The Chater Protestant School District was established in 1883, with the arrival of settlers in southwestern Manitoba. In 1890, it became the Chater School District following school reform in Manitoba. The original Protestant District school was a wooden structure constructed in the village of Chater a few miles east of Brandon, Manitoba. In 1906, funds were raised for the building of a cement structure to replace the original wooden one. The Chater School District was dissolved in 1966, but the school house continued to serve as a community center until 1973, when it was demolished.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes minutes of the School Trustees (1891-1931, 1940-1959), teaching contracts (1937-1957), financial records of the school (1939-1958), a booklet titled "The Public School Act, The Education Department Act, The School Attendance Act, The Teachers Retirement Allowances Act"(1954), and a collection of school registers (1912-13, 1915-49, 1954-55, 1957-58) from the Chater School District. Included within the minute books of the Chater School District are financial records for the "Chater Association of Patrons of Industry, charter # 3532" (1891-1895). Also included is an ink stamp reading "Chater Protestant School District, No. 181, Manitoba Canada."
The Griswold Protestant School District was established on September 9, 1885, to provide schooling for children residents in the village of Griswold and the surrounding countryside. It became the Griswold School District following school reform in Manitoba in 1890. The District existed until the early 1960s, when it was incorporated first into Brandon School Division #40 and subsequently into Division #41 (La Bosse). The Griswold School was still in operation in 1967. The building is now used as a community center.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned in 1997 by the McKee Archives. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
The single minute book in this fonds contains minutes on meetings held by the Griswold School District, in Griswold, Manitoba from 1907 to 1943. The minutes deal with questions related to teacher hiring and general administration in the school district.
Fred McGuinness’ broadcasting career began when he enrolled at St. Paul’s College, an affiliate of the University of Manitoba. In 1945, he became chairman of the Radio Subcommittee working as the Director of the University Radio Series where he was responsible (i.e., writing, casting, directing) for a half-hour Saturday afternoon radio programme.
McGuinness sold his first manuscript to the CBC in 1947, recording a 14-minute broadcast titled the “Class A Circuit” about the Royal American tour. The script was based on work McGuinness had done as a Director of Publicity and Exploitation (1947 to 1952) for the Royal American Shows while the show toured with the fairs on the Canadian prairies.
McGuinness began developing broadcast scripts in earnest for the CBC when he returned to Manitoba in 1966. By the 1970s, McGuinness was writing copy for CBC’s Radio Noon and Information Radio, as well as producing Ashgrove Farm, a CBC radio drama.
By 1980, McGuinness was hosting the CBC Radio broadcast Neighborly News from the Prairies. The radio program was cancelled by the CBC in 1983 after much outcry, but was resurrected with Altona broadcaster CFAM later that year with McGuinness at the helm. The radio show concluded its run in the summer of 1987.
In 1985, McGuinness returned to broadcast with the CBC and is popularly known for his “Manitoba Reports” that he delivered on CBC Radio’s Morningside with Peter Gzowski. He held his position as the prairie correspondent for 12 years. In the final three to four years of the Morningside show, McGuinness was asked to write non-political essays for broadcast. These “Letters Assignments” would be later published in 1999 by Great Plains Publishing as Letters from Section 17: A Collection of Morningside Essays.
Custodial History
Accession 1-2015 contains records created and collected over the course of McGuinness’ career as a radio broadcaster, newspaper journalist and freelance writer. The Estate of Fred McGuinness donated the materials to the SJ McKee Archives circa 2011. The Archives accessioned the records in 2015.
Scope and Content
Fred McGuinness was involved in a number of radio broadcasts in his life. The records in this subseries are the result of that work. The subseries contains drafts of possible broadcast scripts dating to the 1950s and early 1960s, drafts of CBC broadcast scripts for CBC’s Radio Noon, Information Radio, Ashgrove Farms radio drama, and Neighborly News from the Prairies. McGuinness appears to have annotated his scripts to reflect breathing, pauses, and other factors that could impact the delivery of his script on air.
The S.J. McKee Archives does not appear to have broadcast scripts pertaining to McGuinness’ CBC Morningside years.
Notes
Information for the history/biography was obtained from documents in the Radio broadcast script subseries (McG 6.1), McGuinness’ book Letters from Section 17 (published by Great Plains Publications in 1999), and his column “A Mourning Sigh for National Institution, “ Brandon Sun, May 29, 1997
Accruals
Closed
Finding Aid
A file level inventory is available
Storage Location
2015 accessions
Related Material
Fred McGuinness would write/publish about a topic in a number of forums. Therefore, it is possible materials pertaining to his broadcast career may be found in other series of the Fred McGuinness collection. McGuinness’ UofM student radio club certificates can be found in his scrapbook (McG 1.4). A sound recording of one of McGuinness’ UofM broadcasts can be found in McG 7
CBC Radio Archives - Morningside
Trent University, Peter Gzowski fonds (99-015)
Arrangement
Arrangement was artificially created by the Archives. Subseries has been re-arranged according to publication period
The Blyth Protestant School District #471 was founded in 1886. It became the Blyth School District following the elimination of the denominational school system in Manitoba in 1890. The District was located south of Brandon in the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis. The District existed until the mid-1960s, when it was incorporated into the Rolling River School Division.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes the minute books, financial records (1886-1955), attendance registers (1887-1906), and related documents of the Blyth School District, Rural Municipality of Cornwallis. Aside from attendance records, the fonds contains documents relating to issues of teachers salaries, attendance policies, and holidays.
The Bertha School District, located south of Brandon in the Rural Municipality of Oakland, was established in 1896. It was integrated into the School Distict of Nesbitt in 1961. Subsequently, it became part of the Souris Valley School Division.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of annual registers (1910-1961), minute books (1896-1962), account books (1896-1911, 1924-1956), an award of a Board of Arbitration (1961), a petition for consolidation with the School District of Nesbitt (1961), a financial report (1961), a map of the Souris Valley School Division showing rural school districts, and one debenture certificate (1896).
File consists of correspondence with the Canadian Broadcasting League and records of the Board of Broadcast Governors and the Executive Committee of the Citizens Committee for Better Broadcasting.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 8: Library Services
Esther Moore was born in Norfolk, Nebraska and moved to Canada at age 3. There is a vague reference to her being related to the composer Dvorak in The Quill of 1913. She registered as a music student at Brandon College in 1909. In 1910, Miss Moore received a medal for sight-reading and accompanying in Edmonton. She took her examinations of the Toronto Conservatory of Music in 1910, and her Senior examinations in 1911. She completed her theory work in 1913, as well as finishing the academic requirements. In 1913, Esther Moore became the first graduate of the Music department at Brandon College. After graduation, Miss Moore taught music in Unity, as well as being the choirleader and organist. She returned to her home in Olds, Alberta for a rest from teaching. However, she was not idle for long. She took up teaching again, and she was the organist and choirleader at church. She also began a Glee Club. Between these responsibilities Miss Moore finished a course in the Household Science Department at the Olds Agricultural College. She returned to Brandon College to take postgraduate work, becoming the first Brandon College student to receive her L.T.C.M. in 1916. In 1922 Miss Moore began to teach piano at Brandon College. She received her Bachelor of Music in 1925, and her Master of Music in 1926.
Custodial History
Records were accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Esther Moore’s records consist of newspaper clippings, recital programmes, concert programmes, and commencement programmes. As well, there are dance cards, invitations, tickets, and the programme for the annual Graduation Banquet for several years. There are Track and Field programmes and a ribbon. There are also Alumni Luncheon programmes for a few years. There is an issue of The Western Baptist from 1926, and the programmes for the installation of Dr. Robbins as President and the opening of the Arts and Library building and the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre in 1960. There is also a letter from William L. Wright, director of the music department at Brandon College.
Fred McGuinness’ public speaking and broadcasting career began after he enrolled at St. Paul’s College, which was affiliated with the University of Manitoba. From 1943 to 1946, McGuinness served on the student union’s Public Relations Committee; in 1945, he became chairman of the Radio Subcommittee working as the Director of the University Radio Series where he was responsible (i.e., writing, casting, directing) for a half-hour Saturday afternoon radio programme. That same year, the President of the University of Manitoba recommended McGuinness as a speaker for the War Finance Committee in the Winnipeg Area.
In 1946, McGuinness moved to Port Arthur to work in public relations with the Wartime Prices and Trade Board. That same year he married his wife Christine. In 1947, the couple returned to Winnipeg, when McGuinness took a job as a Public Relations Officer for the National Employment Service’s Unemployment Insurance Commission (UIC). While employed with the UIC, McGuinness travelled the summer fair circuit with displays promoting the UIC and its benefits. During that time, Royal American Shows also hired McGuinness as its Director of Publicity and Exploitation while the show toured with the fairs on the Canadian prairies. McGuinness also sold his first manuscript to the CBC in 1947, recording a 14-minute broadcast titled the “Class A Circuit” about the Royal American tour, after his summer fair schedule concluded.
McGuinness continued his work with Royal American and the UIC until he accepted a position with the Saskatchewan government in 1952 to promote its upcoming 1955 golden jubilee. His experience with the Saskatchewan Jubilee preparations lead to McGuinness being appointed as a provincial representative to the Canadian Centennial Commission in 1963; an appointment that had McGuinness delivering speeches provincially and internationally.
After the jubilee, McGuinness accepted a position with The Medicine Hat News in Medicine Hat, Alberta. During his decade with that newspaper as a journalist and publisher, McGuinness was heavily involved with the Chamber of Commerce and community service organizations. His position within the community had him delivering talks to many local groups.
At the beginning of 1966, McGuinness started his new appointment as manager of the newly formed personnel and information branch for James Richardson and Sons Ltd. whose head offices were in Winnipeg. At that time McGuinness was developing broadcast scripts for the CBC in earnest. McGuinness left Richardson and Sons in the fall of 1966 to become the publisher and vice-president of the Brandon Sun newspaper in Brandon, Manitoba.
In the 1970s, McGuinness was writing copy for CBC’s Radio Noon and Information Radio, as well as producing Ashgrove Farm, a CBC radio drama. By 1980, McGuinness was hosting the CBC Radio broadcast Neighborly News from the Prairies. The radio program was cancelled by the CBC in 1983, but was reincarnated with Altona broadcaster CFAM later that year with McGuinness at the helm. The radio show ended its run in the summer of 1987. McGuinness continued working with the CBC, and is popularly known for his work as the prairie essayist for CBC Radio’s Morningside with Peter Gzowski, a position McGuinness held for 17 years.
During his twenty years with the Sun, McGuinness took an active roll in the community and cultivated his interest in local history. Consequently he was invited to guest speak and chair sessions on local history, rural development, and the economy while providing his personal insights as a newspaper publisher.
In the 1980s and 1990s, McGuinness co-taught an undergraduate journalism class at Brandon University with English Professor John Blaikie. McGuinness also delivered community workshops on memoir writing, a past time he continued until shortly before his death in 2011.
Custodial History
Accession 1-2015 contains records created and collected over the course of McGuinness’ career as a radio broadcaster, newspaper journalist and freelance writer. The Estate of Fred McGuinness donated the materials to the SJ McKee Archives circa 2011. The Archives accessioned the records in 2015.
Scope and Content
The series contains records created and collected by Fred McGuinness during his time as a radio broadcaster, journalist, editor, and freelance writer. Records in the series consist of broadcast scripts, lecture notes, speeches, rough drafts and notes, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and other research materials for respective broadcasts, lectures, speeches, and workshops.
The series has been divided into three subseries, including: (1) radio broadcast scripts, (2) BU journalism course, and (3) talks and workshops.
Notes
Information for the history/biography was obtained from documents in McGuinness’ personal papers (see his family papers McG 1.1 and the scrapbook in McG 1.4) and his book Letters from Section 17 (published by Great Plains Publications in 1999)
Accruals
Closed
Finding Aid
A file level inventory is available for each subseries, see subseries
descriptions
Storage Location
2015 accessions
Related Material
Fred McGuinness would write/publish about a topic in a number of forums. Therefore, it is possible materials pertaining to his broadcast and lecture career may be found in other series of the Fred McGuinness collection. A sound recording of one of McGuinness’ UofM broadcasts can be found in McG 7
Arrangement
Arrangement was artificially created by the Archives. Series has been re-arranged according to publication period
McG 6 McGuinness broadcasts, lectures, workshops
McG 6.1 Radio broadcast scripts
McG 6.2 BU Journalism course
McG 6.3 Talks and workshops
Manitoba Pool Elevators was quick to realize the usefulness of the radio medium as a educational and promotional tool. It was also often used to defend the Pool and the co-operative movement in general on programs such as Farm Radio Forum. See fonds level description of RG 4 for complete history/bio of MPE.
Scope and Content
Sub-series MPE B.10 consists of textual radio broadcast transcriptions. The records include transcriptions from 1930 until 1971. Radio broadcasts are on a wide variety of topics, including argicultural science, the grain market and general economy of Canada and the world, government acts and legislation that affected the producer, co-operatives and the co-operative movement, rural life, young people, WWII, Manitoba, and the Manitoba Pool Elevators.
File consists of correspondence, an honourary degree nomination for Betty Gibson, a membership list for the Canadian Association of Unviersity Development Officers and notices for School of Music concerts.
Sub sub series consists of the following publications:
Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1956-1957; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1957-1958; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1959-1960; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1960-1961; Department of Music General Information Academic Season 1961-1962; School of Music Academic Season 1962-1963; School of Music Academic Season 1963-1964; School of Music Academic Season 1964-1965; School of Music Academic Season 1965-1966; School of Music 1967
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 7: Faculties and Schools
7.4 School of Music
Administrative history for the Basswood School District is currently unavailable.
Custodial History
Accessioned in 2007 by the McKee Archives. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of van driver contracts (1916-33), income tax forms (1919-38), school inspector's reports (1922-29), high school examination results (1926-34), correspondence with Western Seating Co. (1922), school censuses (1919-38), bus route plans (1916-34), caretaker agreemtns (1918-33), transportation expenditure forms (1917-38), equalizaton of taxes forms (1916-34), annual meeting reports (1924, 1927), Department of Education reports (1921-38), secondary school taxes notice to council forms (1926-33), Manitoba income tax employers' returns (1923-32), library reports (1929-34), requisitions for library books (1916-30), assessments (1919-34), teacher's annual reports (1937-38) and a miscellaneous file including records related to pupil promotions, teacher's retirement fund, religious teaching, a hectograph recipe, by-laws and insurance (1922-38).
Notes
Receipts from 1938-1939 were culled. Description by Christy Henry.
Bankburn School was located 1/2 mile west and about three miles north of Oak River, Manitoba. The Bankburn School Literary Society was formed in 1906.
Custodial History
Records were donated to the McKee Archives by Anne Pettapieces in March 1978.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of the minutes of the Literary Society of the Bankburn School (1906-1907) and a copy of Vol.1, No.1 of The Bankburn Star, which includes some information on and two photos of the school.
