George F. MacDowell was born in 1913, in Prince Edward Island. He studied at Dalhousie University from 1930 to 1933, but did not complete a degree. During WWII, MacDowell served in Canada and Europe as a member of the Royal Canadian Signals Corps. After the war, he returned to Dalhousie University, graduating with a B.A. in 1947. Subsequently, he graduated with a Masters Degree in Economics from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. George McDowell taught at both Mount Allison University and the University of Alberta before coming to Brandon in 1957 to teach at Brandon College. He remained as a professor in the Economic Department until his retirement in 1979.
MacDowell's work was published in the Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science. In 1971, McClelland & Stewart published his account of the Brandon Packers strike of 1960 titled "The Brandon Packer's Strike: A Tragedy of Errors." In Brandon, MacDowell maintained a relationship with the local Association of Fire Fighters, aiding them with collective bargaining procedures. He also served as Chairman for the MacKenzie Seeds Board, and was a member of the Manitoba Development Corporation Board.
MacDowell never married and had no known children. He passed away on February 26th, 1986.
Custodial History
This collection was in the possesion of George MacDowell until his death. It was then held by the Brandon University Department of Economics until 1997, at which time it was transferred to the McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The bulk of this fonds falls into five main categories:
1. Records dealing with the Brandon Packers Strike of 1960 and the subsequent legal actions against the owners, including all 2215 pages of the Brandon Packers Strike Commission;
2. Records dealing with the Commission of Inquiry into The Pas Forestry and Industrial Complex, including the complete transcript of the inquiry measuring approximately 5m. This Commission dealt with the conduct of Churchill Forest Industries, a company owned by a Swiss financial firm, which, in the 1960's, was given approximately 93 million dollars by the Roblin Provincial Government to develop The Pas Forestry and Industrial Complex. Churchill Forest Industries and its parent company subsequently came under suspicion of fraud and accused of fradulently transfering The Pas Forestry funds into other foreign business interests;
3. Records dealing with business loans awarded by the Manitoba Development Corporation during the 1970's and 1980's to businesses primarily within Manitoba;
4. Records dealing with McKenzie Seeds, and McKenzie Steele-Briggs Seeds during the early 1980's when George MacDowell was a board member of McKenzie Seeds;
5. Records dealing with Professor MacDowell's career as a Professor at Brandon University, including records relating to his courses and to administrative activities.
To a lesser extent, this collection includes records dealing with the University of Saskatchewan College of Commerce, the publication the "Manitoba New Democrat," issues associated with politics, labor and union in the prairie provinces from the 1960's to the 1980's, articles from various economic periodicals including "Economica" and "Public Finance," a variety of government reports from 1941 to 1981, and records dealing with George MacDowells' relationship with the Brandon Firefighters Association.
Notes
File level inventory available. Description written by Mike White (2002).
Joseph Donaldson's Ltd. Food Market appears in the Henderson's Brandon City Directory from 1906 to 1929. Donaldson's main meat/butcher shop was located at 813 Rosser Avenue. A second branch was opened by 1914 at 228 Rosser Avenue but relocated to 654 Tenth Street by 1917. The branch relocated by 1921 to 662 Tenth Street where it remained until ca.1929. This address was referred to as the "Busy Corner" in the Henderson's Directory. In 1931, butcher Ted Hill appears to have taken over the Donaldson's establishments.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows George Pope sitting in a backyard. Standing next to him is Isabella Louise McGuinness (Pope). A young girl, perhaps Ruth McGuinness, is standing over a stroller. A wood pile and garden plants can be seen in the backyard. An advertisement for Joseph Donaldson's Ltd Food Markets can be seen on a business beside the residence.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: This is mum her uncle George Pope who came to Brandon in 1880 (I think) in the back yard of 708-10th Street. It looked like Ruth in the lower right corner. I was interested in the Donaldson advertising.
Photograph shows the northwest corner of 10th Street and Princess Avenue. Traffic on the west side of Princess Avenue appears to travelling both ways. A taxi waits at the intersection.
Above the west entrance on the corner building is an electric sign that spells "Hughes Bldg." A second storey has been added to the portion of the Doig's shop that is adjacent to the Alexandra Block.
Photograph shows a sketch of the Hughes Building by architect W.H. Shillinglaw. The building, which was erected on the northwest corner of 10th Street and Princess Avenue, had the potential to be four storeys high.
According to the Brandon Daily Sun (07 May 1913), the first three street cars (Nos. 10, 9, and 7) arrived in Brandon on the evening of May 6, 1913. The cars were shipped via Canadian National Rail to Brandon from Winnipeg and stored at the railway siding on McTavish Avenue between 8th and 9th Streets. The daily paper (15 May 1915) reported that a test run for the street cars was scheduled for May 16, 1913. The City Clerk published a public notice in the paper (29 May 1913) announcing the formal opening of the "Brandon Municipal Street Raily" for on Monday, June 2, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at city hall where the cars would be displayed.
Custodial History
Donated to Fred McGuinness by Allena Strath (nee Coombs).
Scope and Content
Postcard depicts three municipal street cars parked on the 10th Street tracks in front of the Winter Fair Building. In front of the cars are a group of men wearing suits, hats, and top coats. Two automobiles are parked alongside the street cars. According to Archivist Emeritus Tom Mitchell, the group of men are members of the Brandon Municipal Street Railway Committee. The chairman of the committee, Harry Cater, can be seen in the center-left of the group wearing a watch fob. The committee had assembled for a test run of the street car service, which the Brandon Daily Sun reported to have occured on Sunday, May 16, 1913.
Notes
Back of postcard reads: First Street Car in Brandon in front of Winter Fair building 1910.
Photograph shows the northwest corner of 10th Street and Princess Avenue. Traffic on the west side of Princess Avenue appears to travelling both ways. A car waits at the intersection.
Above the west entrance on the corner building is an electric sign that spells "Hughes Bldg." A second storey has yet to be added to the portion of the Doig's shop that is adjacent to the Alexandra Block.
Fitwell Tailors, a barber shop, and the Federal Building are visible on Princess Avenue.
Notes
A negative is contained in the same enclosure with the print.
