File consists of G. Gary Runka's Cornell University academic records.
File consists of academic papers written by Gary Runka during his 1966-1967 Master of Science in Natural Resource Management and Land Use Planning at Cornell University, New York.
Item is an original 1967 comic book published by the Soil Conservation Society of America entitled "Food and the Land: The Role of Soil and Water Conservation in the World Food Crisis".
Item is a typescript draft of a report written by M.J. Romaine entitled "Region No. 13 East Kootenay - Soil Capability for Forestry Report to B.C. Intersector Evaluation Committee".
Item is an original Canada Department of Agriculture Publication 1319 entitled "Grassland Ranges in the Southern Interior of British Columbia".
Slide depicts Mission Flats from South East Kelowna. Photograph taken from an empty field and depicts a developed field and a wooden house. Mountains and the Okanagan Lake can be seen in the background. Original slide index description: "Mission Flats from SE Kel."
Slide depicts an apple tree blossoming in a backyard. The yard is surrounded by a wooden fence. Original slide index description: "Apple blossoms Kelowna."
Slide depicts cherry trees blossoming in an orchard. Original slide index description: "Cherry blossoms Lakeview Heights."
Item is an original bound copy of "Use and Management of Land on Valley Train Deposits", Gary Runka's 1968 thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University for the Degree of Master of Science.
Slide depicts orchards surrounding Mount Boucherie. The Okanagan Lake and mountains can be seen in the background. Original slide index description: "Orchards & sunflowers from Mt. Boucherie."
Slide depicts a row of red and yellow tulips in front of a row of blossoming cherry trees. Original slide index description: "Tulips & Chery Blossoms Ok. Mission."
Item is a reproduced typescript of a paper prepared for the 1968 annual meeting of the Association of BC Foresters in Kamloops by Dr. Peter Pearse. The paper is entitled "Principles for Allocating Wildland Among Alternative Uses".
Item is an original BC Department of Agriculture publication entitled "Growing Filberts in the Fraser Valley".
Slide depicts peach trees blossoming in an orchard. Original slide index description: "Peach blossoms Shanboolard."
Slide depicts peach trees blossoming in an orchard. Original slide index description: "Peach blossoms Lakeview Heights."
Slide depicts peach trees blossoming in an orchard. Original slide index description: "Peach blossoms Casa Loma."
Item is an original typescript of "British Columbia Recreation Sector Analysis East Kootenay Intersector Evaluation" by the Canada Land Inventory (ARDA) Recreation Sector, led by W.C. Yeomans.
This "The Land is Yours" film is a promotional film produced by the British Columbia Department of Agriculture in Kelowna, ca. 1968 or 1969. The film was produced by Gary Runka and hosted by Russ Richardson. Runka and Richardson provide commentary throughout the film. The film was directed by Nobert Hartig.
File consists of newspaper clippings of G. Gary Runka's participation in curling events.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Relationship Between A.R.D.A. Soil Capability Ratings and Soil Productivity Ratings".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This is a very useful overview of the agricultural capability ratings.
While no mention is of course made in this (circa) 1969 speech to the BC farmland preservation program, its value rests in the importance of the BCLI in the original designation the ALR and its future administration.
For anyone that is or has been involved with the farmland preservation program, this single sentence within the speech, made about 4 or 5 years before the designation of the ALR, provides an important insight into the value of the CLI and its relationship to farmland preservation. "For example. Class 5 soils while restricted in use to pasture or hay can produce very high yields."
Item is a journal reprint entitled "Aerial Photo Interpretation on British Columbia Rangelands" by Lord, T.M. and A. McLean from Journal of Range Management (Vol. 22, No. 1), 1969.
Item is an original typescript entitled "Recreation Land Management Guidelines in Relation to Capability Ratings" by W.C. Yeomans, Project Director, British Columbia Recreation Sector.
Item is a summary of Alastair McLean's thesis entitled "Plant Communities of the Similkameen Valley, British Columbia and their Relationships to Soils".
Item is an original copy of "Lands of the East Kootenay: Their characteristics and capability for agriculture and forestry - Report to the B.C. Soil Capability for Agriculture and Forestry Committee", a co-operative interim report comprising sections and maps, compiled by G. G. Runka, Soils Division, BC Department of Agriculture. Other authors include J.R. Jungen, T. Lewis, J.R. Marshall, M.J. Romaine, J. van Barneveld, and U. Wittneben.
Item is an original BC Department of Agriculture publication entitled "Agriculture in the North Cariboo and Central British Columbia".
Image depicts two unidentified individuals and a van on a farm at an uncertain location, possibly a place called Cypress Hill, with an atmometer and a sunshine recorder.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the Canada Soil Survey Committee in Ottawa entitled "Land Capability Analysis".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This is a fairly technical speech explaining the history, and mechanics of the evolving land capability analysis process in BC. It gives insight into this early period in which there was a fair amount of trial and error to develop the best techniques to display and utilize information.
From an agricultural perspective the speech notes (p.5) that compatibility between agriculture and other sectors is not high. The speech demonstrates what would emerge as an important link between Land Capability Analysis and the ALR. On page 7 "possible predictions that will result in land use conflicts but perhaps better long range planning" are insightful and in the case of this statement, reads like a tentative foreshadowing of the BC farmland preservation program that would emerge in about two years.
"(1) Agriculture - "(c) Conservation of agricultural land through rural zoning of those high capability and high productivity soils, near markets."
It is unknown if the use of the acronym C.S.S.C was intended to refer to the "Canada Soil Survey Committee", which held its eighth meeting in Ottawa in 1970, or to the "Canadian System of Soil Classification. Regardless, for more information on the subject a copy of the 1998 / 187 page report by the Soil Classification Working Group entitled, "The Canadian System of Soil Classification" can be found here: https://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/publications/manuals/1998-cssc-ed3/cssc3_manual.pdf "
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "BC's Land Use and the Current Land Inventory".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"Although page 4 of this speech is missing (or possibly intentionally deleted), this document provides a detailed explanation of the CLI ratings and may well have been the basis of interpretation guidelines for agricultural capability mapping used by the ALC.
GGR at the time was the B.C. Land Inventory Field Coordinator.
It appears that slides at one point accompanied this speech."
Photograph depicts part of a brown and white building similar to the "Director's Lodge" at Cassiar, B.C. (see items 2000.1.1.3.19.88 and 2000.1.1.3.19.89). Unidentified individuals visible inside greenhouse in fenced back yard. Forest in background. Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph: "Cassiar June 15 71".
Item is a typescript of a paper by M. Murtha entitled "An Approach to Land-Use Planning based on the Canada Land Inventory".
Item is an original BC Department of Agriculture publication entitled "Management and Improvement of Meadows on Organic Soils of Interior British Columbia".
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka at UBC entitled "Integrated Land Use - BC Experience".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"The speech provides insight into GGR's concept of integrated land use as opposed to multiple land use.
Agriculture noted as often the 'primary use for land designated in the ALR'. On page 5 GGR reflects on this concept when stating that integrated land use planning is a useful first step "... to indicate the primary physical capability of each landform based on inherent soil and climatic characteristics".
The speech was accompanied by slides."
Item is an original Canada Department of Agriculture Publication 1434 entitled "Climate of the Lower Peace River Region".
Item is a copy of "Ecology and Food Production" (Vol. 4, No. 14), 1972.
Item is a copy of "The Role of Aerial Photography in the Canada Land Inventory Classification Program" prepared by Gimbarzevsky, P. for the Canadian Forestry Service Department of the Environment for Commission VII International Society for Photogrammetry.
File consists of transcripts of speeches by W. Arthur Benson entitled "Demands for and of the Land" and "Land Information and its Relevance to Planning".
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka at UBC entitled "Land Capability Analysis".
Image depicts a barn with large, Harvestore Systems. It is possibly located on one of the many farms near Vanderhoof, B.C.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the BC Federation of Naturalists in Vernon entitled "The Canada Land Inventory, Land Capability Analysis and the Planning Process".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech largely avoids technical detail and an outlining of the mechanics of land capability analysis but does provide several practical examples that allow for a better understanding of the application of the analytical work.
The summary on page 11 is particularly important (in part):
"Planning must anticipate desirable land use patterns, not merely react to the pressure of short run expedients. Above all else let's not forget that land use planning should be people-oriented as well as resources-oriented. Hopefully, facts rather than short term
economics, politics, or emotions will play an increasing role in decision-making."
The speech was accompanied by slides.
(Note: Via a handwritten amendment the title was changed from "Land Capability Analysis and the Planning Process" to 'The Canada Land Inventory, Land Capability Analysis and the Planning Process"
Item is an original copy of "Soil Resources of the Smithers-Hazelton Area" by G.G. Runka at the Soil Survey Division, BC Department of Agriculture. Includes two accompanying maps.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Environment Committee entitled "The Canada Land Inventory, Land Capability Analysis and the Chamber of Commerce".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"GGR makes the point in opening that the Chamber of Commerce may not be a group the public normally associates with concern for the environment but he feels it is time to correct this fallacy.
This speech is of value, if for nothing else, for the outline provided of the origin of the Canada Land Inventory (page 2).
Interestingly in the light of a future Land Commission publication, GGR uses the phrase "...with proper inventory information perhaps we would have left some of our options open". The 15 page B.C. Land Commission booklet published in March 1975 [was titled 'The B.C. Land Commission: Keeping the Options Open']."
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the Agricultural Institute of Canada entitled "Managing Our Land Resources for Survival and Pleasure".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech is aimed at land use planning and planners, and GGR provides his definition of "ecology" which includes:
"...the basic characteristics of the land - its geology, soils, climate, vegetation, and animal life, including the devil that does the most damage, man. It also includes the interrelationships within these basic characteristics and of course this is where the word "complexities" comes in. There are no two places where these components combine in exactly the same manner and each ecological unit, if you like, is unique."
GGR mentions the importance of considering options.
This package includes a copy of the speech as well as a second, 2 page document, with the same title in which GGR is noted as 'Manager of the BC Land Commission'. This second document is largely a summary of the more formal speech."
File consists of papers written by G. Gary Runka during his role as BC Land Inventory Field Coordinator. Selected works include:
- "Comments on General Soil Characteristics related to B.C. Industrial Zoning Maps",
- "Ektachrome Infra-red and Ektachrome Aerial Photography Project - Pitt Meadows",
- "A Short Course on Mapping Forest Lands Sept. 21-23, 1972, Prince George, Glacial Landforms and Surficial Materials",
- "Soil Stability Ratings - South Okanagan", "East Kootenay Soil Capability for Agriculture - Agriculture Sector Review - Report to B.C. Intersector Evaluation Committee",
- "Bulkley Intersector Analysis Area - Section I: Agriculture Sector Report - Report to B.C. Intersector Analysis Committee",
- "Dryland and Irrigated Agriculture Capability Ratings - Sept. 1, 1971",
- "Report on Land Capability for Agriculture and Forestry Prince George - Quesnel, Special Sale Area, B.C.",
- "East Kootenay (Region 13) Soil Capability for Agriculture and the Intersector Evaluation",
- "Tentative Correlation of Soils of British Columbia with Climatic Criteria", and,
- "Urban Suitability vs Resource Conservation an Interpretation of British Columbia Land Inventory Data, 14 May, 1973".
Item is a reproduced conference paper for the 4th North American Forest Soils Conference entitled "Bio-Physical Land Classification in Canada" by authors M. Jurdant (Canadian Forestry Service), D.S. Lacate (UBC), S.C. Zoltai (Northern Forest Research Center), G.G. Runka (B.C. Department of Agriculture), and R. Wells (Newfoundland Research Centre).
Item is an original copy of "Methodology - Land Capability for Agriculture - B.C. Land Inventory (CLI)" by G.G. Runka at the Soil Survey Division, BC Department of Agriculture.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the Agricultural Institute of Canada Land Use Committee entitled "Land Use Control and Jurisdictional Rights".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This is a first draft position paper written by GGR was developed for the Agricultural Institute of Canada, Land Use Committee.
The paper notes that attitudes are shifting from land being considered as a commodity to considering land as a natural resource. There are several references to governmental relationships, the inability to count on local governments to preserve agricultural land and the need for a federal land use policy supporting farmland preservation.
The use of a zoning tool as an effective means to preserve agricultural land is explored. The paper makes a strong case for there being no legal need for compensating land owners for regulatory land use zoning.
Included with the package are two letters written by GGR (November 7,1974) sent to Jim Lore (Alberta) and Steve Hart (Ottawa) requesting their review of the paper and input. A copy of the finalized paper, which may have been a jointly authored paper, is not included and it is not known if the paper was eventually published by the Agricultural Institute of Canada."
File consists of a 1973 BC Land Commission photographic slide and audio tape set entitled "Land Commission Act and the Agricultural Reserve Plan" that was used in original public hearings throughout the province. The 80 slides included with the presentation materials were created mostly by Gary Runka. The audio cassette is a recording of the presentation with speakers Bill Lane, BC Land Commission Chair, and Gary Runka, BC Land Commission General Manager.
Image depicts some farmland near Alexandria, B.C.
Item is an original article reprint by G.S. Swinnerton from BC Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Technical Bulletin No. 30 on Land Capability Classification entitled "Land Classification and Environmental Planning".