Interview with Don Gough
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 Donald (Don) George Gough. Gough speaks about his employment with BC Parks (1967-2002), and the contract work he still does today. He lists the parks he worked in, including Emory Creek and Manning Park, plus the various roles he played, including district manager in three districts. Green discusses his most memorable experiences, which include being the construction foreman for Lightning Lakes campground in Manning Park, working with Tony Hammond, the youth crew program, managing Manning Park and his role as Okanagan district manager. He names his biggest accomplishments, such as construction at Lightning Lake, reconstruction of Mule Deer; building in the Okanagan; extensions at Bear Creek, South park, North park; Okanagan Falls; and Haines Point. Green would like to be remembered for being a fair manager, a people person and someone who was respected by staff and NGOs. He discusses some of the challenges he met in his work, such as getting processes in place to build facilities, staff management and working with public groups and First Nations. He talks about the lessons he learned about respecting those you work with and tells an anecdote about taking "old timers" into Cathedral Lakes. In conclusion, Green speaks about his hopes for BC Parks and names mentors, such as Tom Moore, Herb Green, Ian Leeman and Joe Hilton. Camera shots show Don Gough at Okanagan Lake Park with tree and water in the background. Interviewer seen at very end. Last minute of footage shows scenic shots of the lake and scenery.
- In Collection:
- Gough, Donald George
- BC Parks
- Conservation of natural resources
- Conservation of natural resources--Societies, etc.
- 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
- Oral histories
- Nature conservation--Societies, etc.
- 00:18:50
- Don Gough interview
- 49.06642, -120.78578
- Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia
- Donated to the University of Victoria Archives on October 20, 2008 by Rick Searle (EKOS Communications).
- Accession Number: 2011-006
- 2011
- 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