Collection consists of the documentation of Cox’s career as an historian and author. The collection is comprised predominantly of photographic material. There are approximately 15,000 unique photographic images: prints in various standard dimensions (8"x10", 5"x7", 4"x6" and smaller, with some custom dimensions, predominantly in black and white; slide transparencies in black and white and colour; negatives, (120, 35mm, and 4”x5”) in black and white; digital photographs in black and white and colour contained on CDs and one hard drive.

Photographic coverage extends from the 1870s to approximately 2008, with the period 1900-1970s predominant. Original photographs by Doug Cox cover the 1970s through approximately 2008.

The collection also features audio cassettes containing sound recordings of interviews recorded in the 1980s and 1990s with associated transcriptions by Joyce Cox. Government documents (primarily Province of British Columbia, c. 1910-1960s) include topographical maps, tree farm license maps, mineral claims maps, taxation records, forestry examination sketches and other records.

Geography covered is predominantly the Shuswap, Okanagan, Similkameen, Boundary, Kootenay, Nicola and Thompson regions of British Columbia, with sparser coverage of outlying areas as well.

Themes treated include mining, ranching, forestry, agriculture and orchard cultivation, industry and infrastructure, landscapes and cityscapes, sports and recreation, community life, and family documentation.

The fonds consists of two separate streams of documentation. The first consists of documents, photographs, and artifacts pertaining to the operations of a succession of sawmills and wood manufacturing plants founded by Stanley Merriam Simpson) and assumed by his son, Horace B. Simpson in the Okanagan area.
The second stream consists of the materials generated by Sharron J. Simpson, a Kelowna author, publisher, and activist. Sharron J. Simpson's records within this aggregation are primarily in relation to legal proceedings against the City of Kelowna in pursuit of the maintenance of the Simpson Covenant, which limits use of waterfront land on a former mill site sold by S.M. Simpson to the City under restrictive terms of sale in 1946. In the 2000s, the City sought to dissolve the Covenant; Sharron J. Simpson founded a society to challenge this initiative.
In total fonds consists of approximately 2,642 photographs, in various forms, including some duplicates. Records provide documentation of legal proceedings, finances, substantial mill operations, safety initiatives, administration, civic engagement, publicity, and labour relations relating to mill business, general family research, and writing samples. Artifacts include exemplars of production and souvenir materials.

Administrative history
The British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA) was founded in 1889 in Vancouver in response to an increase in fruit cultivation in the province during the latter part of the nineteenth century, and a corresponding need for a more coalesced marketing strategy. The first Okanagan-based member of the association was Alfred Postill (1852-1897), who was champion of cooperative fruit marketing. The BCFGA’s first convention was held in Kamloops, BC, in 1910, at the apex of trend in declining BCFGA membership over the years immediately prior, and was convened in an effort to recharge its appeal to fruit growers. Early conventions were concerned with administrative reorganization and stabilization. Over time, the BCFGA was instrumental in integrating the marketing of Okanagan fruit into a complex North American supply chain. The BCFGA is still active at the time of the preparation of this finding aid.

Scope and content
Fonds consists exclusively of a series of portfolios documenting BCFGA conventions from 1932 to 2015. These portfolios contain reports and briefs; letters; agendas, proceedings and resolutions; Presidential addresses; committee and subcommittee records.