Travelogue. Made two weeks after the opening of the Big Bend highway and the Banff-Jasper Highway, this film depicts the scenery of British Columbia as seen from the Trans-Canada Highway between Vancouver and Field, with side trips from Jasper to Banff and into the Okanagan Valley.

RECORDED: Richmond (B.C.), 1983-11 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Ray Legace (Alpha's husband) was born in 1895 in Hatzic Prairie, BC; his first year in Banff was 1917 and later worked for Pat Brewster. English party used collapsible bathtub on trip. Repeat American parties. Worked with Percy Bennett, Red Cathcart, Chet Hogan, Mr. Temple, Scottie Wright, Wattie Potts. Areas hunted. Some hunting clients. Ray started on his own in 1930. Poor business during WWII. Worked summers at Lake Louise after 1940. Dr. Weibrecht made filming trips. Peabody Museum collecting expedition at Skoki, 1951. Calgary Herald article, sleeping with a bear. Flour snow tale. Lagaces ran Skoki Lodge from 1950 to 1963. History of lodge management. TRACK 2: Packed for Alpine Club, Seattle mountaineers in Lake Louise are in 1940s and 1950s. J. Munroe Thorington made repeat trips. Rockefellers. 1929 climbing trip with Colonel Amery detailed in book. Van Heek book. Some business details and factors. Dale Carnegie. Surviving the Depression. Old outfitters from Banff, Pat Brewster, George Harrison, Jack Thomas, Jimmy Simpson, Elmer Jamieson. Alpha's arrival in Banff, 1929. Sir Norman Watson. Managing Post Hotel.

CALL NUMBER: T1031:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-11-09 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Arthur Shelford recalls his early life in England and his feeling that city life in London was not for him, so he decided to come to Canada in 1908 on an urge. Mr. Shelford describes the conditions of economic depression upon arriving in Canada at Calgary. Mr. Shelford recalls his experience working on the railroad, including the food they ate and his interactions with the Walking Boss; the relationship between the railroad and the employment agency in Calgary; his decision to walk a few miles up the road to Field which was his first experience in British Columbia, there was no work available, his next job on the railroad which paid a dollar and a half a day which was excellent, his positive experiences with foreigners and how it changed his perceptions of others, the need for gloves to do the work, befriending an English soldier named Tommy Gibson who got him a job working on the road at Banff which paid very well and his experience there, an anecdote about some of his co-workers who got arrested for drinking and one who got out and let the others loose and his boss changed the man's name so he would not get arrested, the scenery around Banff, putting a fire out at Fernie, odd jobs and characters, and an anecdote about when he worked on shingling roofs in winter. TRACK 2: Mr. Shelford describes how he came to Vancouver in 1909 and how much he liked it, the game of real estate, working in a logging camp at Courtenay until a forest fire burned his camp down, getting a job as a fireman for nine months at Powell Lake and the foreman Jim Springer who was a great man, his job as an engineer at the Powell River Pulp Company and a description of the conditions as one of the best jobs he ever had, his brother Jack suggesting that they venture to Northern BC to; acquire land, a journey up the Skeena by river boat and the conditions there and the people whom he met on the trip. Mr. Shelford describes arriving at Hazelton, how Hazelton was a frontier village.

CALL NUMBER: T1031:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-11-09 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Shelford continues by discussing his horses, a trip to Bella Coola to get cattle in 1910 with his brother and what was involved in the trip including building a raft out of rope, characters around Francois Lake including Harry Morgan and other pioneers, more on their journey and a description of places visited and sites seen, leading the cows up the valley, expertise about horses, more on their travels including interactions with the horses and building more rafts. Mr. Shelford discusses the personality of pioneer Irishman Mike Touey, including several anecdotes including one about the three pounds of meat he ate per day and another about his poetry and another about an incident when he retired to Burns Lake and gave up eating meat. TRACK 2: Mr. Shelford continues with more on interesting characters who were in the area around the time Mr. Shelford came in around 1914. Firstly, he discusses the two Oknianski boys who were Polish and they made a living off whip sawing and they also were involved with Hansard in Ottawa which is something Mr. Shelford feels is quite commendable. Secondly, Mr. Shelford discusses and offers anecdotes about Bob, Jim and Kelly Nelson who were known for their hospitality. Thirdly, he discusses the Hinton family who came from London and had hardly spent any time in the country, Mrs. Hinton really missed eating meat, details on the family and people whom the daughters married. Fourthly, a Norwegian man named Jacob Lund and an anecdote about Lund's teeth and a dentist and another Norwegian man named Shorty Mathieson who was a good friend to everyone and had a knack to find an easy way to do things. Fifth , Mr. Shelford discusses the pioneer women whom he believes did not get nearly enough credit. Mr. Shelford offers anecdotes about the contributions of several of these women including Mrs. Bennett who came into Hazelton before the railway, Mrs. George Lawson who came from Scotland, Mrs. Morgan who came in over the Bella.

CALL NUMBER: T1031:0003 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-11-09 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Shelford recalls enlisting in WWI in 1916 and almost being turned down for entry in Hazelton because he had flat feet. He discusses what he did upon returning from the war including how lovely returning to Vancouver was and his travels back up to Houston and continuing work just as he had left off. He discusses the economic conditions of the country after the war, jobs they tried to get some money including shipping cream, the start of the railway tie industry and the profitability of timber to that end, trapping furs, cattle prices, conditions picking up just prior to WWII, the impact of the war in boosting the lumber industry, drawbacks of the lumber industry, the necessity of having to supplement farming with other work, the flood of 1948 by aluminum companies to provide power for the plant at Kitimat and the repercussions on good farming land and relocating settlers, the reaction from the community, details about the Kenny Dam, and compensation. TRACK 2: Mr. Shelford continues with more on the compensation from the aluminum company and how most felt it was quite fair, one man who did not spend the money he was given well and others who did, repercussions on the local economy, the growth of the Ootsa Lake community including the first church, the effect the flood had on the lake itself, the growing tourist industry, pioneering routes by river, general problems of pioneer life and farming, having to walk everywhere because there were no roads until 1915 and that road was very rough.

RECORDED: Ghost River (Alta.), 1984-10 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Freighting supplies in Kananaskis Valley, winter 1931. George Pocaterra. Ray Patterson. Banff Park outfits used both east slopes and BC areas of the Rockies. Soapy Smith. Frank Philipps; hunted Elk Valley in the 1940s. First packing/wrangling was dude trips for Claude Brewster and Soapy Smith in 1936. Banff wardens noted. Travel and fire permits required. Foreman at Kananaskis Ranch after 1950. Worked for Bud Brewster's outfit out of Banff. 25 years of wintering horses in Ghost area. Size of Brewster's outfits. Johnny Boychuk. Jim Bagley. Trails in the 1930s were better than today. Some names; Rex Logan, Alvin Gwyn, Ollie Rasmussen, Jim Tegart, Albert Cooper, horse trip from Alberta to the Cariboo, 1935. Ollie Armstrong. TRACK 2: Various aspects of horse trips. Indians helped on short trips; not too dependable.

Thie series consists of an extensive collection of stock shots, depicting a wide range of B.C. Forest Service and Ministry of Forests activities and related subjects. Compiled from footage shot for a variety of purposes, the material was retained for potential use as stock footage in BC Forest Service and Ministry of Forests film productions and TV spots. Some footage was also loaned out for TV news use.

Series consists of 545 photographs of the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.), thought to be taken by Richard or Hannah Maynard. In 1880-1881, Richard Maynard was hired to document the construction of the C.P.R. but photos within this series may have been taken at later dates or by other photographers. Images depict trains ("rolling stock"); views of locations along the construction route, including rivers, bridges, and mountains; tracks and construction in progress; wrecks following accidents; snowsheds; and portraits of workers.

Home movies. Notations from film leader: "1. Children at Banff summer 1942; 2. David in his first Air cadet uniform, Banff, Oct '42; 3. Skiing at Norquay, Dec. '42; 4. David skis and jumps, Sunshine Valley, Dec. 1942; 5. Elspeth, David & Penelope at Sunshine Valley; 6. Helen, Elspeth (15) and David (13-3/4) at Shasta Place, April, 1943 (Easter)." [This listing of sequences appears to be incomplete; the section of film are numbered up to #17.]

Home movies. Children swimming, July 1939. David Ker (aged 10) makes his first flight to Vancouver (on a float-equipped De Havilland Dragon Rapide, CF-AYE, of Canadian Airways). Christmas 1939. Children at Beacon Hill Park, Easter 1940. Children rowing.Salmon-Baker wedding, 8 June 1940. Davida Braide and her children shortly after their arrival from India, june 1940. Indian Days at Banff, 19 July 1940: crowd scenes, Mounties, Banff Springs Hotel, Chief Proud Eagle (John Burns). Helen and davida with Pat Ashley-Cooper and Pam Dawson, July 1940. Gracie Fields and Anna Neagle, 4 August 1940.

Amateur film. Shows scenery and wildlife in the vicinity of the Columbia and Yoho Valleys and the towns of Golden, Skookumchuck and Banff. Includes footage of the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, waterfall in Yoho Park, train passing through Spiral Tunnels, Radium Hot Springs, etc.

Banff Springs Hotel.

Amateur film. Summer leisure activities around Fish Lake. Visits to Turner Valley (oil derricks), Bow River Falls, Banff, Yoho National Park. Lakes and creeks in the area of Kamloops and the North Thompson River.

RECORDED: Canmore (Alta.), 1984-10 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Had class A guide's license for 55 years, from 1924 to 1979. On the trail since 1918. Dad, Carl, had outfit in Blairmore; drove Golden Gate stage in Yellowstone Park, 1895 to 1900. Crowsnest area; hunted Castle River, Flathead and Elk Valley. Nordstrom Brothers, Cutch Charlie. Trailed over south Kootenay Pass. Mike Baher. Hot springs in Elk Valley. Areas hunted. Crowsnest background, Frenchie, Charlie (Chink) and Jim Riviere, Buckhorn ranch sold. Guided west of Turner Valley. Started guiding in Banff area for Claude Brewster, 1945. Others mentioned, Alvin Gwyne, Soapy Smith, Art Cartledge. Stoney Indians: rented their horses, good guides for elk, moose, etc. Trophy heads. Yoho Park horse concession with Johnny Boychuk, 1950 to 1954. Summer operation at Assiniboine/Marvel Lake in later years. Some packing for geological surveys, forestry lookouts. Southern Rockies name: Johnny Musgrove, Bert Rigall, Charlie hunter. Photo/lecture tours. Wife, Lillian cooked at Lake Louise, Lake O'Hara, etc. TRACK 2: Hollywood movie work mentioned. Guided for Fred Brewster in Jasper, 1948-49. Tom Vinson. Floyd covered much of Rockies from US border to north of Jasper.; Guided some big name clients. Prices and costs noted. Some reflections on pioneering horse use.

RECORDED: Jasper (Alta.), 1983-11 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: 1930 ski trip from Jasper to Banff with Joe Weiss, Doug and Verne Jeffrey, Pete Withers. GTP railroad work camp and Red Pass, 1912. Moved to Jasper in 1919. Brewster trips and operations. Moose River trip, 1927. Jack Hargreaves outfit. Otto Brothers. Description of Curly Phillips. Phil Hageson and Oliver Travers snowshoe trip to Banff, 1931. Mid-1920s work on Jasper north boundary surveys. Art Allen. Warden service 1938 to 1966. Jasper Park Lodge. Park regulations. Cutting railway ties on Whirlpool River. TRACK 2: Cutting ties, continued. Bill/Ray Mustard. Brazeau warden district work. Hunting trip miscellanea. Horses vis-à-vis Jasper Park. Felix Plante. Ed and Frank Moberly. Palisades Ranch owners. Length of hunting trips. Sixty-four years residing in Jasper.

The item consists of 20 camera original, unedited films created by Georgiana Ball between about 1957 and 1970. Original films 1-11 and 12-20 were combined onto 2 film reels by the BC Archives upon acquisition.

The film are "home movies", primarily of ranching activities in the Stikine and Liard regions, particularly showing the communities of Telegraph Creek and Trutch. Other locations include Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Ocean Falls, Dawson Creek, Dease Lake, Stikine River, Mount Edziza and Banff, Alberta. Activities shown include Ball family Diamond B Ranch game guiding operations, ranching, haying, packing and various types of transportation including horseback, pack horses, river boats (incl. Judith Ann), cargo ships (incl. Northland Prince, Skeena Prince), bush planes (North Coast Airways) and helicopters.

Amateur film footage. Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State. Mountain scenery. Golf course and Banff Springs Hotel. Power boating on a lake [identified as Muskoka]. Man board twin-engined passenger plane at airport. Extensive views from aircraft in flight: clouds, islands, mountains, view from cockpit, lakes, rivers, view of a city from the air, etc. [Airplane appears to be CF-TCE, a Lockheed 14-H2 Super Electra of Trans-Canada Airlines.]

The item is a composite print of a travelogue film from 1974. It depicts the scenic and recreational attractions along the Trans-Canada Highway #1 from Calgary and Banff to Victoria. It updates East 1, West 1.

RECORDED: Canmore (Alta.), 1984-10 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Started in early 1930s; worked for Pat Brewster, Brewster Transport, and Claude Brewster. Grew up in Cypress Hills. Various jobs in Banff from 1927. Pat Brewster outfit; Assiniboine camp, 200 head of horses, short dude trips. Horse assisted hiking trips in Larch Valley, Skoki. A 36-day sightseeing trip from Kananaskis Lakes to Lake Louise. Worked with Harvey Clark, Lance Reigher, Jim Moore, after WWII. Other outfits; Ray Legace, George Harris. One guiding territory was Simpson River; then Panther-Clearwater areas used. Bought horses from Stoney Indians. Yoho Park years and various horse concessions, circa 1948 to 1968. Floyd Smith was early partner. Regulation eventually restricted operation. Packed for Alpine Club in Yoho Park. TRACK 2: Some guides, etc.: Rex Logan, Alvin Gwynne, Ike Mills, Bagley brothers, Jim Burroughs, Brewster's 60th anniversary reunion. Slim Hogan managed the Ya Ha Tinda. Operating pony stable at Canmore.

Amateur film. Rocky Mountains; "The Great Divide" sign; Yoho Canyon; Takkakaw Falls; glacier, rock formations; Lake Louise; sun/clouds; diver in pool; river rushing through eroded rocks; resort pool; feeding chipmunks by hand; Lake Agnes; Banff Springs Hotel; more diving, pool; waterfall.

Travelogue. Surveys mineral hot springs at resorts in the Canadian Rockies, including Radium Hot Springs, Miette Pool, Upper Hot Springs and the pools at Banff.