Interview of Brigid Weiler by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. The introduction to the interview is on File 1. In File 2 Brigid talks about growing up in Whaletown in the 1950s and 60s, the people who lived there and the location of their houses. (43 minutes)
Interview of Brigid Weiler by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. The introduction to the interview is on File 1. In File 2 Brigid talks about growing up in Whaletown in the 1950s and 60s, the people who lived there and the location of their houses. (43 minutes)
Interview of Emilie Hansen by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Emilie talks about moving to Canada with her husband Gunnar; moving to Cortes in 1961; different properties they lived on; making a living on the island. (41 minutes)
Interview of Emilie Hansen by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Emilie talks about moving to Canada with her husband Gunnar; moving to Cortes in 1961; different properties they lived on; making a living on the island. (41 minutes)
This is a recording of a skit to be performed by the Cortes Island Women's Institute, with all four parts read by Lillian Nesling. It is recorded over a music tape.
This is a recording of a skit to be performed by the Cortes Island Women's Institute, with all four parts read by Lillian Nesling. It is recorded over a music tape.
Interview of Trude Albright Sweeny by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Subjects covered include Trude's childhood in Austria; marriage and move to the US; Trude's brother Hans Dolezal (also known as Hans Croker); how she came to Cortes; her marriage to Sedley Sweeny; Trude's Cafe; Cortes projects. (28 minutes)
Interview of Trude Albright Sweeny by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Subjects covered include Trude's childhood in Austria; marriage and move to the US; Trude's brother Hans Dolezal (also known as Hans Croker); how she came to Cortes; her marriage to Sedley Sweeny; Trude's Cafe; Cortes projects. (28 minutes)
Interview of Jean Campbell by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Jean talks about growing up, meeting Dan Campbell, his political career, moving to Cortes in the 1960s, island life, people and events. (49 minutes)
Interview of Jean Campbell by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Jean talks about growing up, meeting Dan Campbell, his political career, moving to Cortes in the 1960s, island life, people and events. (49 minutes)
Recording of Norm and Lisa Gibbons talking about their experiences at Refuge Cove, recorded by Lisa Gibbons during a museum-sponsored trip to Refuge Cove on the "Misty Isles". See also the digitized photographs from Norm Gibbons' album which illustrate many of the stories in the recording. (Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society fonds, Series 5, File 2)
Recorded by Lisa Gibbons on her iPhone, July 15, 2023
Scope and Content
Recording of Norm and Lisa Gibbons talking about their experiences at Refuge Cove, recorded by Lisa Gibbons during a museum-sponsored trip to Refuge Cove on the "Misty Isles". See also the digitized photographs from Norm Gibbons' album which illustrate many of the stories in the recording. (Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society fonds, Series 5, File 2)
Interview of Dennis Newsham and Ann Dewar by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Frances Guthrie was also present. Dennis and Ann talk about their memories of growing up in Whaletown.
Interview of Dennis Newsham and Ann Dewar by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Frances Guthrie was also present. Dennis and Ann talk about their memories of growing up in Whaletown.
Interview of Julia Rendall by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Julia talks about moving to Canada from England; her experiences in BC and on Cortes Island including her involvement with Cortes ambulance service and aquaculture.
Interview of Julia Rendall by Bernice McGowan and Jill Milton. Julia talks about moving to Canada from England; her experiences in BC and on Cortes Island including her involvement with Cortes ambulance service and aquaculture.
Interview of Paul Kirmmse by Bernice McGowan, Jill Milton and Monika Hoffman. Paul talks about moving to Cortes in 1971; various experiences on the island; the formation of the Redlands land cooperative.
Interview of Paul Kirmmse by Bernice McGowan, Jill Milton and Monika Hoffman. Paul talks about moving to Cortes in 1971; various experiences on the island; the formation of the Redlands land cooperative.
This fonds comprises records of four Cortes Island women's service organizations, including minutes, financial records, administrative records, correspondence, photographs, ephemera and artifacts. It is arranged in four sous-fonds according to the creator of the records: Whaletown Women's Institute (2009.001.1); Whaletown Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church (2009.001.2); Cortes Island Women's Institute (2009.001.3); and Island Women's Club (2009.001.3). Related material in CIMAS archives may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds (1999.002), the Gilean Douglas fonds (1999.001), and the May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds (2007.001).
The Island Women's Club was formed in 2000, when the members of the Cortes Island Women's Institute withdrew from the British Columbia Women's Institute in order to focus their efforts locally. It was the successor to previous women's service organizations on Cortes, local branches of the Women's Institute and the Anglican Church Women's Auxiliary. Activities included awarding bursaries to graduating high school students, contributing to school projects such as printing yearbooks, sponsoring sports teams and building playground equipment, supporting the community halls and organizing memorial teas on behalf of bereaved families. They disbanded in 2016.
Custodial History
After they disbanded, records of the Whaletown Women's Institute and the Whaletown Women's Auxiliary passed into the hands of the Cortes Island Women's Institute and its successor, Island Women's Club, who donated them to CIMAS in 2009. The organizational records created by the Island Women's Club were donated to CIMAS in 2018.
Scope and Content
This fonds comprises records of four Cortes Island women's service organizations, including minutes, financial records, administrative records, correspondence, photographs, ephemera and artifacts. It is arranged in four sous-fonds according to the creator of the records: Whaletown Women's Institute (2009.001.1); Whaletown Women's Auxiliary of the Anglican Church (2009.001.2); Cortes Island Women's Institute (2009.001.3); and Island Women's Club (2009.001.3). Related material in CIMAS archives may be found in the Whaletown Women's Institute fonds (1999.002), the Gilean Douglas fonds (1999.001), and the May and Elmer Ellingsen fonds (2007.001).
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
Sous-fonds consists of records of the Cortes Island Women's Institute. It is arranged in nine series: Minutes, Reports, Financial, Administrative Records, Correspondence, Subject Files, Ephemera, Photographs and Artifacts.
The Cortes Island Women's institute was formed in 1984. Although Cortes Island had historically been difficult to traverse, and the communities consequently insular, by the 1980s the road systems were such that "a Women's Institute for the whole of Cortes Island" seemed to make sense.
CIWI was founded with the bank balance of a Manson's Landing service group called the Ladies Guild, which was founded in the 1940s. When membership and activity in the guild declined in the 1970s, the focus was shifted to a renovation and addition to Manson's Hall. Once the Hall had been sufficiently updated, it was thought that the remaining funds might be put to use "creating an instrument for better communication between all our women and a chance to work together in the community".
Charter members of the CIWI were Heather Berry, Peggy Newsham, Maryann McCoy, Linda Hendricks, and Mary Block.
Custodial History
Records were donated to CIMAS by the Island Women's Club in 2009.
Scope and Content
Sous-fonds consists of records of the Cortes Island Women's Institute. It is arranged in nine series: Minutes, Reports, Financial, Administrative Records, Correspondence, Subject Files, Ephemera, Photographs and Artifacts.
Series contains records related to work on the Manson's Landing Community Hall in the 1960s, a major expansion and renovation project completed in 1982, and an expansion to add a medical clinic in 1988. It includes plans, grant applications, payroll records, financial reports, receipts, and correspondence.
25 files of textual material
4 photographs : col. ;
2 architectural drawings
Scope and Content
Series contains records related to work on the Manson's Landing Community Hall in the 1960s, a major expansion and renovation project completed in 1982, and an expansion to add a medical clinic in 1988. It includes plans, grant applications, payroll records, financial reports, receipts, and correspondence.
Fonds consists of material generated by the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society and includes meeting minutes, administrative records, research materials, correspondence, ephemera, maps, plans, and publications of the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society, as well as some records of the Cortes Island Old Age Pensioners' Organization. Fonds is arranged into twelve series, following the original order of the records.
An accrual in 2023, described as Series 12, contains meeting minutes, correspondence, etc; arranged in chronological order (original order).
In 1987, members of the Cortes Island Old Age Pensioners' Organization incorporated the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society (currently known as the Cortes Island Senior's Society) with the following stated purposes:
(a) to operate a facility where persons aged 65 years or older, or persons between 55 and 65 years of age who are in need, can improve their health through physical and other acitivity;
(b) to operate a residential housing facility for such persons;
(c) to carry on social activities incidental to the above purposes, but not to own, operate or manage a social club.
The records of the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society provide useful insight into their process of envisioning the future of seniors' housing on Cortes Island.
Custodial History
Donated by Ruth Zwickel on behalf of the Cortes Island Senior's Society in 2013. An accrual was donated by Elinor Harwood on behalf of the Cortes Island Seniors' Society in 2021.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of material generated by the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society and includes meeting minutes, administrative records, research materials, correspondence, ephemera, maps, plans, and publications of the Cortes Island Seniors' Building Society, as well as some records of the Cortes Island Old Age Pensioners' Organization. Fonds is arranged into twelve series, following the original order of the records.
An accrual in 2023, described as Series 12, contains meeting minutes, correspondence, etc; arranged in chronological order (original order).