Item consists of twenty five contact prints. Images include photographs of campus taken from the roof of McMaster Hall as well as photographs of residence rooms, bathrooms and common rooms in McMaster Hall.
View is south southwest from the driveway. Photograph primarily shows Clark Hall, although the Brandon College Building is visible. The photograph pre-dates the sidewalk in front of the building.
Photograph is looking west and shows the north half of McMaster Hall, as well as the walkway between McMaster and the H-Huts. Portions of the Main Dining Room and Darrach Hall are visible in the background.
Brandon's City Hall and Opera House opened on New Year's Day 1892 with the Annual Fireman's Ball. The exterior of the building was designed by Brandon architect W.R. Marshall. At the south end was the Opera House, an auditorium formed by an internally exposed framework of delicate iron pillars and trusses. Demonlished in 1971, the limestone rubble of the foundations were turned into a sunken garden located in Princess Park.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of the Alf Fowler collection for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photo was taken from the northwest corner of 9th Street and Princess Avenue and shows the west side of City Hall.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the Assiniboine Historical Society's Brandon: An Architectural Walking Tour pamphlet (1982).
Location Copy
A 5" x 7" (b/w) reproduction of the photograph is located with the original.
Storage Range
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript collection - photograph storage drawer
Photograph shows a view from the rooftop of the Prince Edward Hotel. The south side of the Brandon Hotel (most recently the Brandon Inn) and a service station along Prince Avenue can be seen.
Notes
Writing on the back of photograph reads: across the street from roof of P.E. Hotel 1927
Donkersloot began working at Brandon University in 1970/1971 as the Clerk of Works. From 1973 until his retirement, he was the Director of Physical Plant.
The 1960s campus expansion necessitated a large, updated heat source so a central steam plant fueled by coal was built north of the campus adjacent to the CPR rail lines on Pacific Avenue. A 25-year agreement was made between the University and John R. Brodie of the Great West Coal Company, which guaranteed BU lower coal prices tendered by the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways on an annual basis. Brandon College Engineer John Kasiurak officially opened the Heating Plant on 24 January 1962. An extension and/or upgrade of the steam plant appears to have occurred in 1970.
Until the 1990s, heat was piped underground to the campus from the Pacific Avenue Heating Plant but inspection standards were outpacing the maintenance and repairs required to keep the plant operating smoothly. Consequently, a new steam plant was built immediately adjacent to the University to the west of Darrach Hall on 20th Street. This building was essential to handling additional loads from the proposed library expansion. The original steam plant was subsequently sold.
Custodial History
Photograph was taken by Tom Donkersloot during construction and stored in albums in the Physical Plant H-Hut until they were transfered to the McKee Archives by Doug Duncalf in May 2008.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the roof of Brandon University's coal steam plant at 20th Street and Pacific Avenue, as well as the residential area nearby. The photograph appears to be looking west.
Notes
Donkersloot recorded the date and time each photograph was taken on the back of the photos.
