Maureen Johnson (nee Sills) was born in Brandon, MB in 1936 and grew up in western Manitoba. She spent three years in Ethiopia (1958-1961) and two years in Houston, Texas before taking up permanent residence in Winnipeg, MB. She attended Brandon College in 1953-1954, living in the Tower Room of Clark Hall.
From 1960-1979, Johnson raised her family, volunteered in the St. Vital community and was Secretary to the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium (1973-1977). She worked in the Office of the President at the University of Manitoba from 1980 to 1996.
Johnson is a visual artist and photographer, and is a member of the Winnipeg Sketch Club, Manitoba Society of Artists and Winnipeg South Photo Club. Her work is on permanent display at Medea Gallery (www.medeagallery.ca) where she has been a member since 1985. She also has work in the Rental Program at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
For biographical information on Sarah Persis Darrach see RG 1 Brandon College fonds, Series 9: Clark Hall women's residence.
Custodial History
The original photographs in accession 10-2009 are in the custody of Maureen Johnson in Winnipeg, MB. Copies were digitally scanned by Johnson and sent to the Archives in March 2009. The 1921 photographs of Brandon College students were given to Johnson by Eileen McKenzie, her aunt, who attended Brandon College at that time. The photos of Sarah Persis Darrach (Johnson's great-aunt and maternal grandmother's sister) are from her family albums.
All of the records in accession 14-2009, except for the 1920 Quill and the Clark Hall Rules 1912, were collected by Johnson during her time at Brandon College. The Quill issue belonged to Johnson's aunt Eileen McKenzie, a student at Brandon College in the early 1920s. The records were in Johnson's possession at her home until their donation to the McKee Archives in May 2009.
Scope and Content
Accession 10-2009 consists of seventeen digital photographs. Seven photographs are of Sarah Persis Darrach (nee Johnson), taken primarily during her time as a nursing sister during World War I. Two photographs are of Eileen McKenzie. The remaining photographs depict students and student activities at Brandon College in the early 1920s.
Accession 14-2009 consists of a copy of the sound recording and program for Mr. College Spirit, a musical comedy presented by the Brandon College Literary Board and written by James Struthers and Kenneth Gunning. Accession also includes fifteen photographs from 1953-1954, when Johnson attended Brandon College. Subjects include: Freshie King and Queen; Graduation Banquets (1955, 1956); senior and lady sticks; Jim Casey Trophy; Grand March 1954; Capettes basketball team 1954; Glee Club 1953; Variety Night - Men's Chorus; Caps Football Team; Caps Hockey Team 1954; Cheerleaders 1954; Caps Basketball 1954; and Touques.
Textual records include graduation banquet and commencement programs, news clippings, programs for Variety Night and Be Your Age, a list of football cheers and a copy of the Fall Number of the 1920 Quill. Textual records also include two color photocopies: Clark Hall Rules 1912 and Johnson's Arts and Science Departments, Brandon College Registration card.
Notes
History/Bio information and Custodial History provided by Maureen Johnson (April 2009). A review of the play, written by Kay Rowe, appeared in the March 6, 1953 issue of the Quill.
Portrait of a Brandon YMCA sports team. The players are wearing shorts and tank tops with cleated shoes. Their shirts show a distinctive Brandon YMCA logo. A small ball of some sort is on the ground in front of the YMCA steps to the right of the dog.
Curran Park is located at 4100 Grand Valley Rd, Brandon, MB. Originally called Suburban Park, it underwent a formal name change in 1934, in honour of J.P. Curran, a lawyer, civil servant and judge, who died in 1928.
The City of Brandon first set aside $6000 for the acquisition of a new park in 1911, but the acquisition of appropriate land stalled for a number of years. Finally in 1919, the city was able to acquire a parcel of Crown land the Brandon Industrial School was located on, to establish the park; the land was acquired through a 99-year lease. Suburban Park officialy opened in 1921.
The development of the park was gradual. Some of the work was completed as part of the Brandon Parks Board's unemployment relief planning; from 1931-1936, relief workers cleared underbrush, thinned trees, constructed a road and built latrines. In 1933 a refreshment stand was approved and a large cook stove was donated.
The City of Brandon and the Department of Agriculture (in right of the Crown) agreed to terminate the original park lease in March 1965, with the city purchasing the land outright. Curran Park was sold to Gretna businessman Gerald Voth in 2001, and renamed Turtle Crossing.
Scope and Content
Item is a photograph of the pool at Curran Park, Brandon, MB.
Notes
History/Bio information was taken from A Cup of Cold Water: Alfred Kirkness and the Brandon Residential School Cemeteries by Anne Lindsay, Clare Cook, and David Cuthbert (Manitoba History journal, Number 78, Summer 2015).
Photograph shows Robert (Bob) Ford dressed as the Pied Piper playing a soprano saxophone surrounded by children in costume, some carrying Brandon University Alumni pennants. Photo was taken during the Brandon University Homecoming Parade held in downtown Brandon.
Backing board is warped and has two large tears on the back. There is foxing on the image and board on the front
Custodial History
Image was donated to the McKee Archives in 2020 by Don Smith, Associate Curator/Manager of the Cornwall Community Museum/SD&G Historical Society and a volunteer with the City of Cornwall's Heritage Cornwall Committee. Smith was asked by a local used bookstore owner to find a home for a box of items they had acquired from the new owner of a Lancaster, ON are antique/collectibles operation.
Scope and Content
Composite portrait of the players, manager and president of the Wheat City Business College hockey team. The name and position/role of each man is written in the bottom right corner of their portrait.
The photograph belonged to Tom Black who appears in the photograph (he is listed as J. Black). His son Errol acquired it at the time of his father's death and donated it to the McKee Archives in 2007.
Scope and Content
Photograph consists of portraits of the players and executive of the Southend Football Club. The Southend Football Club were winners of the Charity Cup in 1927, 1928 and 1930.
The photographs (BAPC 7.6 and 7.7) were left with Esther Bryan of the City of Brandon's Recreation Department responsible for scheduling of baseball/softball games at Curran Park. She gave them to Niel Henry, a local girls fastball coach in Brandon ca. 2000. The photographs were stored at Henry's residence at 27 Grant Blvd. until he gave them to the McKee Archives in September 2006.
Scope and Content
Photograph is a portrait of the players, coach, manager and honorary president of the Thomson girls softball team, Brandon City Champions 1927-1928-1929.
The photographs (BAPC 7.6 and 7.7) were left with Esther Bryan of the City of Brandon's Recreation Department responsible for scheduling of baseball/softball games at Curran Park. She gave them to Niel Henry, a local girls fastball coach in Brandon ca. 2000. The photographs were stored at Henry's residence at 27 Grant Blvd. until he gave them to the McKee Archives in September 2006.
Scope and Content
Photograph consists of portraits of the players, coach, manager and honorary president of the Thomson girls softball team, Brandon City Champions 1927-1928-1929.
Notes
The names of the two catchers, M. Kennedy and O. Johnson are missing from the scanned image.
Harry "Hap" Fraser was born in Brandon, Manitoba on January 15, 1919. On February 12, 1945, he married Muriel Coleman of Virden. Fraser served in the RCAF during World War II, returning to Brandon in 1946. Harry Fraser was employed by Coca-Cola, Nutty Cup Candy Company and the Codville Company. Following a brief stint as manager of the North Hill IGA, Harry Fraser built an IGA grocery store on Victoria Avenue West. He operated this store until his retirement in 1972. Harry Fraser was a member of the Brandon Lion's Club from 1952 until his death. He also served a term on Brandon City Council. He passed away at his home in Brandon on April 2, 1991.
Custodial History
This fonds came into the possession of Fred McGuinness, a Brandon writer and acquaintance of Hap Fraser's, after Fraser's death. McGuinness donated it to the McKee Archives in 1998.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a single scrapbook containing articles and pictures of various personalities and events from the world of sports during the 1920s and 1930s. Hockey, baseball, basketball, wrestling, boxing, body building, bike racing, boat racing, track and field, swimming, diving, football, rugby, rifle shooting, tennis, bowling, horse racing, golf, soccer, and fishing are all featured in the scrapbook. The articles and pictures feature both local and internationally known sports figures. Fonds also contains pictures of celebrities, royalty, prominent military figures, inventors, and beauty queens from the same era.
20 cm textual records; 51 lantern slides (measuring 22 cm x 20.5 cm); 44 photographs (41 measuring 17.5 cm x 23 cm and 3 measuring 26.5 cm x 35 cm)
History / Biographical
J.D. McGregor was a leading agriculturist from Brandon who served as Lieutenant Governor in the province of Manitoba during the 1930's. The Hon. J.D. McGregor was born in Amherstburg, Ontario August 29, 1860. He came west with his father in 1877, and entered the horse and cattle trade. McGregor established Glencarnock Farm north of Brandon and created one of the finest Aberdeen-Angus cattle herds in North America. In 1912 and 1913, his cattle (Glencarnock Victor and Glencarnock Victor II) were selected Grand Champions at the Chicago International. McGregor was a Liberal in politics with close ties to Clifford Sifton. From 1897-99, he served as mines inspector in the Klondike during the gold rush in that region. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1929-1934. James Duncan McGregor died March 15, 1935.
Custodial History
This collection was donated to Brandon University in 1971 by McGregor's daughter Mrs. E.C. Harte. The collection was accessioned in 1998 by the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of photos and slides, principally of the Klondike during the gold rush era (1897-1902); Government House seating plans and speeches from a wide variety of events (1912-1934); correspondence of McGregor's, primarily from his time as Lieutenant Governor (1912-1934); a (23.75 oz.) gold bag; a state publication "Instructions for Lieutenant Governors;" documents pertaining to the history of the Manitoba Winter Fair; and documents dealing with the early career of Winston Churchill.
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.
