Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
User Collection Public
The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in B.C.
This collection consists of video history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011 and audio recordings of oral histories related to the development of BC Parks.
Collection thumbnail from the Elders Council for Parks BC website http://www.elderscouncilforparks.ca/elders-council-at-work/
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Permalink: http://vault.library.uvic.ca/collections/ff03b197-0abd-4cc6-813e-ea7c05602530
Collection Details
- Items 67
- Last Updated 2024-07-30
Works (67)
51. Interviews with Ken Farquharson and David Stirling (Part 1 of 2)
- Title:
- Interviews with Ken Farquharson and David Stirling (Part 1 of 2)
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Rick Searle interviews with Ken Farquharson and David Stirling. Farquharson speaks about his involvement with BC Parks and protected areas from the 1960s, including work with the Save Cypress Bowl committee, the Run Out Skagit Spoilers (ROSS) committee, the Sierra Club of BC, the Forest Land Use Liasion Committee, the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC and the Wilderness Advisory Committee under the Bill Bennett government. Farquharson recounts memorable times spent in various parks and lists some of his major accomplishments, such as his perseverance in Skagit Valley; his work with the Wilderness Advisory Committee, Khutzeymateen and Tatshenshini; and the establishment of the Wilderness Act. Farquharson goes on to talk about his biggest challenges, namely natural resource industries' interests and aboriginal interests. If he could do things differently, Farquharson says that he would revisit his work in Cypress Bowl. He speaks about lessons learned, including need for persistence in creation/designation, as well as his hopes for the future through funding, park management, advocacy and a stronger public constituency. Farquharson lists Bert Brink as a mentor, and counts milestones such as major expansion in the 1970s and grass roots movements. He ends his interview by touching on issues around resorts in parks. Camera shots show Ken Farquharson outside on a patio with a plant in the background. Sometimes see interviewer. In part 1 of his interview with Searle, Stirling speaks about his employment with BC Parks (ca. 1959-1980) and his interview focuses on his work with the park naturalist and interpretation programs. He lists his most memorable experiences as working with park naturalists and representing parks at the BC Nature Federation. Stirling goes on to recount his major accomplishments and he speaks of the challenges that grew out of working with BC Parks workers with different ideas about the importance of nature interpretation in the system. Stirling talks about how he met those challenges and the lessons he learned about cooperation at the branch and ministry levels. In terms of future hopes, Stirling discusses how he would like to see interpretation program come back to BC Parks; how he would like to see parks kept as natural as possible; how he would like to see more and all benefits government could realize from this investment. Camera shots show David Stirling outside with shrubs in the background.
- Subject:
- Farquharson, Ken, 1935-, Stirling, David, Conservation of natural resources, Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc., Wildlife conservation, Nature conservation, Nature conservation--Societies, etc., Wilderness areas, Biodiversity conservation, Natural areas, Parks--Conservation and restoration, Parks, National parks and reserves, National parks and reserves--Management, Parks--Employees, Parks--Employees--Attitudes, Parks--Management, BC Parks, and Oral histories
- Creator:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia and EKOS Communications, Inc.
- Contributor:
- Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951-
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2006
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 00:57:05
- Alternative Title:
- Ken Farquharson and David Stirling [part 1] interview and Ken Farquharson and David Stirling [2006:1] interview
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Cypress Provincial Park
- Coordinates:
- 49.39556, -123.20336
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The Farquharson interview runs 00:00:00-00:33:20 and the interview with David Stirling runs 00:33:20-00:57:04. The Stirling interview continues in "Interviews with David Stirling (Part 2 of 2) and Yorke Edwards".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- oral histories (literary genre), reminiscences, video recordings (physical artifacts), and interviews
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
52. Interviews with Tom Moore and Ed Mankelow
- Title:
- Interviews with Tom Moore and Ed Mankelow
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Rich Searle interviews with Tom Moore and Ed Mankelow. Moore speaks about his employment with BC Parks (1950-1995), including positions as district manager and regional manager. He names the parks he worked in, which included most of the parks in BC. Moore characterizes the 1960s as a time of tough budgeting processes, the 1970s as a time when more money than could be spent responsibly and the 1980s as a time when development was sold off and programs were done away with (e.g. youth crew). Moore's most memorable experiences include building a park from start to finish in a single year (e.g. Okanagan Lake Park) as well as developing ski areas in Manning Park and Cypress Mountain. He does not feel that he has one single biggest accomplishment, but names youth crews and building chair lifts amongst best accomplishments. He hopes he is remembered for being a builder, a doer and a hard-nosed "budgeter". Moore counts the ups and downs of government changes as his major challenge, as they made it difficult to budget and set priorities. In terms of lessons learned, Moore feels that having consistent staff rather than relying on auxiliaries is important. His future wishes for BC Parks include BC parks becoming a commission (like BC Hydro) with a budget not just from government, but also from donations. This would allow more planned development by need. In closing, Moore names his mentors, including Charlie Valet and Ian Leeman, and remarks that he feels disappointed that the regional status of parks is gone. He believes that today, consistency in the BC Parks system has been lost and he would like to see BC parks move back to a decentralized system that works better, giving district authority and allowing for greater consistency. Camera shots show Tom Moore indoors with a plant in the background. Interviewer is seen at end of interview. Mankelow speaks about his involvement with BC Parks and protected areas through work with the Parks and Wilderness Land Use Committee of the BC Wildlife Federation (1962-2006), the Canadian Wildlife Federation, the BC Parks Legacy Panel and the Parks Advisory Committee. He is most familiar with parks where he park host, namely Spatzisi and Kakwa, as well as Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island. Mankelow recounts his most memorable experiences, such as park inaugurations and watching wild animals in their native habitat. His biggest accomplishments center on awards he has received for his environmental work over the years, including the award for outstanding conservationist in Canada (1979), the Barsby Award for Conservation (1979) and the Millenium Award for protection of parks. Mankelow hopes to be remembered for his passion for parks, which comes from his true belief in young people. Mankelow sees securing continued financial support from government and the 2010 Olympics as the next major challenges for parks and protected areas. Mankelow's regrets are few, but he does regret suggesting the co-management of wild rivers in BC. The biggest lessons he has learned is the strength of people power, the importance of ecological integrity above recreation and the importance of education and involving young people. He hopes that BC Parks will not turn to commercialization in the future. Mankelow lists several mentors, including Bob Ahrens, Bert Brink, Bob Peterson, Helut Williams, Rick Searle and others. Mankelow ends the interview by reiterating the importance of young people and by speaking with interviewer about Strathcona, lodges in parks and other park related issues. Camera shots show Ed Mankelow indoors with a plant in the background. Interviewer is seen towards the end of interview.
- Subject:
- Moore, Tom, Mankelow, Ed, Conservation of natural resources, Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc., Wildlife conservation, Nature conservation, Nature conservation--Societies, etc., Wilderness areas, Biodiversity conservation, Natural areas, Parks--Conservation and restoration, Parks, National parks and reserves, National parks and reserves--Management, Parks--Employees, Parks--Employees--Attitudes, BC Parks, Oral histories, and Parks--Management
- Creator:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia and EKOS Communications, Inc.
- Contributor:
- Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951-
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2006
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 00:46:07
- Alternative Title:
- Tom Moore and Ed Mankelow Interviews
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Cypress Provincial Park, British Columbia--Manning Provincial Park, and British Columbia--Strathcona Park
- Coordinates:
- 49.39556, -123.20336, 49.66631, -125.66961, and 49.06642, -120.78578
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- video recordings (physical artifacts), oral histories (literary genre), and reminiscences
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
53. Interviews with Victor Bopp, Gordon MacDonald and Jim Delikatny
- Title:
- Interviews with Victor Bopp, Gordon MacDonald and Jim Delikatny
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Rick Searle interviews with Victor Bopp, Gordon MacDonald and Jim Delikatny. Bopp speaks about his employment with BC Parks (1963-1995) and the parks he worked in. He touches on the changes he witnessed over the years, especially in terms of training, regulations, unions and increased public awareness of environmental issues. His most memorable moments include Bowron Lake and the first meadow rehabilitation in BC that took place in Black Tusk, which he counts amongst his major accomplishments. His challenges included personnel management, government and policy changes, setting priorities and budgets. Bopp admits that he might have done something differently if there was any way to anticipate where policy changes would occur and that would incorporate the environmental issues that arose in the 1990s. The greatest lesson from his experience was to be open to information and to find new ways to approach situations. Looking ahead, Bopp's biggest hope for BC Parks is government support, finding a balance between recreation and conservation and balancing economics. Bopp talks about allowing ecosystems in parks to change as a part of nature, then moves on to name mentors, such as Ian Leeman, Jim Delikatny, Jake Mazalink, Tom Moore, Struan Robertson. MacDonald speaks about his employment with BC Parks (1960-1996) and various roles, such as district manager in the regions of Fort St. John area/Peace-Liard, Prince George and Terrace/Skeena-Charlotte. He names the parks he worked in as well as his most memorable experiences, including his work with aboriginal groups, grizzly bear management and various park management projects. Amongst his major accomplishments, MacDonald counts managing resources at Furlong Bay and managing the youth crew program, particularly the female youth crew in Mt. Robson and the camps at Carp Lake and Krugat River. MacDonald speaks about challenges he faced while at BC Parks, including budgets, transportation, moving and schedules. He names few regrets. MacDonald sees BC Parks' main challenges in stakeholders and shrinking natural habitats. He hopes that the system will build the capability to manage areas, create mandates, secure finances and gain greater stakeholder support. Denis Podmore, Derek Thompson, Jake Masalink and Tom Moore number amongst MacDonald's mentors and influences. Delikatny speaks about his employment with BC Parks from 1956 to 1988 in various roles such as machine operator, foreman, regional supervisor (Prince George) and district manager (Squamish/Garibaldi 1966-1988). Delikatny names the parks he worked in and describes his time in BC Parks. He sees Garibaldi park as the jewel of his career, along with the trail to Black Tusk, the road to Whistler and skiing experiences. The recovery program in Garibaldi park and Black Tusk area are mentioned amongst his major accomplishments. Delikatny touches on several challenges he faced in his career, including lack of experience, pressure to meet demands and Communications. In the future, he would like to see BC Parks preserve more of Garibaldi and believes that park use should be limited and more closely managed. His mentors include Denis Bodmore and Ian Leeman.
- Subject:
- Delikatny, Jim, Bopp, Victor, and MacDonald, Gordon
- Creator:
- EKOS Communications, Inc. and Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Contributor:
- Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951-
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2006
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 00:53:02
- Alternative Title:
- Victor Bopp, Gordon MacDonald and Jim Delikatny interviews
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Bowron Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia--Fort St. John, British Columbia--Terrace Region, and British Columbia--Prince George
- Coordinates:
- 56.24988, -120.85292, 53.92389, -122.77571, 54.4783, -128.5918, and 53.1666, -121.08608
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The Bopp interview runs 00:00:00-00:19:11; the MacDonald interview runs 00:19:12-00:38:58 and the Delikatny interview runs 00:39:00-00:53:02.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- reminiscences, oral histories (literary genre), and video recordings (physical artifacts)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
54. Interview with Ruth Masters
- Title:
- Interview with Ruth Masters
- Description:
- Part of a collection of interviews about the development of BC Parks from members of the Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia. The Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in B.C. Bill Merilees interviews Ruth Masters on July 25th, 2006 in Courtenay, B.C. Side A: Ruth Masters (first minute +/- blank) Side B: Ruth Masters (First 5% +/-, remainder of tape blank)
- Subject:
- BC Parks, National parks and reserves--Management, Parks--Conservation and restoration, Oral histories, National parks and reserves, Parks--Management, Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc., Nature conservation, Wildlife conservation, Parks--Employees, Masters, Ruth, Conservation of natural resources, Wilderness areas, Parks, Nature conservation--Societies, etc., Parks--Employees--Attitudes, Biodiversity conservation, and Natural areas
- Creator:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Contributor:
- Merilees, Bill
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2006-07-25
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Sound
- Identifier:
- Tape #48
- Extent:
- 00:02:22 (Side B) and 00:30:10 (Side A)
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Courtenay
- Coordinates:
- 49.68657, -124.9936
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Gift of Bill Merilees/Elders Council for Parks in BC, March 2017.
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- oral histories (literary genre), reminiscences, and sound recordings
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2024-010; Item: 90-91
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR446
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2017
- Technical Note:
- Metadata by KD.
55. Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 2 of 2)
- Title:
- Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 2 of 2)
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Continuation of the Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 2). Ahrens discusses the strengths and weakness of his mentors E.G. Oldham and Donald McMurtry. He speaks about the historical relationship between forestry and parks, as well as the provincial Park Act and outside influences/park proponents in the 1940s-1960s. Ahrens talks about balancing use and impact on the environment and how those decisions were made. In terms of proudest accomplishments, he speaks about the park system itself, park expansion under different governments and establishing an independent Park Act (1965). Ahrens addresses his regrets, which include lack of funding to acquire private offerings. Camera shots show Ahrens with railing and tree in background.
- Subject:
- Ahrens, Bob
- Creator:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia and EKOS Communications, Inc.
- Contributor:
- Thompson, Derek and Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951-
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2007
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 00:36:46
- Alternative Title:
- Bob Ahrens interview [part 2, 2007] and Bob Ahrens interview [2007:2]
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- This interview is a continuation "Interviews with Ric Careless and Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 2)".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- video recordings (physical artifacts), oral histories (literary genre), and reminiscences
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
56. Interviews with Ric Careless and Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 2)
- Title:
- Interviews with Ric Careless and Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 2)
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Rick Searle interview with Rick Careless, and Rick Searle and Derek Thompson interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 2). Careless speaks about his involvement in protecting natural areas (1970-2006) through his work in the Sierra Club on Vancouver Island, Tatsheshini Wild/BC Spaces for Nature, the Wilderness Tourism Association and as a land resources specialist with BC Cabinet. He names the parks he is most familiar with, including Nitinat Triangle, Purcell Wilderness, Spatsizi, Height of the Rockies, Tatshenshini and Chilcotin. Amongst his memorable experiences, Careless lists demonstrations for Nitinat Triangle, meeting Princess Margaret and Chretien and his encounters with wildlife. He names protecting Tatshenshini as a major accomplishment. Careless mentions mentors such as Bob Williams, Brett Wallace (UVic), Brock Evans, Ken Farquharson and family. Throughout his interview, Careless voices his concerns about this generation keeping the legacy of protection alive and his wishes that the public connects with parks through personal experiences; these connections is what will make parks lands truly safe for the future. Ahrens speaks about his work with BC Parks (1949-1979) in roles as chief of planning, assistant director, director and deputy minister. He discusses his interest in nature, work in forestry industry and organization of BC Parks in the early years. Ahrens speaks about working in all of the parks at the time and explains the change in focus from multi-purpose parks close to urban areas to larger, more scenic park expansion under the 1970s government. He discusses park use and creation of "mischief designations" like wilderness areas and recreation areas. In terms of challenges, Ahrens names daily battles to protect natural integrity of the parks. He expresses regrets that funds were not available to acquire parkland in cheaper times and tells an anecdote about Kokanee Creek Park. Ahrens communicates dissatisfaction with the current parks system, particularly with their push for substantial developments/resorts. He speaks about a lack of public support for natural parks and expresses hope that this will change in the future. Ahrens discusses the interpretive program and the demise of the youth crew program. Camera shots show Careless with trees and shrubs in background and show Ahrens with railing and tree in background.
- Subject:
- Careless, Ric, 1951-, Ahrens, Bob, Conservation of natural resources, Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc., Wildlife conservation, Nature conservation, Nature conservation--Societies, etc., Wilderness areas, Biodiversity conservation, Natural areas, Parks--Conservation and restoration, Parks, National parks and reserves, National parks and reserves--Management, Parks--Employees, Parks--Employees--Attitudes, Parks--Management, BC Parks, and Oral histories
- Creator:
- EKOS Communications, Inc. and Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Contributor:
- Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951-
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2007
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 00:53:49
- Alternative Title:
- Ric Careless and Bob Ahrens [part 1, 2007] interviews and Ric Careless and Bob Ahrens [2007:1] interviews
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Pacific Rim National Park--Nitinat Triangle, Tatshenshini, and British Columbia--Kokanee Creek Park
- Coordinates:
- 49.59986, -117.13552
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Sound and video tracks go out of sync around 6:52 and persist to end of interview. The Bob Ahrens interview continues in Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 2 of 2).
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- oral histories (literary genre), reminiscences, and video recordings (physical artifacts)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
57. Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 3)
- Title:
- Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 3)
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Bob Ahrens interviewed by Rick Searle and Derek Thompson in 2008. Ahrens speaks about choosing a career in BC Parks [1949-1979], his early work in the forestry industry and education. Ahrens discusses the historical beginnings of BC Parks in reports and legislation, as well as visionaries like E.C. Manning, early parks and employees like C.P. Lyons and Mickey True. In talking about BC Parks history, he mentions balancing park, forestry and recreation interests. Ahrens also discusses different theories of park management (i.e. replanting versus laissez-faire/nature taking its course). Ahrens speaks of major figures in early BC Parks, like Donald McMurtry (intellectual), Cy Oldham (motivator) and Chester Lyons (park promoter/interpreter). He talks about his work in selection and reconnaissance work and names his work with Oldham on the Buttle Lake reservoir as a career highlight. He also tells an anecdote about Oldham hiring early park employees. He touches on lodge development in public parks, then talks about reconnaissance choices based on recommendations from forest rangers, land inspectors, public and parks' own investigations. Ahrens speaks about early park system initiatives for roadside parks and difficulties establishing bigger parks, then tells anecdotes of early acquisitions at Davis Lake, Shuswap Lake, Okanagan Lake Park, Kokanee Creek and Buttle Lake.
- Subject:
- Ahrens, Bob
- Creator:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia and EKOS Communications, Inc.
- Contributor:
- Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951- and Thompson, Derek
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2008
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 00:57:33
- Alternative Title:
- Bob Ahrens interview [part 1, 2008]
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Kokanee Creek Park, British Columbia--Okanagan Lake Park, and British Columbia--Buttle Lake
- Coordinates:
- 49.59986, -117.13552, 49.7, -125.55, and 49.68307, -119.7191
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Sound issues at 10:15; corrected at 10:45. This interview is a continued in Bob Ahrens interview (Part 2 of 3) and Bob Ahrens interview (Part 3 of 3).
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- oral histories (literary genre), video recordings (physical artifacts), and reminiscences
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
58. Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 2 of 3)
- Title:
- Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 2 of 3)
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Continuation of the Part 1 Ahrens interview with Rick Searle and Derek Thompson. Ahrens discusses land acquisition for parks, including compromising on park boundaries, land exchanges and acquisitions with resource entitlements; examples include Sooke Mountain Park and Strathcona Park. He speaks about the challenges of different resource interests in Parks and Forests from the 1940s. Ahrens talks about the evolution of the Park Act and policies on facilities management and public ownership. He discusses developing a model for BC Parks that was different from that of Parks Canada, especially in terms of commercial activities. Ahrens expounds on economic considerations in parks, including development of park facilities, compromises with resource interests and minimizing losses. He speaks different designations within parks like wilderness, nature conservancy, recreation areas, etc. to reflect different resource uses. Ahrens speaks about the British Columbia Natural Resources conference which began in 1947; D.B. Turner as Director of Conservation; interagency discussions on resource uses; and creation of separate BC Parks system. He touches on contact with Roderick Haig-Brown, then moves on to discuss the creation of the nature conservancy designation to manage resource interests. Ahrens mentions involving boards in land use issues, then speaks about interpretation and youth crew programs, including their benefits and their demise. Camera shots show Bob Ahrens with trees and yard in background. Sometimes see interviewers.
- Subject:
- Ahrens, Bob, Conservation of natural resources, Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc., Wildlife conservation, Nature conservation, Nature conservation--Societies, etc., Wilderness areas, Biodiversity conservation, Natural areas, Parks--Conservation and restoration, Parks, National parks and reserves, National parks and reserves--Management, Parks--Employees, Parks--Employees--Attitudes, Parks--Management, BC Parks, and Oral histories
- Creator:
- EKOS Communications, Inc. and Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Contributor:
- Thompson, Derek and Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951-
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2008
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 01:00:02
- Alternative Title:
- Bob Ahrens interview [part 2, 2008]
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbi--Sooke Mountain Park and British Columbia--Strathcona Park
- Coordinates:
- 48.43293, -123.65261 and 49.66631, -125.66961
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Some background noise from 26:30 to 32:00. This interview is the continuation of the Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 1 of 3). It is continued in Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 3 of 3).
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- video recordings (physical artifacts), reminiscences, and oral histories (literary genre)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
59. Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 3 of 3)
- Title:
- Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 3 of 3)
- Description:
- Part of a collection of video oral history interviews with park pioneers, as well as some events, created by EKOS Communications in partnership with the Elders Council for Parks of British Columbia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of BC Parks in 2011. The Elders Council is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in BC. These interviews served as source material for the documentary BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection. Standard questions were used in most of the interviews and included dates of employment/association with BC Parks, parks worked in, greatest challenges, accomplishments and regrets, lessons learned, hopes for provincial park system today and mentors.Part of Elders’ Council for Parks in British Columbia oral history interview series, collected for the documentary "BC Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of Recreation and Protection". Continuation of the 2008 Ahrens interview with Rick Searle and Derek Thompson. Ahrens continues to discuss BC Parks' interpretation program, including internal critics, and tells an anecdote about being "too practical" at Rathtrevor Beach and successes at Kokanee Creek Park. He addresses internal dynamics within the organization, but describes an overall esprit de corps, saying there no one father of the provincial park system; rather, he speaks of numerous groundbreakers, such as Don McMurtry. Ahrens reminisces about beautiful natural places in BC, including seeing Strathcona Park and the Nahatlatch for the first time, plus west coast beaches. He speaks about national park interests in Cape Scott and Pacific Rim, then discusses the Alpine Club of Canada's involvement in parks such as the Rocky Mountains. Ahrens talks about the "classic" parks like Mount Robson, Assiniboine and Garibaldi and speaks of necessary regulations, like the limitations at Bowron Lake and West Coast Trail. He then addresses consultation with First Nations in parks past, present and future. Ahrens and his interviewers talk about sound recordings and graphic images for Elders Council for Parks of BC projects. Ahrens ends the interview by speaking about his shifting interest from BC Parks; now, he focuses on the larger world and sees problems of parks as a microcosm of bigger in the world. Camera shots show Bob Ahrens with trees and yard in background and some shots of plants. Several shots of interviewers.
- Subject:
- Ahrens, Bob
- Creator:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia and EKOS Communications, Inc.
- Contributor:
- Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951- and Thompson, Derek
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2008
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/MovingImage
- Extent:
- 00:40:08
- Alternative Title:
- Bob Ahrens interview [part 3, 2008]
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Strathcona Park
- Coordinates:
- 49.66631, -125.66961
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Some background noise 11:57 and 19:50. Video cuts out at 29:50 and resumes at 29:55. This interview is the continuation of the Interview with Bob Ahrens (Part 2 of 3).
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- oral histories (literary genre), video recordings (physical artifacts), and reminiscences
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia / EKOS Communications video history collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR447
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-ekos-communications-video-history-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2011
- Technical Note:
- Migration metadata from UVicSpace to Vault by KD, Summer 2024.
60. Interview with Bob Broadland (December 16, 2008)
- Title:
- Interview with Bob Broadland (December 16, 2008)
- Description:
- Part of a collection of interviews about the development of BC Parks from members of the Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia. The Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia is an independent society, whose members are retired parks system employees and conservation advocates who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to parks and protected areas in B.C. Bill Merilees interviews Bob Broadland in Victoria B.C. on December 16th, 2008. Side A: Bob Broadland Side B: Bob Broadland
- Subject:
- National parks and reserves--Management, Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc., Parks, Parks--Management, Oral histories, BC Parks, Wilderness areas, Nature conservation, Parks--Conservation and restoration, Broadland, Bob, Biodiversity conservation, Conservation of natural resources, Parks--Employees--Attitudes, Natural areas, National parks and reserves, Wildlife conservation, Nature conservation--Societies, etc., and Parks--Employees
- Creator:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Contributor:
- Merilees, Bill
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 2008-12-16
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- This item is under copyright and made available on this site for research and private study only. Commercial use is prohibited. For all other uses please contact UVic Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Sound
- Identifier:
- Tape #8
- Extent:
- 00:30:50 (Side A) and 00:30:47 (Side B)
- Geographic Coverage:
- British Columbia--Victoria
- Coordinates:
- 48.4359, -123.35155
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Provenance:
- Gift of Bill Merilees/Elders Council for Parks in BC, March 2017.
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- sound recordings, reminiscences, and oral histories (literary genre)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2024-010; Item: 15-16
- Fonds Title:
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- AR446
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/elders-council-for-parks-in-british-columbia-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2017
- Technical Note:
- Metadata by KD.