Interview with John Woodworth

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 John Woodworth. Woodworth speaks about his involvement with BC Parks and protected areas through Okanagan-Similkameen Parks Society from 1950s to 1980s. Woodworth discusses his work in various parks, including Okanagan Mountain Park, Cathedral Lakes, Anaheim Lake and Grease Trail, Kalamalka Lake Park, all of which he lists as major accomplishments. His biggest challenges included the Grease Trail and the historic Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur route due to aboriginal group's interests in the area and inter-provincial territory. Woodworth received Order of Canada. Woodworth's work taught him lessons about management, developing trust with government and opening lines of communication. He hopes that the BC government will continue to develop and maintain responsibility for areas that have been protected and mentions Roderick Haig-Brown and Brent Brink as personal influences. Woodworth also reminiscences about family and early years out in nature. Camera shows Woodworth with plants and sidewalk in background. Several people walk by in background during interview. Camera also shows shots of a trail guide In the Steps of Alexander Mackenzie, including maps for Tsacha Lake, Voyageur Route map, the Proclamation Regarding the Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur Route, various newsletters; and Woodworth's belt buckle from HMS Mackenzie. Noise from air traffic can be heard in the background.

In Collection:

• Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia

Creator

• EKOS Communications, Inc.
• Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia

Contributor

• Searle, D. Richard (Donald Richard), 1951-

Subject

• Woodworth, John, 1924-
• Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc.
• Conservation of natural resources
• Wildlife conservation
• Nature conservation
• 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
• Oral histories
• Nature conservation--Societies, etc.

Language

• eng

Date created

• 2000

Resource type

• Moving Image

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 00:44:40

Alternative title

• John Woodworth interview

Geographic coverage

• British Columbia--Okanagan-Similkameen
• British Columbia--Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail

Coordinates

• 49.41647, -120.00245
• 52.3786, -127.4706

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
• 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.

Rights

• 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.

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/vpm7-0q32