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Steele Briggs Seed Co. Ltd.

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4327
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1893, 1931-1979
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
Series Number
McS 3 3.2
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1893, 1931-1979
Physical Description
25.7 cm
History / Biographical
On November 11, 1971, A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. acquired Steele Briggs Seed Co. Ltd., Rennie Seeds, and the Canada Seed Co. from Maple Leaf Mills Limited of Toronto, Ontario. The purchase included the packet seed business and most of the brand names and trademarks of the above companies as well as the Steele Briggs properties in Winnipeg and Regina, and all of the equipment in their Toronto location. This same location was leased by A. E. McKenzie Co. for a number of years. As a result of the acquisition of Steele Briggs, the name of A. E. McKenzie Co. was modified to A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. - Steele Briggs Ltd; each company continued to operate under its respective trade names in the marketing of Garden Seeds, Lawn Grass and other product lines across Canada. The Steele Briggs Seed Co. was founded in 1873 in Toronto, although at the time of its inception, the company, which was a small retail seed store, was known as Steele Brothers and Company. Two of the company's founders, Mr. R. C. Steele and Mr. S. E. Briggs, were already involved in a grocery and produce business in Oshawa, Ontario together. From the first store at 23 East Market Street, Toronto, Steele Briggs moved into a new warehouse at the Southeast corner of Front and Jarvis Streets in 1887. However, by 1888, new premises were required due to the rapid growth of the company, and a warehouse was leased at 107 Front Street East. Five years later, a separate store was opened to manage the local retail and mail order sections of the business at 132 King Street East. The annual increase in trade, however, made the construction of a new five-story building necessary in 1911-1912. By 1902, the volume of business the company was receiving from Western Canada led to the establishment of a branch house in Winnipeg. Further expansion occurred in 1922, when Steele Briggs purchased a large warehouse and Seed Cleaning elevator at Regina in order to more adequately deal with the demands of the Western Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1933, a branch house was opened in Edmonton, and in 1956 one was established in Vancouver. In its formative years, prior to the 1930's, the management group was comprised of a number of well-known businessmen. These included: Mr. J.S. Steele, Mr. E. F. Crossland, second Vice-President and General Manager, Mr. W. D. Steele, first Vice-President and Manager of the List Seeds Department, Mr. C. J. Turnbull, General Manager of the Western houses and Seed Grain supplies, Mr. R. S. Ferguson, Assistant Manager of the Catalogue and Wholesale trade located in Winnipeg, and L. B. Robinson, Assistant Manager and Accountant at Regina. Sometime between 1944-1948, Mr. W. D. Dack was appointed President of Steele Briggs, and, in 1951, he announced new executive appointments to the company. Mr. George F. Boyd was appointed Manager of Steele Briggs' Regina branch and later supervisor of all Western branches as Vice-President in charge of Western Canada Operations. Mr. C. S. Beattie was appointed Secretary Treasurer of the company. In June of 1964, D. H. MacKay, E. R. Seede of Regina and Tom Gray of Edmonton, were named to the Company's Board of Directors. For many years Steele Briggs published and distributed a retail catalogue, the first was published in 1875. Rennie Seeds Ltd. was founded by William Rennie in 1870 and incorporated in 1905. It was located in a small store at Adelaide and Jarvis Streets in Toronto. Following the death of Mr. Rennie, the business carried on under the leadership of his son Thomas Rennie, and subsequently under Thomas Rennie's son-in-law K. J. Harrison. Steele Briggs acquired Rennie Seeds in 1961. The Ferry Seed Company, which operated primarily in Eastern Canada, was bought by the Steele Briggs Seed Co. in 1926, effectively ceasing all operations under the Ferry name.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of financial records, miscellaneous documents, including some correspondence and files relating to the merger of Steele Briggs Seeds and McKenzie Seeds. Information regarding the Canada Seed Company can also be found in the sub-series. The sub-series also contains a scrapbook (500 pages; 24 x 28 x 6 cm) dealing with Steele Briggs Seeds and the seed industry. Items in the scrapbook include newspaper/magazine clippings dealing with executives of the company (including the death of prominent members), commentaries on the seed industry and seed varieties and a number of general interest columns. A copy of the painting "A Gateway to Canada's Granary, Winnipeg 1872" by J.D. Kelly is also included. Photographs, magazine advertisements, correspondence and writings on seed varieties are also located in the sub-series. A page level inventory of the types of seeds included is available for the scrapbook. A copy of the 1893 Steele Briggs catalogue is also contained within the sub-series. Special attention should be paid to the color covers included near the beginning of the book. The sub-series is divided into five sub sub series, including: (1) Merger; (2) Financial; (3) Miscellaneous; (4) Canada Seeds; and (5) Scrapbook.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds McS 3 Acquisitions
Related Material
Historical information relating to Steele Briggs Seeds is located in the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds, Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics, file 10 (tape 23) and file 11 (tape 24). Sales literature and seed packets for Steele Briggs Seeds are located in the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 4 (Marketing). One photograph of Steele Briggs Seeds can be found in Series 5 (Photographs) in the sub-series 5.17, Steele Robertson/Steele Briggs of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds. There is also a Steele Briggs poster located in oversized drawer # 4. In Series 6 (Miscellaneous) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds, under the Centennial Exhibition, there is a folder for Steele Briggs containing various records/documents for the company that were used in the display.
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A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. - scrapbooks

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4336
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
GMD
textual records
Date Range
c.1903 - c.1940
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
Series Number
McS 6 6.3
GMD
textual records
Date Range
c.1903 - c.1940
Physical Description
27.5 cm
Physical Condition
The scrapbooks in this sub-series are fragile, particularly the product book. They must be handled with great care.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of three scrapbooks. Two of the three contain copies of advertisements for a number of businesses, including McKenzie Seeds, Steele Briggs, Patmore's, Rennie's, and McFayden Seeds. Clippings dealing with a variety of other companies in the seed industry are also included. The third scrapbook contains pictures of various flowers, vegetable, herbs and other seed products in alphabetical order. An inventory is available for the third scrapbook.
Notes
Date(s) of creation, including distribution, publication, etc.: a) [No title] ad book - 1906-1911 b) "Scrap Book" ad book - 1917-1926 c) [No title] product book - c.1903 - c.1940
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds McS 6 Miscellaneous
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A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. - miscellaneous publications

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4335
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1963, 1978, 1984-1985
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
Series Number
McS 6 6.2
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1963, 1978, 1984-1985
Physical Description
6 titles; 6 cm
History / Biographical
This sub-series consists of publications that did not fit into any of the preceding series or sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes one copy each of Manitoba Business Top 100 (June 1985), Trade and Commerce Supplement, Brandon (c. 1963) and Manitoba Business (November 1985). It also includes a Christmas Song book, the book "By Gossip and Myth" by Prof. George MacDowell and a document entitled "Background Information re A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd." The following newspaper clippings have been located in the map case drawer #4 located in the archives reading room: 1. $175,000 Gift Set for College from City Man 2. McKenzie Will Leaves House to Arts Centre 3. The Old Alma Mater is Down on Her Knees 4. How to Help the Alma Mater 5. Good Things are "growing" on at McKenzie Seeds (ad) 6. Fire fails to halt work at McKenzie Seeds 7. McKenzie Seeds: new facilities are first in North America 8. A full-page advertisment for McKenzie Seeds from "The Brandon Sun" (September 24, 1971)
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds McS 6 Miscellaneous
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Brandon College Inc.

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4338
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1929-1968
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
Series Number
MG 5 1.1
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1929-1968
Physical Description
15.9 cm
History / Biographical
A.E. McKenzie was involved with Brandon College from its very beginnings. He was present at the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Brandon College Building in July of 1900; he became a member of the Brandon College Endowment Committee in 1918; the following year he was on the Finance Committee. By the mid-1920's, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the College. In 1928, he was part of a group that convinced the Baptist Union of Western Canada, the principal funding body for the College, to provide money towards reducing the College’s accumulated deficit. McKenzie and other members of the College Board had advised the Union that they were developing an endowment plan to provide continuing financial support for Brandon College. In 1931. Mr. McKenzie organized the Brandon Board of Trade to help save the College when the Baptist Union indicated its intention to withdraw financial support to the College. When efforts to have the City of Brandon provide finacial resources to the College failed, A.E. McKenzie organized the Brandon Citizen's Campaign to raise enough money to enable the College to open the next year. In 1938, when the Baptist Union did withdrew support from the College, McKenzie offered to establish a $100,000 endowment, which he later raised to $300,000, to ensure the continuation of the College. On August 1 of the same year, the Board of Trade, of which McKenzie was a member, set out to raise $15,000 to match the offer the government had made to the College. In September 1938, McKenzie increased his endowment again, this time to $500,000. As a result, of McKenzie's endowment and the fundraising efforts of the Board of Trade the charter establishing Brandon College Incorporated was approved on April 17, 1939.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes correspondence between McKenzie and Lowes with various government officials - Duff Roblin, Hon. George Johnson, Hon. Stewart E. McLean and Comptroller-General George D. Iliffe. There is also correspondence with the company lawyer, William Johnston. Documents within the series consist of the Act to Incorporate Brandon College, Inc. and Bill 86, as well as an indenture and an agreement between C.S. Eaton, G.C. Edwards, A.E. McKenzie, D.H. Hudson and E.J. Tarr. There are also a number of documents written by McKenzie that were presented to the Brandon College Board of Directors. Brandon College Inc. resolutions regarding the McKenzie Foundation are also included. The sub-series has one sub sub series: MG 5 1.1.1 History of Brandon College Inc.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds MG 5 A.E. McKenzie fonds
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Brandon Board of Trade

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4342
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1910-1911
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
Series Number
MG 5 1.4
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1910-1911
Physical Description
0.3 cm
History / Biographical
The Brandon Board of Trade was founded in 1883 to promote business activity and economic expansion in Brandon. Aside from these records, no other records of the Board of Trade are known to exist.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Sub-series includes the intervention of the Board in the 1910 municipal election in Brandon and a listing of the standing committee for 1911. The sub-series also includes a letter to Mr. Blanchard from A.E. McKenzie and a financial statement for the Brandon Commercial Bureau.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds MG 5 A.E. McKenzie fonds
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History of Brandon College Inc.

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4339
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub sub series
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1961-1963
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub sub series
Series Number
MG 5 1.1.1
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1961-1963
Physical Description
8.9 cm
History / Biographical
In the early 1960's, A.E. McKenzie set out to right a book chronicling the first 38 years of Brandon College's history. To achieve this goal, he contacted a number of former faculty member and students of Brandon College, and asked them to contribute their recollections of the College. The testimonials were published along with a message from Brandon University's President at the time, Dr. John E. Robbins. Brandon College Inc. also contained comments from McKenzie regarding the Re-establishment of the College.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub sub series contains correspondence discussing textual and photographic content of the book, clarification of facts, and the format and printing of the book. There is also one newspaper clipping and some proofs. A large part of the sub-series is comprised of the contributions and mailing list for the project. Two copies of the completed book are also been included. The remainder of the documents in the sub-series deal with reactions to the project. Testimonials from well-known individuals such as Mrs. Olive Diefenbaker, a former student at the College, the Minister of Education, and the Premier of Manitoba are contained in the sub-series. As well, fonds includes numerous letters from other individuals, thanking and congratulating McKenzie on the project are included. There is also a file relating to the reaction – not unanimously favorable - of the Brandon College Board of Directors to the project. The majority of the photographs used in the History of Brandon College Inc. are also included.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds MG 5 A.E. McKenzie fonds 1.1 Brandon College Inc.
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Brandon Allied Arts Council

http://archives.brandonu.ca/en/permalink/descriptions4341
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1959-1968
Part Of
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
Description Level
Sub-series
Series Number
MG 5 1.3
GMD
textual records
Date Range
1959-1968
Physical Description
4.3 cm
History / Biographical
The Brandon Allied Arts Council was established in the fall of 1959 and spring of 1960. At that time a Foundation was set up, consisting of six men 'of affairs' in Brandon, who were to act as Trustees and administer gifts, bequests and all capital expenditures. The men asked to serve were: Judge Buckingham, Roy Armstrong (Manager of the Royal Bank), Lasby Lowes, R.A. Clement, Victor Sharpe and D.R. Doig. From the beginning A.E. McKenzie was a great supporter of the Allied Arts Council. Shortly before his death in 1964 McKenzie proposed leaving his home at 436 Victoria Ave. to the Arts Council to be used as an art gallery. Following a great deal of debate it was finally decided, sometime after McKenzie's death, to decline the offer.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series has been divided into two periods, the first dealing with A.E. McKenzie and the Arts Council and the second concerning Lasby Lowes and the Arts Council. Included within the sub-series is correspondence to McKenzie from Marion Doig of the Arts Council relating the progress of the establishment of the Council through the fall of 1959 to the summer of 1960. It also includes correspondence between McKenzie and R.A. Clement regarding the gift of McKenzie's home to the Brandon Allied Arts Council, and correspondence between McKenzie and the Chairman of Nominations, Brandon Allied Arts Council. The records generated during the Lasby Lowes period revolve primarily around the estate of A.E. McKenzie. Included is correspondence between The National Trust, Sutherland Agencies Limited, Kathleen Roberts (nee McKenzie), Canadian Diebold Safe Co., G.R. Rowe (President of Arts Council), Green Blankenstein Russell Associates, Income Tax Department, Winnipeg, Monarch Life Assurance Company and Lasby Lowes. Other correspondence deals with Lowes' role as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Brandon Allied Arts Council. Also included within the sub-series is a photocopy of the Memorandum of Agreement that established the "Brandon Allied Arts Foundation" (1960). The sub-series has been divided into two sub sub series, including: (1) 1.3.1 A.E. McKenzie and the Brandon Allied Arts Council (1959-64); and (2) 1.3.2 Lasby Lowes and the Brandon Allied Arts Council (1964-68).
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds MG 5 A.E. McKenzie fonds
Related Material
Additional Information on the Brandon Allied Arts Council is located in the Brandon Art Club fonds 03-2001 in the S.J. McKee Archives. Series 5 (Photographs) contains newspaper clippings concerning the gift of McKenzie's house to the Brandon Allied Arts Council in oversized drawer #4.
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7 records – page 1 of 1.