This commission was appointed in late 1944 and made it's reports and recommendations in late 1945. The commission's tasks were the following: (1) give a legal opinion on existing taxation legislation affecting co-operatives, (2) reccomend taxation legislation in respect to co-operatives, with due regard to current tax burdens on privately owned busniess, (3) provide a picture of the actual structure of co-operative enterprise in Canada, its growth, and the effects of taxation upon it.
The commission's findings were, briefly: (1) Section 4, paragraph (p) of the Income War Tax Act is so ambiguous as to justify its repeal, (2) commission reccomended legislation permitting both co-operative and joint stock companies to deduct patronage dividends in computing taxes, whether paid out or available on demand, (3) appendicies of research staff findings that provide statistical and historical information on the origin, growth and distribution of co-operatives in Canada.
See also fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
.This sub-series contains volumes 1 - 31 of the Royal Commission on Co-operatives, the brief and report on the Commission, an outline of argument on behalf of certain co-operative organizations.
A commission to inquire into the formation and operation of the Manitoba Pool up until 1931. Charges were brought against the Pool by J.R. Murray, then Assistant General Manager of UGG. The four charges were, briefly: (1) producers had been mislead into forming elevator associations, (2) members are bound by contract to the association, (3) financial statements sent out to associations are inaccurate, (4) Pool members are not getting as good a deal as they would on the free market.
The first two charges were deemed provable by the commission, while the last two were not. It was noted by the commissioner that no pool members had come forward with complaints.
See also fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
.This sub-series contains volumes 1 - 25 of the Royal Commission on Manitoba Pool Elevators.
Commissions dealing with transportation by rail and by sea were important to Manitoba Pool Elevators, as the cost and effiecincy of transport affected the cost of service to its members.
See also fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
.This sub-series contains the following:
Box 1:
1. St. Lawrence Seaway 1961-1971
2. Royal Commission on Transportation - excerpt from the evidence of Sir Henry Thornton 1931-1932
3. Royal Commission on Transportation 1949-1950
4. Report of the Royal Commission on Transportation February 9, 1951
5. The Royal Commission on Transportation 1960
6. The Royal Commission on Transportation 1960-1967
7. The Canadian Transport Commission 1985
Box 2:
8. The Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1975-1976
9a. Submissions to the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1975-1977
9b. Submissions to the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1975-1977
10. Submissions to the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976
11. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976
12. Submissions to the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976
13. Submissions to the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976
14. Appendix to Final Submission of CN Railways to GH&TC 1976
15. Submission by the Province of Manitoba to the GH&TC 1976
16. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1975-1976
17. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1974-1976
18a. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976-1977
18b. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976
19. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission Public Hearings 1976
20. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976
21. Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1976
22. MPE Submission to the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission 1975
See also fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
.This sub-series contains the following:
Box 1:
1. Canadian Agricultural Miscellaneous 1967-1972
2. Canadian Agricultural Miscellaneous 1973-1975
3. Canadian Agricultural Miscellaneous 1970-1975
4. Bill C-175 An act respecting grain
5. Bill C-196 Canada Grain Act 1970
Box 2:
6a. Canadian Agricultural Miscellaneous 1971
6b. Canadian Agricultural Miscellaneous 1971
7a. Bill C-41 The Western Grain Stabilization Act 1975
7b. Bill C-41 The Western Grain Stabilization Act 1975
8. General Agricultural Policy
9. Manitoba Agriculture 1936
Sub-series consists of four scrapbooks detailing life at Clark Hall and Brandon College. They include newspaper clippings, photographs, cards, various programs and ephemera.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 9: Clark Hall Women's Residence
Robert (Bob) Troy Blair was born on March 11, 1930 in Brandon, MB. His first six years were spent in Alexander, MB, where his father and uncle operated a grocery store. In 1936, his family moved to Souris, MB, where his father ran a grocery store. Blair received his primary and high school education, with the exception of Grade 12, in Souris.
Blair remembers his school years in Souris as mainly happy years. He was involved with both piano and organ music lessons. he was never interested in physical sports with the exception of golf. World War II broke out in September of 1939. Souris became the site of #17 SFTS and home base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Many of the service men came from England, Australia and New Zealand. Blair's mother always entertained at least two for dinner every Sunday. Rationing of sugar, tea and coffee, butter and meat became a way of life. Blair had the job every Saturday of pasting the ration coupons into booklets. It was also when he was in Grade 6, that Blair realized he was more attracted to boys than to girls. Perhaps it was because so many attractive airmen surrounded him!
In November of 1947, the Blair family relocated to Alexander where Bob Blair finished his Grade 11. This was not a good year due to bullying. In September of 1948, Blair moved to Winnipeg to attend United College for his Grade 12. Upon completion of Grade 12, Blair remained in Winnipeg until June 1950. he worked at a number of businesses - Gestetner, Eaton's Mail Order shoe department, Maple Leaf Milling, and the drug store in the Medical Arts Building. In September 1950, he entered Brandon College. Blair was very active in extra-curricular affairs while at Brandon College; particularly drama. Following his B.A. he enrolled in the Education Faculty, having decided to become a teacher.
Blair's teaching career spanned 34 years. All but one year was spent in the Brandon School Division. On his first day of teaching in the Division he met the man with whom he would spend the next 46 years. He was primarily a teacher of English and Music. A highlight of his career was exchange teaching in Sacramento, California in 1961. Orientation for exchange took place in August in Washington, D.C., where Blair had the opportunity to meet President J.F. Kennedy. He vividly recals the morning that JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963. In September 1965, Blair assumed the principalship of Park School and in September of 1969, the same position at George Fitton School where re remained until his retirement in 1989. He was a member of the Brandon Picnipals' Association, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and servedas President of the Brandon Teachers' Association. Among his major accomplishments during his time as principal were the introduction of a centralized school library in both Park and George Fitton Schools and the integration of special needs students into regular classroom situations wherever possible. He was made a Life Member of the Manitoba Teachers' Society (Brandon) in June 1990. Following his retirement Blair worked as a Library Automation Consultant (1989-1993).
Blair also had numerous community involvements during his time in Brandon. he was active in the Brandon Little Theatre (Best Actor Award, Manitoba Drama Festival for One Act Plays in 1963), the Brandon Festival of the Arts, the Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music Competition, and Arm Industries to name a few.
Following the death of his partner in 2001, Blair moved to Saskatoon to live with a younger gay couple. He has been active in volunteerism: as an Ambassador for the Saskatoon Airport Authority, assistant with the Saskatoon Health Region's Immunization Clinics, information clerk for the Festival of Trees, data entry clerk for the Saskatoon Music Festival, on the Board of the Saskatoon Jazz Society, and Hospitality Coordinator for the Saskatoon Jazz Festival.
As of October 2013, Bob Blair continues to live in Saskatoon, SK.
Custodial History
Records were in Blair's possession until he donated them to the Mckee Archives on Homecoming weekend October 2013.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two scrapbooks containing 145 photographs and ephemera (play and graduation programs, tickets, pins, newspaper clippings) documenting Bob Blair's days at Brandon College. Social events and extra-curricular activities are heavily featured in the two scrapbooks. Also included are graduation portraits for the Classes of 1951, 1952 and 1953. Of the 145 photographs all are black and white except for two photos of the Class of '53 reconvocation (May 1993), and one from the Class of '53 reunion (2003).
Margaret Hawley Speers was born on February 18, 1908 in Alexander, MB. She attended Alexander School, Brandon College (Class of 1928), the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Manitoba receiving Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Educaton degrees.
Speers had a lengthy teaching career, first as Principal of schools in Saskatchewan at Ravenscrag and Scotsguard, then in Manitoba at Basswood, Newdale and Miniota. In Winnipeg, she taught at Rupertsland Girls' School, and then in Winnipeg School Distric No. 1 at Cecil Rhodes, River Heights and Kelvin High School.
Following her retirement Speers enjoyed travelling and various forms of volunteer work, including that at the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. She was also a member of St. Andrew's River Heights United Church.
Margaret Hawley Speers died September 26, 2008 at St. Boniface Hosptial.
Custodial History
Items came from the estate of Margaret Hawley Speers. They were donated to the McKee Archives by her cousin David Speers in July 2009.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of a copy of the 1927-1928 Sickle and a photograph of the Brandon College Arts Class of 1928 taken in 1925.
Notes
Description by Christy Henry. History/Bio information taken from Speers' obituary which appeared in the September 29, 2008 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press.
Storage Location
Photograph: Oversize drawer 5
BUPC 9.102
Sickle: RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 14: BUSU
14.5 BUSU publications
14.5.1 The Sickle
14.5.1.2 The Sickle - archival copies
Box contains bound volumes of Manitoba Wheat Pool and Manitoba Pool Elevators central office meeting minutes. Volumes in this box include:
Manitoba Wheat Co-operative Producers, Ltd. July 1923 – May 1929; Manitoba Wheat Pool June 1929 – June 1934
MPE Minute Book May 1925 – July 1937
MPE Minute Book Sept 1953 – July 1959
MPE Minute Book August 1946 – July 1953
Box contains bound volumes of Manitoba Pool Elevators central office meeting minutes. Volumes in this box include:
MPE Minute Book Sept 1953 – July 1959
MPE Minute Book Oct 1959 – July 1964
MPE Minute Book Oct 1964 – Oct 1968
MPE Minute Book Oct 1968 – July 1971
Box contains unbound Manitoba Pool Elevators central office meeting minutes including MPE Board of Directors minutes January 15-16,1985 to July 17,1996.
Box contains unbound Manitoba Pool Elevators central office meeting minutes. Folders in this box include: unbound minutes of MPE Annual and Special Meetings 1976-98; Prospectus Nov 28 1997; MPE Annual Meeting Minutes 1990 and 1991; MPE Delegates Meetings 1989-1998; MPE Board of Directors Meetings July 16 1997 – May 19 1998; MPE Board of Directors Meetings August 20 1996 - June 18 1997; Agricore / AWP / MPE Board of Directors Meetings June 12 1998 – Oct 30 1998.
Box contains minutes geenrated by local MPE associations, collected and microfilmed by the central office. Rolls in this box include the following:
Roll 13: Oakbank 1940-51; Oakburn 1940-51; Oak Lake 1928-51; Oakland 1928-51; Oakville 1928-51; Osbourne 1927-51; Rapid City 1926-51; Pierson 1928-51; Pilot Mound 1928-51; Pipestone 1929-51; Poplar Point 1947-51; Portage 1927-51; Purves 1928-51
Roll 14: Rapid City 1926-27; Rathwell 1928-51; Regent 1927-51; Reston 1927-51; Rhodes 1928-48; Riverton 1948-51; Sandy Lake 1943-51; Selkirk 1947-51; Roblin 1926-51; Rossburn 1929-51; Roundthwaite 1928-51; Russell 1940-51; Ste Agathe 1946-51; St Jean 1949-51; Sanford 1927-51; Scrick 1944-51
Roll 15: missing
Roll 16: Starbuck 1927-40; Stonewall 1939-51; Strathclair 1947-51; Swan Lake 1928-51; Teulon 1940-51; Thorn Hill 1926-51; Tilston 1928-51; Treherne 1928-51; Vista 1940-51; Warren 1947-51; Waskada 1925-51; Wawanesa 1927-51; Wood Bay 1937-51; Wood Bay 1926-37; Wood North 1928-51
Roll 17: Side 1 Alexander to Birdtail Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Birnie to Cartwright Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 18: Side 1 Chillon to Ebor Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Eden to Fork River Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 19: Side 1 Forrest to Hamiota Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Harding to Kronsgart Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 20: Side 1 Landseer to Maples Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Margaret to Napinka Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 21: Side 1 Neelin to Purvis Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Rapid City to Silverton Oct 1951 – June 1957
Roll 22: Side 1 Sinclair to Warren Oct 1951 – June 1957; Side 2 Waskada to Woodnorth Oct 1951 – June 1957
