This fonds illustrates the life and work of G. Gary Runka and his contributions to the province of British Columbia. Gary Runka was the first General Manager of British Columbia's Agricultural Land Commission and helped establish the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve. After transitioning from a government career to private consulting, Runka provided comprehensive professional services through his land consultancy business, G.G. Runka Land Sense Ltd., offering land capability and environmental assessments, integrated resource management, land and water use conflict resolution, and interdisciplinary land use planning. Described by colleagues as one of BC's most highly respected agrologists and influential land use planners, Runka had a 52-year career working on (or against) an incredible number of landmark projects in British Columbia, such as the Site C Project. Gary Runka’s partner in life and vocation, Joan M. Sawicki, worked with Gary on many of these projects—as well as her own; her contributions are also represented throughout the records of this fonds.

Gary Runka's deep connection to the land is evident from his earliest papers on aerial photo interpretation, his work with the Canada Land Inventory, through his speeches and his work establishing the BC Agricultural Land Reserve and in his subsequent consulting career through G.G. Runka Land Sense Ltd. Gary Runka's influence and legacy was recognized in the tributes paid after his death, including the post-humus award as the Real Estate Foundation's "Land Champion" for 2014.

The G. Gary Runka fonds has been divided into the following nine series:
1) Personal Records
2) Speeches & Publications
3) Professional Records
4) Agricultural Land Commission
5) Land Sense Ltd.
6) Client Files
7) Maps
8) Photographs
9) Digital Records

Photograph depicts a view of Lone Butte, BC. The butte formation of the same name (Lone Butte) is visible in the background; a ranch or residence is visible in the foreground. Wyness notes that Lone Butte was the "last one [they] tied in". "Tying in" is a land surveying technique. Since the photograph is dated October 1936 and Wyness described the survey trip as lasting June 5 - October 8, 1936, that implies that Lone Butte was the last location they surveyed on this trip.

Photograph depicts a view of Fraser River from the Soda Creek hill in October 1936. The town of Soda Creek is barely visible at right.

Photograph depicts Mount Begbie, noted by Wyness to be the highest point on the Cariboo Highway at mile 85. Mount Begbie is located at approximately 51°28'33''N, 121°22'00''W, on the east side of Cariboo Hwy, between 70 Mile House and 100 Mile House, in the Lillooet Land District. Wyness annotated this photograph with the statement that they "tied this one in"; 'tying in' is a land survey term, implying that the crew may have also been surveying in this area.

Photograph depicts Mount Begbie, noted by Wyness to be the highest point on the Cariboo Highway at mile 85. Mount Begbie is located at approximately 51°28'33''N, 121°22'00''W, on the east side of Cariboo Hwy, between 70 Mile House and 100 Mile House, in the Lillooet Land District. Also visible in this photograph is the Cariboo Highway road.

Photograph depicts a view of the Fraser River from what Wyness calls "Fraser Mountain". There are a number of places named "Mount Fraser" in British Columbia, but the exact location of where this photograph was taken is unclear.

Photograph depicts Jack Lee and the survey crew's 1930 Buick Series 40 car below the Boston Bar tunnel on their return trip.

Photograph depicts Mount Begbie, noted by Wyness to be the highest point on the Cariboo Highway at mile 85. Mount Begbie is located at approximately 51°28'33''N, 121°22'00''W, on the east side of Cariboo Hwy, between 70 Mile House and 100 Mile House, in the Lillooet Land District. Also visible in this photograph is the Cariboo Highway road.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Gordon Wyness and Jack Lee at a camp scene "at Bobtail" (possibly Bobtail Lake) near Vanderhoof. As noted in the album caption, the crew had "just returned from Vanderhoof". The telegraph cabin roof and their 1930 Buick Series 40 car is visible at right.

Photograph depicts Jack Lee rafting with a sail on Bobtail Lake, as he was going over to other side of the lake to locate traverse posts (without success, according to the annotation on the photograph verso).

Photograph depicts a view of the city of Prince George looking west from the east hill. The confluence of the Fraser River and Nechako River is visible to the right. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway bridge is visible at centre. The current location of where this photograph may have been taken is likely somewhere near where Highway 16 rises on the hill past the correctional centre (jail).

Photograph depicts a view of the community of Williams Lake, taken from the Chilcotin Road to the west.

Photograph depicts Jack Lee with gear in front of a tent at Bobtail [Lake?] campsite after returning from Bobtail Mountain where the crew had camped overnight without a tent.

Photograph depicts Gordon Wyness at the Bobtail campsite after having just returned from a night of camping without a tent on Bobtail Mountain. Wyness noted (on photograph verso) that there were pack rats in the telegraph cabin in the background of this photograph.

Photograph depicts two bridges crossing the Telkwa River. Wyness notes (on photograph verso) that this is where their survey crew traversed the river; he also noted erosion in the area.

Photograph depicts a view of Hudson Bay Mountain taken from the Telkwa water tower. The Monckton survey crew tent, their car, and the railway track is also visible.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Jack Lee, Gordon Wyness, and Lavender Monckton standing in front of a wooden moose. The wooden moose was located on top of a hill to the east of Prince George. The wooden moose was an advertisement for John A. Lestin's taxidermy business on Third Avenue in Prince George.

Photograph depicts the Canadian Airways Ltd Fairchild 71C CF-AWV float airplane at the shore of Burns Lake. The float plane was serving as a photography plane.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Philip Monckton, Gordon Wyness, and Lavender Monckton at the Beaverly Geodetic Station, 7 miles west of Prince George. Surveying equipment (tripod, theodolite, and wire) are stationed at centre.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Gordon Wyness and Jack Lee at their campsite at Sheraton. This location may reference the small community east of Burns Lake on the Canadian National Railway line. Wyness notes that "Sherton" [Sheraton?] Mountain is visible in the background of the photograph; the current name of that geographical feature could not be determined. The survey crew's car and tent are also visible in the image.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Gordon Wyness and Jack Lee in front of the Fort St. James sign, which reads "First white settlement in British Columbia. Established by the North West Company in 1806 by Simon Fraser and John Stuart and taken over by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821. - General Merchandise Visitors Welcome".

Photograph depicts the Hudson Bay buildings at Fort St. James.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Jack Lee, Philip Monckton, Jessie McInnes, and Archie McInnes at Pioneer Ranch.

In 1903, brothers Neil and Archie McInnes pre-empted a section of land two miles east of Cote Flat, each taking half. Archie McInnes' land later became known as Pioneer Ranch (later known as the Barnett Ranch); Neil McInnes' land became Meadowbrook Ranch. Archie McInnes married Jessie Aitken in October 1905. Pioneer Ranch became known as a stop-over for travellers en route from Hazelton to the Ootsa Lake area via the Telegraph Trail. Archie and Jessie McInnes had three daughters: Vera (m. Ivan Frank), Ivy (m. Eric Strimbold), and Neva (m. John Ivan Nickolichuk).

Photograph depicts a view of the town of Telkwa, BC from the perspective of the Telkwa water tower.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Jack Lee, Gordon Wyness, and Lavender Monckton sitting on their 1930 Buick Series 40 car in front of their temporary cabin lodgings in Prince George. This photograph was taken before the group left Prince George to head to 6 Mile Lake or Tabor Lake.

Photograph depicts a bulldozer clearing land for road making north of Stuart Lake.

Photograph depicts the Francois Lake Ferry. Gordon Wyness stands next to the survey crew's Buick car in the middle of the boat. Jack Lee leans on the railing at the back of the boat.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Gordon Wyness, Philip Monckton, and Lavender Monckton by their 1930 Buick Series 40 car in the Williams Lake area. In this image, the car may be broken down; Wyness noted that they "were forced to spend the nite in a school house due to condenser burning out in the car". Wyness also noted that they had "just finished tying in Fraser Mtn", suggesting that they had just completed survey work in the Fraser Mountain area.

Photograph depicts (from left to right) Jack Lee, Gordon Wyness, Jessie McInnes, and Archie McInnes at Pioneer Ranch.

In 1903, brothers Neil and Archie McInnes pre-empted a section of land two miles east of Cote Flat, each taking half. Archie McInnes' land later became known as Pioneer Ranch (later known as the Barnett Ranch); Neil McInnes' land became Meadowbrook Ranch. Archie McInnes married Jessie Aitken in October 1905. Pioneer Ranch became known as a stop-over for travellers en route from Hazelton to the Ootsa Lake area via the Telegraph Trail. Archie and Jessie McInnes had three daughters: Vera (m. Ivan Frank), Ivy (m. Eric Strimbold), and Neva (m. John Ivan Nickolichuk).