This flag was commissioned by members of the class of 1964 in 2014 as a replica of the original class of 1964 flag created as part of that class' commencement activites. Members of the class of 1964 donated it to the McKee Archives at Homecoming weekend in 2014.
Scope and Content
Item was created by the Brandon College class of 1964 in 2014, to replace their orignal flag that had been lost at some point following their graduation. The flag, which is made of fabric, features the names of the graduates, as well as a stylized world with rings. The flag has grommets for hanging.
Names include: Lorraine Adam, Bill Ballantyne, Masako Ban, Patricia Blake, Matthew Bray, Clark Brownlee, Ruther Cutforth, Thelma Davis, Don Edwards, Maureen Fearns, Joan Foster, Harold Gilleshammer, George Gooden, Audrey Graham, Valerie Greig, James Gretz, Ted Griffith, Elaine Hutton, Bill Johnson, Sharon Livingstone, Margaret Ann Lowes, Donna Manness, Katherine Mantel, Elaine Mazer, Eleanore McDowell, Mickey McGill, Murray McLeod, Gordon McWilliams, Isabelle Mills, Clark Mitchell, Teenie Molgat, Adelaide Newton, Carole Paintin, Paul Panton, Virginia Patmore, Norman Peterson, Bill Potter, Beverly Reeves, Eleanor Riesberry, Irene Rinn, Moody Roebuck, Morris Smeltz, James Simmons, John Sushelnitsky, Ed Whitcomb, Jeanette Whyte, James Parrott, Warren Veale, Poppy Cumming, George McDowell, Dennis Anderson, Garry Atchison, Jack Ballen, Walter Berry, James Bomford, Jacqueline Clement, Murray Cochrane, Carl Cunningham, Robert Draper, Scott Drever, Dave Dueck, Dave Fewings, Barry Forman, Glenn Hall, Ronald Hall, David Hitchens, Garth Hunter, Brent Kinney, Gerald Kitzler, Albert Klassen, Wally Lamont, Don Lawrence, Victor Logeot, William Marshall, David McAuley, Mark McCowan, Gary Mills, Dale Nelson, Jim Poole, Dick Prawdzik, Robert Raeburn, Donald Rainnie, Dennis Smith, Evelyn Woods and Bruce Young.
Notes
Description by Lief Charles/Kees Adriaansen (February 2024) and Christy Henry.
Item was created by the Brandon College class of 1965 as part of their commencement activities. The flag, which is made of felt, features the class motto “Forever Upward". The flag features the names of the graduates stitched in yellow thread, as well as a scroll containing a mortarboard. The flag has no mechanism for hanging.
Names include: Elinor Armitage, Muriel Baker, Richard Balchen, Kenneth Bileski, Errol black, Phil Blain, Edward Boguski, Jo Ann Brandon, Allan Bray, Rodney Brown, Geraldine Burns, Kathryn Burton, Carole Busby, Barry Busch, Tom Campbell, Bill Carr, Dennis Carter, Christine Cassels, Ying Cheng, Yuen Cheng, Kenneth Bellas, Treva Clendenning, Catherine Craig, Ruth Cutforth, Constance Davidson, Darla Drysdale, Morely English, Betty Eshelby, Donna Firby, Carol Ann Foster, Bruce Fraser, Eldon Frost, Irving Gusdal, David Hall, Emilie Hansen, Jennifer Harms, Heather Henderson, David Hickling, Allan Hill, Lorne Hoag, Donald Hutton, Helen Inglis, Chris Johnson, Les Johnson, Laurie Ricou, Anne Franklin, Russell Lusk, Christine Jopko, Nina Kozakiewicz, Donna Laird, Willa Ledingham, Garry Lumbard, Colin Mailer, William Marshall, Bob McDonald, Donald McLaren, Shirley Melvin, Garry Miller, Walter Mostoway, Sally Norman, Phil North, Dan Old, Robert Oldcorn, Jerry Page, Lyle Poole, Ross Poole, Raymond Putman, Peggie Rainnie, Donald McDowell, Ron Rapley, Nelson Reed, Norman Reid, Catherine Robertson, Don Sherritt, Lloyd Shields, Norrine Shobrooke, Phyllis Smith, Morlene Sparrow, Bob Staines, Nancy Stanley, Sharon Stevens, William Stinchcome, Mitchell Taylor, Lorne Vopni, Herbert Weinmaster, Jack Watts, Donald Wilkie, Bob Wilkins, Gordon Williams, Jerald Wishart and Theodora Youmatoff.
Notes
Loose translations for the class mottos were provided by Dr. Rosanne Gasse (Latin) and Dr. Steve Robinson (Greek), as well as from googling the mottos in October 2006. Description by Lief Charles/Kees Adriaansen (February 2024) and Christy Henry.
Paint(?) splotches, slight fraying, slight discoloration of white fabric
Scope and Content
Item was created by the Brandon College class of 1966 as part of their commencement activities. The flag, which is made of felt and satin, features the class motto “Semper Primus” (“Always Number One”). The flag features the names of the graduates stitched in white, as well as a yellow scroll containing "'66." The flag has no mechanism for hanging.
Names include: Jim Barrow, Bob Bell, Sigrid Birkinshaw, Bob Boughen, Carole Boyd, Pat Carter, Jean Christianson, Colleen Clark, Gary Day, Ken Delbridge, Gerald Diswinka, Gary Evans, Dennis Farguson, Don Fjelsted, Carol Gurba, John Horner, Ernie Janzen, Carol Johnson, Al Josephson, Valorie Kidd, John Krahn, Diane Lytwyn, Edith May, Jim McMay, Charlie McMillan, Merilyn McTavish, Terry Moore, Helen Muray, Rodney Mykle, Marie Nadler, Doug Oberlin, Don Pratt, John Russell, Bill Sparling, Harry Toy, Bob Turner, Corine Walker, Donna Zimmerman, Jack Spalding, Bruce Batt, Bryan Bennion, Don Boguski, Barbara Broadfoot, Jim Brolund, Wayne Carey, Dave Cochrane, Allen Dahl, Ken Daniels, Ron Forman, Cyril Fox, Rick Frazer, Lindsay Gibson, Bill Hammond, Clare Haralson, Ed Holtzman, Norrie Howat, Dave Huffman, Stuart Johnson, Alasdair Kellie, Henry Klassen, Richard Lawford, Jack Lee, Mel Montgomery, Alex Russell, Ellen Vinthers, Blane Ward, George Wawrykow, Gerald Wilson and Ken Whittington.
Notes
Loose translations for the class mottos were provided by Dr. Rosanne Gasse (Latin) and Dr. Steve Robinson (Greek), as well as from googling the mottos in October 2006. Description by Lief Charles/Kees Adriaansen (February 2024) and Christy Henry.
Missing two ties on top right, some loose threads, slight discolouration of white fabric.
Scope and Content
Item was created by the Brandon College class of 1967 as part of their commencement activities. The flag, which is made of felt and satin, features the class motto “Finis Sed Principium” (“The end but the beginning”). The flag features the names of the graduates stitched in white, as well as a Canada Centennial star. The flag has ties for hanging.
Names include: Jocelyn Godolphin, Linda Armitage, Brian Bailey, Gary Belecki, Bev Bird, Bryan Blixhaven, Jolie Boyarski, Dean Boyd, Garry Brake, Gary Brawn, Tom Carter, Larry Clark, Doreen Crew, Dawn Dandridge, Leo Dare, Grant Duncan, Glen Edwards, Dewey Evans, Peter Eyvindson, Bill Yard, Gordon Franklin, Midge Graham, Karen Gusdal, Barb Hamel, Wes Hockley, Murray Hutton, Bob Hyatt, Bob Jackson, Ernest Janzen, Lawrence Johnson, Janet Johnston, Marg Jones, Doug Jordan, Marg Kentner, Marie Kulberg/Kellbert, Linda Lamoureux, Darlene Lazenby, Jan Leckie, Gary MacDonald, Pam Madsen, Larry Malazdrevich, Angie Martin, Jim McAllister, Barb McDowell, Sharon McPherson, Barry Mitchell, Elmer Myers, Diane Theoret, Alice Pelk, Henry Peters, Cheryl Pomeroy, Audrey Racher, Gordon Rankmore, Jim Ranson, Elaine Reichmuth, Jim Reid, Judy Richardson, Marion Rivers, Bev Robertson, Ken Robson, Wayne Rosenman, Jeanette Saunders, Greg Sawchuk, Alice Schick, Helen Sexton, Chris Shellard, Marlene Shenk, Gail Smith, Ken Smith, John Spak, Reg Tolton, Wayne Trembath, Fred Tuttle, Jack Warkentin, N.E. Weselowski, Bill Wesley, Barb Whyte, Phil Weibe, Barb Wilkie, Elgin Wilson, Marianne Wiun, John Wright, Jim Ziegler, Judy Pool, Ray Power, Marilyn Dennstedt, Rita Hacault, Fred Fjeldsted, Jim Haynes, Ed Agnew, Patricia Barker, Jacob Boschman, Donald Carlson, Jeff Carter, Dave Clement, Barry Danard, Phillip DeCorby, Adrian De Hoog, Jim Doak, Deanna Dyck, Marjorie Fleming, Bryan Fuhr, Dennis Gebauer, David Gosman, Richard Hannah, Andy Harris, Bruce Harrison, Sandra Hart, Irwin Hiller, John Janzen, Judy Kelly/Kellie, Wayne Langlois, Mike Laushway, Jack McKinnon, Harvey McFadden, Jon Mills, Ron Moffatt, Burnell Nesbitt, Morna Patterson, Brian Phillips, Lorne Lindenberg, Richard Onganda, Diane Preston, Wayne Ramage, Doug Sawle, Bill Schrader, Wally Seippe, Fred Serafin, Lorne Smith, Al Snart, Rae Taylor, Douglas Thompson, John Tokeson, Ian Watson, Ron Westcott and Donald Wrobleski.
Notes
Loose translations for the class mottos were provided by Dr. Rosanne Gasse (Latin) and Dr. Steve Robinson (Greek), as well as from googling the mottos in October 2006. Description by Lief Charles/Kees Adriaansen (February 2024) and Christy Henry.
On the brass plaque there are a few spolotches of what looks to be ink. There are also miltipal scrapes, large and small, across the plaque that have rubbed off the reflective polish. On the wooden backing there is a large crack that runs down the middle from tope to bottom.
Scope and Content
Item was created by the Brandon College class of 1968. The plaque, which is made of a brass engraved sheet nailed to a wooden scroll, features the class motto “Nostrum Est Imperium”. The plaque features the Brandon University Coat of Arms, as well as the Class of 1968 Hymn.
Names include: Betty Aitken, Susan Arnold, Ken Arthurs, Rod Balkwell, Dave Beer, John Birnie, Judy Brereton, Ken Brown, Wayne Brown, Nancy Brownlee, Barry Burdeny, Karen Burkett, Fred Casey, Bob Cassan, Eleanor Chernenkoff, Rudy Dauk, Jane Davidson, Janice Davies, Garry Donoch, Leonard Fast, Hope Finestone, Karen Fingas, Myrna Graham, Brian Gusdal, Myron French, Keith Glawson, Al Gordon, John Graham, Shirley Halsey, Bill Henderson, Herb Henson, Michael Hill, Shirley Hrynkiw, Keith Hummel, Lynne Jackson, Dunloop Kells, Phhyllis Kotyk, Lana Kunnyckyi, Ted Leptick, Brian Lestition, Joyce Los, Penny Martin, George Matheson, Jack Maw, Allan McAulay, Ray McDonald, Linda McDowell, Randy McGunigal, Douglas McKenzie, Ken McKinney, Barb McLeod, Arlene Misanchuk, Don Mochnacz, Vicki Moore, Emmanuel Ojo, John O'Rourke, Connie Pedersen, Ken Penton, Nancy Penton, James Quinn, Don Rankmore, John Ross, Barry Russell, Ron Saranchuk, Paul Schneider, Albert Siemens, Murray Shelton, Patricia Stevenson, Glenn Stewart, Yvette Stewart, Clive Taylor, Penny Taylor, Vaughn Thorsteinson, Gerry Titus, Harry Van Mulligen, Bob Walker, Daniel Warrenger, Barb Webb, June Wilson, Margaret Beswatherick, Jim Campbell, Jim Clark, Jody Dunlop, Jacob Dyck, Paul Eilers, John Fast, Pat Filipowich, Ernest Friesen, Elaine Hopkin, Ray Hurd, Alvin Jackson, Karen Kerr, Harold Klassen, Marie Kullberg, Bruce MacDonald, Karen MacDonald, Ken Malcolm, Brian Manns, Wayne Palidwar, Wallace Peel, Floyd Phillips, Don Popien, Don Sawyer, Bernice Swanson, Don Taylor, Dennis Tokaryk, Doroty Vinthers, Penny Wallace, Fred Frost, Isabelle Kerr, Lavonne Miller, Don Simmons, Cheryl Stephansson and Thomas Williams.
Notes
Description by Lief Charles/Kees Adriaansen (February 2024) and Christy Henry.
Slight staining and discolouration on brass, screws are discoloured and may need replacing in the future, molded details in good condition. Scratching on wood and brass.
Scope and Content
Item was created by the Brandon College class of 1969. The plaque, which is made of a brass engraved sheet nailed to a wooden base, features the class motto “Nostrum Est Imperium,” as well as brass molded torches and a lame with filagree detail. The also feature the Class of 1969 Hymn and the Brandon University Coat of Arms.
Names include: James Ajila, Cheryl Anderson, Leslie Archibald, Mel Armstrong, Lorna Baldwin, Bruce Bateman, Irene Bauman, Ron Bawtinhimer, John Bell, Laurence Bertram, Dorine Best, James Blanchard, Darlene Boyd, Jake Braun, Dale Brawn, Warren Brown, Ross Brownlee, Irene Bullee, Barry Burdeny, Linda Burneski, David Campbell, Cathy Cantin, Terry Colli, Judy Crabbe, Jack Dawes, Pat DeCorby, John Douglas, Neil Douglas, Hilda Dueck, Ross Eastley, Margaret Ellis, Ruth Endall, Kerry Fair, Stu Farnell, Judy Ferris, Arthur Feser, John Findlay, Sharon Fitzsimmons, Pam Forsyth, Clark Fraser, Heather Gerrard, Chuck Gorrie, Arnold Grambo, Cordell Grant, Dale Gray, Lylle Grobb, JoAnne Haarmans, Elias Haddad, Rae Harris, Brian Harvey, Bob Haynes, Audrey Hrytsak, Janet Inglis, John Irvine, Bill Jardine, Bonnie Keay, Sharon Keynes, Amber Krauchi, Anne Kreager, Julie Laverty, Ken Lisowski, Murray MacMillan, Elspeth MacNaughton, Doug Magee, Balwarth Mahadoo, Joanne Manns, Rick Marshall, Ed Mazer, Wilfred McArthur, Murray McCartney, Joe McDonald, Peter McGregor, Jim McIntosh, Ben McKinney, John Menzies, Willa Miller, Jean Morton, Annette Mosey, Wayne Nickel, Arnold Novak, Clarice Oldcorn, Doug Paterson, Greg Paulson, Marion Perkin, Cheryl Pierson, Jacquelyn Porter, Pat Price, Jim Pringle, Linda Probe, Janis Rampton, Russ Reid, David Rinn, Madeline Ritchot, Lorna Rose, Pat Sankey, Jane Sharratt, Nancy Shaw, Tom Sinkinson, Claudia Skinner, Don Smith, Joyce Smith, Sandra Sobol, Dennis Sparling, Harry Sutcliffe, Wilf Taylor, Gerry Thompson, Marjorie Susan Tsukamoto, Jean Tilly, Andrew Turnbull, Sharon Twilley, Leo Valcourt, Mary Anne Waldron, Brian Wallace, Janis Watson, Gaylene Archibald, Joan Armstrong, John Ato-Yeboah, Don Ballard, Jack Ballard, Harko Bhagat, Lon Brandon, Marion Brereton, Alex Carruthers, Louis Chastko, Bill Currie, Pat Davies, Al Doerksen, Ernie Dushnicky, Harvey Dutkewich, Siggi Eiriksson, Steve Ewasko, Lynn Flock, Carl Forman, Sharon Garbutt, Kent Gooden, John Graham, Ken Hainsworth, Allan Halls, Mel Harvey, David Hatch, Len Hendzel, Bernie Hill, Donna Hrynkiw, Peter Hunter, Doug Kinney, Hedy Kling, Don Lindenburg, Ken Loader, ? MacIntyre, Brenda Malyon, Roy Martel, William McCartney, Ewert? McDonald, David McInnes, Bob McTaggart, Ron Metcalfe, Brian Minaker, Garth Minish, Jim Nadler, Reg Nylen, Peter Pang, Mike Quinn, Gordon Rourke, Ron Samchuk, Sandra Schepp, Allistair Scott, Richard Scott, Adelene Stefaniuk, Abdul Suleiman, Donna-Lynn Sumpton, Bruce Taylor, Monika Thiet, Mervin Toderian, Pat Turner, Vern Watt, Rick Way, Brent Wladichuk, Warren Wolfe, Jack Woodward, Harvey Wregget, Margaret Graham, Elizabeth Grant, Garry O'Brien, Nyall Ross and Sister Mary Rose.
Notes
Description by Lief Charles/Kees Adriaansen (February 2024) and Christy Henry.
The A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. originated with the McKenzie family Flour, Grain and Seed business, started by F. B. McKenzie in the early 1880's. When F. B. McKenzie passed away in 1896, his son, Albert Edward McKenzie, assumed control of the company, and renamed it The Brandon Seed House. With its main office and plant in Brandon, Manitoba, the company specialized in the production and sale of field seeds and service exclusively to seed buyers in the prairie provinces and British Columbia. In later years, a complete line of products including garden seeds, lawn grass, and other allied lines was developed for sale across Canada.
In 1906, the company underwent a change of name when A. E. delete determined that the growth of the country demanded a larger seed institute than could be managed by one man. As a result, the company was incorporated under provincial statutes and the federal Joint Stock Companies Act as A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd., and new personnel were hired.
Under the Joint Stock Companies Act, A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. was required to elect a Board of Directors of not less than three, and not more than nine individuals. Only shareholders of the company were eligible for election, and election was to take place yearly with each shareholder entitled to as many votes as shares owned in the company. The Act also dictated that the directors were, from time to time, to elect from among themselves, a president of the company. They were also able to appoint and remove all other officers of the company and to create company by-laws. The directors were not obliged to pay any dividend on shares if the company should became insolvent. Under the Act, the stock of the company was deemed a personal estate and was only transferable as such. In addition, the company could acquire, hold, and transfer real estate, and was required to submit annual statements.
A. E. McKenzie was elected President of the newly constituted company. For the memaninder of his natural life he remained in this position and supervised the operation of the company. S. A. Bradford, who was given responsibility for various company departments, filled the position of General Manager. H. L. Patmore became the Vice-President, overseeing the nursery business, while W. A. McCracken was put in charge of the warehouse stock, and shipping department. McCracken also supervised the mail order department.
The Company was intially comprised of three divisions: The Brandon Seed House, Brandon Nurseries, and Brandon Greenhouses. Each division was registered under Dominion Patents. Later, the company was divided into Retail Mail Order, Wholesale and Commission Packet Trade divisions. It also undertook some export business.
By registering the divisions of the company under under federal legislation affecting trademarks and industrial designs, McKenzie and the Board,were able to register both the company’s trademarks and to protect the company’s industrial techniques. Thet company could thus patent the methods and processes of its operations so that no other individual or business could duplicate them.
Located at 30 9th Street, the head office and plant of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. housed all the facilities and staff of the company, with the exception of the regional sales offices and warehouses. The business of the A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. was conducted from a frame warehouse until the current McKenzie building was constructed on the same site after a fire destroyed the original premises. Designed by architect Thomas Sinclair, and built by the Brandon Construction Company, the new building opened in 1911. In time, The A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. came to be known as Western Canada's Greatest Seed House.
During the 1930's, before a new building was erected in 1945, the A. E. McKenzie Co. occupied space at five different locations in Brandon, including the Massey Harris Building, the International Harvester Building and the Security Building. The last of these premises was destroyed by fire in 1972. As a result of its proximity to the Security Building, the main McKenzie Building also suffered heavy fire and water damage. A. E.
McKenzie Co. Ltd. also utilized a warehouse on the north side of Pacific Avenue alongside the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks between 5th and 6th streets. This building and its contents were destroyed by fire (1946). In May of 1949, the company purchased and erected a Quonset structure on the west side of 15th Street between Rosser and Pacific Avenues.
In 1908, the first branch of the A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. was established at Calgary. In the following sixteen years, additional branches were established in Edmonton and Saskatoon (1923), Moose Jaw, Toronto (1934) and Winnipeg (1935). Both the Edmonton and Saskatoon branches were seasonal, operating for a four-month period, March to June inclusive. Business in the Maritime Provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick further extended the company's operations by the mid 1940's. In 1946, the company purchased property in Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, 120 miles north of Brandon. This purchase enabled the company to handle larger quantities of Sweet Clover, a popular crop that was grown in the surrounding area. Additional offices were opened in Vancouver and Quebec City in rented premises by the early 1960's.
In the years 1944-1945, the McKenzie Foundation was created. Through the Foundation, arrangements were put in place to transfer shares of the company to the Manitoba Government for the benefit of higher education, specifically Brandon College. In return for this gift, which included 90% of all capital resources of the company together with all of the income earned each year, except for the amount retained annually to ensure sufficient operating capital, the A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. received exemption from paying Corporate Tax.
Prior to the establishment of the McKenzie Foundation, in 1945, the National Trust for the benefit of the College held the shares of McKenzie Seeds. On April 7, 1945 the Manitoba Legislature passed legislation whereby A. E. McKenzie retained effective management control of his company, but 1031 shares out of 1145 issued shares were gifted to the Provincial Government. In return, the government agreed that all financial benefits from the shares would go to Brandon College through the A. E. McKenzie Foundation. When Mr. McKenzie passed away in 1964, the primary responsibility of appointing the Board of Directors for McKenzie Seeds passed to the Provincial government.
The remaining 114 shares of the Company were turned over to the Crown on July 16, 1975 in accordance with an agreement between Brandon University, A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. and the Manitoba government. The same agreement also turned the McKenzie Foundation over to Brandon University. Therefore, since 1975 the crown has held all shares of the McKenzie Co. through the Province of Manitoba.
A.E. McKenzie died on September 25, 1964 at the age of 94 and was succeeded as President of the company by J. Lasby Lowes. When Mr. Lowes retired in 1968, A. R. Swanson was appointed by the government to fill the position and was responsible for all operations of the company under a Board of Directors comprised mainly of appointees of the government. It has proven impossible to establish a complete list of those individuals who held the positions of President/General Manager of McKenzie Seeds after 1964. A partial account is as follows: Anthony J. Maruca became President of A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. in 1972. In 1975, the Board of Directors appointed William Moore General Manager, creating a new position to relieve the President of the company from management of plant operations. At the same time, Pat Kelleher was named new interim President. Following the resignation of Kelleher, William Moore assumed the role of President as well. Moore left the company in the early 1980s. He was later convicted of criminal misconduct as President of the company. Keith Guelpa became President/General Manager in the mid 1980's; Raymond West was his successor.
Beginning in 1969, the A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. began phasing out the Field Seed division of their company, including business related to forage crops and cereals. Seed cleaning equipment located in Brandon and and the company’s Calgary and Toronto cleaning plants was sold. The Company concentration its resources on the production and sale of vegetable and flower seeds, and lawn and turf grasses. It acted as a wholesaler and conducted business through chain stores, grocery, hardware and general stores.
Late in 1971, A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. purchased its largest competition in packaged seeds - Steele Briggs Seed Co. from Maple Leaf Mills Inc. for two million dollars. At the time of the acquisition the company changed its name to A. E. McKenzie Co. - Steele Briggs Seeds, in order to benefit from the favorable reputation held by Steele Briggs Seeds across Canada. In the early 1970s, the acquisition of Brett-Young Seeds Ltd., a Winnipeg company that dealt exclusively in the production and sale of field seed, brought the A. E. McKenzie Co. back into the field seed market.
In 1994 the Manitoba Government sold the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. to Regal Greetings and Gifts, Canada's largest non-retail mail-order catalogue company, which is owned by MDC Corporation of Toronto.
In 2001, McKenzie Seeds is Canada's leading supplier of packaged seeds and related gardening products. It is divided into a Retail Consumer Products division which features well known seed brands including McKenzie Seeds, Pike Seeds and Thompson & Morgan Seeds from England. As well, this division also carries a complete range of lawn seeds and perishables. It also continues to ship the seed racks invented by A.E. McKenzie to numerous retail stores. The second division, Direct Mail, consists of the McFayden and McConnell catalogues which reach over 500,000 Canadian homes each year.
Custodial History
Following the sale of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. to Regal Greetings and Gifts, the records of McKenzie Seeds and its subsidiaries were retained in the McKenzie Plant on 9th Street. In April of 1997, the records were transferred to the McKee Archives at Brandon University. Because the company was a crown corporation, the records of McKenzie Seeds belonged to the Province of Manitoba and might have been placed in the Provincial Archives. However, Provincial Archivist Gordon Dodds permitted the retention of the records in Brandon at the S. J. McKee Archives. The minutes of the Board of Directors, previously transferred to the Provincial Archives, remain in Winnipeg. Until 1960 these minutes, by-laws of the Company, and the letters patent of incorporation (April 7, 1906) were in the possession of the Company's lawyers, Johnson, Garson, Forrester, Davidson, & Steen.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of textual records, photographs and artifacts from A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. The textual records include minutes, documents, financial records, administrative records, by-laws, legal records, catalogues, sales literature, seed packets, newspaper clippings, appraisals, publications, scrapbooks and miscellaneous sections.
In addition, some of the records within the fonds relate to the operations of McKenzie subsidiaries -- Brett-Young Seeds, Steele-Briggs Seeds, Pike & Co. and McFayden Seeds -- and various properties owned by McKenzie Seeds.
Fonds contains approximately 500 photographs. These depict the operations and employees of McKenzie Seeds and the seed industry in general. Artifacts contained in the fonds include blueprints, newspaper clippings, copper printing plates, seed bags and plaques.
Fonds also includes an artificially created series of records dealing with Brandon College Inc., the A.E. McKenzie Foundation, the Brandon Allied Arts Council and the Brandon Board of Trade. These records stand outside the provenance of the McKenzie Seed Co.
Of particular interest within the textual records are the transcripts of various features of the company's history as dictated, researched and recalled by its second President/General Manager, J. Lasby Lowes. The fonds also contains a collection of company catalogue which is almost complete. Outside of the seed industry, the records dealing with both Brandon College Inc. and the McKenzie Foundation are significant records relating to the history of Brandon College/University and the City of Brandon.
Because the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. was a crown corporation, the records in the fonds are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Related Material
Additional records regarding A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. are housed at the Provincial Archives of Manitoba. In order to gain access to these records it is necessary to contact the Archives of Manitoba.
Arrangement
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. Fonds
McS 1 Board of Directors
1.1 Documents
1.2 Minutes/Meetings
1.3 Management Consultant Reports
1.4 Miscellaneous
1.5 Financial Records
McS 2 Office of the President/General Manager
2.1 A.E. McKenzie
2.2 J. Lasby Lowes
2.3 Comptroller
2.4 Properties
2.5 Marketing
2.6 Reference Library
2.7 Miscellaneous Publications/Correspondence
McS 3 Acquisitions
3.1 Brett-Young Seeds/Sabetha
3.2 Steele-Briggs Seed Co.
3.3 Pike & Co.
3.4 McFayden Seeds
McS 4 Seed Marketing Co.
McS 5 Photographs
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 (2 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
McS 6 Miscellaneous
6.1 Centennial Exhibition
6.2 Miscellaneous Publications
6.3 Scrapbooks
MG 1 A.E. McKenzie Fonds
1.1 Brandon College Inc.
1.2 McKenzie Foundation
1.3 Brandon Allied Arts Council
1.4 Brandon Board of Trade
1.5 Miscellaneous
Reg Forbes was born September 16, 1924. He and his wife Clara have two children, Bob and Faye. Forbes served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Navigator during World War II. From 1945-1949, he attended the University of Manitoba where he received his B.Sc.A. While working as Village Councillor and as Secretary-Treasurer for the Pilot Mound Hospital, Forbes initiated the "Save the Soil Campaign," a soil conservation programme that became province-wide, between 1952-1962.
From 1956-1975, Forbes was the Principal of the Agricultrual Extension Centre in Brandon, where he reorganized the Adult Education Centre into the Agricultural Extension Centre. During this period, Forbes was a founding member of the West-Man Regional Development Corporation and a founder of the Manitoba Committee on Rural Leadership. He was also instrumental in the amalgamation of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and the Provincial Exhibition and in the resulting construction of the Keystone Centre.
From 1975-1977 Forbes was a Commissioner for the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission (Hall Commission/GHTC). Following his work with the Commission, Forbes was employed as the General Manager of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba (1977-1979), the Director of the Grain Handling & Transportation Section of the Manitoba Department of Agriculture (1979-1983), the Industrial Commissioner for the Brandon Industrial Commission (1983-1986), and as the Westarc Group Inc. Project Director for delivery under contract of Canadian Rural Transition Programme in Manitoba.
Forbes also held a number of voluntary and elected positions, such as Long-term Director and President of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. In 1970-1971, he was the President of the Agricultural Institute of Canada, and from 1978-1981, Forbes was the first chairman of the Agricultural Advisory Committee of the Canadian Broadcasting Corportation. He was also a member of the Canada West Foundation Board, the Brandon University Board of Governers (1974-1976), and the Federal-Provincial Transportation and Industrial Development Advisory Committee (TIDAC). Forbes is also a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada. In 1977, he received the Jubilee Medal and in 1987, he was given the Distinguished Agrologist Award by the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists.
Custodial History
Reg Forbes donated his working collection of briefs, correspondence and other documents relating to his work as a commissioner of the Grain Handling and Transportation Committee (GHTC) to the McKee Archives c. 1985.
Scope and Content
The majority of the collection consists of records created and received by the Royal Commission on Grain Handling and Transportation (GHTC). Included are documents detailing numerious hearings from all four Western provinces. In addition to the GHTC hearings, there are also a number of documents given to the GHTC as reference material. These include information on the Snavely Commision, documents for the province of Alberta, various reports, the Prairie Regional Studies in Economic Geography (No. 1-27) and General Information. The collection also includes two maps given to the GHTC.