During the Great Depression, Fred McGuinness launched his career with the Brandon Sun as a paper career beginning in 1933. His route had him delivering papers in Brandon’s downtown core, to many of the city’s, now, historic or demolished buildings. Four years later he was employed in the city working for CPR telegraphs as a messenger and then as an operator. These early Brandon experiences weaved their way into McGuinness’ newspaper columns, his broadcasts, and his books. In turn, McGuinness’ readers shared with him their own memories about Brandon and its local history.
McGuinness was passionate about the social history of regional communities and the province as a whole. In the 1970s, McGuinness was instrumental in helping to establish the Rural Resource Centre, the predecessor to Brandon University’s SJ McKee Archives. He co-authored several monographs about Manitoba’s social history with Brandon University Professor Ken Coates and published a pictorial history about Brandon. He was also a community booster and was consulted to serve on, promote and write about local, provincial and rural development initiatives. In his obituary, the last piece he would publish in the Brandon Sun, McGuinness wrote that he had a “deep and continuing interest in anniversaries.”
In its editorial piece on the passing of Fred McGuinness, the Brandon Sun commented that McGuinness had a “genuine interest in the stories and memories that are part of every Canadian’s experience…He loved driving through small Westman towns and communities, stopping at the local coffee shop to strike up conversations with the locals.” He continued writing his Diary column for the Brandon Sun and mentoring aspiring writers in his memoir writing workshops until his death in 2011.
Custodial History
Accession 1-2015 contains records created and collected over the course of McGuinness’ career as a newspaper journalist and freelance writer. The Estate of Fred McGuinness donated the materials to the SJ McKee Archives circa 2011. The Archives accessioned the records in 2015.
Scope and Content
The subseries consists of records created and collected by Fred McGuinness during his time as a journalist, editor, and freelance writer. As part of his research and writing process, McGuinness kept numerous files on various subjects and continued to add to them throughout his career. He accumulated his local history materials by personally collecting newspapers and clippings, books, and magazine articles; by readers’ forwarding materials for his interest; and from workshop participants submitting memoirs and personal narratives for his interest, review and feedback.
Local history materials consist of newspaper clippings, correspondence, biographical documents and memoirs, obituaries, and manuscript drafts on Brandon (Manitoba) topics including:
the City of Brandon’s origins, anniversaries (75th, centennial), reunions (Victoria 1969, Toronto 1977)
historic buildings and streets (Brandon’s Central Heating System, Brandon’s Fire Department, Brandon Gun ClubBrandon water power plant)
businesses (Assiniboine River ice harvest; Brandon woolen mills, skating arenas; Snellie brothers (Russell, MB); Meighen, Haddad, & Co., Prince Edward Hotel)
citizens and early pioneer/families (Armitage family, Beaubier family, Thomas Black, J.A. Brock, Henry Carroll, Q.C., Chalmer-Harden families, Clement family, Flora Cowan, Eliza Durston, William A. Elliott, Dr. Fleming, Hall family, Eleanor Kidd, Jack Lane, William Langdon, Lindenberg family, A.E. McKenzie, Margaret Muir, William Muir, W.S. Orchard, Mrs. Osmond (Griswold), General Thomas Lafayette Rosser, Harry Spafford, Allena Strath, George Treherne, Wallace family)
institutions (ACC, Brandon Research Station)
military units (181st Battalion)
museums (Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum)
local newspapers
politicians (R.O. Lissaman, Sir Clifford Sifton)
railways (1916 Brandon trainwreck)
religious organizations (Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus, Beresford Church)
McGuinness also maintain files on the local history of surrounding communities, including: Birtle, Beresford, Camp Hughes, Hartney, Kemnay, Russell, and Souris.
Notes
Information in the history/biography was taken from “We’re Going to Miss You, Fred,” Brandon Sun, March 24, 2011, A8
Items dating to the 1880s are photocopies and transcripts of original materials
In the file level inventories, square brackets at end of file names reference the original location of the file in the unprocessed Fred McGuinness collection. The original location is also noted on the front of each file folder
Accruals
Closed
Finding Aid
A file level inventory is available
Storage Location
2015 accessions
Related Material
John Everitt collection
Clarence Hopkin collection
Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba fonds
Lawrence Stuckey collection
Jack Stothard collection
William Wallace papers
Fred McGuinness would write/publish about a topic in a number of forums. Therefore, it is possible work and correspondence pertaining to his research materials may be found in the Fred McGuinness collection Monograph series (McG 5) and subseries: Correspondence (McG 1.2), Brandon Sun (McG 2.2), Neighborly News (McG 2.3), Miscellaneous freelance (McG 3.2), Talks and workshops (McG 6.3). McGuinness also “filed” many clippings between the pages of his books in his personal library (see McG 8 Library series)
Arrangement
Arrangement was artificially created by the Archives. Subseries has been re-arranged according to publication period
File consists of correspondence and recommendations of the Social Science Research Council of Canada on the proposed granting council for the social sciences and humanities.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 2: Board of Governors
2.4 Correspondence and subject files
Box 6
File consists of Arts Faculty Salaries and Promotions Committee form sheet with instructions, memos, correspondence, minutes, Faculty of Arts newsletter, agendas, and new course proposals.
Notes
File was artificially created July 11/06 (CMH).
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series XV: BUFA
Box 3
File consists of committee member lists, memos, minutes, by-laws for the Arts Faculty Council, committee reports, course change submission forms, notices, and a proposal for a four year degree program in Education.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series XV: BUFA
Box 3
The General Faculty Council consists of the following: a) the President, who shall be the Chair; b) the Vice-President (Academic/Research); c) the Dean of each Faculty/School; d) the Director of the Educational Technology Unit; e) the University Librarian; f) the Dean of Students; g) teaching personnel of the Faculties and Schools; h) Professional Associates, Administrative Associates and Instructional Associates; i) the University Registrar or designate.
One regular meeting of the General Faculty Council is held each year in late August or early September, although special meetings of the may be called at the discretion of the Chair or at the request in writing of ten members of the Council. The General Faculty Council can establish its own procedures including the creation of such committees as are necessary to fulfill its functions.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of one file of General Faculty Council minutes and meeting materials, including committee reports.
Notes
History/Bio information was taken from the Brandon Univeristy Senate by-laws.
The Brandon University Students’ Union Council is comprised of 16 elected students representing a variety of constituencies on campus. The elected BUSU council governs the actions of the Students’ Union, providing students with on and off campus entertainment and events, a number of services, and representation on BU boards and committees.
BUSU has a four-committee structure, with each committee comprised of five members and chaired by a member of the Executive. Every member of BUSU council sits on at least one BUSU committee.
The Executive Committee oversees government and media relations; sets the council agenda; handles personnel and legal issues; rules on donations, hospitality, and referred issues; and issues honoraria. The committee consists of the President, Vice-President Finance, Vice-President Academic, Vice-President Student Activities, and the General Manager and is chaired by the President. Three subcommittees chaired by the BUSU Vice-Presidents handle other duties.
Additional information on the various committees of BUSU, as well as the positions of President, Vice-Presidents and Commissioners can be found on the BUSU website (http://www.busu.ca/boards_committees.asp (January 2007)).
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of minutes and minute books of the BUSU Executive and Council from 1967-1976. The first minute book contains minutes from the Brandon College Students' Association (beginning Feb. 1967) and a copy of BUSU's by-laws.
Box 1 (Files 1-5): 1967-1974
Box 2 (Files 6-10): 1969-1976
Notes
History/Bio information was taken from the BUSU web page available at: http://www.busu.ca/election.asp and http://www.busu.ca/boards_committees.asp (January 2007).
Series A is comprised of the records of the local co-operative elevator association as established in the period 1925 - 1968 under the Co-operative Associations Act. Until 1968 the local associations were the main administrative unit of Manitoba Pool Elevators. Subsequent to 1968 Pool Elevators became a direct membership top down organization. The central office was at the top, and the province was divided into seven administrative districts, which were in turn each divided into six sub-districts. Each sub-district would usually contain approximately five "locals". Please note that local associations were not obliged to become part of the new structure of Manitoba Pool Elevators, and as late as 1975 there were still 29 locals that did not belong to a sub-district. The records of each local within the Series may, but do not necessarily, contain the following: organizational papers, minutes of executive board, minutes of shareholders annual meeting, financial statements, correspondence, membership lists, miscellaneous. Series has been divided into 233 sub-series.
Notes
This series contains records for both local associations and for sub-districts. Item number does not correspond to sub-district number, so an item number and sub-district number may be the same and correspond to two seperate records.
Donated to the McKee Archives by the Souris Museum in 2000.
Scope and Content
Portrait of the County Council of the County of Brandon.
Back Row: Reeve Pettit of Daly Municipality, Reeve Clegg of Elton Municipality, Reeve Whitehead of Cornwallis Municipality.
Front Row: Reeve Steele of Glenwood Municipality, W.A. MacDonald, County Solicitor (Justice Supreme Court of British Columbia); Reeve Hannah of Whitehead Municipality, J. Weatherall, County Clerk, J.H. Brownlee, County Engineer