The fonds consists of correspondence, a diary, a report, a meteorological observation journal and a photograph album created by E.A. Weir and E.W. White between 1911 and 1913. The records in the fonds documents the agricultural survey of the Northern Valley area contiguous to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, undertaken by Weir and White on behalf of the Dept. of Agriculture.
Weir and White were both students at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph and they spent the summer of 1911 travelling by boat, foot and pack horse investigating the agricultural condiitons and possibilities in the valleys between Prince Rupert and Fort George.

CALL NUMBER: T1228:0001 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Elmirdo Bellicini recalls coming to Houston, 1908 ; George Ogston remembers Hazelton and Vanderhoof PERIOD COVERED: 1903-1914 RECORDED: Vanderhoof (B.C.), [196-?] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Elmirdo Bellicini begins this interview speaking about his early life in Italy, his coming to Houston (via the U.S.) in 1908, incidents and work during his boat trip and his land trek to Hazelton, coming to Houston (1908), John Houston and the establishment of Houston, early Houston residents and a comparison of Canada and Italy. George Ogston of Vanderhoof, the second interviewee, speaks; about coming to Hazelton from Scotland as a Hudson's Bay Company apprentice (1903), the Hazelton fur trade, currency, Indian villages and tribes, types of furs and a description of the trading post. He continued his work at the Hudson's Bay posts at Babine, Fort St. James and Fort Fraser and later moved to Vanderhoof (1914). TRACK 2: George Ogston, owner of a real estate business, provides his ;views on the future of Vanderhoof and agriculture in the area. He recalls his five year apprentice contract and pay scale with the Hudson's Bay Company. More details about the scheme for a home for retired writers and editors started by Herbert Vanderhoof and supported by the National Editorial Association of America are provided.;

CALL NUMBER: T1228:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Elmirdo Bellicini recalls coming to Houston in 1908 PERIOD COVERED: 1908-1908 RECORDED: Vanderhoof (B.C.), [196-?] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Elmirdo Bellicini speaks about coming into the Bulkley Valley on the Grand Trunk Pacific riverboat, hiring on as a deckhand on a steamer to Hazelton, a land trek to Hazelton and finally settling in Houston (1908). (This track seems to be another version of Mr. Bellicini's recollections previously heard on T1228:0001 (track 1). ( Note: a segment from CFPR Prince Rupert's "Good Morning Radio" remains at the end of this tape; presumably the interview was recorded over the first part of the program.)

CALL NUMBER: T1660:[0006? - 0009?] SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Evening chats with Eric R. Thomson (cont'd) RECORDED: Hopkins Landing (B.C.), 1974 & 1975 SUMMARY: In a series of interviews recorded by his grandson, Eric R. Thomson of Hopkins Landing discusses his memories of the First World War; memories of Vancouver; and the history of Hopkins Landing. [NOTE: Not transcribed.]

CALL NUMBER: T1660:0001 - [0005?] SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Evening chats with Eric R. Thomson RECORDED: Hopkins Landing (B.C.), 1974-07-30 & -08-01, etc. SUMMARY: In a series of interviews recorded by his grandson, Eric R. Thomson of Hopkins Landing discusses: a 1902 trip up the Skeena with his father, James Thomson, of the Hudson's Bay Company; a 1911 trip up the Stikine; and his recollections of growing up in Victoria, 1896-1904.

RECORDED: [location unknown], [1965?] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. Goddard talks about her father's arrival in Vancouver in 1891; the family house and family history; her mother's family, the Tierneys, from Victoria; living and growing up in the West End; Joe Fortes; recollections about English Bay; Kitsilano; Belcarra Park; and Indian Arm. She recalls the flu epidemic of 1919; West Vancouver; the Hotel Vancouver; the family home and furnishings; her childhood; the roller rink at English Bay; Purdy's candy store; teaching in New Hazelton and Hazelton in 1922; and Gastown. [TRACK 2: blank.]

SUMMARY: This is probably the original tape of the Hankin interview, from which the preservation master (described under T1233:0001) was made.

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): F. Arthur Hankin : some memories of the Hazelton area before 1900 PERIOD COVERED: 1866-1900 RECORDED: Hazelton (B.C.), 1966 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Arthur Hankin describes an excursion from the Hazelton area to the Omineca on a Grand Trunk Pacific survey crew; an incident involving Indian mental telepathy; Fort McLeod; Billy Ware, a Hudson's Bay Company factor; R.E. Loring (Mr. Hankin's stepfather), the Indian agent at Hazelton and an ertist; Hazelton before 1900; the first steamboat to arrived in Hazelton, the "Caledonia" (1891); Indians in the area; his father, Thomas Hankin, who established Hazelton; the first packers; the packer Jean Caux, known as Cataline; the trail to Babine; fur trade; Thomas Hankin; John Dorsey; Gabriel; LeCroix; Hankin's mother, Margaret McCall (sp?) of Fort Victoria. [TRACK 2: blank.]

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Flora Martin remembers the Hazelton area before World War I PERIOD COVERED: 1890s-1914 RECORDED: [location unknown], [1964-09?] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Flora Martin, wife of George Franklin Martin, begins this interview speaking about the arrival of the steamboats at Hazelton, McIntosh's Landing, the purser -- Mr. Lockerby, steamboat noises,; freight canoes, more about the arrival of boats at Hazelton, news of the wreck of "The Mount Royal" (1907), the Hudson's Bay Company store, Cunningham's store, Sargent's store, Hazelton, the Rev. John Field, the Indian language, the legend of an abandoned Indian village -- Dimlhamet (sp?) and pronunciation and meaning of Indian place names in the Hazelton area. TRACK 2: Flora Martin recalls pack; trains and local characters at Hazelton: Cataline, Cayuse Jack Graham, Barney Mulvaney, Dick Sargent, Dr. H.C. Wrinch and changes in Hazelton.

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Francis Bell Chettleburgh : Hazelton and Telkwa regions PERIOD COVERED: 1909-1925 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1962-03-26 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Francis "Chet" Chettleburgh speaks about his trip up the Skeena to Hazelton 1909, travelling on the sternwheeler "Port Simpson" from Port Essington, impressions of Hazelton, the Rev. J. Field;, Sealyville (sp), Indian disturbances at Kispiox and Kitwancool, Hazelton residents, the Two Mile "red light district", Barney Mulvaney and George Birnes' mail route, Rev. Tomlinson and the mission at Minskinisht. He recalls Hazelton's hotels, stores, families, recreation, residents, regular visitors, Indians, social life, the Hazelton of 1911, "Cataline" and "Blackjack McDonald". TRACK 2: Francis Chettleburgh continues with recollections about Hazelton. He recalls Sarah Glassey, her "Rabbit Ranch" and her "dining room", the Hudson's Bay Company warehouse -- "Stonehouse" liquor dispensory, names of local packers, Groundhog Valley description and mines, Dick Sargent and Indian workers. He talks about his move to Telkwa, his stores, Rene Degville, Jack McNeil and his hotel, Mike Touhy, Joe Bourgon and Sarah Bourgon (nee Capewell), Charles Orchard, the feelings of brotherhood for men in the country, Eli Culbertson (sp) and a local incident.

CALL NUMBER: T0645:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Fred Foster begins with some anecdotes about the Foster family near Clinton. Then he goes back to his school days in 1881 in Victoria, and discusses Judge Matthew Begbie, including descr;iptions of the man and his character; a description of Begbie's house; the school on Belcher Avenue; his impressions of Victoria in those days, including the schools; an anecdote about a drunk man who; drove an ox team; a procedure for breaking camp at night while traveling on a pack train; his recollections of the packer Jean Caux (known as Cataline); a packer named Tate near Clinton; a story abou;t how Foster's father used to buy gold from the Chinese around the Fraser River, and the process of extracting the quicksilver from the gold; and the differences in gold between various creeks in the Cariboo. TRACK 2: Mr. Foster continues with details about his time in Atlin around 1902, and an anecdote about a dead body in a cabin; more anecdotes about his time in Atlin; running a farm in Clint;on, and eventually coming to Barkerville in 1906; a description of Barkerville at that time; an anecdote about spending New Years eve at Clinton around 1900; his time working on a steamship near Prince George; his experiences in Hazelton as a prospector just before WWI; what Hazelton was like at that time, including the Boyd family; the story of how his mother came to Canada in 1881 [?]; and the l;oss of the Skeena River steamer "Mount Royal".

CALL NUMBER: T0645:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Foster continues with details on how water for use the ships came from a spring at Royal Roads; a discussion of Hatley Park; his memories of Victoria as he first knew it; and characters a;round Victoria. [TRACK 2: blank.]

SUMMARY: "New Caledonia" is number 9 in the series. People and places along the Hudson's Bay trail from Hazelton to Fort St. James; the Indian people and their legendary hero Astace; the fur traders; the missionary priests; early days in Hazelton and Fort St. James. Voices heard include: Martin Starret, Lizette Hall, Vicky Simms, Bill Ferrier, Lawrence Dickenson, Wiggs O'Neill, John Morrison, Frank Chettleburgh, and Bea Williscroft.

SUMMARY: "North of Fifty-three" is number 10 in the series. It deals with the "Lakes Country" south of Burns Lake, and the characters who homesteaded, trapped and farmed there. Mike Touhy and his poetry. An amusing account of the last trappers' convention at Burns Lake in 1919. Voices heard include: May McGrane, Bea Williscroft, Mary Richmond, Cliff Harrison, Arthur Shelford, Bill McKenna, Bill Richmond, and Frank Chettleburgh.