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.
Photograph shows a public reception for the Governor General of Canada, HRH the Duke of Connaught during a visit to Brandon, MB. The reception was held on Princess Avenue at City Hall. The photograph is looking southwest from the north side of Princess Avenue. The building in the background is the recently constructed Prince Edward Hotel.
There is staining from the top left corner towards the centre of the image.
Custodial History
Jack Stothard purchased the image at a yard sale, location unknown. He donated it to the Archives in 2006.
Scope and Content
Photograph of a public reception for the Governor General of Canada, HRH the Duke of Connaught. The reception was held in fromt of the Brandon City Hall, which was located at 9th Street and Princess Avenue. The photograph is looking south southeast. A portion of the recently constructed Prince Edward Hotel is visible in the background.
Erected by the village of Wawanesa, the memorial is dedicated to the local citizens who died as a result of the First and Second World Wars. It was unveiled on November 11, 1921.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the dedication of a war memorial in the village of Wawanesa, MB. The memorial is located near the bank of the Souris River. The photograph was taken from Wawanesa Mutual. The street on the left is 4th Street.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the Canadian National Defense website.
Photograph shows a float advertisement for the Manitoba Agricultural College. The photograph was taken at Treesbank, MB. The banners on the float read: "Prosperity like a Tree" "If the Roots Suffer, the Leaves Wither and the Trunk Dies."
The Brandon Armoury was built in 1907. The extension on the southside was built in 1937.
Custodial History
The photograph was donated to the Archives by Cy Kenny in 2005.
Scope and Content
Photograph is looking northwest from the east side of 11th Street. It shows the back and east side of the Brandon Armoury, which is located on the at 1116 Victoria Avenue.
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).
St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, which became St. Paul's United Church, and then Central United Church was located at 327 8th Street in Brandon, MB. The original church was destroyed by fire in 1986.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the interior of the St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Brandon, MB.
Notes
History/Bio information provided by Jim Stettner, Organ Historical Society Database (2022).
The Brandon Normal School was an arm of the provincial Department of Education. Manitoba Normal schools were initiated in the early 1880s (1882 for protestant teachers and 1883 for Roman Catholic ones) to meet the demand for teachers in the province's schools. Normal schools were held in Brandon at various locations until the construction of the Brandon Normal School in 1912 under the Roblin government. The Brandon Normal School operated until 1946.
Scope and Content
Portraits of the students and staff of the Brandon Normal School in 1906-1907.
The Brandon Normal School was an arm of the provincial Department of Education.Manitoba Normal schools were initiated inthe early 1880s (1882 for protestant teachers and 1883 for Roman Catholic ones) to meet the demand for teachers in the province's schools.Normal schools were held in Brandon at various locations util the contruction of the Brandon Normal School in 1912 under the Roblin government. The Brandon Normal School operated until 1946.
Custodial History
Photograph was donated to the McKee Archives in 2006 by Frank Becker.
Scope and Content
Portraits of the students and staff of Brandon Normal School class (1908).
View is looking east southeast. Photograph shows the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium (WMCA) under construction. There are two signs in the foreground. One lists the names of the architectural firm, the engineers, contractiors and subcontractors involved with the project. The other reads: Site of Western Manitoba's 100 Centennial Project New Auditorium
The Brandon Normal School was an arm of the provincial Department of Education. Manitoba Normal schools were initiated in the early 1880s (1882 for protestant teachers and 1883 for Roman Catholic ones) to meet the demand for teachers in the province's schools. Normal schools were held in Brandon at various locations until the construction of the Brandon Normal School in 1912 under the Roblin government. The Brandon Normal School operated until 1946.
Scope and Content
Portraits of the students and staff of Brandon Normal School's fall class (1912).
