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.
Articles, newspaper clippings, posters, handouts, emails, and some brochures, post cards, and business cards relating to artists and musicians, as well as galleries, studios, and shops selling and showing artists' work on and near Cortes Island, 1972; 1987 (WNE); 2002-2016. Also a folder from Allan Todd with several prints from Cortes artists, 2009.
Articles, newspaper clippings, posters, handouts, emails, and some brochures, post cards, and business cards relating to artists and musicians, as well as galleries, studios, and shops selling and showing artists' work on and near Cortes Island, 1972; 1987 (WNE); 2002-2016. Also a folder from Allan Todd with several prints from Cortes artists, 2009.
Articles and newspaper clippings announcing book launches and reviewing books, event posters, emails, and advertisements relating to local authors or works written about Cortes, 1999-2018; Obituary for June Cameron 1929-2016; two clippings from WNE 1998, 1999; two copies of Islandwords, writing on Cortes, 2000.
Articles and newspaper clippings announcing book launches and reviewing books, event posters, emails, and advertisements relating to local authors or works written about Cortes, 1999-2018; Obituary for June Cameron 1929-2016; two clippings from WNE 1998, 1999; two copies of Islandwords, writing on Cortes, 2000.
Logger Elmer Ellingsen's cheque book, cheques to various recipients, and bank statements with The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), 1949-1951. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and Manson's Landing Community Fund: deposit receipts, 1951; statement of account, 1951; letters, 1952; mail deposit receipts to H.J. Foster, 1952. CIBC and the Southern Cortez Community Association: bank acknowledgements, 1971; letter to Mrs. McDevitt, 1971; charge receipt, 1972. Blank CIBC personal chequing account receipts, undated; Article in WNE, opening of the Cortes Island Branch Office of the Quadra Credit Union, 1989; article "Coastal Community and Quadra Credit Unions Announce Merger Plans," 2008; article "Credit Union Members Appeal Branch Closures," 2014
Logger Elmer Ellingsen's cheque book, cheques to various recipients, and bank statements with The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), 1949-1951. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and Manson's Landing Community Fund: deposit receipts, 1951; statement of account, 1951; letters, 1952; mail deposit receipts to H.J. Foster, 1952. CIBC and the Southern Cortez Community Association: bank acknowledgements, 1971; letter to Mrs. McDevitt, 1971; charge receipt, 1972. Blank CIBC personal chequing account receipts, undated; Article in WNE, opening of the Cortes Island Branch Office of the Quadra Credit Union, 1989; article "Coastal Community and Quadra Credit Unions Announce Merger Plans," 2008; article "Credit Union Members Appeal Branch Closures," 2014
Brochures and local publications with general info about Cortes Island for locals and tourists, 1961-present. Keywords: Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI); Community Flyer; Ocean Oracle
Brochures and local publications with general info about Cortes Island for locals and tourists, 1961-present. Keywords: Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI); Community Flyer; Ocean Oracle
Photographs, postcard, emails, articles, and notes containing info on: Whaletown Church, Reverends Douglas Kendall and Alan Greene; Klahoose; Chief Billy Mitchell; Manson family; Squirrel Cove; Boas family; Marg Sullivan's stained glass windows; and St James Church of the Columbia Coast Mission. A school handout announcing construction of church ready for Sunday Mass (among other things), 1979; a letter from Imperial Casket Company Limited, 1969
Photographs, postcard, emails, articles, and notes containing info on: Whaletown Church, Reverends Douglas Kendall and Alan Greene; Klahoose; Chief Billy Mitchell; Manson family; Squirrel Cove; Boas family; Marg Sullivan's stained glass windows; and St James Church of the Columbia Coast Mission. A school handout announcing construction of church ready for Sunday Mass (among other things), 1979; a letter from Imperial Casket Company Limited, 1969
.jpg?width=1200&404=no-img.jpg&watermark=wmk)
.jpg?width=1200&404=no-img.jpg&watermark=wmk)
.jpg?width=180&404=no-img.jpg)
