Fred McGuinness is popularly known for his work as the prairie essayist for CBC Radio’s Morningside with Peter Gzowski, a position he held for 17 years. Many of McGuinness’ Morningside essays were autobiographical in nature. He often reported about life on Christmas Tree Farm, a section of land where he and his wife, Christine, built their dream home in the late 1970s. The couple planted a Christmas tree farm on the property and Christine maintained an extensive kitchen garden, while Fred tended honey bees. Life on the farm made its way into radiobroadcasts, Neighborly News columns, and the book "Letters from Section 17: A Collection of Morningside Essays" (Winnipeg: Great Plains Publishing, 1999).
Scope and Content
Contact sheet shows scenes from Christmas Tree Farm including: honey jars, the McGuinness personal library, home, and planted trees
Photograph is looking northeast from 20th Street and shows the southside of the QEII Music Building and part of the west side of the A.E. McKenzie Building during winter.
Photograph is looking northeast from the east side of 20th Street and shows the southwest corner and south side of the QEII Music Building in spring, prior to landscaping.
Photograph is looking west northwest and shows the east side and the south side of the Original Music Building in summer. The Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium is in the background.
Photograph is looking west northwest and shows the east side and south side of the Original Music Building. The photograph was taken before the construction of the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium.
Photograph is looking northwest from the east side of the driveway and shows the east side of the Original Music Building as well as a partial view of Princess Avenue. There are a number of students milling about in front of the building.
Photograph is looking south southwest from Princess Avenue and shows the east side of the Original Music Building and part of the north and east sides of the Education Building.