Henry Hlady was born in Brandon, Manitoba on October 30, 1916, the son of Philip and Katherine Hlady, both natives of Austria. He was educated in public schools in Brandon. During the Great Depression, Hlady spent time - October 1933 to May 1934 - in work camps for the single unemployed in Riding Mountain cutting down tress and clearing bush. He sought to join the Canadian Army in 1942 but was rejected for medical reasons.
Hlady apprenticed as a carpenter with Sprattling and spent many years with Magnacca Construction before becoming a private builder. He retired in 1984 from the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation where he was employed as a building inspector.
Hlady was a life-long Liberal in politics and an active trapshooter. In 200 he was honoured by the Brandon Gun Club and made a Life Member of the American Trapshooters' Association for his dedication to the sport. Hlady was also active with the West End Community Centre and a member of the Westoba Credit Union Board of Directors.
Hlady married Mary Plowman in 1943 or 1944. Together they had three children: Ronald, Judith and Lynda. Henry Hlady died on April 8, 2010 in Brandon, MB.
Custodial History
Records were in Henry Hlady's possession until his death when they passed to his wife Mary Hlady who donated them to the McKee Archives. Two photographs were in the possession of Hlady's daughter Judith Grievson prior to their donation to the Archives.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of various personal documents concerning Henry Hlady including a birth certificate (copy) and certificate of baptism (copy), communion certificate, public school records, certificate of medical rejection for service in the Canadian Army, newspaper clippings, obituary, and funeral program. Collection also includes documents and photographs concerning Hlady's time spent - October 1933 to May 1934 - in federal government work camps for single unemployed men in Riding Mountain, including a handwritten letter to E.S. Stozek (dated February 2008) about Hlady's memories of his time at Camp Seven and the other relief camps in the area.
Cedric Vendyback was born August 28, 1923 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England and was educated at Harehills Council School till the age of fourteen - then becoming a labourer. At the outbreak of World War II, he educated himself for aircrew duties and in 1942 came to Canada where he was trained as a fighter pilot and was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Air Force until demonbilisation in 1946. He flew as a Reservist pilot from 1948 to 1968.
After Training College, Vendyback became a teacher in 1948 and in 1953 began empirical training with Alex Baron as an actor and director until becoming appointed as Associate of the Drama Board, later a Licentiate of The Royal Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. In 1963, he was elected a Member of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators.
In 1971, he was selected for and offered a position as a professor at Brandon University where he opened a new drama department in January 1972.
Vendyback retired in 1992 and currently (June 2012) lives in Kelowna, B.C., where he works as a free-lance director and lecturer.
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Cedric Vendyback from their creation until he donated them to the McKee Archvies in 2011 and 2012.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of records related to the activities of the Brandon University Drama Society (BUDS) and the Brandon University Drama Department collected by Cedric Vendyback during his years as head of the department. The Society performed plays in the then Drama Building, the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre and the Westman Centennial Auditorium.
Accession 16-2011 (1972-1978) consists of a photograph album of photographs, playbills and related newspaper clippings for Brandon University Drama Society productions staged between 1972 and 1978.
Accession 10-2012 (1972-1985) consists of: production reviews from various newspapers and playbills for BUDS productions; a historical fact sheet provided by the donor regarding the Drama Department's service to the community; student evaluation extracts; and the course description for Play Production.
Notes
History/Bio provided by Cedric Vendyback. Description by Christy Henry.
Margaret Menzies was born on July 30th, 1920, at a family farm located in Oakburn, Manitoba. She grew up on the family farm and attended school in both Oakburn and Shoal Lake. She married Donald Menzies on June 4th, 1941. Together they had four children. In 1959, the family moved to Brandon, Manitoba, where they lived for the rest of their lives.
Margaret Menzies was a longtime and active member of the International Toastmistress Club (ITC), and was also involved in the Consumers Association of Canada, Seniors for Seniors, as well as being a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Central United Church. Menzies did not graduate from high school in her early years, but managed to continue her education and receive a bachelor of arts degree from Brandon University at the age of 70.
Margaret Menzies passed away on June 9th, 2012.
Custodial History
Records in the collection were brought to the S.J McKee Archives on July 13, 2012, by Gerald Brown, on behalf of the family of Margaret Menzies.
Scope and Content
Collection contains of two scrapbooks created by Margaret Menzies. The scrapbooks contain various cards, itinerary's, and other documents associated with Menzies' membership in the International Toastmistress Club. The items in the scrapbooks date from the mid 1980's to the late 1990's.
Also included in the collection are four local history books. The first is a 100 year history of the town of Oakburn, Manitoba, from 1870 to 1970, published during celebrations of Manitoba's centenniary in 1970. Next is a book about the history of the town of Shoal Lake, Manitoba, which was published in 1959 on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the town of Shoal Lake in 1909. The last two books are the first and second volumes of Ripples on the Lake, which cover the history of the Shoal Lake municipality from 1884. The first volume covers the first 100 years of the history of the Shoal Lake region, being published in 1984. The second volume was published in 2007, covering the history of Shoal Lake since 1984, as well as including new information that was not published in the 1984 version of the book.
Finally, the collection contains one photograph of Margaret Menzies receiving her bachelor of arts degree from Peter Hordern, dean of arts of Brandon University.
Notes
Biographical information provided by obituary entry in the Brandon Sun, June 16, 2012. Description by Tyler Warren (October 2012).
Cover of Young School minute book is moderately damaged, but pages are in good condition with only minor water damage and a few ripped pages.
History / Biographical
Dorothy Cox (nee Frost) moved from Elm Creek to Justice in 1946 to work as a schoolteacher. In 1948, she married Laval Cox and together they had four children: Larry, Herd, Rosalie and Heather.
In 1949, Dorothy and Laval purchased Gibb Gillespie's PSV business and began hauling grain, cattle and agricultural equipment. Dorothy went back to teaching in 1959, first at Justice and then Elton Collegiate. After retiring from teaching in 1978, Dorothy started a greenhouse, which operated for 21 years.
All six members of the Cox family were active in community events and organizations. Dorothy was involved in establishing the baby band in 1951; her sons Larry and Herb were members. Along with Laval, Dorothy was a leader of the Cubs in 1955-1956 and again in 1958-1959. Laval was the leader of the local hockey club in 1958, and of a bible study group in 1960. Larry, Herb and Rosalie were avid skaters in 1960-64. Heather and Rosalie were enrolled in senior grades of Sunday school in 1970.
Custodial History
Records were collected by Dorothy Cox, a resident of Justice, over a number of years. She donated them to the McKee Archives on April 4, 2012.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of records related to the history of the Justice district. It includes a history of the Justice Church (1910-1970); minute and expense books for the Justice Hockey Club (1949-1966); a minute and expense book for Young Protestant School (1884-1898); a copy of the Justice 100th Anniversary community history (2009); and four color photographs of Justice Church.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the content of the collection. Description by James Heaman (2012).
The Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (commonly called the E-Gré Competition) is the most important annual contemporary music competition for exceptional emerging Canadian performing artists in piano, voice, and strings. Since 1976, the E-Gré has promoted the performance of Canadian and contemporary music of the 20th and 21st centuries and has commissioned 31 new works by leading Canadian composers. The S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition received its letters patent in 1974 and its legal incorporation in 1979. The inaugural competition was held in 1976 and continues to be held annually at Brandon University. The competition has undergone a few name changes since its inception. For the 8th annual event of the competition the name changed to the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition for the Performance of Canadian music. Prior to the 27th competition, the event listed both contemporary music as well as Canadian music. The competition is administered by a board and artistic director.
Custodial History
The records were held by the Eckhardt-Gramatté competition until their donation to the McKee Archives in the summer of 2010 by Pat Carrabré, President of the Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition Board.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of records created and collected by the Eckhardt-Gramatté committee in the course of holding the competition each year. The records are related to the promotion and administration of the event and the annual award winners. Items include: legal documentation, including the Certificate of Revival and the incorporation documents for the Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition; press files (1976-1979, 1980-1983, 1984-1987), which include newspaper clippings and photocopies of newspaper coverage, press releases on performance orders/show times, and promotional materials for individual performer; 30 award winners' files containing promotional materials and press clippings related to the award winner; event programs; and promotional posters for every year (except 1979).
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the E-Gré national music website available at: http://e-gre.ca. (Date accessed October 26, 2012). Description by Steve Dueck (October 2012).
Photographs in the collection are covered by Canadian copyright law. Researchers are responsible to honour appropriate legislation.
Language Note
Some posters contain French.
Storage Location
2012 accessions
Related Material
Media Kit for the 10th annual competition can be found in the Dr. J.R.C. Evans
collection at the S.J McKee Archives (accession number: 7-2004). All listings below can also be found at S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University: Francis Chaplin collection: Dean of Music: School of Music: Eckhardt-Gramatté: trio for violin, violoncello and piano (accession number: 13-2008): Ferdinand Eckhardt: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990), Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Grammatté: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) #14: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) #15: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) #16: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) #17: Convocation (c. 1990): W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) # 19: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) #12: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) #18: W.M.C.A Convocation (Fall 1990) #13: Lawrence Jones Collection (accession number: 9-2011).
Information regarding Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté (née Fridman) Sonia Eckhardt and Dr Ferdinand Anton Ludwig Eckhardt can be found at the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, the University of Calgary Library, Special Collections, the National Library of Canada and the Winnipeg National Art Gallery Archives.
Arrangement
Records are organized chronologically within each type of record.
ARCH 2: North Lauder Locale
The North Lauder locale has a long archaeological and geological history that is important for understanding the forces that shaped the region. Archaeological research in the locale shows that the area has been occupied by humans for at least the past 6,500 years. Environmental forces provided an area of diverse resources that attracted early peoples.
Environment of the Lauder Sandhills
The North Lauder locale is part of the greater Lauder Sandhills area. The glaciers that covered this region began to recede approximately 11,000 years ago leaving a large lake known as glacial Lake Hind. The Souris River, the Lauder Sandhills and the Oak Lake Aquifer are remnants of the environmental and geological forces that shaped the region.
The Lauder Sandhills region is characterized by a landscape of sand sheets and stabilized sand dunes interspersed with a variety of wetlands. This complex topographic and hydrological situation favoured the development of an island mosaic of mixed forest, wetland and meadow, surrounded by mixed grass prairie. The result was a large, isolated ecotone which provided a rich variety of subsistence resources for hunter-gatherers.
Research in the Lauder Sandhills
Archaeologists from Brandon University have been conducting research in the Lauder Sandhills since 1991. Research in the North Lauder locale has focused on the Atkinson site, a 6,500 year old hunter-gatherer site and Flintstone Hill.
The Atkinson site
The Atkinson site is one of the oldest excavated sites in Manitoba and has been Radiocarbon dated to 6,500 years before present. The Atkinson site is located on the bank of the Souris River and was discovered when a hearth (fire pit) was seen eroding out of the bank. Based on the date of the site and the kind of lithics (stone tools) present it is considered a Gowen occupation. The Atkinson site is evidence that bison hunters were active on the northern plains at a very early date. Similar sites have also been found on the High Plains in the U.S. and are referred to as the Mummy Cave Complex.
The Atkinson Site is of great importance as it is the first undisturbed site of this type to be excavated in Manitoba and extends the range of these sites south and east from the type-sites in central Saskatchewan.
Flintstone Hill
The geomorphology of the glacial Lake Hind Basin over the past 11,000 years is known primarily through the study of a cut bank along the Souris River. Flint Stone Hill contains the most complete stratigraphic record for the post-glacial period on the northern plains. The site has been extensively studied by geoarchaeologists, geologists and paleoenvironmentalists over many years and their findings have contributed to our understanding of the region.
The North Lauder locale Borden designations of Atkinson site DiMe-27 and Flintstone Hill site DiMe-26.
Borden System
Archaeological sites in Canada are identified by the Borden system, which is a uniform site designation system. The country is divided into grids based on latitude and longitude in blocks of 10 x 20 minutes. The first 4 letters indicate the block and the following numbers indicate the actual site. For example the area of the Lauder Sandhills in southwestern Manitoba is identified by the letters DM and the North Lauder locale within that area is DiMe. The Atkinson site is DiMe-27 and the Flintstone Hill site DiMe-26. As new sites are discovered they will be numbered sequentially.
Scope and Content
The Series has been divided into two sub-series, including (1) Atkinson site DiMe-27 and Flintstone Hill site DiMe-26.
Hubert Clayton Weidenhamer was born near Dand, Manitoba in 1926. He was raised in Dand and attended school in the Dand Consolidated School District. Weidenhamer enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1943. He became a member of the Priness Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Following training in Canada and England Weidenhamer was sent to Italy. He was badly wounded in battle in mid-September and died of his injuries in November 1944 at age 21. He was buried in the Ancona Military Cemetery, Ancona Italy.
Custodial History
These records were in the possession of Bea Chapin (née Weidenhamer) following their creation in the 1940s until they were donated to the S. J. McKee Archives in January 2011.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of correspondence from Hubert Clayton Weidenhamer to his sister Bea. The letters begin in the spring of 1943. Weidenhamer had enlisted in the Canadian Army in January 1943. His letters detail his induction into miltary life in Fort Garry, Winnipeg and his training experience in Canada, principally at Camp Ipperwash, Lambton County, Ontario. He relates his experience of travels on leave to Detriot. Weidenhamer left Canada from Halifax in late 1943 and arrived in Great Britain in December for additional military training. In England, maintaining his morale, waiting for deployment, and coming to terms with British currency were challenges. Transferred to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Weidenhamer was deployed to Italy in March 1944. The letters dating from March 1944 to September relate in oblique fashion his's experience of military life on the Italian frontier as the Canadian Army fought its way north - "hard fighting" - and the impact of the war on Italian cities and the countryside. He was "proud" of his conduct in action. Weidenhamer's last letter is dated September 11, 1944.
Collection also includes correspondence on Weidenhamer's behalf from his military Chaplin; two press clippings dealing with his military career, and several facimiles of telegrams and correspondence from the Canadian government officials related to Weidenhamer's death and burial in Italy.
The Lovstrom locale first came to the attention of Dr. Nicholson through conversations with landowners Mr. and Mrs. Herb Lovstrom in 1985. Lovstrom is a multi-component archaeological locale located 25km south of Brandon overlooking the Souris River channel. The landowner’s surface collection and the presence of bone and artifacts in a cultivated field indicated the presence of one or more sites.
Limited testing was conducted in 1985 and 1986, followed by major excavations in 1987, 1988 and 1991. Eight sites of block excavations with a total of 132 1m2 excavation units were completed. The locale area extends approximately 500m north from the edge of the Souris Valley escarpment and over 200m east from the Jock’s Creek escarpment.
Physical and biological environment As has been noted above, the locale is bounded on the south by the Souris channel and on the west by the incised channel of Jock’s Creek and a till plain extends to the north and the east. This plain is characterized by buff colored glacial till with numerous rocks embedded in the surface. Surrounding these rocky knolls are dark-soil hollows where the various cultural occupations are found. The depth of the topsoil layer suggests a long term grassland cover with the present oak forest likely developing in historic times due to the elimination of bison grazing and the controlling of prairie fires in late historic times. A small cleared patch of farmland is found within the boundaries of the locale area. This area has provided a substantial surface collection of artifacts.
Present vegetation in the area is a mosaic of aspen/oak forest groves and mesic grass prairie that includes introduced species such as brome grass. In poorly drained areas, willow and red osier dogwood are present. The Lovstrom locale is found in a forested area dominated by oak with an under story of saskatoon, chokecherry, pin cherry, and hazelnut brush. Poison ivy is abundant as well as sarsaparilla.
The major faunal resources in Precontact times would have been bison, with elk and mule deer playing a minor role. Antelope may have been present also. Small animals included snowshoe hare, cottontails, porcupines and beaver. Canids, including wolf, coyote, fox and domesticated dog were present, as well as mustelids such as badger, mink, and weasel. Fragments from a fisher were also recovered in the excavations.
Summation.
The Lovstrom locale has eight sites. The sites were designated and excavated as Blocks A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. Many of the sites are multi-occupations.
The Vickers materials are primarily confined to Blocks D, E, F, G and H. Vickers Focus materials overlie Blackduck/Duck Bay materials. Blackduck and Duck Bay materials are found in the lower levels of all excavation blocks and in most test units. The Vickers occupations at the Lovstrom locale, based upon ceramic wares and an overlapping of C14 dates, appear to have been contemporary with the Lowton type site to the east, near Belmont. A small protohistoric occupation was identified overlying part of Block D. Faunal remains are abundant with bison clearly dominating the assemblages. Lesser amounts of canid are present as well as small mammals including beaver, hare and mustelids. Small amounts of avian species are also present.
Publications
Nicholson, B.A.
2011 The Role of Pocket Gophers (Thomomys talpoides) in Restructuring Stratigraphic Relationships at the Lovstrom Site. Canadian Journal of Archaeology 35:323-331.
Nicholson, Bev, Scott Hamilton, Matthew Boyd and Sylvia Nicholson
2008 A Late Plains Woodland Adaptive Strategy in the Northern Parklands: the Vickers Focus Forager-Horticulturists. Invited Paper for Papers in Northeastern Plains Prehistory, eds. Michael G. Michlovic and Dennis L. Toom, North Dakota Journal of Archaeology Vol. 8:19-34.
Nicholson, Bev and Scott Hamilton
2001 Cultural Continuity and Changing Subsistence Strategies During the Late Precontact Period in Southwestern Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Archaeology 25:53-73.
Nicholson, Bev
1996 Plains Woodland Influx and the Blackduck Exodus in South-Western Manitoba During the Late Precontact Period. Manitoba Archaeological Journal 6(1):69-85.
Nicholson, Bev and Mary Malainey
1991 Report on the 1991 Field School Excavations at the Lovstrom Site (DjLx-1), Southwestern Manitoba. Manitoba Archaeological Journal 1(2): 51-93.
Nicholson, Bev and Jane Gibson
1990-91 Lovstrom Site Field Report, 1987 Excavations. Saskatchewan Archaeology 11&12:46-68.
Nicholson, Bev and Ian Kuiijt
1990 Field Report and Interpretations of the 1988 Archaeological Excavations at the Lovstrom Site (DjLx-1) in Southwestern Manitoba. North Dakota Journal of Archaeology 4:166-205.
Nicholson, Bev
1990 Ceramic Affiliations and the Case for Incipient Horticulture in Southwestern Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Archaeology 14:33-60.
Nicholson, Bev
1986 The Lovstrom Site: Culture Contact in Prehistory. Manitoba Archaeological Quarterly 10(1):35-71.
Scope and Content
The Series has been divided into nine sub-series, including (1) Survey (2) Block A; (3) Block B (4) Block C; (5) Block D; (6) Block E; (7) Block F; (8) Block G; (9) Block H
Series contains private papers from various professors and administrators at Brandon College.
It has been divided into the following sub-series:
MG 1 1.1 Rev. Dr. Samuel James McKee
MG 1 1.2 Rev. Dr. Franklin W. Sweet
MG 1 1.3 Mrs. Olive Wilkins
MG 1 1.4 Thomas Russell Wilkins
MG 1 1.5 Esther Magdalene Moore
MG 1 1.6 Thomas Hector McLeod
MG 1 1.7 Albert Edward McKenzie
MG 1 1.8 Evan McDonald Whidden
MG 1 1.9 Sarah Persis Darrach
MG 1 1.10 J.R.C. Evans
MG 1 1.11 Martin Johns
MG 1 1.12 Wilfred McCutcheon
The Brandon College Students series is an artificially created collection. It contains the private papers of former Brandon College students.
Scope and Content
The series has been divided into the following sub-series:
MG 2 2.1 Kathleen Emily Kenner
MG 2 2.2 Gerald R. Brown
MG 2 2.3 Saul L. Cohen
MG 2 2.4 Paul McKinnon
MG 2 2.5 Verda McDonald
MG 2 2.6 Frances Percival (nee Fraser)
MG 2 2.7 Raymond R. Bailey
MG 2 2.8 Harold Arthur Kinniburgh
MG 2 2.9 Barbara Cooper
MG 2 2.10 Class of 1953
MG 2 2.11 Elizabeth Kovach
MG 2 2.12 Carole Paintin-Dence
MG 2 2.13 Edward Lloyd Bowler
MG 2 2.14 Rev. Einar Egilsson
MG 2 2.15 George Thorman
MG 2 2.16 Robert Dudley Howland
MG 2 2.17 Charles H. Koester
MG 2 2.18 Robert Harvey
MG 2 2.19 Lawrence Skeoch
MG 2 2.20 Edith Laycock
MG 2 2.21 Marion Stone
MG 2 2.22 Margaret Doran Roberts
MG 2 2.23 Georgina (Hill) Matiation
MG 2 2.24 Class of 1950
MG 2 2.25 Donald Freeman
MG 2 2.26 William Archibald Branton
MG 2 2.27 Adelene Monica Bailey
MG 2 2.28 Lois and Gordon Daly
MG 2 2.29 Marionne Scott
MG 2 2.30 Christine Coltart
MG 2 2.31 Bertha Leith (nee Clark)
MG 2 2.32 Margaret Hawley Speers
MG 2 2.33 Ruth and Archie MacLachlan
MG 2 2.34 Fran Sallows
MG 2 2.35 Clare Coburn
MG 2 2.36 Gordon Lindsay
The Westman Oral History collection was a project of the Westman Oral History Association and ran from 1980-84. The Westman Oral History Association was created on August 12, 1980, by a steering committee of the Assiniboine Historical Society. The Oral History Association undertook a project called "Voices of Yesteryear." The project was created in order to record and preserve the lives and experiences of early settlers to the Westman area. Work began in 1981, and included interviews conducted with approximately seventy senior citizens from over twenty communities in western Manitoba. The Association held a training session for committee members on April 11, 1981, where 125 participants learned how to conduct an effective interview and how to operate the recorders used in the interviews. The chairman of the Westman Oral History Association was Effie McPhail, the coordinator was Sally Cunningham, and the secretary was Bob Coates. Some of the interviews recorded were used in the early months of 1982 on a local radio station, CKLQ, as part of a program called "Centennial Memories." The project resulted in the creation of the Westman Oral History Collection.
Custodial History
This collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
The collection includes the audiotapes used to record the interviews, as well as corresponding files for each interview subject. The files contain facts about the interviewees, including date and place of birth, occupations, and marital status. The files also include a summary of the interview heard on each tape.
The interviews were done with men and women pioneers from the Westman area of Manitoba, and describe the daily lives of common people during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. The topics covered in the interviews include the following: Agriculture, Associations and Clubs, Churches and Church Life, Cultural Events, Early Politics, Education, Health Services, Immigration, Local Businesses, Native-White Relations, Pioneer Settlements, Pioneer Way of Life, Social Life, Sports, Transportation, and War Brides. This collection includes interviews with residents from the following communities: Brandon, Boissevain, Brookdale, Carberry, Deloraine, Douglas, Elkhorn, Erickson, Forrest, Glenboro, Hamiota, Hartney, Justice, Kenton, Killarney, Melita, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Ninette, Oak Lake, Rapid City, Reston, Rivers, Shoal Lake, Sioux Valley Reserve, Souris, Strathclair, Virden, and Wawanesa. The interviews also disclose the unique experiences of pioneer women in rural areas. Many of the interviewees provide brief family histories during their interviews.
Notes
Some of the files include photocopied pictures of the interviewees. Description written by Robyn Mitchell (2001).
The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba has been an institution almost as long as Brandon has been a city, although under the guise of several different names. The idea of an exhibition came from Charles Whitehead, who was the founder and first president of the fair. Whitehead was one of the earliest and most prominent businessmen in Brandon. The first Brandon fair was organized in October of 1882, by the Brandon Agricultural Society (BAS). The Board of Directors of the BAS offered up two hundred dollars in prize money, but poor weather and a subsequently small turnout of people and exhibits to the downtown location caused the fair to do poorly. Undeterred, the Board of Directors began to make plans for the second fair, in what was to become an annual event. This time, due to generous grants from the city, district, and province, the Board of Directors was able to purchase land just south of the city to hold the fair on and built a Crystal Palace to hold exhibits in. In October 1883, there were seven hundred and thirty entries, and the fair, the first to be held on the new fair grounds, was considered successful.
The Brandon Exhibition was not financially sound however, and by 1888, the Directors knew that major changes had to be made if they wanted to continue the fair. It was decided that October was not the best time to hold an agricultural exhibition because most farmers were in the middle of harvesting and did not have time to leave their farms for an exhibition. A decision was made to move the exhibition to the summer, when most farmers could get away for a few days. In July 1889, the first Brandon summer fair was held. The Directors had managed to revamp the fair in order to appeal to the wider public. The fair was a huge success, with both city and rural people attending.
The Board of Directors formally established the Western Agricultural and Arts Association (WAAA) in 1892 to take over management duties of the fair from the BAS. However, the first meeting of the WAAA was not until 1897. There is no explanation for the five year delay. The WAAA received generous donations from the various governments, and the citizens of Brandon. In 1897, the Board of Directors purchased another 42 acres of land from the city that was located beside the fair grounds. They erected a grandstand and new stables. Prize money was increased, there were special prizes offered for the first time, and special exhibition trains were available to transport fair goers at a reduced rate.
The 1897 fair was the major turning point for the Brandon exhibition. The fair appealed to both urban and rural dwellers. The Board wanted to put Brandon on the map, and accordingly, they brought forward events and entertainment that would do so. The first Traveller’s Day, still running strong today, was put on in 1912. The parade associated with it was unlike any Brandon had seen before. Despite the attractions, carnivals and midways that were beginning to dominate the fair, organizers insisted that it was still primarily an agricultural event. The promotion of agriculture was still prominent at the exhibition. As local historians have written, “the exhibition symbolized the accomplishments and potential of the region, and encouraged all agriculturists to strive towards higher standards.”
By 1912, all outstanding loans had been paid off, and the Board of Directors could boast an eleven thousand dollar surplus in funds. As well, the physical assets available to the summer fair were expanded dramatically in 1913. In 1913, Brandon was granted the honour of hosting the Dominion Exhibition. From the funding that came in for this prestigious event the Board of Directors was able to build a new grandstand, erect new display buildings, replace the racetrack, and generally expand and improve the fair grounds. Another 80 acres of land was bought from the city for the summer fair. The Brandon Dominion Exhibition was declared open on 15 July 1913 by Manitoba Premier Rodmond Roblin. Although it was a resounding success, the Directors ended up having to pay for parts of it out of their own pockets.
Canada entered World War One in the late summer of 1914. The WAAA reached an agreement with the military that the army could use the fairgrounds during the year if they allowed the WAAA use of the grounds for the fair week. Because of limitations put on the fair because of the war, the Brandon exhibition became more involved with the Western Canada Fair Circuit. This organization enabled the summer fair to join in the exhibitions that worked together to bring events like the midway to their exhibitions.
It was also during this time that moral reform became more prevalent in Canadian society. Due to this growing concern with moral purity and the desire for social reform, the Directors had to find ways to ensure that the summer exhibition did not cross the boundaries of good taste. There was a short-lived protest in 1913 against horseracing, but by 1916, then-president of the fair, R.M. Matheson, cast the tie breaking vote in favour of letting both the horseracing and the betting continue. By 1917, the Board had decided against allowing betting, but the horseracing was allowed to continue.
After the war ended, financial stress on the part of the winter fair brought forward a proposal to amalgamate the summer and winter fairs. The provincial government stated that they were interested in supporting an amalgamation, and the two fair boards resolved to consider the option. In spring of 1920, the winter fair backed out the deal because they felt they would lose out to the WAAA in the deal. Not to be deterred, the WAAA applied for incorporation with the provincial government. On 3 April 1920, the WAAA was incorporated as the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba (PEM). In 1920, the official title of the summer fair was changed from the Inter-Provincial Exhibition to the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba.
After incorporation the Board of Directors was increased to a membership of twenty. The provincial exhibition continued to increase and change with the times. The directors tried to make each fair interesting and stimulating for the people of Brandon and the surrounding areas. A Manitoba Government Building was opened in 1927, by Premier John Bracken, and an Automobile Building opened in 1927. By 1929, the Provincial Exhibition was one of the leading summer exhibitions in Western Canada. Unfortunately, 1929 was also the beginning of a decade-long Depression throughout Canada and the United States. The exhibition continued though, although at a less grandiose level. The exhibition was the site of some work relief programs throughout the thirties, but the grants were generally small.
It was also during the 1930s that people began wanting a change in the management of the Board. For many years, almost since the inception of the fair, the Board had been run by the same group of men who took turns in the various positions. In 1933, there were several men brought forward to run against the Directors at the annual general meeting. A total of forty four nominations went up for the twenty positions. After the dust had settled, seven new faces took seats around the Directors table.
During World War Two, the Provincial Exhibition managed to continue. The Board made an agreement with the military that while their buildings could be used by the military during the war, the fair would be able to take control of the buildings for fair week. While the fair remained open, its exhibits were hampered by the war. In 1942, for example, the Wartime Prices and Trades Board declared that farm machinery could not be exhibited for the duration. This was one of the fair’s bigger draws, and its absence was felt greatly. As another concession to the war, the livestock show had to be reduced from five days to three, although this decision was met by protest from many of the directors. Despite these impediments, the entries into the agricultural exhibits continued to increase. Horse racing, long a bone of contention among members of the Board was almost eliminated in 1942, but a compromise was made and the Directors allowed one day of racing at the 1943 fair.
After the war, the prize money increased by up to twenty-five percent in an effort to increase the number of exhibitors. Many new events were added to the fair roster, including an annual 4-H show and farm camps for children. A Trade Show was added in 1952 and became a large success. The fair always enjoyed support from the City of Brandon, although there were the occasional tensions between the two. In 1955 the Board approved a proposal by R.A. Hodges to sponsor a Dream Home contest. While the attraction was a big success, the Directors evidently did not receive the cut of the proceeds that Hodges had promised them. The fair Board ended up fifty-five hundred dollars in debt.
In 1958 an attempt was made to break the all male hold on the directorate. While no women were elected to the Board itself, a Women’s Advisory Committee was created to provide input into fair activities. The original committee was made up of Mrs. D. Elviss, Mrs. D. Graham, Mrs. G. McRae, and Mrs. F. Heeney.
It was also during this time that the Board began to face more direct competition from Winnipeg. The Red River Exhibition had been operating for several years, and its Board of Directors wanted their exhibition to be admitted into the Western Canadian Association of Exhibition. This would not have been particularly good for the Brandon Provincial Exhibition. Partly due to the Brandon Board’s vigorous protests, Winnipeg was only granted an associate membership.
By the end of 1958, the Brandon fair was once again facing financial difficulties. The Provincial Exhibition was at its peak at the end of the 1950s. By 1961 the fair recorded a net loss of sixty-five hundred dollars. Because of financial problems, the fair Board had to mortgage its property for $50 000. As well, the Royal American Shows left Brandon for Winnipeg in 1966, leaving the Directors scrambling to find another midway. It took several years and several different companies before the Directors settled on the Conklin Brothers Shows. To make matters worse, the grandstand was condemned in 1974, leaving the fair without a place to hold its grandstand show. This show was replaced by the Western Canada Rodeo Circuit, in an attempt to regain patrons.
By 1966 both the summer and winter fair Boards had decided that one facility could be used to house both the summer and winter fairs. Both financially and practically, it became an increasingly good idea to merge the two fairs together. In 1969, the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba and the Manitoba Winter Fair were amalgamated to become the Manitoba Exhibition Association. Ground was broken a few years later on the summer fair grounds, and by 1972, the Keystone Centre was open for business. The official opening was at the 1973 Winter Fair. From then on, the Provincial Exhibition, Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and, later, AgEx, were housed in the same building, and run by the same board of directors.
Custodial History
These files were housed with the WAAA, the PEM, and the MEA until c1986 when they were transferred to the S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The sous-fonds consists of textual records and photographs from the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. The textual records include prize lists, programs, minutes, financial, contracts, by laws, administrative files, original results, news releases, scrapbooks and tickets. The photographs include animal shows and events, dignitaries, entertainment, attractions, ceremonies, buildings and other events.
It has been divided into eleven series, including: (1) Documents; (2) Minutes; (3) Financial reocrds; (4) Administrative files; (5) Prize lists and programs; (6) News releases; (7) Original results; (8) Tickets; (9) Photographs; (10) Scrapbooks; and (11) Miscellaneous.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF1 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba
The records are a product of the administrative staff of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba.
Custodial History
The records were housed with the PEM and the MEA until c1986 when they were transferred to the S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The series contains letters regarding complimentary tickets in 1951 and 1955. As well, the series contains examples of tickets, badges, and ribbons used or worn by guests and exhibitors to the provincial exhibitions from 1955 to 1973. There is also a pin from the 1909 Inter-Provincial Fair.
Notes
Part of RG2SF1. Inventory of documents in the series is available in the printed finding aid.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF1 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba
The first attempts to hold a winter agricultural fair in Brandon happened in 1884, when a show was held in the buildings owned by A. Harrison and Company. However, this did not become an annual event. There were also several unsuccessful attempts to establish annual Stallion Sales in the late spring by horsemen in the area. In 1904, J.D. McGregor petitioned Brandon City Council for a winter fair. The petition was accepted by the city, and in 1906 Brandon’s first winter fair was held. It was a big success, and the Board of Directors looked forward to it becoming an annual event. The summer fair, which had been in operation since 1882 welcomed this new exhibition. The Board of the summer fair felt that a winter fair would be complementary to the summer exhibition. Although the two fairs were not amalgamated, they did share a secretary-treasurer and several Board members.
In 1907, the Cattle Breeders Association decided to make the Brandon Winter Fair the site of its annual stock sale. With this support, it was felt that the winter fair would become an annual event. A joint stock company was created in 1907 entitled the Brandon Winter Fair and Livestock Association (BWFLA), to be used primarily as a land-holding company. Land was purchased at Tenth Street and McTavish Avenue in order to erect a winter fair building.
The following year, the Provincial Winter Fair and Fat Stock Association was created to manage the winter fair. The name was soon changed to the Manitoba Winter Fair and Fat Stock Association (MWFFSA). Unlike the summer fair, the winter fair was solely an agricultural event. The Board felt no need to please the citizens with carnivals and midways. The winter fair was “by and for the farmers...[and]...the primary functions of the Brandon Winter Fair were to educate the agricultural community and to honour the community’s accomplishments.”
Additional land was bought on Eleventh Street and Victoria Avenue to build a new winter fair building. The building opened in 1913. By this time, the Brandon Winter Fair was one of the best livestock and agricultural exhibitions in the province.
When the First World War broke out, the winter fair buildings were requisitioned by the military for troop accommodation and eventually as a detention centre for Ukrainian internees and other “enemy aliens.” Unlike the summer fair, which was allowed to use their buildings during fair week, the winter fair buildings were not released for the exhibition. This led to the cancellation of both the 1915 and 1916 winter fairs.
By 1917 the winter fair was allowed to open again, but by this time both the BWFLA and the MWFFSA were experiencing financial difficulties. It was at this time that the proposal first went out regarding an amalgamation of the summer and winter fairs. The provincial government approved of the idea of an amalgamation, and both fair Boards considered the proposal. However, in early 1920 the winter fair Board pulled out of the discussions, as it felt that the winter fair would lose out to the WAAA. The winter fair Board decided to struggle on independently.
Financial problems heightened Board concerns that the winter fair was not exciting enough to keep the public interest. To add to the financial concerns of the winter fair board, in the fall of 1920, the old winter fair pavilion caught fire and burned. Forty six horses were killed and the fair Board had to cancel the 1921 winter fair. When the new winter fair building opened in 1922, it was greeted with enthusiasm. The Directors, in an attempt to ease the increasing financial burden they were feeling, tried to keep the buildings open year round for other events.
In 1929, the Depression began in Canada. While the winter fair continued to run, its buildings were once again requisitioned by the government, this time to house men looking for work. The winter fair Directors were conscious of the problems that the citizens of Brandon were facing, and they offered free admission to those on relief. The fair received grants from the government to provide work relief programs, but these were often small or canceled. The Board members may have resorted to helping to pay for the fair out of their own pockets.
Despite financial problems, the winter fair managed to survive the Depression. Unfortunately, as Brandon recovered from the Depression of the 1930s, the Second World War broke out. For the third time in as many decades, the government requisitioned the winter fair buildings. This time, however, instead of canceling the fair as in previous years, the winter fair went on as scheduled, although it was held on the summer fair grounds.
By 1945, the directors were at a loss financially. They decided that the best course of action in order to keep the fair going was to turn over the buildings to the City of Brandon. By the fall of 1946 the BWFLA had ceased operations.
While the Manitoba Winter Fair and the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba were still not amalgamated, they continued to share the same secretary-manager and several Board members. After the cessation of the war, the Directors knew they had to become more appealing to the wider public. There were promotional events held and more entertainment was offered to attract the public. These additions led to dessention among Board members, as some wanted the fair to remain purely agricultural. The appeal for the greater good of the fair, even if it did include some non-agricultural attractions, eventually won out.
The fair was still to be plagued with difficulties though. In 1952 the fair had to be canceled because of an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease. Despite setbacks such as this, the Board persevered. The following year a 4-H seed show was created and sponsored by the provincial agronomist, P.F. Ford. A carcass class was added in 1957. Soon the fair was successful and stable and rapidly outgrew its facilities.
It was decided by 1966 that the winter fair and the summer fair should be housed in one building. In 1969, the respective Boards went one step further and decided to become one organization. The Manitoba Winter Fair and the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba amalgamated in 1969 to become the Manitoba Exhibition Association. In 1970, the year of Manitoba’s Centennial, it was decided that an organization in the province would receive the designation “Royal” by Queen Elizabeth II. After much consideration by the province, the Manitoba Winter Fair was chosen, and in 1970 it became known as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. In 1972 the construction of a common facility was completed, and the 1973 winter fair was the occasion of the official opening of the Keystone Centre. The winter fair continues in this facility and under this designation to this day.
Custodial History
The records were housed at the MWFFSA, the MWF and the MEA until c1986 when they were transferred to the S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The sous-fonds consists of textual records and photographs pertaining to the Winter Fair. The textual records include prize lists, programs, minutes, financial, administrative files, original results, news releases, scrapbooks, and tickets. The photographs include animal shows and events, dignitaries, entertainment, ceremonies, buildings, and other events.
The sous-fonds has been divided into eleven series, including: (1) Documents; (2) Minutes; (3) Financial records; (4) Administrative files; (5) Prize lists and programs; (6) News releases; (7) Original results; (8) Tickets; (9) Photographs; (10) Scrapbooks; and (11) Miscellaneous
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
The records were created by a member of the administrative staff of the winter fair.
Custodial History
The records were housed at the MWF, and the MEA until c1986 when they were transferred to the S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The series includes two files that house correspondence dealing with the issue of complimentary tickets. As well, the series includes many examples of tickets, badges, and ribbons from the winter fairs of 1966-1973.
Notes
Part of RG2SF2. Inventory of the documents in the series is available in the printed finding aid.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF2 Manitoba Winter Fair
In 1973, the Board of Directors of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba along with various farm representatives around the area began to feel the need for another, this time purely agricultural, exhibition. The issue was raised in the form of a report written by Donn Mitchell, the chairman of the livestock committee. Because of the growth of both the winter and summer fairs, there was little time and room to properly show the livestock that farmers brought into Brandon. A fall show and sale was thought to be the best solution to the pressing need for both time and space.
After receiving support from the provincial government and the Manitoba Beef Growers Association, the Board decided to hold a fall exhibition. While the Board was wary that the show would succeed, the strong support from producers, government and agri-business virtually ensured success. The first AgEx was officially opened on 3 November 1975. Although the first year was not a financial success, the concept of an agricultural exhibition was, and AgEx continues to thrive in Brandon.
While no minutes are held in this collection for either the Board of Directors or committees, it is evident from the prize lists and programs that the following committee structure existed. There were several committees created by the Board of Directors of AgEx. By 1984 the committees included the AgEx Chairman, the Executive, Aberdeen Angus, Blonde d’Aquitaine, Charolais, Hereford, Holstein, Limousin, Maine Anjou, Salers, Simmental, Steers, Swine, and 4-H/Junior Activities. A Shorthorn committee was added by 1985, and by 1988 there was a Commercial Classic committee.
Custodial History
The sous-fonds was housed at the MEA until c1986 when it was transferred on a continuing basis to the S.J. McKee Archives located at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The sous-fonds contains textual records and photographs pertaining to AgEx. The textual records include prize lists, programs, administrative files, original results, and news releases. The photographs include animal events and shows, dignitaries. entertainment, and various other events.
The sous-fonds has been divided into five series, including: (4) Administrative files; (5) Prize lists and programs; (6) News releases; (7) Original results; and (9) Photographs. In keeping with the numbering system used for the series in the other sous-fonds in RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association, the series in RG2SF3 maintain the same numbering system, therefore there is no series 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, or 3.8.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF3 AgEx
The series consists of records that either did not fit, or could not easily be placed into one of the preceding three manuscript groups. The series had several creators, including the Board of Directors for both the summer and winter fairs, the combined Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Board of Directors, and others. The records also include several documents, and financial records of the combined winter and summer fairs organization, known as the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association. This Association began in the fall of 1969 with the amalgamation of the Manitoba Winter Fair and the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba.
Custodial History
The sous-fonds was housed in the WAAA, the PEM, the MWFFSA and the MEA until c1986 when it was transferred to the S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The sous-fonds consists of textual records and photographs that did not fit easily into one of the other manuscript groups. The textual records include financial, scrapbooks, shareholder’s lists and miscellaneous. There are several documents regarding the building of the Keystone Centre, as well as administrative papers dealing with the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association. There are some minutes, and several financial records, as well as a brief administrative file. The photographs are diverse.
The sous-fonds has been divided into seven series, including: (1) Documents; (2) Minutes; (3) Financial records; (4) Administrative files; (9) Photographs; (10) Scrapbooks; and (11) Miscellaneous. In keeping with the numbering system used for the series in the other sous-fonds in RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association, the series in RG2SF4 maintain the same numbering system, therefore there is no series 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, or 4.8.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF4 Miscellaneous
Alfred Angus Murray McPherson was born February 15, 1923 in Brandon, MB. The middle son of Angus and Annie Ethel (Pentland) McPherson, Murray grew up on the family farm in the Brandon Hills District. Following high school he obtained a B.Sc. degree from Brandon College, before enrolling in the Faculty of Eduction at the University of Manitoba in 1947 where he received his B.Ed. and M.Ed. Murray completed his Ph.D. in Educational Curriculum in 1975 at Michigan State University.
Murray's teaching career began at Brandon College as a chemistry instructor. After the year of teacher training he taught in Daupin Collegiate, then Luxton Junior High School and St. Johns High School in Winnipeg. In 1962, Murray joined the University of Manitoba Faculty of Education where he taught methods in mathematics and served as Head of the Deparment of Curriculum: Mathematics and Natural Sciences for sixteen years, before assuming the position of Co-ordinator of Student Teaching. During his career Murray co-edited a series of textbooks for elementary grades and was a strong supporter of the Manitoba Association of Mathematics Teachers. Following his retirement in 1988, Murray volunteered with Creative Retirement, Mentors Club and Habitat for Humanity. He also remained active in the United Church.
Murray McPherson married Margaret Elinore Raven on July 14, 1951 in Winnipeg. Margaret Elinore (Raven) McPherson was born in Winnipeg, MB on March 11, 1927. Educated at the University of Manitoba, where she earned a B.Sc. (1947), a Dip. Education (1948) and a B.Ed. (1966), Margaret taught school in Dauphin (1948-1953) and the Winnipeg School Division (Spring 1954). Together they had two children: John Angus Murray McPherson (b. March 19, 1955), an orthopedic surgeon in Winnipeg, and Kathryn May McPherson (b. November 20, 1957), a professor of history at York University, Toronto. Alfred Angus Murray McPherson died on November 25, 2001 at the Charleswood Care Centre in Winnipeg, MB. Margaret continues to live in Winnipeg, MB.
The MacPherson family originally came from the County of Sutherlandshire in the north of Scotland. The need for wool during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in the "Highland Clearances" of the early 1800's, which forced the small farmers or "crofters" to leave their farms and to move to the villages, such as Kildonan, Helmsdale and Golspie along the east coast.
In 1814, Hugh MacPherson (1779-1843) with his wife Anne Sutherland (1783-1857) and their family, immigrated to Nova Scotia and acquired a farm at Watervale, a community on the West River at Pictou. Following the issue of the land title, the "Mac" spelling of MacPherson became "Mc."
Alexander McPherson, the son of Hugh and Anne, married Elizabeth Murray at West River on April 10, 1840. They lived on the family farm at Watervale where they had a family of eleven children, a number of whom died in infancy. Their oldest son Hugh (1845-1916) and their youngest, Johnston (1857-1944), later came to Brandon Hills, MB.
Angus Sellars McPherson, a son of Hugh and Margaret (Sellars) McPherson, was born in Brandon Hills, MB on March 1, 1884. A farmer in the area his whole life, Angus married Annie Ethel Pentland in 1913. Together they had three sons: Howard, Murray and Kenneth. Angus died at Brandon General Hospital on September 5, 1953.
Alfred Angus Murray McPherson's mother, Annie Ethel (Pentland) McPherson, was born into a family that originally came from the ancient Scottish Midlothian or the more modern County of Edinburgh, from the Pentland Hills County, and in and around the towns of Pentland and Carrington. Around the year 1700, at the time of the large movement of immigrants from Scotland and England into Northern Ireland, several families of the clan settled in counties Down and Arnaugh in Ireland.
Between 1790 and 1820, a number from both Scotland and Ireland immigrated to Canada settling mainly in Eastern Ontario in the Counties of Hastings, Lennox and Addington and on Amherst Island. Around 1860, some moved to Huron County in Western Ontario to carve homes out of the bush. In 1881, Thomas James Pentland came from Goderich to Manitoba and settled near Douglas. He had learned the trade of a blacksmith and found one was needed so badly he gave up the intention to homestead and built a shop northwest of Douglas, on the South East quarter of Section 17-11-17. He later added a store and house there.
On July 22, 1885, Thomas James Pentland and Annie Isobel McVety were married at the home of the bride's parents at High Bluff and lived northwest of Douglas until 1890, when he made a deal with Isaac and Fred Lewis. Thomas took their homesteads on Section 14-12-18 and they took over the store, which they moved to Oakenside. T.J. Pentland continued to farm there until his death in June of 1919. T.J. Pentland was elected to the Council of the RM of Elton for Ward 1 in the fall of 1884 and served three years as councilor and fourteen years as Reeve.
The McVety and Owens families both came from County Fernanagh, Northern Ireland to Ontario during the first half of the nineteenth century. Henry McVety and Elizabeth Owens were married March 11, 1856, at Belgrave and lived at Morris until the spring of 1882, when they moved to High Bluff, Manitoba and fifteen years later to Bagot. In 1882, their daughter Annie Isobel came to Douglas to teach at the first Elton School situated 2.5 miles north and 1 mile east of present Douglas.
The family of Thomas and Annie Pentland consisted of three sons and three daughters. Fred, who served overseas in the 78th Battalion in the First World War and was killed in September 1917; Harry, who farmed in Justice until 1922, then lived in Brandon until his death in 1948; Ethel (Mrs. Angus McPherson), now living in Brandon; Evelyn (Mrs. N.C. Thompson) now living in Brandon; Wesley, living at Justice on the home farm; and Grace who died in 1908.
Harry Pentland's son, H. Clare Pentland, was born October 17, 1914, on a farm near Justice, MB, where Harry had taken up farming. Clare graduated from Brandon College in 1940, with an Economics degree and attended the University of Oregon, where he completed a Master's degree in 1942. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1961. His dissertation was later published as "Labour and Capital in Canada 1650-1860." A noted economist and a founder of the history of labour in Canada, H. Clare Pentland died on October 13, 1978.
Custodial History
Prior to the death of Murray McPherson, Margaret McPherson's husband, he and his daughter Katherine McPherson, professor of history at York University, searched through various farm houses previously occupied by members of the McPherson family and gathered together family archival materials to safeguard them from destruction. These materials were tranferred to the McPherson residence in Winnipeg and upon the death of Murry McPherson, Margaret became the sole custodian of the records. The decision to place the records at the McKee Archives was arrived at for two reasons. First, the records relate to the Brandon Hills and the history of this region. Second, Murray McPherson attended Brandon College in the 1940s, and felt kinship with the institution. The records came to the McKee Archives courtesy of the good offices of Diane Hageland of the Association for Manitoba Archives. Margaret McPherson donated the records to the McKee Archives on May 4, 2006.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of personal and business records for various members of the McPherson and Pentland families. These were generated in the course of settlement in the Brandon Hills, travel, participation in the First World War and various forms of associational life, in particular the Orange Lodge. The fonds includes correspondence, financial records/ledgers, legal documents, postcards, photographs, scrapbooks, greeting cards, livestock records, Brandon College Sickles, school records, electoral records, diaries, membership records, certificates, income tax records, ration cards, notebooks, newsclippings, autograph albums, poetry, receipts and speeches.
Notes
Biographical information for the fonds was provided by Margaret McPherson. Processing done by Deidra Wallace and Christy Henry summer/fall 2006. Description by Christy Henry. Numerous spellings of the surname "McVety" appear in the fonds, including McVetie and McVitie. The oldest documented spelling in documents of a legal nature is McVety. This spelling therefore will appear throughout the finding aid.
Accruals
Further accruals expected.
Storage Location
2006 accessions
Storage Range
2006 accessions
Arrangement
Original file order has been maintained, while some boxes have been combined to provide a more suitable environment for the preservation of print materials. The boxes have been renumbered accordingly. Due to the original file order, however, the file numbers in the database have been prefaced by their original box numbers. For example, File 3.5 refers to the fifth file of the original third box.
The Brandon Hills Busy Bees was formed in 1916 by eighteen women. The aim of the group was to assist with the war effort during World War One. At the end of the war it was decided to carry on the club and do community and welfare work. The Busy Bees met twice a month and, during World War Two, one meeting a month was devoted to Red Cross work.
In 1969, the younger members of the Brandon Hills Busy Bees decided to form their own organization called the Brandon Hills Community Fireflies.
The remaining members of the Busy Bees continued in their work until they disbanded as a society on September 14, 1988. At their last meeting it was decided to donate their records to the McKee Archives (minutes September 14, 1988).
Custodial History
In the minutes for the September 14, 1988 meeting of the Brandon Hills Busy Bees, Mrs. Mollie Baker made a motion to donate the record books of the organization to the Archive at Brandon University, and for Mrs. Nell Baker and Mrs. Lillian Coate to take them there. The motion was seconced by Mrs. Jean Kreller. Prior to their donation to the McKee Archives in 1988 the records were in the possession of members of the Brandon Hills Busy Bees.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of minute books with membership lists, accounts, newsclippings, correspondence, and reports, recipies (Treasurer's BK 1917-1919), treasurer's books, donation records, 2 photographs (1916 and ca. 1970s), a history of the Busy Bees 1916-1976 and calendars for the Womens' Auxiliary to the Grain Growers (Oakville, MB) for 1916-1918.
The mintue book for 1976-1981 also contains the minute book of The Red Cross Emergency Unit, Brandon Hills for December 1943-1947.
Notes
Description by Christy Henry.
Storage Location
2006 accessions
Storage Range
2006 accessions
Related Material
Albert Angus Murray McPherson collection (21-2006)
Fonds consists of minutes, the pages of the charter dinner guest book, "Go for the Gold" membership marathon instructions and poster, and a scrapbook containing photographs, momentos and a history (summary) of the Priarie Horizons Toastmistress Club 1976-1982.
Notes
Name tags and pins culled. Description by Christy Henry.
