Hornby Island Community Archives
R.G. 19
Acc. No.: 2017-03-30/46; 2019-11-21/93
Finding aid created by Hannah Wiseman
Last updated: September 2019
Title: Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society Collection
Level of description: collection
General material designation: textual records, graphic materials, and moving images
Extent: 13 cm
Creator(s): Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society (1986-present)
Dates of creation: 1986-2003
Administrative history:
Established in 1986, Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society is a non-profit charitable organization on Hornby Island committed to care for the Heron Rocks property and to advocate and educate on the topics of social justice, peace, and the environment. The society offers a newsletter and local programming on these topics in order to encourage peace, harmony and sustainability.
The society came into existence through the generosity and vision of Hilary Brown. In 1985 several gatherings were held on Hilary’s ten-acre property, Heron Rocks. Inspired by the gatherings, Hilary conceived of the idea of her land being dedicated in perpetuity for the purpose of facilitating such gatherings. So throughout 1986 Hilary and a small group of Hornby residents met and planned in order to make her vision a reality. This initiating committee originally named the society the Hornby Island Cooperative Centre for Peace, Environmental Conservation, and Social Change.
Under the care of the society, Heron Rocks is a nature preserve, safe from destruction, damage or molestation. The flora and fauna as well as the physical features on the property are allowed to exist freely with minimal human disturbance. Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society members care for the property, which was donated to the society by Hilary Brown in 1992. The property includes various buildings, a heritage orchard, Hilary’s Peace Garden, and a network of trails.
The society also created a facility to serve as a small centre for its educational programs and events. The centre is dedicated to the study, discussion, and dissemination of information about issues that enhance the development of sustainable, civilized, and peaceful human social behaviour. The centre is also made available on a rental basis to groups that are compatible with the society’s values.
Heron Rocks is located on the southwest shore of Hornby Island. Hilary and Harrison Brown purchased the property in 1937 and Hilary resided there until her death in 2007.
Scope and content: The records pertain to the formation of the society, its programs, activities, finances, and projects, in particular the Hornby Island Water Stewardship Project. The collection includes textual records, correspondence, reports, notices, newsletters, meeting agendas and minutes, financial documents, graphic materials, posters, drawings, photographs, one videocassette tape, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera.
Source of supplied title: Title is based on the creator of the collection.
Immediate source of acquisition: The collection contains several previously accessioned files, which were donated by Helen Onorah (Gerow) (991.35.1) in 1991 and collected by the archivist and/or committee members (992.44, 993.13) between 1991 and 1992. All other original accession date(s) and donor(s) are unknown as Hornby Island Community Archives acquired the records several years prior to their being accessioned in 2017.
Arrangement: The original filing scheme of the records was reconstructed during archival arrangement on the basis of file markings on the documents in order to retain as much of the original order as possible. However, some rearrangement of the records may have occurred between donation and accessioning as the records were stored for a number of years and then transferred to the archives building before being accessioned and processed in 2017.
Language of materials: English
Record no.: R.G. 19
Repository: Hornby Island Community Archives
Rights: Copyright held by Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society.
Finding aids: Finding aid available with file level control.
Related groups of records: Other records relating to the history and activities of Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society can be found in the Hilary Brown Collection (R.G. 18).
Accruals: Further accruals are expected.
File Inventory
Box 1
1-1 Heron Rocks Camping Co-operative Association: writings and ephemera, 1977, 1983, 1985
Re: “A history of Heron Rocks – 1937-1977” by Duke Saunders, “Camping Co-operatively” March 1983 BC Outdoors article by Duke Saunders, Heron Rocks Camping Cooperative newsletter
1-2 Notice, correspondence and ephemera, 1986-1988
Re: notice from the Initiating Committee with early statement of purpose and accomponied survey form, registration as a charity, filed constitution
1-3 Ephemera and Correspondence, 1990-1993, 1995
Re: notices and newspaper clippings about programs and conferences sponsered by H.R.F.C.S., Under the Maple series
1-4 A.G.M agenda and H.R.F.C.S constitution, 1991, 1994
1-5 Water Stewardship: records, notes and maps, 1998-1999
Re: water testing records
1-6 Water Stewardship: minutes, financial documents, records, reports and newsletter 1998-1999
Re: summer activities, Report on phase 1, meeting minutes, water testing results, water stewardship project, newsletter, income and expenses, runoff and beach bacteriological data and miscellaneous
1-7 Hornby Island Water Stewardship Project Report, Sept.1999 (2 copies)
1-8 H.I. Water Stewardship Project – reports, posters, drawings, notes, financial documents, photographs, and ephemera, 1996-1999, 2001 (25 photographs)
Re: water conservation promotional material, water stewardship project costs, swim-a-thon fundraiser, meeting agendas, interim report, groundwater protection strategy, “Old Salty” posters
8-1 Water Stewardship Project photographs
1-9 Heron Rocks History, 2003 (1 videocassette)
Re: Hilary Brown, Doreen Boal, and Karen Doucet, July 9, 2003
1-10 Newsletters, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2006, 2009
1-11 Ephemera, 1978-2003
Re: events hosted at or sponsered by H.R.F.C.S
1-12 Heron Rocks Friendship garden, n.d
Re: history of the Heron Rocks garden and the Browns, author unknown
Accural 2019-11-21/93
1-13 Notes, map, photographs, 1993, 1996-1998, 2011, 2008 (19 photographs)
Re: notes on history of ownership of Heron Rocks land taken by Rudy Roglasky in 2011, map of property, schedule of restrictions on property, photographs of various workshops and water stewardship initiatives
13-1 to 13-10 Merv Wilkinson workshop, c.1993
13-11 Septic Tank Workshop, Moira Amour, Mary Mackenzie, 1996
13-12 Examining state of community hall septic tank
13-13 Sampling fresh water runoff, Julian Laffin, Sheila Carrick, 1996
13-14 Marine Test Whaling Station Bay, Betty Fairbank, Ed Hoeppner, 1997
13-15 Training water testers, Mary Mackenzie, 1997
13-16 Training water testers, Mary Mackenzie, 1997
13-17 Ditch testing, Donna Baker, 1997
13-18 Marine sampling, Una Kezier, John Yearsley, 1998
13-19 Marine water testing, John Yearsley, 1998