The idea of the Keystone Centre was first mentioned in 1958, at a meeting of the board of directors of the Manitoba Winter Fair. The Manitoba Winter Fair wanted a new facility because the old Wheat City Arena had a leaking roof and a deteriorating west wall. The old facility also had limited space and the Winter Fair felt it needed more space for expansion. The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba also had problems with their facilities, such as old barns and poor display areas. The idea of the Keystone Centre was put on hold until 1969, when the boards of the Provincial Exhibition and the Manitoba Winter Fair joined together as the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba and the Wheat City Arena was sold and demolished. The original estimate for the cost of the Keystone Centre facilities was $4.5 million and funding would be proportioned so that the federal and provincial governments would each put in one-third of the money, with the rest coming from local donations. The financial campaign for the Keystone Centre began in 1970, and construction began in November 1970. The grand opening of the Centre was in March 1973, and coincided with the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair of that year.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains many folders full of correspondence, financial statements, meeting minutes and other documents relating to the development and construction of the Keystone Centre from 1970-1974, including those from the Keystone Executive Committee, as well as the Building Committee. Fonds also contains one folder that pertains to the Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey from 1959. This folder contains the names and locations of all farmers in the Brandon area in 1959. The Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey was created in 1959, in order to make farming in the Brandon area more profitable. The survey was aided by Doane Agricultural Service from St. Louis, Missouri, who had success creating agricultural development programs in the United States. Fonds also contains folders from the Provincial Exhibition with correspondence, pamphlets, estimates, and studies from the 1960's. There is also one folder belonging to the Manitoba Winter Fair, which contains correspondence and financial statements relating to the Wheat City Arena. Fonds also contains information pertaining to the proposals made in the 1960's, for the building of the Keystone Centre, as well as one folder about the Keystone campaign from 1970-73. There is also one folder about the opening of the Keystone Centre, which contains newspaper clippings and guest lists. Finally, the fonds contains information about a court case involving Albert Bobyk and Robert Stewart. Stewart was the project manager for the Building Committee and Bobyk worked on the Keystone Center. The fonds includes a report about the trial of the two men who were charged with fraud involving their work on the Keystone Centre.
The first Women's Institute in Canada was created by Mrs. Adelaide Hunter Hoodless in Stoney Creek, Ontario, on February 19, 1897. The Women's Institute was created to unite rural women with the hopes that this would help women improve their homes and communities. The motto of the Women's Institute became, "a nation could not rise above the level of its homes." The group was to be non-partisan and non-sectarian to allow for maximum participation. The Women's Institute became one of the very few ways for rural women to meet and share ideas and problems with others. The Women's Institute spread throughout Canada and reached Manitoba in 1910, when Morris and Valley River, Manitoba, formed Women's Institute branches. The Women's Institute branches in Manitoba were known as Home Economics Societies until 1919, when they became branches of the Manitoba Women's Institute. The Home Economics Societies specialized in community service work. At first, the groups concentrated on home management and child care, and eventually they became involved with social and political issues. In addition to community work, the Women's Institute branches also invited many guest speakers to their meetings and promoted education and the dissemination of information to rural women on subjects such as canning, growing fruits and vegetables, dental hygiene and rural electrification. The Manitoba Women's Institute continues its work today.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned in 2002 by the McKee Archives. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
This collection has been artificially created and consists of miscellaneous newspaper and magazine clippings, handbooks, newsletters, photos and song sheets collected by various unknown Manitoba Women's Institute branches. Some newletters included in the collection are "Institute News" from the Manitoba Women's Institute, "National Farm Forum Guide", "Federated News" from the Federated Women's Institute of Canada and "The Country Woman" from Associated Women of the World. The newspaper clippings in the collection relate to Women's Institute branches around Manitoba and the rest of Canada.
Related women's institute collections in the McKee Archives include:
Manitoba Women's Institute; Minnedosa Women's Institute; Cordova Women's Institute; Clanwilliam Women's Institute; Rathwell Women's Institute; Strathclair Women's Institute; Crocus Women's Institute; Southwest A Region - Manitoba Women's Institute; Douglas Women's Institute
This box contains minutes from meeting of MPE sub-district councils. The records include the following:
1a. Sub-district #101 Oct 22 1997 – June 15 1999
1b. Sub-district #101 August 5 1993 – August 12 1997
2. Sub-district #102 August 3 1993 – Dec 9 1997
3a. Sub-district #103 Jan 27 1997 – April 14 1999
3b. Sub-district #103 August 4 1993 – Nov 25 1996
4. Sub-district #104 August 4 1993 – April 20 1999
5a. Sub-district #105 Oct 30 1996 – June 29 1999
5b. Sub-district #105 Oct 28 1993 – July 2 1996
6a. Sub-district #201 Nov 4 1996 – July 30 1999
6b. Sub-district #201 Sept 29 1993 – Oct 2 1996
7a. Sub-district #202 Oct 21 1996 – July 8 1999
7b. Sub-district #202 Nov 3 1993 – August 1 1996
8a. Sub-district #203 July 25 1996 – June 28 1999
8b. Sub-district #203 May 31 1993 – April 3 1996
9a. Sub-district #204 Nov 20 1996 – June 24 1999
9b. Sub-district #204 Oct 14 1993 – Oct 31 1996
10a. Sub-district #205 April 1 1996 – July 30 1999
10b. Sub-district #205 August 4 1993 – Nov 27 1995
11a. Sub-district #301 July 5 1996 – August 9 1999
11b. Sub-district #301 July 26 1993 – March 11 1996
12a. Sub-district #302 Jan 9 1996 – June 28 1999
12b. Sub-district #302 Oct 12 1993 – Oct 25 1995
13a. Sub-district #303 Jan 3 1996 – June 29 1998
13b. Sub-district #303 Oct 13 1993 – Oct 24 1995
This box contains minutes from meeting of MPE sub-district councils. The records include the following:
14a. Sub-district #304 Oct 8 1996 – June 23 1993
14b. Sub-district #304 August 3 1993 – August 6 1996
15a. Sub-district #305 Oct 2 1996 – April 7 1999
15b. Sub-district #305 August 4 1993 – August 7 1996
16a. Sub-district #401 April 11 1996 – August 10 1999
16b. Sub-district #401 August 10 1993 – Feb 7 1996
17a. Sub-district #402 March 21 1997 – August 16 1999
17b. Sub-district #402 August 4 1993 – Jan 27 1997
18. Sub-district #403 August 3 1993 – August 17 1999
19. Sub-district #404 Nov 2 1993 – April 16 1999
20a. Sub-district #405 Feb 9 1996 – July 12 1999
20b. Sub-district #405 August 5 1993 – Dec 7 1995
21. Sub-district #501 Nov 4 1993 – April 8 1999
22a. Sub-district #502 Nov 16 1995 – Oct 27 1998
22b. Sub-district #502 August 3 1993 – Oct 3 1995
23a. Sub-district #503 April 8 1996 – June 28 1999
23b. Sub-district #503 Nov 24 1992 – Feb 12 1996
24a. Sub-district #504 March 13 1996 – August 18 1999
24b. Sub-district #504 August 11 1993 – Jan 4 1996
25a. Sub-district #505 July 31 1996 – June 29 1999
25b. Sub-district #505 Oct 27 1993 – April 11 1996
26a. Sub-district #601 Oct 28 1996 – July 7 1999
26b. Sub-district #601 August 10 1993 – July 18 1996
27a. Sub-district #602 Oct 24 1996 – Feb 15 1999
27b. Sub-district #602 August 31 1993 – April 3 1996
28. Sub-district #603 August 10 1993 – April 15 1999
This box contains minutes from meeting of MPE sub-district councils and district advisory committees. The records include the following:
29. Sub-district #604 Nov 23 1993 – March 8 1999
30a. Sub-district #605 Oct 26 1995 – April 14 1999
30b. Sub-district #605 Oct 28 1993 – June 22 1995
31. Sub-district #701 Feb 10 1994 – Oct 15 1998
32a. Sub-district #702 Feb 10 1996 – June 29 1999
32b. Sub-district #702 August 23 1993 – Oct 10 1995
33a. Sub-district #703 Nov 4 1996 – August 3 1999
33b. Sub-district #703 June 14 1993 – Oct 21 1996
34. Sub-district #703 June 7 1993 – April 28 1999
35. Sub-district #704 Oct 29 1993 – April 6 1999
36. Sub-district # 705 August 10 1993 – Oct 16 1998
37a. Sub-district #801 Jan 13 1997 – March 15 1999
37b. Sub-district #801 Nov 3 1993 – Nov 27 1996
38. Sub-district #802 Nov 23 1992 – March 16 1999
39a. Sub-district #803 June 12 1996 – July 20 1999
39b. Sub-district #803 Sept 15 1993 – Nov 12 1995
40. Sub-district #804 August 6 1993 – July 19 1999
41a. Sub-district #805 Nov 28 1995 – July 22 1999
41b. Sub-district #805 August 23 1993 – Oct 2 1995
42. District Advisory Committee 1105 1999-2001
43. District Advisory Committee 1106 2000-2001
44. District Advisory Committee 1107 April-Nov 2000
45. District Advisory Committee 1108 Jan-Nov 2000
46. District Advisory Committee 1201 2000-2001
47. District Advisory Committee 1202 1999-2001
48. District Advisory Committee 1203 1999-2001
49. District Advisory Committee 1204 1999-2001
50. District Advisory Committee 1205 1999-2000
51. District Advisory Committee 1206 1999-2001
52. District Advisory Committee 1207 1999-2001
53. District Advisory Committee 1208 1999-2000
54. District Advisory Committee 1101 2000-2001
