Fonds consists of the personal, business and research records of May and Elmer Ellingsen. Textual records include personal and business correspondence; financial and legal records; information about local history; records and newsletters of various community organizations; records created by John Manson and by the St. James Ladies' Guild; maps; ephemera; and clippings about Cortes Island people and events. Fonds also includes photographs of the Manson family and other island people and places, and cassette tapes of oral history and music.
Fonds is arranged in 14 series: Correspondence; Financial records; Elmer Ellingsen records (business and personal); May Ellingsen personal records; Local history subject files; John Manson records; St. James Ladies' Guild records; Community organizations and services records; Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society records; Maps; Ephemera; Clippings; Photographs and Audio tapes.
Records from Accessions 2017.003 and 2019.002, which were processed after the other material had been arranged, have been interfiled.
3 meters of textual records
726 photographs
21 audio cassette tapes
Extent
252 cm
History / Biographical
Elmer Ellingsen (1913-2002) was born in North Vancouver to Sigurd and Gladys Ellingsen. After graduating from high school, he took a short course in business at Sprott Shaw College. In the early 1930s Elmer worked in logging and became a strong supporter of the trade union movement. He also had classical piano training in school, later turning to popular music; he played for many dances and parties until well into his eighties.
May Ellingsen (1914-2012) was born in Vancouver to George and Robina Freeman. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Manson, was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, in 1886. May grew up on Cortes and Hernando Islands until grade six, then moved to Vancouver with her family to finish her schooling.
May and Elmer met on Cortes in 1935 and were married on August 1, 1936. They built a float house and spent the next ten years in the Loughborough Inlet/Phillips Arm area where Elmer worked in his father's logging operations. While there, their children Shirley (1939), Bruce (1940) and Andy (1941) were born. In 1946 they moved to Von Donop Creek, where Elmer formed a logging partnership with Mike Herrewig and Scotty McKenzie. In 1950, he formed a new partnership with Erne Anderson for logging in the Whaletown area, and moved the floathouse to Manson's Landing lagoon. Two years later their floathouse was moved to its present location on Hague Lake.
After travelling from home to various logging operations, Elmer retired from logging. He bought a D8 Caterpillar tractor, backhoe and gravel truck and worked for the next forty years excavating, delivering gravel and moving things. He often worked with BC Hydro and BC Tel on pole installation, repair and maintenance.
Both Elmer and May were very active in community life. They sponsored weekly movie nights through the 1950s and square dancing in the sixties. May's many involvements included the Ladies' Guild, Women's Institute, Ratepayers Association, Post Office, Vancouver Regional Library development and Cortes Island Days. Elmer was a leading promoter of bringing ferry and hydro service to the island; he helped renovate Manson's Hall in the late 1970s, lobbied for road paving and helped initiate the Cortes Island Firefighters Assoc. in the 1980s. Both were founding members of the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society.
Custodial History
Records were collected from the home of May and Elmer Ellingsen by Andy and Susan Ellingsen and by Bruce Ellingsen and donated to CIMAS. There are eight accessions in this fonds: 2007.001, 2007.002, 2007.003, 2007.005, 2008.002 and 2010.001, 2018.002 and 2019.002.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the personal, business and research records of May and Elmer Ellingsen. Textual records include personal and business correspondence; financial and legal records; information about local history; records and newsletters of various community organizations; records created by John Manson and by the St. James Ladies' Guild; maps; ephemera; and clippings about Cortes Island people and events. Fonds also includes photographs of the Manson family and other island people and places, and cassette tapes of oral history and music.
Fonds is arranged in 14 series: Correspondence; Financial records; Elmer Ellingsen records (business and personal); May Ellingsen personal records; Local history subject files; John Manson records; St. James Ladies' Guild records; Community organizations and services records; Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society records; Maps; Ephemera; Clippings; Photographs and Audio tapes.
Records from Accessions 2017.003 and 2019.002, which were processed after the other material had been arranged, have been interfiled.
Series consists of photographs collected by May Ellingsen during her activities documenting the history of Cortes Island. Most of the photographs date from the first half of the 1900s and include pictures of the Manson and other Cortes Island settler families, places and events. A set of photographs from Slim Barnard of the Happy Ranch contains pictures of Cortes Island and B.C. from the 1950s.
Some of the photographs are copies of historic Cortes photographs which were collected by May Ellingsen and reproduced by the Campbell River Museum in 1985. Where known, the Campbell River Museum number is indicated. (See 2004.002 - May Ellingsen fonds.)
Series consists of photographs collected by May Ellingsen during her activities documenting the history of Cortes Island. Most of the photographs date from the first half of the 1900s and include pictures of the Manson and other Cortes Island settler families, places and events. A set of photographs from Slim Barnard of the Happy Ranch contains pictures of Cortes Island and B.C. from the 1950s.
Some of the photographs are copies of historic Cortes photographs which were collected by May Ellingsen and reproduced by the Campbell River Museum in 1985. Where known, the Campbell River Museum number is indicated. (See 2004.002 - May Ellingsen fonds.)
These photographs depict people ((Needs ID) and houses in Whaletown Bay, to the west of the present-day ferry landing. They are labelled "Whaletown B.C., my Dad's place".
2 loose pages from a photograph album containing 15 black and white photographs
History / Biographical
(Obituary from the Powell River Peak: http://www.prpeak.com/articles/2012/12/04/community/obituaries/doc50b6568a6c710870190038.txt)
Annabelle Jane Smith (née Graham), April 10, 1940 – November 19, 2012
Annabelle passed away in Quesnel, BC. She is survived by her daughters Darlene (Dan) Johnson and Paulene Smith, and two granddaughters Brittney and Brooke. She also leaves behind her sisters Penny (Harold) Tuck, Bonnie Skoropad, and Marilyn (Jim) Schmor, brother Robert and many nieces and nephews.
Custodial History
These photographs were mailed to CIMAS in 2008. There is no signed donation form.
Scope and Content
These photographs depict people ((Needs ID) and houses in Whaletown Bay, to the west of the present-day ferry landing. They are labelled "Whaletown B.C., my Dad's place".
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).
Fonds consists of two photograph albums containing 479 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict family, friends and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the area known as Green Valley; some photographs show school friends and family from Vancouver and Saskatchewan. Titles in quotation marks are Dorothy Huck's photograph captions. Other information used in photograph descriptions comes from the "Green Valley", "Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay" and "Whaletown to 1930" albums created for CIMAS in 1999 by Doreen Huck Thompson, a grand-niece of Dorothy Huck. Unless otherwise noted, the location of all photos is Cortes Island.
Dorothy Mary Huck Whalley (June 30, 1904 - Nov. 17, 1983) was the oldest of five children born to Mabel Wells Huck and William Edward Huck. Her siblings were Wilfred Harold (Harry), John Edward (Jack), Margaret Ethel and William Frances (Billie). Shortly after the Huck family arrived on Cortes in 1915, William E. Huck enlisted in the Army. He was killed in France in 1916, leaving Mabel with five children to bring up on her own. Her brother, Harold John (Jack) Wells was invalided home from World War I in 1917 and moved to Cortes, where he boarded with Mabel.
The Huck homestead, referred to as Hell's Half Acre or Billy Goat Hill, was in the NE 1/4 of Section 40, in Green Valley, the area around what is now known as Blue Jay Lake. Neighbours included the Barrett, Middleton, Tait and Tiber families. Dorothy was sent to Vancouver for schooling, and then returned to Cortes to attend the new Squirrel Cove school in 1916. In 1920 the Huck family moved to the Robertson property, Burnside, in Whaletown. Dorothy, having outgrown the local school system, went to Moose Jaw, Sk. where she finished high school and then attended a secretarial school run by her aunt and uncle. She married Joe Whalley and lived in Saskatchewan for many years before returning to live in Vancouver and White Rock. Dorothy died in White Rock on Nov. 17, 1983.
Custodial History
The albums were created by Dorothy Huck Whalley and given to her daughter Dorothy Whalley Livingstone. Dorothy Livingstone passed the albums on to her cousin, Karen Lee (daughter of Margaret Huck Mann), who donated them to the Cortes Island Museum & Archives Society.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two photograph albums containing 479 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict family, friends and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the area known as Green Valley; some photographs show school friends and family from Vancouver and Saskatchewan. Titles in quotation marks are Dorothy Huck's photograph captions. Other information used in photograph descriptions comes from the "Green Valley", "Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay" and "Whaletown to 1930" albums created for CIMAS in 1999 by Doreen Huck Thompson, a grand-niece of Dorothy Huck. Unless otherwise noted, the location of all photos is Cortes Island.
Geographic Access
Cortes Island
Squirrel Cove
Carrington Bay
Saskatchewan
Related Material
"Green Valley", "Carrington Bay/Coulter Bay" and "Whaletown to 1930" albums created by Doreen Huck Thompson.
Series consists of one photograph album containing 150 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict Dorothy Huck, her family and friends, and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the Green Valley area. There are also some photographs from Vancouver and Moose Jaw, Sk. where Dorothy attended school.
1 photograph album, 18.5 x 14 x 4.5 cm, containing 150 black and white photographs.
Physical Condition
Cover is worn; spine is damaged and has been repaired with orange tape and cellophane tape. Photographs are glued onto the black paper pages and show signs of wear such as dirt or wrinkling but are generally very clear. Some photographs are missing and a few have been cut.
Scope and Content
Series consists of one photograph album containing 150 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict Dorothy Huck, her family and friends, and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the Green Valley area. There are also some photographs from Vancouver and Moose Jaw, Sk. where Dorothy attended school.
Series consists of one photograph album containing 329 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1922 to 1924. The photographs depict Dorothy Huck, friends and family, on Cortes and in Saskatchewan. There are also some commercial photographs of the Rocky Mountains.
Edges of the cover are frayed; the first five, the eighth and the last four pages are broken along the fold and are loose. The photographs are glued onto the black cardboard pages and show signs of rippling, creasing, dirt and wear but most of the images are very clear. Some of the pictures are loose or missing.
Scope and Content
Series consists of one photograph album containing 329 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1922 to 1924. The photographs depict Dorothy Huck, friends and family, on Cortes and in Saskatchewan. There are also some commercial photographs of the Rocky Mountains.
This collection consists of photographs of Jalmar Olson, his house and garden in Gorge Harbour, and Whaletown. Textual records include a hand-written account of J. Olson by his grand-daughter, Judy (Alderson) Gerwing, and a photocopy of a letter to J. Olson from the Meteorological Division of the Dept. of Transport (Small fonds box 1-18).
7 photographs : b&w ; 10 x 15 cm
3 photographs : colour ; 15 x 10 cm
1 file of textual records
History / Biographical
Jalmar Olson (Apr 30, 1869-Feb 29, 1964) was born in Sweden. He emigrated to Canada in 1906 and moved to Cortes in the 1930s. He had a house and garden in Gorge Harbour at what is now 509 Whaletown Rd. Olson was a Weather Observer for Transport Canada until 1949, when he moved off-island for health reasons.
Custodial History
Donated to CIMAS by Judy Alderson Gerwing, the grand-daughter of Jalmar Olson, Sept. 27, 2013.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of photographs of Jalmar Olson, his house and garden in Gorge Harbour, and Whaletown. Textual records include a hand-written account of J. Olson by his grand-daughter, Judy (Alderson) Gerwing, and a photocopy of a letter to J. Olson from the Meteorological Division of the Dept. of Transport (Small fonds box 1-18).
Michael Carkener (1949- ) has lived at 757 Sutil Point Rd., Manson's Landing on Cortes Island since ca. 1978. The house at that address was originally built by the Froud family in 1914. Frederick Froud donated a portion of his land for Manson's Landing Community Hall and St. James Church in the 1920s.
Custodial History
Photograph #2013.002.001 was found by Michael Carkener when he moved into the house at 757 Sutil Pt. Rd; the others were collected by his wife, Janice Piche, in the 1980s, probably from the Fretwell family. Michael Carkener donated the collection to CIMAS in 2013.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of twenty-four photographs depicting Cortes Island scenes and people, and one folder containing a letter and ephemera.
"Cortes Island Workbook: A guide to Business and Employment Opportunities in Rural and Remote Communities" is a 130 page resource manual. Researched and written in 1984 by a group of eight island women, it contains a description of the the community, economy and rural lifestyle on Cortes, and ideas for finding or creating a business. Each chapter divider page has an illustration by Brigid Weiler.
Binder #2 also contains a letter announcing the end of the project with list of contributors.
This Resource Manual is the result of a Canada Works project grant, and was researched and written by a group of eight Cortes Island women over a five month period.
Custodial History
This binder is one of two copies of the Workbook kept at the Louisa Tooker Library in Whaletown. It was donated to CIMAS by Brigid Weiler, librarian and president of the Whaletown Community Club.
The second binder was donated to CIMAS in 2023 by Bernice McGowan, librarian of the Louisa Tooker Library for the Whaletown Community Club.
Scope and Content
"Cortes Island Workbook: A guide to Business and Employment Opportunities in Rural and Remote Communities" is a 130 page resource manual. Researched and written in 1984 by a group of eight island women, it contains a description of the the community, economy and rural lifestyle on Cortes, and ideas for finding or creating a business. Each chapter divider page has an illustration by Brigid Weiler.
Binder #2 also contains a letter announcing the end of the project with list of contributors.
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).
Fonds contains six oversize photograph albums, CDs, administrative documents, ephemera, newsletters, yearbooks, and articles created by Linnaea School. It is arranged in eight series: Administrative records; Creative projects; Linnaea Learner; Yearbooks; Publicity materials; School photo descriptions; Linnaea School photograph albums; and CDs. Electronic records include an overview of Linnaea; Linnaea philosophy and curriculum, and class and attendance lists.
Linnaea School was a small independent school located on Linnaea Farm, a land trust with 315 acres of forests, fields, organic gardens and lake-front which is governed by The Linnaea Farm Society, a registered non-profit. Linnaea School offered its holistic, community-based approach to education for 23 years, from 1987 until its closing in 2010.
The school was founded by Donna Bracewell in 1987. It expanded from a first-year enrollment of eleven students to take in close to half of the island's school-age children. Linnaea offered a program of creative, nature-based, alternative learning for Kindergarten to Grade 6. Strong academics were enhanced by farm classes, environmental and outdoor education, mentorship programmes, music classes and service projects. A notable project was the annual spring musical play. Bracewell left in June, 2009 to take a teaching position in Vietnam and the school closed a year later.
Custodial History
Records were donated to CIMAS on 22 October 2014 by a representative of Linnaea Education Centre/Linnaea Farm Society. An accrual of electronic records was donated by Donna Bracewell in 2019. A sticky note attached to the CD file box said they were brought to the Museum in 2017 by Miensje Vlaming.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains six oversize photograph albums, CDs, administrative documents, ephemera, newsletters, yearbooks, and articles created by Linnaea School. It is arranged in eight series: Administrative records; Creative projects; Linnaea Learner; Yearbooks; Publicity materials; School photo descriptions; Linnaea School photograph albums; and CDs. Electronic records include an overview of Linnaea; Linnaea philosophy and curriculum, and class and attendance lists.
Series consists of six (6) oversized photo albums from Linnaea School with colour photographs depicting school pupils, teachers and events. Many of the people have been identified but there are many photographs still in need of identification.
Series consists of six (6) oversized photo albums from Linnaea School with colour photographs depicting school pupils, teachers and events. Many of the people have been identified but there are many photographs still in need of identification.
9 photographs : b&w
2 photograph booklets : b&w ; 9 x 9 cm
History / Biographical
Frederick (Fred) Hawkins (1866-1952) and his wife Doris (1906-1959) settled in Manson's Landing in 1908. The Hawkins family lived across from the entrance to Manson's Lagoon at the Spit in a house originally built by Horace Heay (at the end of Taka Mika Rd). Fred lived there until his death in 1952; he is buried in the cemetery in Manson's Landing. Doris died in Powell River in 1959.
George Hawkins, son of Fred and Doris Hawkins, was born in 1928. He had two brothers, Bill and Bob. George and Bob Hawkins both moved to Powell River, in 1947 and 1955 respectively; Bill was killed in a logging accident in 1972.
Custodial History
Donated by Craig Hawkins, July 30, 2016.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of black and white photographs dating from the 1950s, showing people and scenes from Manson's Landing.
194 photographs : colour ; 15 x 10 cm
1 photograph : b&w, 27 x 20 cm
2 albums (ca. 210 photographs : col.)
History / Biographical
Mae Sherwood (b. Feb. 8, 1931), and her husband Alden, moved to Cortes Island in 1992. She was active in the Whaletown Community Club until moving off-island in 2016, serving as Secretary for seven years, and then as Social Convener. She started the Classical Music program in 1994 and initiated other projects such as the Salad Bar at Cortes Days and the Pie Table at Sand Castle Day.
Custodial History
Photographs were donated to CIMAS by Mae Sherwood.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of photographs taken or collected by Mae Sherwood which document the activities of the Whaletown Community Club.
Series consists of photographs depicting various Whaletown Community Club activities. The photographs are arranged by date and subject matter, and are described and stored in groups.
Series consists of photographs depicting various Whaletown Community Club activities. The photographs are arranged by date and subject matter, and are described and stored in groups.
