Harris McFayden, who also acted as the company's managing director, established the McFayden Seed Co. Ltd. in 1910. G. P. Crossing, D. J. Daniel and D. A. Hagen completed the company executive as secretary-treasurer, manager of the Garden Seed
Department, and Plant superintendent respectively.
Operating out of Winnipeg on a Canada wide basis, McFayden Seed Co. Ltd. was originally called Harris McFayden Seed Co. Ltd. and specialized in farm seeds. By the time of McFayden's death in April of 1941, the company had created the largest Mail
Order House of Garden Vegetable and Flower Seeds in Canada.
McFayden Seed Co. Ltd. was purchased by A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. on August 15, 1941 from a Trust Company for $75,000. At the time of the acquisition, it was decided by the parties involved that the two companies would continue operating as separate entities. This arrangement enabled the McKenzie Seed Co. to minimize the disruption created by the purchase; it also allowed for the perpetuation of the McFayden name and tradition.
Located in a rented property, the 5th floor of the John Deer Building in Winnipeg, the company was relocated to Maryland Street in Winnipeg during the 1950's. Finally, in 1965, McFayden Seeds was moved into the existing McKenzie Building in Brandon as a subsidiary company, continuing as a specialty Mail Order division of McKenzie Seeds to the present day.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series contains correspondence, documents, financial records and miscellaneous records relating to McKenzie Seeds first acquisition. The documents consist of costs of passing title, general by-laws, Companies Act returns, annual summaries, executor of Harris McFayden's estate, and a release between A.E. McKenzie Co. and National Trust. The miscellaneous records include board minutes/excerpts, memos and a share register.
The sub-series has been divided into four sub sub series, including: (1) Correspondence; (2) Documents; (3) Financial; and (4) Miscellaneous.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 3 Acquisitions
Related Material
Financial statements for McFayden Seeds as a subsidiary of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. are located in Series 1 (Board of Directors), sub-series 5 (Financial) of the fonds.
Historical information regarding McFayden Seeds is located in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics files 7 and 8 (Tape 22) and file 30 of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
Sales literature, seed packets and McFayden catalogues are located in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 4 (Marketing) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
Catalogues for McFayden can also be found in Series 5 (Photographs) in oversized drawer #4 of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
Series 6 (Miscellaneous), sub-series 1 (Centennial Exhibition) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds also contains catalogues and sales literature for McFayden Seeds.
The Seed Marketing Company Ltd. was located at P. O. Drawer 1885, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and, later, at 382 Maryland Street, Winnipeg. Created by the A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd., this company was incorporated under Dominion Charter by Federal Letters Patent, dated March 18, 1930. As well, the company was registered only in Manitoba under the provisions of the Manitoba Companies Act.
A. E. McKenzie made the application for the charter under the name A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. and, from 1933, the Board of Directors was made up of employees of A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. Although the authorized capital stock of the company was 500 no par value shares, only 50 of these were issued and allotted at a price of $10 per share.
According to a letter written by A. E. McKenzie to the Acting Director, Department of the Secretary of State, Companies Division, Ottawa, Ontario, the company was created with a specific purpose in mind. During the years 1930-1933, A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. accumulated a large quantity of oats for seeding purposes, at a time when crops were generally poor due to extended drought. These seeds, as well as wheat, barley and flax were supplied to farmers on a signed order in the name of Seed Marketing Co. Ltd. Parties, either individuals or municipalities, took a "Seed Grain Mortgage" from the Seed Marketing Co. as a method of payment. This enabled the farmers, who had little or no money, to plant crops. Presumably following harvest the mortgage was paid off.
On the whole the idea of supplying distressed farmers with seed through a Seed Grain Mortgage was fairly successful. In addition to selling the seed directly to the farmers, seed was also sold to rural municipalities, from whom payments were assured. The municipalities, in turn, assumed responsibility for payment from the farmers to whom they had supplied the seed purchased from the Seed Marketing Company.
The original Board of Directors was as follows: A. B. Downing, J. L. Lowes, F. B. Roberts, F. C. Thompson, and J.A. Young. Each received 1 share each in the company. H. J. Morden, a former member of the Corporation, held the other 45 shares from Winnipeg.
From 1933-1936, J. A. Young was President of the company. Following his death in 1936, the position was given to A. B. Downing, who acted as President of the Seed Marketing Company until illness forced him to step down in 1959. In 1960, J. L. Lowes became President, and the following members of A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. became Directors: R. R. West, Miss E. A. Yeo and J. R. McPhail.
The Seed Marketing Company had been kept alive under its original charter in case A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. might have cause to use it for some other purpose. Eventually, the company was considered in default by the federal government for neglecting to fill Annual Returns for the year 1962. At that time, the company was informed that it was no longer considered a subsisting corporation, and, as such, was no longer entitled to the sole use of its corporate name. That same year, A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. relinquished interest in the Seed Marketing Company Ltd., and the remaining Directors resigned their positions.
The name "Seed Marketing Co. Ltd." was also used by A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. on two other occasions. Around 1948, the name was used in Ontario under authority of an Extra Provincial License from the Province of Ontario, especially in labeling cartons of a Lawn Grass mixture to meet price competition in Quebec, the Maritimes and Towers Discount Department Stores.
Prior to 1948 the name was used to in the purchase of Forage Crop Seeds in northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This series includes minutes from meetings of the Board of Directors and shareholders of the company. It also includes correspondence between McKenzie, Lowes, Wm. Johnson, the Department of the Secretary of State, W.E. Chiswell - Comptroller for McKenzie Seeds, Robert Steen and various other individuals dealing with the incorporation of the company, its charter and letters of patent. Some of the records deal with the failure of the company to file annual returns for the years 1963 and 1964. The series also contains financial records including annual summaries/reports, corporation income tax returns, and return of information and particulars under the Manitoba Companies Act.
Also included within the series is a book (27.5 x 38 x 3 cm) containing the letters of patent incorporating the Seed Marketing Co., the general by-laws of the company, and minutes from meetings of its Board of Directors.
Information regarding the Seed Marketing Co. is located in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics file 23 of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
Customers and employees of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. donated some of the records in this series. Others were taken for insurance purposes, while some of the records involve McKenzie subsidiaries. Some of the records may have been taken as advertisements or for promotional reasons. Most of the records were generated by the company itself and deal exclusively with McKenzie Seeds and its business operations or the seed industry.
Custodial History
Photographs in sub-series 5.14, 5.15, 5.16 were donated to McKenzie Seeds by Irene Cullen, Josiph Airey, and Alan R. Mundie respectively.
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Series consists primarily of black and white photographs pertaining to A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd and the seed industry. Included are photographs of the McKenzie Building, plant and field workers and equipment, executives, particular events at McKenzie Seeds and product photographs. A complete list of categories can be found below.
The series is arranged as follows:
5.1 McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. Executives
5.2 Construction at McKenzie Seed Co. Brandon (two files)
5.3 Exterior Photographs of the A. E. McKenzie Co. Building
5.4 McKenzie Seed Co. Plant Operations and Workers (two files)
5.5 McKenzie Seed Co. Equipment and Plant - Head Office 1983
5.6 McKenzie Seed Co. Field Operations and Workers
5.7 McKenzie Seed Co. Strike 1944
5.8 Fires at McKenzie Seed Co. 1910, 1945, 1972
5.9 McKenzie Seed Co. Centennial Exhibition 1996
5.10 Miscellaneous McKenzie Seed Co. Photographs
5.11 People Connected to McKenzie Seed Co.
5.12 Princess Anne's Visit to McKenzie Seed Co. 1982
5.13 Onion Set Production Book
5.14 Irene Cullen Photographs - McKenzie Seeds Employee Photos
5.15 Josiph Airey Photographs - McKenzie Product Photos
5.16 Alan R. Mundie Seed Production Photographs
5.17 Steele Robertson/Steele Briggs Seeds Photographs
5.18 Seed Packet Display Units Photographs
5.19 Product Photographs
5.20 Parade Photographs
*5.21 Oversized Photographs
5.21.1 Drawer #1: Executive Photographs
5.21.2 Drawer #2: Office and Equipment/Plant Photographs
5.21.3 Drawer #3: Miscellaneous Oversized Photographs
5.21.4 Drawer #4: Artifacts
Notes
* The term "drawer" in the Scope and Content Filed for sub-series 5.21, referes to the oversized map drawers in the McKee Archives reading room.
Errol Black's article on the strike at McKenzie Seeds (sub-series 5.7) titled “25c an hour; 48 hours a week; more toilets; less cats: the labour struggles of the "girls" at the A.E. McKenzie Company in Brandon,” was published in Prairie Forum, spring 1992 vol 17 no 1 pp. 33-59.
Finding Aid
An inventory is available for the artifacts, as well as each of the photograph sub-series.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 5 Photographs
Related Material
MG 1 (A.E. McKenzie Fonds), sub-series 1 (Brandon College Inc.) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds contains photographs relating to the History of Brandon College Inc. booklet.
Series 1 (Board of Directors), sub-series 5 (Financial), of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds contains some photographs in the file entitled Steele Briggs Spring Campaign for Edmonton. The pictures are part of a sales booklet.
Steele Briggs related photographs are located in the scrapbook in Series 3 (Acquisitions), sub-series 2 (Steele Briggs) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
This artifically created series consists of records and items that did not fit into any of the preceeding series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This series consists of materials used for the Centennial Exhibit of McKenzie Seeds and miscellaneous publications.
It has been divided into three sub-series, including: (1) Centennial Exhibit; (2) Miscllaneous; and (3) Scrapbooks.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
The program for the McKenzie Centennial Exhibit describes the materials in this sub-series as a "visual collection of artifacts, printed materials and photographs, 1883-1996, celebrating the centennial of A.E. McKenzie Co. Inc."
Created by current employees and based on research by Nancy McLennan, Sandra Head and J. Lasby Lowes, the McKenzie Centennial Exhibit opened on April 25, 1996. It remained open to the public on every Thursday between 2 to 4 p.m. to the end of June, 1996. Some of the furnishings used in the display were contributed by the Daly House Museum. Located in the McKenzie Building, the exhibit was assembled along the corridors of the building. It contained a variety of materials, such as invoices, pay envelopes, blueprints, documents, furniture and photographs from the one hundred years of McKenzie Seeds’ history.
Following the close of the exhibit, a smaller permanent installation was to be constructed at the McKenzie Building.
Custodial History
In the course of preparing the exhibit, Nancy McLennan took documents from the collection, but failed to make a record of where the documents came from. As a result, these materials have been left in the Centennial sub-series. It proved impossible to return them to their original place in the fonds.
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes the individual descriptions of each exhibit printed on small white envelopes, a guide to the exhibit, a photograph listing for photos used in the various displays and the 1973 Directory of Canadian Chartered Accountants. The sub-series also includes intact files for exhibits 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 39 and 40, Wholesale Sales Literature, Steele Briggs Seed Co., Scrimping and Spending Big Time, Seed Wagon, Mostly Catalogue Inserts, Letterhead, and For Your Reading Pleasure, respectively.
In addition, a number of booklets made by the creators of the exhibit are also contained within the sub-series. These booklets are primarily a combination of original and reproduced sales literature and catalogues, but also may or may not contain some correspondence, seed packets, clippings and history for McKenzie Seeds, Pike Seeds/Robertson Seeds, Acquisitions (Steele Briggs, Canada Seeds, Brett-Young Seeds), and McFayden/McConnell.
In addition to the above booklets, there are also materials dealing with the catalogues and sales literature of McKenzie Seed Co. suppliers, such as Bodger Seeds, H. Keft from Holland, the Denholm Seed Company, and the Vis Brothers. A number of documents, programs and booklets relating to the seed industry in general, such as the "Black Leaf" Bulletin and a number of documents relating to agriculture in Manitoba are also included.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
Related Material
Photographs from the Centennial Exhibition of McKenzie Seeds can be found in Series 5 (Photographs), sub-series 5.9 (Centennial Photos).
This sub-series consists of publications that did not fit into any of the preceding series or sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes one copy each of Manitoba Business Top 100 (June 1985), Trade and Commerce Supplement, Brandon (c. 1963) and Manitoba Business (November 1985).
It also includes a Christmas Song book, the book "By Gossip and Myth" by Prof. George MacDowell and a document entitled "Background Information re A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd."
The following newspaper clippings have been located in the map case drawer #4 located in the archives reading room:
1. $175,000 Gift Set for College from City Man
2. McKenzie Will Leaves House to Arts Centre
3. The Old Alma Mater is Down on Her Knees
4. How to Help the Alma Mater
5. Good Things are "growing" on at McKenzie Seeds (ad)
6. Fire fails to halt work at McKenzie Seeds
7. McKenzie Seeds: new facilities are first in North America
8. A full-page advertisment for McKenzie Seeds from "The Brandon Sun" (September 24, 1971)
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
The scrapbooks in this sub-series are fragile, particularly the product book. They must be handled with great care.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of three scrapbooks. Two of the three contain copies of advertisements for a number of businesses, including McKenzie Seeds, Steele Briggs, Patmore's, Rennie's, and McFayden Seeds. Clippings dealing with a variety of other companies in the seed industry are also included. The third scrapbook contains pictures of various flowers, vegetable, herbs and other seed products in alphabetical order. An inventory is available for the third scrapbook.
Notes
Date(s) of creation, including distribution, publication, etc.:
a) [No title] ad book - 1906-1911
b) "Scrap Book" ad book - 1917-1926
c) [No title] product book - c.1903 - c.1940
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
See biographical sketch of A.E. McKenzie under RG 3 Series 2 (Office of the President/General Manager), sub-series 1 (A.E. McKenzie).
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
The manuscript group contains records pertaining to A.E. McKenzie's personal life, such as personal correspondence and family documents. Records dealing with McKenzie's involvement with Brandon College, the Brandon Allied Arts Council and the Brandon Board of Trade are also included.
It has been divided into five sub-series, including: (1) Brandon College Inc.; (2) A.E. McKenzie Foundation; (3) Brandon Allied Arts Council; (4) Brandon Board of Trade; and (5) Miscellaneous.
RG 1 Brandon College fonds in the McKee Archives contains additional
information on A.E. McKenzie, particularly his involvement with Brandon College.
A photograph of A.E. McKenzie is located in oversized drawer #5 of the Brandon College photograph series.
A.E. McKenzie was involved with Brandon College from its very beginnings. He was present at the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Brandon College Building in July of 1900; he became a member of the Brandon College Endowment Committee in 1918; the following year he was on the Finance Committee. By the mid-1920's, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the College. In 1928, he was part of a group that convinced the Baptist Union of Western Canada, the principal funding body for the College, to provide money towards reducing the College’s accumulated deficit. McKenzie and other members of the College Board had advised the Union that they were developing an endowment plan to provide continuing financial support for Brandon College.
In 1931. Mr. McKenzie organized the Brandon Board of Trade to help save the College when the Baptist Union indicated its intention to withdraw financial support to the College. When efforts to have the City of Brandon provide finacial resources to the College failed, A.E. McKenzie organized the Brandon Citizen's Campaign to raise enough money to enable the College to open the next year.
In 1938, when the Baptist Union did withdrew support from the College, McKenzie offered to establish a $100,000 endowment, which he later raised to $300,000, to ensure the continuation of the College. On August 1 of the same year, the Board of Trade, of which McKenzie was a member, set out to raise $15,000 to match the offer the government had made to the College. In September 1938, McKenzie increased his endowment again, this time to $500,000. As a result, of McKenzie's endowment and the fundraising efforts of the Board of Trade the charter establishing Brandon College Incorporated was approved on April 17, 1939.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes correspondence between McKenzie and Lowes with various government officials - Duff Roblin, Hon. George Johnson, Hon. Stewart E. McLean and Comptroller-General George D. Iliffe. There is also correspondence with the company lawyer, William Johnston. Documents within the series consist of the Act to Incorporate Brandon College, Inc. and Bill 86, as well as an indenture and an agreement between C.S. Eaton, G.C. Edwards, A.E. McKenzie, D.H. Hudson and E.J. Tarr. There are also a number of documents written by McKenzie that were presented to the Brandon College Board of Directors. Brandon College Inc. resolutions regarding the McKenzie Foundation are also included.
The sub-series has one sub sub series: MG 5 1.1.1 History of Brandon College Inc.
In 1945 the A. E. McKenzie Trust of 1939, which led to the formation of Brandon College Incorporated, was cancelled. As a result A.E., who was still trying to solve the College's financial problems, set about attaining a special act of legislature that would enable him to transfer 90% of his company's stockholdings to the control of the Province of Manitoba to benefit the College.
See fonds level administrative history description.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes correspondence regarding the McKenzie Foundation between Brandon College Inc., McKenzie Seeds, William Johnson and the Government of Manitoba. It also contains records dealing with Educational Advisory Board. A substantial amount of this correspondence is in regards to the payment of Brandon College Inc. from the McKenzie Foundation. In addition, there is also correspondence generated by the Comptroller-General and Wm. Johnson regarding Foundation Account, as well as some other financial information.
Various documents are also present within the sub-series, including Bill 87, amendments, an authorization provision for variation in agreement and an agreement between McKenzie, Brandon College Inc. and the National Trust. A collection of prepared statements or briefs, many written by A.E. McKenzie regarding the purpose and future of the Foundation are also included.
Information regarding the A.E. McKenzie Foundation can be found in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics file 1 (Tape 9).
Series 5 (Photographs), oversized drawer #4 contains newspaper clippings dealing with the establishment of the McKenzie Foundation.
The Brandon Allied Arts Council was established in the fall of 1959 and spring of 1960. At that time a Foundation was set up, consisting of six men 'of affairs' in Brandon, who were to act as Trustees and administer gifts, bequests and all capital expenditures. The men asked to serve were: Judge Buckingham, Roy Armstrong (Manager of the Royal Bank), Lasby Lowes, R.A. Clement, Victor Sharpe and D.R. Doig.
From the beginning A.E. McKenzie was a great supporter of the Allied Arts Council. Shortly before his death in 1964 McKenzie proposed leaving his home at 436 Victoria Ave. to the Arts Council to be used as an art gallery. Following a great deal of debate it was finally decided, sometime after McKenzie's death, to decline the offer.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series has been divided into two periods, the first dealing with A.E. McKenzie and the Arts Council and the second concerning Lasby Lowes and the Arts Council.
Included within the sub-series is correspondence to McKenzie from Marion Doig of the Arts Council relating the progress of the establishment of the Council through the fall of 1959 to the summer of 1960. It also includes correspondence between McKenzie and R.A. Clement regarding the gift of McKenzie's home to the Brandon Allied Arts Council, and correspondence between McKenzie and the Chairman of Nominations, Brandon Allied Arts Council.
The records generated during the Lasby Lowes period revolve primarily around the estate of A.E. McKenzie. Included is correspondence between The National Trust, Sutherland Agencies Limited, Kathleen Roberts (nee McKenzie), Canadian Diebold Safe Co., G.R. Rowe (President of Arts Council), Green Blankenstein Russell Associates, Income Tax Department, Winnipeg, Monarch Life Assurance Company and Lasby Lowes. Other correspondence deals with Lowes' role as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Brandon Allied Arts Council.
Also included within the sub-series is a photocopy of the Memorandum of Agreement that established the "Brandon Allied Arts Foundation" (1960).
The sub-series has been divided into two sub sub series, including: (1) 1.3.1 A.E. McKenzie and the Brandon Allied Arts Council (1959-64); and (2) 1.3.2 Lasby Lowes and the Brandon Allied Arts Council (1964-68).
Additional Information on the Brandon Allied Arts Council is located in the
Brandon Art Club fonds 03-2001 in the S.J. McKee Archives.
Series 5 (Photographs) contains newspaper clippings concerning the gift of McKenzie's house to the Brandon Allied Arts Council in oversized drawer #4.
The Brandon Board of Trade was founded in 1883 to promote business activity and economic expansion in Brandon. Aside from these records, no other records of the Board of Trade are known to exist.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Sub-series includes the intervention of the Board in the 1910 municipal election in Brandon and a listing of the standing committee for 1911. The sub-series also includes a letter to Mr. Blanchard from A.E. McKenzie and a financial statement for the Brandon Commercial Bureau.
This sub-series is artificially created and contains records that did not fit into any of the preceding series or sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
The records in this sub-series concern A.E. McKenzie's personal life. It contains a number of documents created by his father, F. B. McKenzie, including land deeds, financial records, and a grant of probate. The sub-series also includes documents concerning the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Co., the dissolution of partnership between A.E. McKenzie and George. E. McKenzie, the release of F.B. McKenzie's estate to his son and a copy of A.E. McKenzie's mother's last will and testament.
Also included within the sub-series is a file or correspondence between McKenzie and R.B. Dessert, a former employee of McKenzie Seeds who established his own seed company in California after leaving Brandon. The correspondence is almost entirely personal in nature.
Thank you letters regarding Brandon College and scholarships, as well as minutes from meetings of the Education Advisory Board can also be found within the sub-series.
BRANDON COLLEGE BUILDING
The construction of the Brandon College Building, also known as the Original Building, was primarily financed by Mr. and Mrs. William Davies, a Toronto based Baptist meat packer, and his sister Mrs. Emily Davies, also of Toronto, who pledged $5,000 a year for five years to the new Baptist College. Four city blocks between 18th and 20th streets were purchased for the College campus and the tender of Messrs. T.M. Harrington of Winnipeg was accepted in the spring of 1900; Mr. Hugh McCowan of Winnipeg appointed as architect. Mrs. Davies laid the cornerstone for the Brandon College Building on July 13, 1900.
The Brandon College Building was conceived as a substantial five story brick structure with a stone basement. The Tyndall Manitoba quarries, located thrity miles northeast of Winnipeg, supplied the stone and presented the College with the stone steps at the main entrance. The basement contained the dining room, kitchen, laundry, furnace room, a science laboratory, and maids' rooms. The first floor housed the reception room, office, library, four classrooms and the teachers' cloak rooms. The second floor had five classrooms, a reading room, five rooms for resident students and a resident teacher. Teachers' rooms and seventeen rooms for students comprised the third floor; and additional thirteen rooms for residents took up the fourth floor. The residence was to house 70 men. The total cost of the building and furnishings was $44,000. The Brandon College Building was ready for occupancy by October 1, 1901.
CLARK HALL
The cornerstone of Clark Hall was laid by Mrs. A.P. McDiarmid, wife of the Principal of Brandon College, on May 24, 1906. The residence was officially opened on Thanksgiving Day, October 18, of the same year. The construction of the building grew our of a demand for a ladies' college. A canvass made in Eastern Canada had resulted in subscriptions totaling $10,000. When Dr. McDiarmid reported the results of the canvass to the Chairman of the Board, Dr. C.W. Clark of Winnipeg, Clark proposed that he and his wife be allowed to provided the balance of the funds, some $30,000. While presenting the building at the opening ceremony, Clark stated that the reason for his donation was his belief in the power of cultured womanhood - he believed "that refined and Christian mothers were the strength of a nation and that he wished to see in Brandon a chool of learning for women in which every Christian virtue and grace might be illustrated."
Clark Hall was built immediately north of the Brandon College Building and was connected to it by classrooms and the iron door with its door bell, which was rung by gentlemen before being admitted. It is a five story brick building, with fittings of imported Georgia pine. In the basement was the gymnasium, studios and maids' rooms. On the main floor was a spacious reception room furnished by the Honorable A.C. Rutherford, the Premier of Alberta and the Lady Principal's suite, furnished by Mrs. N. Wolverston, wife of the treaurer of the College Board. Music studios and the offices of the resident matron were also on the main floor. The second and third floors were dormitories. The fourth floor was meant to be art studios, but due to registration demands, it was divided into students' rooms. The residence was designed to house fifty students and seven teachers. Piano practice areas were also designated on the west side of the building and on the groundlevel half way between the basement and the first floor.
BRANDON COLLEGE BUILDING AND CLARK HALL RESTORATION PROJECT
By the early 1990s, it was clear that major reconstruction work on the Brandon College Building and Clark Hall was necessary if the buildings were to remain in use. The alternative was to demolish both buildings and construct a new central administrative structure for the campus. Because of the historic character of the two original campus buildings, the decision was taken to mount a complete restoration of the structures that involved a complete removal of everything except for the surrounding brick fascade and the construction of new buildings within the old external walls. This project was financed by the Provincial government of Manitoba, who granted the University approximatley 10 million dollars. The Chief Architect for the restoration was George Cibinal. Work began in 1996 and was completed by the fall of 1997. In addition to the restoration of the Brandon College Building and Clark Hall, a new entrance was built on the west side of the buildings, as well as an addition to Clark Hall, which included a skywalk connecting it to the A.E. McKenzie Building.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of photographs of the Brandon College Building and Clark Hall.
Notes
History/Bio information was taken from Brandon College: A History, 1899-1967 by C.G. Stone and F. Joan Garnett (Brandon, Manitoba: Brandon University, 1969), chapters 2 and 3. Tom Mitchell provided history/bio information on the restoration project.
The Citizens' Science Building was built in 1922 and financed by Brandon citizens. It was renamed the Knowles-Douglas Student Union Centre c. 1984 in honour of Brandon College graduates Stanley Knowles and Tommy Douglas, both of the Class of 1930. The Knowles-Douglas Addition was completed in 1987.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of photographs of the Citizens' Science Building and the Knowles-Douglas buildings, which include the Knowles-Douglas Student Union Centre and the Knowles-Douglas Addition.
The Gymnasium is located on the southside of Louise Avenue at the corner of 20th Street. It was completed in 1965 and houses the Athletic programme, which includes both intercollegiate sports and intermural sports and recreation. In the 1960s, it was also the venue for student dances and performers, including Gordon Lightfoot, the Mitchell Trio, the Guess Who and others. Convocation was also held in the Gym for a number of years. In 2007, a financial campaign was launched to raise money for extensive rennovations to the Gym.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of photographs of the Gymnasium.
The Original Music Building was completed in 1963. The School of Music moved to the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building in 1985. From c.1986 until 1997, the Original Music Building housed Student Services. Since 1997, the building has been used by the School of Health Studies; a new segment was added to the Original Music Building in 2003 to create the Health Studies Complex.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of photographs of the Original Music Building and the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building.
Notes
Queen Elizabeth II Music Building has been abbreviated to QEII Music Building.
Arrangement
All photographs of the Health Studies Complex, which includes the Original Music Building, are part of BUPC sub-series 2.10.
The John R. Brodie Science Centre was completed in 1971, with the official opening on May 7, 1972. It is located in the southeast corner of the campus and houses the Faculty of Science. The Brodie Building was named for John R. Brodie, a Brandon man who donated $250,000 to Brandon College in 1963 with the stipulation that the money be used for a Science Centre.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of photographs of the John R. Brodie Science Centre.
Notes
Additional biographical information on John R. Brodie is available in his bio file in the Reading Room.
The Jeff Umphrey Memorial Centre was completed in 1970 and is located on the north side of Victoria Avenue and 20th Street. Campus Books was located in the basement of the Umphrey Centre from 1970 to 1978. Once Campus Books moved to the lower McMaster Concourse, the University Archives occupied the basement from 1981 to 1997. A branch of the Bank of Montreal was located on the west side of the building until c. 2006 when the Department of Fine Arts moved into the Umphrey Centre and the Glen P. Sutherland Gallery was constructed on the main floor.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of photographs of the Jeff Umphrey Memorial Centre and the various University organizations that have operated out of the Centre.
