archives computers.
Storage Location
Cassette tape boxes 1 and 2
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Related Material
2007.001 - May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds
2009.001 - Island Women's Club
