Photo of Bob Langdon's amphibious Seabee, 1948. Receipts from Island Airlines, Elmer Ellingsen, 1969. Clippings with info on the history of seaplane use and Campbell River's seaplane industry. Transcript of Susan Ellingsen, Dianne Hentschel, and Doreen Thompson, 2005. Harbors magazine featuring Kenmore Air 2011. Additional keywords: Bob Langdon; Campbell River, the Spit; mercy flights; bush pilots; injured loggers
Photo of Bob Langdon's amphibious Seabee, 1948. Receipts from Island Airlines, Elmer Ellingsen, 1969. Clippings with info on the history of seaplane use and Campbell River's seaplane industry. Transcript of Susan Ellingsen, Dianne Hentschel, and Doreen Thompson, 2005. Harbors magazine featuring Kenmore Air 2011. Additional keywords: Bob Langdon; Campbell River, the Spit; mercy flights; bush pilots; injured loggers
Folder labelled Bee Islets Growers Corporation Financial Statement Year Ended December 31, 2007 containing three CD's labelled "A History of Cortes Isl Shellfish," "Misty Isles Oysters," and "Oyster April 06"; printed photographs of shellfish farming; Cortes Women in the Shellfish Industry; laminated photographs from Misty Isles Adventures. And Cortes Island shellfish features printouts from www.cortesshellfish.ca
Folder labelled Bee Islets Growers Corporation Financial Statement Year Ended December 31, 2007 containing three CD's labelled "A History of Cortes Isl Shellfish," "Misty Isles Oysters," and "Oyster April 06"; printed photographs of shellfish farming; Cortes Women in the Shellfish Industry; laminated photographs from Misty Isles Adventures. And Cortes Island shellfish features printouts from www.cortesshellfish.ca
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.
File contains two copies of the booklet "Birds of Cortes and Mittlenatch Islands, a checklist with seasonal graphs" by George Sirk, Christian Gronau and Fred Zwickel, published by the authors in 1993.
File contains two copies of the booklet "Birds of Cortes and Mittlenatch Islands, a checklist with seasonal graphs" by George Sirk, Christian Gronau and Fred Zwickel, published by the authors in 1993.
File contains a photocopy image of the Peter Police homestead at Carrington Lagoon, handwritten stories by Bud Dewar, an article about Ned Breeze, a photocopy of Gary and Velma Bergman at the Whaletown store, and a list of Seaford School.
File contains a photocopy image of the Peter Police homestead at Carrington Lagoon, handwritten stories by Bud Dewar, an article about Ned Breeze, a photocopy of Gary and Velma Bergman at the Whaletown store, and a list of Seaford School.
File contains an informational booklet created by the Friends of Cortes through a grant from Canada Works. Topics include island geography, social and natural history, place names and tourist education.
File contains an informational booklet created by the Friends of Cortes through a grant from Canada Works. Topics include island geography, social and natural history, place names and tourist education.
Clippings, emails, posters, brochures and pamphlets with info on museum history and featuring museum exhibits and events, 1996-2017. Copy of B.C. Museum Roundup, British Columbia Museum Association, 2001. Info on Museum stats and lease, 2010-2017
Clippings, emails, posters, brochures and pamphlets with info on museum history and featuring museum exhibits and events, 1996-2017. Copy of B.C. Museum Roundup, British Columbia Museum Association, 2001. Info on Museum stats and lease, 2010-2017
File contains newspaper clippings about a visit of the Whaletown School class to Vancouver; a "Whaletown Round-Up" column written by Gilean Douglas, 1956; a photocopy of an article about the purchase of Smelt Bay Park, 1973; and a craft store in Whaletown, 1975.
File contains newspaper clippings about a visit of the Whaletown School class to Vancouver; a "Whaletown Round-Up" column written by Gilean Douglas, 1956; a photocopy of an article about the purchase of Smelt Bay Park, 1973; and a craft store in Whaletown, 1975.
File contains a Cortes Island School yearbook 1994/15. In 1995 Ed Piggott retired after 20 years as the school principal. Yearbook originally belonged to Lorena Teames.
File contains a Cortes Island School yearbook 1994/15. In 1995 Ed Piggott retired after 20 years as the school principal. Yearbook originally belonged to Lorena Teames.
Back, L to R: Bruce Campbell, Duane Campbell, Bonnie Killian, Joan Disney, Peggy Newsham, Wendy Knudson, Kate Hathaway, Donna Norman
Front: David Blinzinger, Conductor; Bruce Ellingsen, Jack Killian, Fay Raymont, Velma Bergman, (ID), Rebecca Campbell
Back, L to R: Bruce Campbell, Duane Campbell, Bonnie Killian, Joan Disney, Peggy Newsham, Wendy Knudson, Kate Hathaway, Donna Norman
Front: David Blinzinger, Conductor; Bruce Ellingsen, Jack Killian, Fay Raymont, Velma Bergman, (ID), Rebecca Campbell
Info on social gatherings of early settlers such as picnics, shows and dances. Printed photos and descriptions of settler social life from 1930s-1950s. Old posters for Community Club meeting and a Masquerade Ball. Keywords: Boat Days, Cortes Day, Regatta at Corneille's.
Info on social gatherings of early settlers such as picnics, shows and dances. Printed photos and descriptions of settler social life from 1930s-1950s. Old posters for Community Club meeting and a Masquerade Ball. Keywords: Boat Days, Cortes Day, Regatta at Corneille's.
