The item is a documentary made around 1936 by the Government of British Columbia. It shows "a detailed look at one of the government camps set up during the Depression to keep young men occupied and teach them some skills and optimism. Instructor Ben Barlow points out wing dam, comstock, flumes, pressure tank and sluice boxes with various riffles and grids. As well, young men are shown rocking and panning for gold in the black sand that gathers after sluicing. Each scene includes many shots of young men working on Emory Creek, pushing boulders around, staggering about in rushing water. Also shown are daily lectures in mining theory, held by Barlow, and various comic scenes about the cookhouse with chefs and methods of cooking in the woods. Good [close-up] of Ben Barlow. Young men playing baseball alongside railway." (Colin Browne)

The item consists of a print reel of film footage showing the construction of the Fraser Canyon highway.

Footage. This is a compilation of footage showing motoring through the Fraser Canyon from Hope to near Lytton. Depicted at length are the canyon gorges and the turbulent Fraser River, as well as the highway and railway routes along the steep canyon walls. Also shows motorists' accommodations en route: Fort Hope Tavern, All Hallow's Lodge (Yale), and Alexandra Lodge.

Travelogue. Footage taken on automobile trip(s) through "the historic gorge of the Fraser". Also includes footage of trail rides and Rainbow Lodge at Alta Lake. The reel concludes with shots of a covered wagon and cars on the Fraser Canyon highway.

The item is a reel of unedited film footage. Shows construction crew assembling a Bailey bridge at washout site; washout damage to railroad bridge and line, road and culverts; bulldozer clearing debris; slide area and damage on hillside.

This series consists of the contents of the Fraser River Board library. The majority of records date from 1950-1970. The library consists of reference material used by Board staff, as well as reports and records created by staff and contractors in the course of their work for the Board. Most of the studies were completed by the Fraser River Board, as well as its predecessor, the Joint Dominion-Provincial Board, Fraser River. Some records were also created by the Fraser River Board’s successor, the Fraser River Joint Advisory Board.

The records were maintained in order to document studies of various lakes and rivers with emphasis on determining the most effective ways to reduce the flooding potential of the Fraser River. The primary methods of investigation were to increase storage of water in the upper Fraser River through construction of hydro-electric dams, and to expand and improve the dyke systems in the Fraser Valley. Also included are studies of the economic value of lakes and rivers. Other topics addressed include agriculture, power generation, dyke construction, geography, geology, hydrology, transmission lines, meteorology, navigation, oceanography, pollution, sedimentation or erosion, and fish and wildlife in BC.

The library is arranged in four sections:

Section 1 relates to studies of specific sites on the Fraser River, by the Board. Many of these reports contain survey information, technical data, charts, photos and maps relates to the geology or hydrology at a site to determine stability and volumes of water flowage. Many of these reports were created through field work in an attempt to determine potential sites for the construction of dams or water diversion on the Fraser and its tributaries to improve flood control. Other records include: soil samples; technical drawings and design calculations of structures such as dams; studies of watersheds; studies on potential generation and transmission of hydro-electric power; aerial photos; project cost estimates and financial information; assessments of impacts on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, particularly salmon habitats; as well as oceanography and tidal studies.

Section 2 relates to the Fraser River generally. Much of this material was created by the Board or the Government of BC. Subject matter is similar to section 1, though it includes fewer drafts, technical reports and field note data.

Section 3 contains more general reference material, much of it published, but still relates to places and topics in BC. Some records are created by other government bodies, such as the Canadian government.

Section 4 contains “miscellaneous” library material, much of it was not catalogued. This section includes the final, preliminary, annual and interim reports of the Board and its successors. The section also includes some records about other major dam construction projects in BC, particularly the Columbia River dam. There is also annotated copies of the library index.

Each book or report has a three part call number. The first number is a topical category, such as agriculture or geology (the numbers may vary by section). The second number is a geographical location in BC. The third number is a sequential number. Reports in section 1 have an additional number preceding a “/” which refers to a specific project site on the Fraser River, such as a potential location for a dam. See the original library index for detailed explanations of each of these numbers.

For example, 104/5.1.1 represents McGregor River project / water flowage. Upper Fraser. Item one.

These records were transferred under one time schedule number 890395.

This series consists of the administrative and operational records of the Fraser River Board. The records were created by the Fraser River Board, as well as its predecessor, the Joint Dominion-Provincial Board, Fraser River; and the Fraser River Board’s successor, the Fraser River Joint Advisory Board. The majority of records were created from 1948-1970.

The records were maintained in order to document studies of various lakes and rivers with emphasis on determining the most effective ways to reduce the flooding potential of the Fraser River. The primary methods of investigation were to increase storage of water in the upper Fraser River through construction of hydro-electric dams, and to expand and improve the dyke system in the Fraser Valley. Also included are studies of economic value of lakes and rivers. Other topics addressed include agriculture, power generation, dyke construction, geography, geology, hydrology, transmission lines, meteorology, navigation, oceanography, pollution, sedimentation or erosion, and fish and wildlife in BC.

The records are arranged into the following subseries:

1. Paper files. These records were the contents of filing cabinets and contain a variety of operational records. Most files are either project files related to the creation of reports in GR-4074, and raw data or statistics used in the creation of reports. Other records include memorandums, meeting agendas, minutes, and correspondence of Board staff. There are also some subject files of reference material on various topics, such as the history of the Fraser River. Records include draft reports, correspondence, maps, plans, technical drawings, photos, and graphs.

2. Survey field books. Field books of survey and technical studies conducted along the Fraser River and its tributaries. Some of this information was likely used in later reports. Records relate to Clearwater River, McGregor River and other locations.

3. Data. Raw data, graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, tables and some aerial photos with information used to create reports. Most information relates to water volumes and potential for power generation.

4. Outgoing mail and reports. Outgoing correspondence, memorandums, completed reports, meeting minutes and meeting agendas filed chronologically from 1951 to 1964.

5. Photos and negatives. Images document field work, scenery and location of work. Many images were used in later reports. Some aerial photos, including documentation of the 1948 flood in the Fraser Valley.

These records were transferred under one time schedule number 890395.

The sub-series consists of oral history interviews recorded in the Fraser Canyon, Nicola, North Thompson, Similkameen, Thompson, and Upper Fraser regions of B.C., mainly dealing with the history of those regions.

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Silk train wreck in Fraser Canyon, B.C. PERIOD COVERED: 1920-1930 RECORDED: Victoria (B.C.), 1977-02-23 SUMMARY: Mr. F.W. Campbell recalls the wreck of a silk train in the Fraser Canyon during the 1920s. (The third voice heard on the tape is Miss Merle Campbell.)

Stock shots. Scenes at Green Timbers Nursery, with workers (including women) tending seed beds. Second section shows women planting trees near Hope.

CALL NUMBER: T0658:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1963-03-13 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Gus Milliken tells many stories from many different sources about the area around Yale. The first story takes place during the gold rush about a man who sells another man a claim to a mine which turned out to be a gravel mine, not a gold mine. Several other prospecting stories, some of which are fictitious. Early stories about the sternwheelers, including an argument between an engineer and the captain of a steamship; legends about the packer Cataline (Jean Caux); pack mules near Lytton; March 1858; a man named Hill, who discovered the first gold along the Fraser; the first hotels in the area; Joe MacKenzie, an original '58er; Ned Stout; Dewdney Landing; Bill MacKenzie, orchards, the building of the CPR station at Yale; some historical facts about the town of Yale; the first sawmill, first town council and first white male born in BC, Chinese miners and old timers. TRACK 2: Mr. Milliken describes how Yale got its name; its origins as a fort in 1846; the Hudson's Bay Company; the first buildings in Yale, L.T. Hill as the first person to discover gold in 1858; the relationship between the Hudson's Bay Company and San Francisco; the original Fort Hope, the people who worked in the first gold mines, activity in the area as it was being established, the first post office in 1916, Hope as a gold mining town; prospectors who had to move on to other places because all of the land had been staked; a dynamite plant; other early homes.

CALL NUMBER: T0658:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1963-03-13 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Milliken continues describing Andrew Onderdonk, who was "supposed to have built the railway but who was in fact the engineer". He describes the American company that paid for the building of the railway from Emory to beyond Yale. He discusses the construction of the railway; the first roads in the area; Indian trails in the area, including Douglas Portage and how Mr. Yale named it; he describes Mr. Yale; gold in Rock Creek; the Kettle Valley and the Canadian National Railroad [sic]; mills in the area; the Hope-Nicola trail and other trails.

The item is a compilation reel of film footage showing Christina Lake-Kinnaird highway opening (06-Oct-1962); Deas Island Thruway; Deas Tunnel toll removal; Upper Levels Highway. Trans-Canada Highway Motorcade leaving ferry at Swartz Bay; ceremony at B.C. Legislature (Premier Bennett speaking); Trans-Canada Highway ceremony at Mile 0, Victoria, with motorcade car dipping its front wheels in the Pacific. Federal government opening ceremony at Rogers Pass summit; Prime Minister Diefenbaker speaking. Old Alexandra Suspension Bridge; new Alexandra Bridge under construction, and opening ceremony (23/24-Oct-1962). Also includes aerial footage of highway construction.

SUMMARY: Stories about the history of Hope, Yale and area, including the roles played by the Hudson's Bay Company and the Fraser River gold rush. Based on the CBC Radio documentary "Early Days in Hope and Yale;" (T2434:0001). The voices heard are: Gus Milliken; Martin Starret; Fred Bears; Bill Richmond; and Ed Barry.

Revenue and expenditure, January 1858 - March 1859; account book September 1858 - April 1859; collectorate book, January - December 1860; account book, September 1859 - May 1862.