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The item consists of 12 audio recordings of interviews with Robert Bonner in 1980.
T0244:0005 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses his personal and family background. Recollections of growing up and going to school in Vancouver during the 1920s and 1930s. Important influences during his early years. The effect of growing up during the Depression. Early interest in politics. Criticism of socialists. Recollection of political action during his days at UBC. Work experience during his student days. Comments on his ambition to be a lawyer from an early age. Undergraduate experience at UBC.
T0244:0005 track 2: Robert Bonner recounts his reaction to the outbreak of WWII. Training as an officer with the Seaforth Highlanders. Discussion of his service overseas. Being wounded during the invasion of Italy and convalescence in England. Return to Canada and assumption of the duties of Training Officer with the Canadian Officers' Training Corps at UBC. The importance of his military training and experiences. Entry into law school at UBC. Comments on legal training. Memories of UBC law school. Graduation from law school in 1948 and work for a legal firm in Vancouver. Interest in Conservative politics. More interested in federal than provincial politics. Along with other young Tories, advocated the break-up of Coalition in B.C. General comments on the Coalition government and its decline.

T0244:0006 track 1: Robert Bonner recalls nominating W.A.C. Bennett for provincial leadership of the Conservative Party, 1950. Reasons for supporting W.A.C. Bennett in his challenge to Herbert Anscomb's leadership of the party. Further recollections of W.A.C. Bennett: crossing the floor of the House; joining Social Credit. Recollections of the 1952 election in B.C. and reactions to its outcome. The effect of the single transferable ballot. Meeting with W.A.C. Bennett after he assumed the leadership of the Social Credit Party and being offered the position of Attorney General in his prospective administration. Considerations taken into account when making his decision to accept Bennett's offer. The possibility of Gordon Wismer becoming Attorney General. Reaction to the outcome of the 1952 election in legal circles. T0244:0006 track 2: Robert Bonner comments on W.A.C. Bennett's self-confidence. Events surrounding the Social Credit Party being called upon by the Lieutenant Governor to form a government in 1952. W.A.C. Bennett's influence on Bonner's way of approaching problems. Comments on becoming Attorney General. Anecdote about John Diefenbaker's remarks shortly after Bonner became Attorney General. Recollection of his early Socred colleagues. Relations with the civil service. The 1952 election as an experiment in democracy. Comments on Social Credit. Election to the Legislature in the Columbia by-election, 1952. Comments on the by-election campaign. The importance of the by-election to the survival of the government. General comments on the first Social Credit administration.

T0244:0007 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses aspects of the early years of the first Social Credit government in B.C. Relations between the Alberta Social Credit government and Social Credit in B.C. Meeting between members of the Alberta Social Credit government and the new B.C. government in Edmonton, 1952. Political philosophy and political action. Comments on the philosophy of the first Social Credit government. Reflections on B.C. during the 1950s. Reasons for the development of B.C. by the Social Credit government. Comments on planning. Policy development. Recollections of the legislative session of 1953 and the planned self-defeat of the government. Bonner's reply to the Speech from the Throne. The defeat of the government over the Rolston Formula. Recollections of the provincial election of 1953. Bonner's campaign in the multiple-member of Point Grey.
T0244:0007 track 2: Further comments on the Point Grey constituency and the provincial election campaign of 1953. Comments on campaigning. The role of a parliamentary opposition. Evaluation of Harold Winch as Leader of the Opposition. The defeat of Einar Gunderson in the 1953 election and its effect upon the government. Bonner, Gunderson and W.A.C. Bennett served as a kind of inner-cabinet during the early years of the Social Credit administration. General comments on the members of the first Social Credit government as a group. Personal relationship with the Premier. Comments of the interaction between Bonner and Bennett on decision-making. Example of the genesis of the Two River Policy. Travelling with the Premier. Bonner's avoidance of playing bridge with the Premier. Bonner would refer to W.A.C. Bennett as "Mr. Premier". The Social Credit caucus. The operation of the Social Credit cabinet The lack of a complicated committee system helped the government run smoothly. The operation of Treasury Board and the experience of appearing before it as a Minister.

T0244:0008 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses his duties and responsibilities as Attorney General of British Columbia. Anecdote about meeting with a deputy of a new department. Aspects of administration of the various departments within his ministry. Distinction between the formulation and execution of government policy. Relations with his administrative staff. Politics and the public service. The special characteristics of the Attorney General portfolio. Relationship between the Attorney General and his Deputy Minister. Lawyers as poor administrators. Firing of Dave Barrett, a social worker, for conducting political activity while on the public payroll, 1960. The Attorney General as chief law officer. Abolishing patronage after becoming Attorney General. Comments on the labour movement in British Columbia. Differentiation between labour leaders and the labour force.

T0244:0009 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses the mechanics of holding more than a single cabinet portfolio at a time. Comments on the Social Credit cabinet. Attitudes towards business and subsequent involvement in the world of business as opposed to pursuit of a legal career. A day in the life of the Attorney General. Comments on the style of government practiced by the Social Credit government. The legislative process. The role of House Leader. Comments on the tone of the legislature during the years he served in government. The role of Legislative Counsel. The relationship between senior civil servants and cabinet ministers and the distinction between policy formulation and execution. Filling the basic task of governmental reform.
T0244:0009 track 2: Discussion of the government's problems in dealing with the Doukhobor community. The problems were simple and related to obeying the laws of the province. The problem of school truancy among Doukhobor children. Bombings and arson. The claim of religious persecution by Freedomite Doukhobors. Coordination between the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Education on the New Denver school project. The role of magistrate William Evans. The formation of a special police force, the D Squad, to handle Doukhobor problems. Comments on the effect of criticism and press reports on the government's handling of the Doukhobor situation.

T0244:0010 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses the background to the Sommers Affair. Personal evaluation of Robert Sommers. Reaction to Gordon Gibson's allegations of irregularities in the issuing of forest management licenses. Appointment of the Lord Commission. Charges by C.W. Eversfield and David Sturdy concerning Robert Sommers. Bonner's investigations to determine whether or not Sommers was guilty of any wrongdoing. Eversfield's subsequent disappearance and Sturdy's previous request for an appointment to the Bench. Reasons for Sommers' civil suit against Sturdy. Sommers' resignation from the cabinet; if Sommers had not resigned, Bonner would have. Comments on the Butler Report. Bonner never saw the Butler Report as recalls that it was not conclusive in its findings. Bonner's advice to Sommers and his attorney about the purpose of criminal prosecutions. Comments on police reports. The issue of delays during the course of the Sommers case. Comments on the prosecution of Robert Sommers. The 1956 provincial election and discussion of the charges against Sommers.
T0244:0010 track 2: Robert Sommers' re-election in the 1956 provincial election. The issue of proceeding with the civil suit against Sturdy or, alternately, pursuing a criminal prosecution. Sommers' self-exile in Seattle and being visited by Waldo Skillings. Sommers later meets with Skillings in Victoria and attempts to secure an agreement whereby he would be charged alone. Reasons why Sommers was not charged alone. Sommers received permission to be absent from the pre-trial hearing to take his seat in the House for the legislative session of 1958; this permission was appealed. Dissatisfaction among backbench government members with the handling of the Sommers case. Reaction to the outcome of the case. Bonner was surprised at convictions. The issue of appealing the court sentence for a harsher verdict. The question of bribery with no visible benefits of preferential treatment. Final comments and reflections on the Sommers Affair.

T0244:0011 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses government interventionism. The genesis of the B.C. Ferry system. The takeover of the B.C. Electric Company. The Social Credit government's policy of no concessions to prospective business ventures in British Columbia. The background to the Columbia River Treaty. The American demand for electrical power. The B.C. government's attitude toward the development of the Canadian portion of the Columbia River. Criticism of the Treaty. Discussion of his role in the Treaty. Coining the term "Two River Policy". Reasons for the Canadian bias against exporting power to the; United States. Features of the original treaty and the issue of power being returned to Canada. The relationship between the plans to develop the Peace River and the Columbia negotiations. Modifications and protocol to the treaty, 1964, and the issue of downstream benefits. Points of contention with the federal government. Comments on the Diefenbaker government's stance on the Columbia agreement.
T0244:0011 track 2: Bonner discusses the reasons why British Columbia was able to force both the Canadian and American governments to accept its position on the Columbia River Treaty. The contribution of technical personnel. Comments on committees and the decision-making machinery that contributed to the Columbia agreement. Comments on the relationship between the provincial and federal governments in Canada during the negotiations over the Columbia. Anti-Americanism in the Diefenbaker administration. Reasons why B.C. did not proceed unilaterally on the Columbia agreement. General McNaughton and his plan for the development of the Canadian portion of the Columbia River watershed. Comments on the Kaiser Dam proposal. The appeal and problems of private development of this proposal. Objection to the federal government's Water Rights Bill. The genesis of the Wenner-Gren plan to develop the Peace River. Reasons for the failure of the Wenner-Gren proposal and its effects on later developments.

T0244:0012 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses aspects of the Two River Policy. Reasons for the development of the Peace and Columbia Rivers simultaneously. Advantages in developing the hydro-electric power potential of the rivers publicly, rather than by privately-owned means. The Briggs affair. Reflections on the 1960 provincial election. The issue of the takeover of the B.C. Electric Company. Background to the government's decision to take over the company. The special session of 1961 which was called to pass the legislation nationalizing the B.C. Electric Company. Drafting the legislation for the special session. Reaction to the takeover. Criticism of the government action in the business community. Difference between the boardroom reaction and the public response to the takeover of the B.C. Electric Company.
T0244:0012 track 2: Robert Bonner discusses the maintenance of party discipline during the course of the takeover of the B.C. Electric Company. The formation of B.C. Hydro and Power Authority, 1962. The role and purpose of a public authority, or Crown Corporation. Aspects of financing B.C. Hydro. The question of pension fund socialism. The return of a Liberal administration in Ottawa in 1963 and its effect on the Columbia River Treaty negotiations. Davie Fulton and the 1963 provincial election. Comments on the 1963 election. Evaluation of the roles played by Bonner, Williston and the Premier in the Columbia River Treaty negotiations. Final comments on the Columbia River Treaty and responses to criticisms of it. The future of the Treaty.

T0244:0013 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses federal-provincial relations during the years he served in government. Competitive versus cooperative federalism. Problems related to the port of Vancouver. Comments on federal-provincial conferences. B.C. delegations to federal-provincial conferences were invariably smaller than other provinces. The genesis of the Roberts Bank superport. The development of Roberts Bank. The issues of equalization payments. The B.C. government's objections to federally-administered equalization payments. The question of a guaranteed annual income. The issue of B.C. separatism. Arguments in favour of B.C. remaining a partner in Canadian Confederation. T0244:0013 track 2: The genesis of the B.C. government's proposal for a Bank of British Columbia. Recollection of the Senate Bank Committee hearings which reviewed the B.C. government's bank proposal, 1964. Objections to the B.C. government proposal. The process of constitutional review and the search for an amending formula for the Canadian Constitution. Constitutional reform was not a high priority for the B.C. government. The issues of bilingualism and biculturalism. Incident when W.A.C. Bennett brought Mayor Peter Wing to a federal-provincial conference. Reasons why British Columbians were reluctant to admit voting for Social Credit. Involvement in party politics. The mechanics of running an election campaign. Annual Social Credit conventions.

T0244:0014 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses the funding of election campaigns. Comments on Social Credit national politics in Canada. Description of the 1957 federal election campaign which Bonner helped organize for the Social Credit Party. Relations between the British Columbia and Alberta wings of the Social Credit Party. British Columbia's support of Real Caouette. Comments on the possibility of W.A.C. Bennett running federally. Reasons for the failure of the Social Credit Party on a federal level in Canada. The role of an MLA. Problems in being a Vancouver-area MLA. Rural versus urban conflicts in British Columbia politics. Comments on multiple-member ridings.

T0244:0015 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses the effect of politics on his private life. Reasons why legislative reform was not a high priority during the years he served in government. Attitude toward legislative debate. Orders-in-council and the provincial government. Government by regulation. Anecdote about Motor Vehicle Branch regulations. Comments about the changes which took place in British Columbia during the years he served in government. The lack of secondary industry in British Columbia. The comparative advantages of British Columbia's economy. General comments on the financial policies of the first Social Credit government. The distinction between financing government operations and those of crown corporations. Direct versus contingent liabilities.
T0244:0015 track 2: Comments on the investment of pension funds in Hydro bonds and other provincial government accounts. W.A.C. Bennett as Minister of Finance. Parity bonds. Reduction and elimination of the public debt of the province. The Kelowna bond-fire, 1959. Comments on public relations and government. Public relations men who worked for the government. Relationship between the press and government. Reasons why Bonner was considered to be the heir-apparent to the leadership of W.A.C. Bennett's character: "the Anthony Eden complex". The 1966 provincial election. Bonner's defeat in Point Grey. Re-election in Cariboo by-election. The formation of the NDP. Comments on electioneering. Reflection on his resignation from the cabinet, 1968, and retirement from politics, 1969.

T0244:0016 track 1: Robert Bonner discusses the reasons why he resigned from politics. Reaction to general criticisms which were levelled at the first Social Credit government in British Columbia. Comments on the polarization of British Columbia politics. The representative nature of the parliamentary system. Serving as MLA for Cariboo and vice president with MacMillan Bloedel simultaneously. Comments on events leading up to the defeat of the Social Credit government, 1972. Reasons for the defeat of the government. General comments on the leadership abilities of W.A.C. Bennett. W.A.C. Bennett as an original thinker.

The item is an audio recording of an interview with Kenneth Kiernan.

T2665:0001 track 1: Born in 1916 in the Peace River country of Alberta. Details about Kiernan's family and homesteading. Father killed in WW I; mother remarries and they continue to farm. Left Peace River country in 1927. After several stops, settled on a farm at Sumas Prairie. More details about Kiernan's family. Tough economic conditions in the Peace River district. Kiernan's education and work history to 1935. Ends formal education after grade 8. Reading habits as a young man.
Track 2: Took correspondence courses from the Canadian Legion. Leisure activities as a youth: Trail Rangers and basketball. Delivered newspapers in Chilliwack area. "Rode the rods" to the Prairies in 1935. Economic struggles of Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1935-37. Returned to B.C. on the rods in October 1937. Anecdotes about riding the rods.

T2665:0002 track 1: Continuation of anecdote about riding the rods, 1935-37. Marginal economic circumstances of the Kiernan family during the Depression. Worked in Fraser Valley mills. Contracted pneumonia. Worked for Eddy's Nurseries, 1937-40. Joined the New Westminster Regiment, 1940. Interested in Social Credit in Alberta, 1935-37, but not a member. Read works of Marx but rejected them in the 1930s. Critique of Marx and of Canadian economic system in the 1930s.
Track 2: Kiernan in motorized corps in Canada, 1940-46. Eventually became a Warrant Officer II. Not able to go overseas because of previous pneumonia. Comments on military discipline. Kiernan into business as a garage operator near Chilliwack, 1946. Flooded out in 1948.

T2665:0003 track 1: Kiernan describes his experiences in being flooded out during the 1948 flood of Fraser River. Description of his return to the flooded home and service station. Becomes president of local PTA in 1950. Joined Social Credit in 1951. Comments on the Coalition government. Comments on Coalition/Liberal Premier Boss Johnson and Conservative leader Herbert Anscomb.
Track 2: Kiernan becomes very active as a Social Credit organizer, 1951-52. Kiernan takes 1952 Social Credit nomination. Organizational details about Social Credit in Chilliwack. Early meetings emphasized monetary reform. The "Christian image" of Social Credit. The importance of individualism in Social Credit. General discussion of political philosophy. Liberals and Conservatives unaware of the upsurge of Social Credit in Chilliwack. Circumstances under which Kiernan took 1952 nomination. Defeated sitting Conservative Leslie Eyres. Key roles of Alberta Socreds in 1952 election.

T2665:0004 tracj 1: The importance of W.A.C. Bennett in the 1952 election. Kiernan says Alberta influence was minimal ca. 1952. 1952 Social Credit convention. Ernest Hansell as 1952 campaign leader. Bennett disillusioned with Conservatives. Kiernan sometimes "scared" by the vision of W.A.C. Bennett in things such as the two-river policy. Kiernan gives a sample of his 1952 election style.
Track 2: Kiernan's experiences as a public speaker. The hard work of political campaigning. Description of Social Credit cabinet meetings. Kiernan's recollections of election night in 1952. Kiernan went to visit Bennett in Kelowna shortly after 1952 election. The decision is made to have W.A.C. Bennett as political leader, July 1952.

T2665:0005 track 1: Kiernan is selected to be Agriculture Minister in the first Social Credit government. Anecdotes about becoming government. Comments on the Bennett style of leadership. The formation of the first cabinet. Kiernan speculates on the reasons for his selection as Minister of Agriculture. Comments on communist scare tactics used against the C.C.F. Socialist economic planning inappropriate for B.C. Problems with the dairy industry were the first big problems faced by Kiernan in the Agriculture portfolio.
Track 2: The transition to power: early cabinet meetings, help from senior civil servants. Cabinet procedures. The selection of Robert Bonner and Einar Gunderson. Rev. H.D. Francis and Orr Newton resign in order to provide seats. Kiernan downplays the notion that the senior civil service opposed the new government. The firing of Percy Richards. Hospital insurance reforms after the 1952 election. Alternatives to hospital insurance proposed.

T2665:0006 track 1: Facing the problem of hospital insurance after the 1952 election. Building the cabinet team, 1952-53. Discussion of the 1953 session of the Legislature. Socreds maneuvering for defeat? Bennett sure of dissolution? The legislative defeat of Social Credit and the unusual passage of bills prior to dissolution. The "atmosphere" in the House at the time of the 1953 defeat. The resignation of Harold Winch as C.C.F. leader. The 1953 election.
Track 2: Discussion of the 1953 election continued. The defeat of Tilly Rolston and Einar Gunderson. Their importance as cabinet ministers. Gunderson as a member of the Treasury Board. The election of John Perdue as president of the Social Credit League. Issues within the Department of Agriculture: brucellosis control, irrigation, hay shortages. Comments on W.H. Robertson and William McGillivray as Kiernan's deputy ministers.

T2665:0007 Track 1: Kiernan gives background to the Sommers affair. Comments on Gordon Gibson Sr. The "money talks" speech, February 1955. Gibson's charges not substantiated by the Lord Commission. Gibson's charges treated with great skepticism. Kiernan did not see the RCMP report to the Attorney-General's Department. The government has private investigator investigate the charges against Sommers. Sommers a known gambler to Kiernan.
Track 2: More on Sommers' gambling. No pressure from ministers on Bennett to fire Sommers. Sommers called on to account for the allegations by cabinet and caucus. Sommers consistent in his denials. Circumstances surrounding the resignation of Bonner. Kiernan becomes Minister of Mines.

T2665:0008 track 1: Death of Tilly Rolston, 1953. Discussion of Sommers case, continued. Opposition to Forest Management Licences. Sommers' resignation and Kiernan takes over the Mines portfolio, 1956. Robert Bonner and delays in the case. Comments on Mel Bryan who crossed the floor on the Sommers case. More on the delays. Sommers case harms Social Credit government. Kiernan expresses doubts about the guilt and illegal intentions of Sommers. Case did not affect timing of 1956 election. Not aware of Sommers' cabinet contact.
Track 2: No suggestion of impropriety by Sommers in the Mines portfolio. Gifts to cabinet ministers. Sommers investigated by private detective. Kiernan's general observations on the Sommers case. "Politics is war". Kiernan Minister of Mines and Petroleum Resources, 1956-64. The challenge of taking over a new portfolio. Comments on Deputy Ministers of Mines: John Walker, P.J. Mulcahy. The framing of new petroleum legislation. Comments on the B.C. petroleum and gas industry.

T2665:0009 track 1: The development of oil and natural gas leasing systems. Development of the Peace River region. The building of Westcoast Transmission pipeline. Description of Frank McMahon. Comments on foreign ownership of petroleum and natural gas resources. Description of the auction of oil and natural gas leases.
Track 2: The auction system continued. Frank McMahon in the 1960 election. Anecdotes about some B.C. mining executives: Ozzie McDonald, Spud Huestis, Mel O'Brien. The opening of Bethlehem Copper Corporation mine in the Highland Valley. Changes in mining taxation and land tenure systems, c. 1957. Problems of establishing an iron and steel industry in B.C. Vehement industry opposition to changes in mining legislation.

T2665:0010 track 1: Major problems faced as mines minister: taxation legislation, departmental expansion, mine safety. Dispute with federal government over offshore mineral rights. "Political" decision by the Supreme Court of Canada on this issue. The reclamation of mining sites. Kiernan expresses his opposition to the idea of company towns. Taxation on profits vs. royalties in the mining industry. Kiernan concerned about "penny mines" on the Vancouver Stock Exchange. Track 2: The formation of the Department of Recreation and Conservation, 1957. Kiernan becomes Minister of Recreation and Conservation, 1963. Anomalies in the classification of provincial parks. Mineral claims and timber leases in provincial parks. The case of Western Mines in Strathcona Park. The role of pressure groups in the Buttle Lake controversy. Preparation for his new portfolio of Recreation and Conservation. General comments on park development in B.C.

T2665:0011 Track 1: Skepticism about the idea of wilderness preservation. The illogic of some park boundaries. The changing of the boundary of Manning Park to facilitate mining. Kiernan's ideas on the multiple use concept. Kiernan's impressions of the B.C. Wildlife Federation, SPEC, Sierra Club. The role of the Sierra Club in the boundary determinations for Pacific Rim National Park.
Track 2: More on the Sierra Club of B.C. W.A.C. Bennett's attitudes on park matters. Public access on forestry roads. The formation of the Environment and Land Use Committee (ELUC) in 1969. Comments on the operation of ELUC and the Secretariat. ELUC originally a problem-solver rather than policy-maker. Comments on a few specific issues dealt with by ELUC. Kiernan not convinced of the concept of a single Minister of the Environment. Williston as chairman of ELUC. Land use questions more practical than moral or ethical. "Nature the adversary". The evolution of environmental attitudes in B.C. The minister as an arbitrator of attitudes.

T2665:0012 track 1: Kiernan's efforts to curb the excesses of the "throw-away" society. The Anti-Litter Act. The recycling of derelict automobiles. Deputy Ministers of Recreation and Conservation: Dave Turner, H.G. McWilliams, Lloyd Brooks. Comments on the proposed flooding of the Skagit River Valley. Opposition by the fishing lobby. Benefits of flood control on the Fraser River.
Track 2: Flood control on the Fraser River continued. More comments on the fishing lobby. The benefits of fish versus the benefits of hydro power and flood control. Short term as Minister of Commercial Transport, 1963-64. Minister of Travel Industry, 1967-1972. The formation of the department, 1967. Ron Worley as Deputy Minister of the Travel Industry department. British Columbia tourist promotions. Comments on "The Wonderful World of W.A.C. Bennett". Kiernan's comments on our political society. Comments on the role of socialism in B.C. B.C. still in the frontier stage. General comments on the NDP caucus prior to 1972. Analysis of the B.C. economy. The need for new hydro electric power developments in B.C.

The item is an audio recording of an interview with Cyril Shelford.

T3683:0003 track 1: Cyril Shelford discusses his family background. Reasons why his father, Jack, and uncle Arthur came out to British Columbia. Description of their experiences in the Ootsa Lake region. Born 1921 at Ootsa Lake. Education was by correspondence. Recollection of former schoolteacher. Early interest in politics. His uncle's political career as a Conservative. Anecdote about joining the army in the Second World War. Being wounded in a military training accident. Recollections of service overseas. Comments on military experiences in Britain. Landing at Sicily. Travelling through Italy. Comments on wartime conditions in Italy. Christmas of 1944 in Italy and relationship with German soldiers. Travelling throughout the rest of Europe and fighting conditions as the war came to a close.
Track 2: Comments on the conclusion of wartime hostilities. Returned home 1945. Served in occupation in Holland. General reflections on his military experiences. Anecdotes about wartime experiences shared with friend from Alberta. Comments on return to British Columbia and readjustment to civilian life. Logging at Wistaria. Family politics. Anecdotes about politics in the riding of Omineca during the post-war period. Non-partisanship in the north country. Stories about the friendly nature of politics in the early years of his public career. Attitude towards socialism. Problems related to the construction of the Alcan Lake area in opposition to building of an Alcan reservoir. Heading a delegation to Victoria to see the government about the problem. Meeting W.A.C. Bennett. Description of a meeting with Premier Johnson and the Minister of Lands, E.T. Kenney. Going to see Harold Winch. Lack of newspaper support for their cause. Meeting with Alcan officials in Vancouver. W.A.C. Bennett made an issue of the problem in the Legislature.

T3683:0004 track 1: Cyril Shelford describes attending his first Social Credit meeting in Victoria at the prompting of W.A.C. Bennett. W.A.C. Bennett as a public speaker. Joining Social Credit. Selling Socred memberships in Omineca. Recollection of the Social Credit nominating convention in Omineca. Anecdote about why he received the nomination. Reasons why he decided to enter politics. Recollections of the 1952 election campaign in Omineca. Anecdote about campaigning in Fort St. James. Wooing the Indian vote at Stony Creek. Reasons for Shelford's victory in the election. Voting strategy. Lack of understanding of Social Credit theory. The effect of the single transferable ballot in Omineca. Lack of contact throughout the campaign with other Social Credit candidates. Meeting at the Hotel Vancouver to choose a party leader. Shelford supported Bennett. First experience with political tactics. First Social Credit cabinet was appointed in the washroom at the Hotel Vancouver. Influence of Alberta Socreds. Shelford did not lobby for a cabinet post. Comments on the Socred team of elected MLAs. Religion and politics. Shelford heard about the cabinet being sworn in on a radio news report. Paying the price of being outspoken.

T3683:0005 track 1: Cyril Shelford recalls being the first Canadian casualty in the Second World War. Comments on the conclusion of the problem at Ootsa Lake with the Aluminum Company of Canada. Events after the 1952 election. Comments on problems of communication between MLA and cabinet ministers. Secrecy and Cabinet appointments. Lack of instruction or orientation for new MLAs. Comments on the character of the first Social Credit government. Reaction to W.A.C. Bennett bringing Robert Bonner and Einar Gunderson into the government. General comments on government. Discussion of goals during the early years of government service. Shelford as environmentalist. W.A.C. Bennett as Premier.
Track 2: Cyril Shelford discusses the Social Credit caucus system. The possibility of a caucus revolt. The influence of caucus on legislation. Story about Phil Gaglardi coming up to Shelford's riding to look into possible construction of a new highway. Recollection of Phil Gaglardi. Shelford's fight for equalization of gas prices in the province. The appointment of a Royal Commission to look into the question. Shelford as critic of the government's agriculture policy during the early years. Service on the agriculture committee of the Legislature. Advocating the take-over of the B.C. Electric Company. The agriculture committee never sat again until Shelford became Minister of Agriculture in 1968.

T3683:0006 track 1: Cyril Shelford discusses reaction to Bonner and Gunderson becoming cabinet ministers in the Social Credit government, 1952. W.A.C. Bennett's reputation as a financial genius. The possibility of the Premier entering federal politics. Recollection of Tom Uphill. Comments on "pairing" in the Legislative Assembly with opposition members. Recollection of the Sommers affair. Shelford was concerned that the Sommers case be cleared up at an early date. Disappointed with the performance of Sommers legal counsel, Angelo Branca. Meeting with Mel Bryan before he crossed the floor of the House. Criticism of the forest management licence system. Gordon Gibson Sr.'s role. Comments on the possibility of Robert Sommers' guilt. Sommers as cabinet minister. Campaign funds had been confused with Sommers personal affairs. The death of Hec Munro. Comments on letters Shelford wrote to the Premier on the subject of the Sommers Affair. Reasons why the Premier seemed to delay in appointing an inquiry into the matter. Effect of the case on the Sommers family.
Track 2: Comments on Bonner's handling of the Sommers affair as Attorney-General. Reaction to Shelford's support of an Opposition vote of non-confidence in Bonner. Further comments on the Sommers affair. Comments on discipline among government members during the Sommers case. Attitude towards Gaglardi when he was accused of wrongdoing as Minister of the Crown. Gaglardi as a potential successor to lead the Social Credit Party. Gaglardi's popularity among party members. Shelford conducted an informal survey of public opinion in B.C. for the Premier prior to the 1969 election. W.A.C. Bennett indicated that he intended to resign after the 1969 election but stayed on in order to prevent the possibility of Gaglardi succeeding him as leader. Shelford's comments at the 1959 Socred convention and warning of undesirable changes in the party. Criticism of how election campaign funds were handled. Social Credit as a "party" or "movement".

T3683:0007 track 1: Cyril Shelford discusses his personal political philosophy. Polarization in B.C. politics. Comments on varying philosophical viewpoints within the Social Credit Party. Reasons for the lack of a party revolt over the takeover of the B.C. Electric Company, 1961. Ken Kiernan and Ray Williston were called "the twins". Reactions to Shelford's outspokenness on aspects of government policy. Attempts to find another candidate in Shelford's riding. W.A.C. Bennett was not a one-man-government. Decision-making in government. Examples of effective and ineffective decision-makers in Bennett's cabinet. The Premier was good at delegating authority. Means of subsidization for the meagre salary of an MLA. "A politician without a cause is a lost cause." Criticism of Bennett's stringency with MLAs' salaries and expenses. Representing a rural riding as opposed to an urban one. Comments on Shelford' various threats to quit the Socred Party or cross the floor of the House. Comments on his coverage in the press. Anecdote about comments made by Walter Owen before sessions of the Morrow Commission.
Track 2: Overtures were often made to Shelford to join other political parties. Shelford did not consciously cultivate the role of maverick. B.C.'s population too centralized in Vancouver. Shelford as the conscience of the Socreds. The Premier always kept open a vacancy in the cabinet to keep backbench MLAs in line. Access to Bennett was quite easy. Shelford feels that Bennett secretly liked the criticism he offered of government policy. Reaction to his appointment as Minister of Agriculture, 1968. Shelford was very well-known throughout the province. The process and effect of becoming a cabinet minister. Relationship with his staff and duties as Minister of Agriculture. Formulation of policy. The value of a good secretary (Lydia Clark). Policy initiatives as Min. of Agriculture. Relations with the federal government. The importance of encouraging a strong agricultural industry in B.C.

T3683:0008 track 1: Cyril Shelford explains why agriculture was not a high priority in the government of W.A.C. Bennett. The process of Treasury Board and the experience of appearing before it as a Minister of the Crown. Comparison between Treasury Board under the governments of W.A.C. Bennett and Bill Bennett. Comments on ways that Shelford made up for the detachment from reality that a cabinet minister suffers from. Recollection of the 1972 cabinet tour which culminated in a violent encounter with angry demonstrators in New Westminster. Demonstration was organized by the B.C. Federation of Labour. Several cabinet ministers received bruises. Shelford was hit with a 2 X 4 and received an injury to his arm and a broken collarbone. The concept of a travelling cabinet tour. The B.C. Federation of Labour as a political group. Suggestions that W.A.C. Bennett call an election after the incident at New Westminster. The charged political climate in B.C. that preceded the provincial election in 1972.

T3683:0009 track 1: Cyril Shelford discusses the reasons for the defeat of the Social Credit government, 1972. W.A.C. Bennett wanted to step down after the 1969 election. The ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising. Development and industrialization brought about increased unionism which ultimately defeated the government. Comments on the differences between the 1972 election and previous campaigns. The role of Dave Barrett. Evaluation of different Leaders of the Opposition: Harold Winch, Arnold Webster, Robert Strachan, Tom Berger and Dave Barrett. The effect of Gaglardi's mistakes during the 1972 election. Differences between campaigning as a cabinet minister and a private member. The Conservatives as a factor in the 1972 election. Reasons for Shelford's personal defeat in Omineca. The NDP MLAs as "glorified ombudsmen" dealing with only small issues of a local nature. W.A.C. Bennett had an ability to make his ministers look ahead. Recollection of election night in 1972. Reaction to the defeat of the government. Account of events following the election. Problems for Socreds in obtaining employment after the election. Serving as village clerk at Fort St. James.
Track 2: Comments on efforts to establish a "unity" party after the 1972 election. W.A.C. Bennett's role in B.C. politics after 1972. Reasons why the "Majority Movement" was not successful. Attitudes to Bill Bennett prior to his election as Premier. Reasons why Shelford decided to run again. Efforts by Grace McCarthy to nominate an alternate candidate in Skeena in 1975. Recollection of the nomination struggle in Skeena. Criticism of the NDP administration, 1972-75. Shelford disappointed he was not appointed to cabinet after the 1975 election. Comments on the government of Bill Bennett. Brought into the cabinet prior to the election of 1979. Reasons why politics in B.C. has degenerated. General reflections on politics.

CALL NUMBER: T0244:0001 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Canadian Officers' Training Corps, UBC, 1940-1953 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1973-07-19 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Robert W. Bonner discusses his family background and schooling. Depression issues. UBC campus politics. Canadian Students Assembly 1940-1941. Enrolment in the Canadian Officers' Training Corps (COTC). Training. Theory of training. TRACK 2: Impressions of Col. Shrum. COTC activities. Seaforth Highlanders. Sicily and Italy. Training instructor in England. Becomes Chief Training Officer at COTC 1945-1946.

CALL NUMBER: T0244:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Canadian Officers' Training Corps, UBC, 1940-1953 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1973-07-19 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Robert W. Bonner discusses COTC summer camp. Enters Law faculty. Views on COTC. Post-war international developments. Post-war COTC. University administration cooperativeness. TRACK 2: Becomes; a Commanding Officer. Post-war international affairs. Unification issue. Contributions of COTC. Liberal education a value to officers. Value of military training.