It appears that the Neepawa Business and Profession of Women's Club was established in 1955. The president of the club in 1955, was Nora Day. The objectives of the club were to enhance the status of professional and business women and to promote contact between women in business and the professions. The club had seven committees, including: the United Nations, Newsletter, Emblem, Social, Programme, Publicity, and Membership Committees. The Neepawa Club attended provincial conferences of the Business and Professional Women's Clubs and observed Business Women's Week. The club also hosted conferences,as well as local luncheons and picnics.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 2002. Previous custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of one scrapbook made by the club, which covers the years 1955-1959. The scrapbook includes newspaper clippings, programs, invitations, and lists of club officers from around the province. The scrapbook also includes the bylaws of the Neepawa Club. Many of the newspaper clippings relate to the status of women in Canada and around the world.
Brandon Business and Professional Women's Club (10-2002); Minnedosa Business and Professional Women's Club (11-2002); Neepawa Business and Professional Women's Club (12-2002); Trilliam Business and Professional Women's Club (2-2006).
The Humesville Women's Missionary Society began in 1885, in Humesville, Manitoba. Originally named the Humesville Women's Foreign Missionary Society, it was formed in connection with the Brandon Presbyterial Society as an auxiliary group. The reference to "Foreign" was later dropped from the organization's name. The HWMS was a non-profit group that raised money and gathered goods for the needy in the local area, Canada and around the world. The Forrest Women's Missionary Society was involved in much of the same work as the Humesville group. The membership of the two organizations was drawn from women residents in the Forrest/Humesville area.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of financial records, newspaper clippings, and attendance lists for the Humesville and Forrest Women's Missionary Societies. Minutes for the Humesville Society cover the years 1885-1907; 1920-1940. The minutes of the Forrest Society cover the years 1928-1943. The attendance lists cover the years 1892 to 1904, 1906, 1907 and 1939 (Humesville) and 1928 to 1934, 1938 to 1941 (Forrest). Fonds also contains minutes of the Young Peoples' Society of Humesville 1910-1914, Forrest United Church Women's Association 1930-1946, and a pamphlet detailing the history of the Humesville/Forrest United Church.
The Canadian Federation of University Women was founded in 1919 under the leadership of Margaret McWilliams of Winnipeg to promote the interests of women with higher education at local, national and international levels. It is a voluntary, non-profit, self-funded organization with a membership of over 10,000 university-educated women and 122 local clubs. The CFUW promotes high standards of public education; encourages advanced study and research by women university graduates; encourages active participation in public affairs by qualified women; works to safeguard and improve human rights and the economic, legal and professional status of women in Canada; and participates in the work of the International Federation of University Women. The Brandon University chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women was established in 1948. It continues to be active.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains correspondence with other branches of the CFUW, minutes and programs from meetings and seminars held throughout Canada, as well as administrative records and minutes of the Brandon branch. Most administrative records concern the problems of maintaining membership levels and recruiting younger members. Fonds also contains various issues of the "Chronicle," a CFUW publication. Fonds also includes CFUW Brandon minutes, miscellaneous projects, annual reports and member lists, as well as a number of documents relating to the provincial, national and international activities of the CFUW.
Some water stains and dirt around the edges (the writing hasn't been affected). The second page of the Cash book has a program from the 1936 annual sale of pure bred bulls and females at the Winter Fair (Brandon, MB) glued to it.
History / Biographical
Administrative history for the Manitoba Elevator Company is currently unavailable.
Custodial History
Fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a Cash book (April 1890-November 1895) and an Accounts Receivable/Grain Deliveries book (April 1890-December 1895).
The Southwest Branch of the Manitoba Genealogical Society was established in 1978. The Branch was formed following a meeting with members of the Manitoba Genealogical Association formed in 1977. The organization was created to assist individuals interested in doing genealogical research through the provision of genealogical data and archival resources. Since its creation the Southwest Branch has also issued a newletter and published a series of cenusus summaries based on the 1901 Canadian census.
Custodial History
These records were donated to the McKee archives in 1990 by J.D. Wall on behalf of the Southwest Branch of the Manitoba Genealogical Society.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes transcripts of the records transcribed from cemetery headstones located in cemeteries throughout southwestern Manitoba. Each transcript includes details about the cemetery records and all details including names, dates, and inscriptions from each headstone. The collection includes a "Cemetery Transcript List" detailing those cemeteries for which transcripts exist. Transcripts include those for the following cemeteries: Alexander, Birdtail Sioux Indian Reserve, Blenheim Church, Glencoe, Boissevain, Brandon, Brandon Hills Church Cemetery, Brookdale, Carberry District, Coultervale, Elgin, Elkhorn, Humesville, Lauder, Kerfoot (Gregg Cemetery), Icelandic Gravesite (Tilston), History of Kingsley Cemetery near Somerset, Madford Cemetery, Old Medora Cemetery, Melgund, Millford Cemetery, Noble Cemetery, Methven , Millord Cemetery, Roseville Anglican Church Cemetery, St. Savior's Anglican Church, St. George's Anglican Church, Rounthwaite, Souris (Glenwood Cemetery), Skalholt, Wellwood, Woodville (Lund, Kola, Bennett, Two Creeks), Patterson (near Nesbitt), Sparling (near Justice), Tilston (near Sinclair), Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial (20 miles north of Rivers).
The Brandon Art Club was founded in November 1907, and operated in an art studio on the top floor of the Brandon College Women's Residence. The club appears to have been the creation of Miss. H. Hancock, who became the Director of the Department of Art at Brandon College c. 1907. The club moved to larger facilities made available at the First Methodist Church; the organization remained there until sometime during the Great War when the club relocated to St. Paul's Presbyterian Church and then in 1921, to the Prince Edward Hotel. The club's first public art exhibitions were held at the Prince Edward Hotel. Art classes were held for the first time in 1928. In 1968, the Brandon Art Club merged with the Allied Arts Center, which had been formed in 1959. The Allied Arts Center was located at 1036 Louise Avenue. In April 1984, the Allied Arts Center was moved to new facilities at the Arts Center of Western Manitoba located at 638 Princess Avenue. In 1989, it was renamed the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, and began to function as a "professional, regional art gallery." The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba relocated to 2-710 Rosser Ave. c. 2001.
Custodial History
These records were created at different times between 1907 and 1993, and remained in the possession of the administration of the above mentioned organizations until May 2001, when they where donated to the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains administrative records, minutes, personal files, correspondence, newsletters, photographs, summaries of collections and exhibits, scrapbooks, programs, submitted papers, and other miscellaneous records. All are a record of the growth and evolution of the Art Club, its administration, and of the art community in Brandon.
The A.E. McKenzie Company fonds (RG 3 MG 1, 1.3) located in the McKee Archives contains some records, primarily correspondence and minutes, relating to the Brandon Allied Arts Council.
1965-1980, predominant 25 May 1965 - 30 September 1976
Physical Description
12 cm textual records
6 b/w photographs (loose)
1 artefact
Physical Condition
Some of the items in the scrapbook have come loose from their pages, some documents are stained from a liquid, likely coffee
History / Biographical
In 1965, Chris Verhoef, member of the Overture Concert Association, Allied Arts Centre, and Brandon Citizens' Commitee for the Performing Arts, called for a meeting of Western manitoba citizens interested in the prospect of a Philharmonic Choir for the region. The meeting took place on 26 May 1965; the steering committee that gathered, led by Margaret Goodman, undertook the formation of the Choir. The Choir would have an Executive consistign of at least four members, and a committee consisting of a minimum seven members. Each executive member would be elected on an annual basis. The Choir's executive, in collaboration with the conductor, would determine the choir's repertoire for the year. The establishment of the Western Manitoba PHilharmonic Choir (WMPC) sought to encourage amateurs to sing for enjoyment, provide the opportunity for a choir to perform choral compositions in collaboration with a symphony orchestra and promote and sponsor the musical arts in the Western Manitoba region. Membership to the choir would be open to all citizens of the region, and members would be accepted based on the discretion of the conductor. The first meeting of prospective members took place on 27 September 1965 in St. Matthews Cathedral parish Hall where more than 90 people gathered and registered to become a member of the WMPC.
Chris Verhoef led the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir into its first season as President of the choir's Executive Committee. For the organization's first season, the WMPC hired two members of the Brandon College School of Music: Lucien Needham for the position of conductor and Louise Chapman for the position of accompanist. Brandon College, as well as other donors sponsored the choir for its first season. The Choir held its debut performance in collaboration with the Winnipeg Sympnay Orchestra (WSO) on 12 March 1966, and the Choir's performance of Vivaldi's Gloria and Handel's Dettingen te Deum attracted an audience of more than 1400 people. The performance was well received by the public. The debut performance's asuccess earned the CHoir a rcommendation for a grant from the Manitoba Centennial Corporation that would sponsor a special concert during the centennial year. Furthermore, the Canada Council supported the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, by the means of special funds, to make the Symphony's appearance witht he Philharmonic Choir possible.
For the WMPC's second season, membership rose to 111 amateur singers. Verhoef remained as President of the Executive, while the Brandon Citizens' Committee for the Performing Arts provided sponsorship. Following the Choir's performance of Schubert's Mass in Eb Major on 17 November 1966, the membership increased to 132 singers. On 20 January 1967, the WMPC's first taped broadcast was released over CBC and CKX. The broadcast's success resulted in an offer from CBC to record another broadcast for a similar release. The Kiwanis Club of Rivers invited the Choir to perform in Rivers on 25 january 1967. On 7 April 1967, the Choir performed Haydn's oratorio, The Creation, in the Brandon College Gymnasium.
The choir elected Murray Ames as President to lead it through its thrid and fourth seasons. In its third season, the WMPC, conducted by Leonard Mayoh, performed Handel's Messiah on 22 November 1967 in the Brandon University Gymnasium. The Choir's spring concert, name the "Chris Verhoef Memorial Concert," in honour of Chris Verhoef who had passed away December 1967, featured works by Bach, Brahms and Perry. Held on 9 March 1968, in the Brandon University Gymansium, the concert featured Brandon university student James Stewart as soloist and was received with great praise. In addition to the memorial concert, the WMPC also established a $500 scholarship for a Brandon University music student to honour Verhoef's substantial contribution to the community.
The first concert of the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir's fourth season was held on 10 December 1968, in the J.R.C. Evans Lecture Theatre at Brandon University and featured selections from Handel's Messiah. A piano trio comprised of Francis Chaplin (violin), Malcom Tait (cello) and Gordon Macpherson (piano), as well as a brass trio, also performed at the chori's winter concert. In its fourth season, the WMPC performed two concerts in the second half of its season. On 15 FEbrurary 1969, in cooperation with CKX Radio and Television, the choir performed works by Mozart, Hindemith, and Mahler in collaboration with the Winnipeg Sympony Orchestra conducted by George Cleve. Later in the season, the choir performed Brahms' Requiem Mass, once again in collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. R. Parker filled the position of President of the Executive for the duration of the Choir's fifth, sixth and seventh seasons. The fifth season saw the WMPC performing four concerts. Conducted by Leonard Mayoh, it opened its season on 11 october 1969 with a performance at the Grand Finale of the Grand Opening of the Western manitoba Centennial Auditorium, performing theoverture to Mozart's The Magic Flute and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Their Christmas concert, also conduceted by Mayoh, took place on 10 December 1969. The Choir's third concert of its fifth season was held on 31 january 1970, in cooperation with CKX RAdio and Television, and featured works by Mendelssohn, Ravel, and Schubert, in collaboration with the WSO under the direction of conductor George Cleve. The season concluded with another concert in collaboration with the WSO on 7 March 1970, conducted by Leonard Mayoh. This concert featured works by Vaughn Williams, Handel and Poulenc.
Seasons six and seven consisted of two concerts each. The Choir held its fifth annual Christmas Concert on 5 December 1970. Led by Leonard Mayoh, it performed its spring concert on 10 April 1971 in collaboration with members from the Winnipeg Symphony, featuring selections by Bach and Mozart in the Western manitoba Centennial Auditorium. Into its seventh season, the Choir performed Bach's Christmas Oratorio on 4 December 1971 in the Central United Church. For its final concert of the year, the WMPC revisited a piece that had been the main focus of its second season: Haydn's oratorio, The Creation. The Choir performed this Haydn masterwork on 8 April 1972 under the direction of Piero Gamba.
Helen Riesberry led the choir through its eigth and ninth seasons as President of the Executive. In its eigth season, the WMPC held its annual Christmas concert on 12 December 1972 in collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in the style of a sing-along led by Mitch Miller. The choir's spring concert featured another masterwork, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, conducted by Piero Gamba. The WMPC and members of the WSO performed the Requiem Mass on 28 April 1973 at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. Despite the lack of attendance at rehearsals since the Christmas concert, the WMPC presented an overall effective performance of the challenging Requiem Mass.
In its ninth season, Derek Morphy took over the position of conductor from Leonard Mayoh. Morphy had his debut performance as conductor with the WMPC at the annual Christmas concert on 17 December 1973. In March 1974, in collaboration with members from the WSO, Morphy led the Choir in its performance of Mendelssohn's oratorio, Elijah, in the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. later in the season, the choir performed a concert entitled "Reflections," a choral programme for Lent and Easter, accompanied by organist Arthur Bower.
Nearing the end of its ninth season, the Philharmonic Choir encountered severe financial challenges. The Choir released a notice in the newspaper that the anticipated $3000 grant from the Manitoba Arts Council had been cut to $1000, leaving the Choir $3100 in debt. The notice explained that the Choir needed funds in order to enable operation and continue hiring the WSO for concerts. The WMPC executive and committee held a Leonard Mayoh Night in an attempt to gain funds and donations. Although the Manitoba Arts Council raised thegrant to $2000 and the City of Brandon contributed $500, the Choir's financial situation remained in a dire state as its ninth season came to a close.
The Choir elected Edith Hayden to lead it through its tenth and eleventh seasons as President of the Executive. The opening of the tenth season challenged the WMPC. In addition to its financial woes, the Choir's Executive struggled to overcome the lack of attendance at rehearsals and the shortage of male voices. The WMPC had experienced membership issues in earlier seasons as well. In its third season, despite a membership of 130 individuals, the choir had struggled to create a balanced sound due to a lack of male membership and therefore a lack of lower voices. In its sixth season, the Choir opened their concert year with an appeal for members. In an effort to improve the choir's financial affairs, the Choir Executive and conductor decided against hiring the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for the time being. In an attempt to improve the situation, Derek Morphy wrote a letter to the members of the Choir outlining his concern that he may not be meeting their expectations as a conductor but hoped to generate positive and hopeful prospects for the future of music-making together.
The Choir's annual Christmas concert featured a collaboration with the Brandon School Division Music Department and Brandon School Orchestra and Band Association, as well as dancers choreographed by Barbra Enhes. The WMPC performed Haydn's Mass in D minor at its spring concert on 27 April 1975, accompanied by Arthur Bower. By the end of the season, the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir's financial situation had begun to improve.
The WMPC hired conductor peter Allen to lead the Chori through its final season of operation. The Choir held its annual Christmas concert in the Central United Church on 7 December 1975, and featured Vivaldi's Glora, accompanied by pianist Barry Anderson. The choir perfomed Deller's Psalm 148, Teleman's Cantata for the Fourth Sunday after the Feast of the Three Kings, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater at its spring concert held at the Central United Church on 25 April 1976.
Despite its best efforts, the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir's first rehearsal of its twelfth season saw just 26 members in attendance. As a result of lack of membership, the Choir Executive decided to disband the WMPC for its 1976/1977 season, with plans to reassess the situation in September of 1977 for the prospect of a 1977/1978 season. Matters were further complicated by financial considerations; by June 1977 the choir's financial situation had worsened as a result of the administrative fees that the WMPC covered for the duration of its unexpected inactive 1976/1977 season. Unlike past years, there were not any ticket sales to cover such expenses.
Following its year off, membership interest in the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir did not increase and the decision was made not to return for another season. In 1980, the WMPC revoked its registration as an organization and officially ceased to exist.
Custodial History
Records in the 8-2001 accession were donated to the McKee Archives in 2001, by three representatives of the Philharmonic Choir: Dr. Bill Paton, Botany Department, Brandon University; Mrs. Edith Hayden, WMPC President; and Mary Davidson WMPC Archives Committee. Records in accession 13-2016 were given to Terry Stamper in the School of Music by Marilyn Hayden and then transferred to the McKee Archives on September 21, 2015.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records that document the origin, activities, and ultimate disbandment of the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir. These records were created and accumulated during the eleven year existence of the WMPC.
Records include: the organization's constitution and history from 1965-1968; financial records, which include grants received from the Manitoba Arts Council, Canada Council, and City of Brandon, as well as materials documenting the organization's financeial struggles from 1974-1976; minutes from executive and committee meetings from 18 June 1973 to 24 June 1974; correspondence in the form of letters between the president of the executive and the choir members, and between the conductor of the choir and its members; membership lists from each season of the WMPC; and concert programmes from every major Christmas and Spring concert that the organization performed. Fonds also contains mewspaper notices, advertisements and reviews of various performances, as well as posters advertising perfomrances of the WMPC in the 1967/68, 1970/71, 1971/72 and 1973/74 seasons; the posters advertise the choir, collaborators, patrons and featured works.
Also included in the fonds is a scrapbook detailing the choir's history. Each page of the scrapbook is decorated with hand painted images of plants native to the southwestern Manitoba region. The scrapbook includes concert programs and photographs of the choir from all years of the organization's operation. The scrapbook also contains an assorment of informal photographs from various WMPC events. There are also six black and white group photos of the WMPC from various seasons.
Finally, the fonds contains one artifact, a leather bag/zippered file folder with "WMPC" printed on it.
Notes
History/Bio information was provided by representatives of the Western Manitoba Philharmonic Choir. Copies of the history can be found in the fonds. Description by Jessi Gilchrist (October 2016).
The inaugural meeting of the Western Manitoba Home Economics Association (WMHEA) was held in September 1971, with 48 members. In 1973, the WMHEA members voted to affiliate with the Canadian Home Economics Association (CHEA).
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Margarite Hughes and other officers of the Western Manitoba Home Economic Association prior to their donation to the SJ McKee Archives on July 17, 2010.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes: minutes (September 1971 - May 2010); lists of executive members; membership lists; financial records; newsletters; scrapbooks; correspondence; records of special events; miscellaneous publications; and organizational banners.
The forerunner of Manitoba Pool Elevators (MPE), the Manitoba Wheat Pool was created in 1924 as a mechanism to allow for the co-operative marketing of wheat by Manitoba producers by the United Farmers of Manitoba. The Manitoba Wheat Pool was initially intended to be a provisional organization until the establishment of an interprovincial Pool, but when Alberta and Saskatchewan established their own permanent Pools the United Farmers decided to do the same. The Manitoba Pool was different from the SK and AB Pools in that the municipality was the primary unit of organization; members belonged to their municipal Pool associations first, rather than having direct membership with the central Manitoba Wheat Pool. Manitoba Pool Elevators was established in 1925 as a subsidiary of the Pool in response to local members complaints about the unfair business practices of privately owned elevators. The private elevators also slowed up the shipment of grain to the Central Selling Agency employed by the Wheat Pool, acting as a barrier between the local Pools and the Manitoba Wheat Pool. Once established MPE quickly began to build new elevators and aquire privately owned elevators.
MPE's approach to marketing grain promised to stabilize the market price of grain and ensure a fair market price to producers. Initially the Manitoba Wheat Pool was very successful. However, in 1930, the Manitoba Wheat Pool found itself burdened with an unsold surplus from the preceding year that had been bought from the farmers at a price that was significantly higher than any possible return during the Depression. As a result, in 1931 the Manitoba Wheat Pool's Central Selling Agency defaulted on its bank loans. Despite attempts to save the organization, it was forced to declare bankruptcy in November 1932. The financial difficulties of the Wheat Pool had little to no effect on the Pool Elevators, and so this former subsidiary organization became the main Manitoba Pool organization. This change meant MPE had to reorganize, which they were able to do with funds from the provincial government. The company was successful enough in subsequent years that it was able to finish repaying the Manitoba government a full year early in 1949.
MPE did not limit itself to grain handling; they wished to enrich the lives of rural families through education and to provide economic stability through diversification.
MPE established a lending reference library for members and a traveling library for rural families in 1926. With the passing of the Public Libraries Act in 1948, the province took over responsibility for providing rural families with books. MPE decided that since their traveling library would no longer be needed when rural libraries were established, the best course of action was to donate their library to the Provincial government. They also established and supported programs that educated young people about agriculture and ag business.
Subsidiary companies that dealt with course grains, livestock, packing and fertilizer were established by MPE to streamline and stabilize business for its members.
1961 marked the high water mark for the number of local associations within Manitoba Pool Elevators with 225 local associations. After this date the associations began to amalgamate and consolidate. Improvements in rural roads and rail systems and increases in the size of farms and mechanization of farm labour meant that fewer elevators were needed to service all members and regions. These changes led to an organizational restructuring of Manitoba Pool Elevators in 1968. Membership became direct, and the main unit of organization became the central office. The central office administrated the Pool through districts, which were further subdivided into sub-districts. The locals which were formally the main organizational unit came under the immediate direction of the sub-district they were located in. Local association could opt out of this system if they wished, but by 1975 all but 29 associations had become part of the new structure.
In 1998 Manitoba Pool Elevators merged with the Alberta Wheat Pool to form Agricore Co-operative, Ltd. In 2001 this organization merged with the United Grain Growers to become Agricore United, and in 2007 AU was taken over by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool; the new company is currently known as Viterra.
Custodial History
The bulk of this fonds was accessioned in 1975, when the forerunner to the McKee Archives at Brandon University, the Rural Resource Center, was founded. The original mandate of the Rural Resource Center was to house the records of the Manitoba Pool Elevators. Previous to this, most of the fonds was stored at MPE's head office in Winnipeg. Many accruals to this collection have since taken place, with some of the larger ones being received in 1997, 2001, and 2002.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains records dealing with every aspect of the Manitoba Pool Elevators organization, from the events leading to its formation in the 1920's, to its amalgamation as part of Agricore beginning in the late 1990's.
Fonds includes records of the local co-operative elevator associations established in the period 1925 - 1968 under the Co-operative Associations Act including: organizational papers; minutes of executive boards; minutes of shareholders annual meetings; financial statements; correspondence; membership lists; and miscellaneous documents.
Also to be found are: documents related to the Royal Commission re the Manitoba Pool Elevators Limited ca. 1931; miscellaneous reports and submissions documents (1925 -1952); central office papers consisting of annual reports, circulars to local co-operative elevator associations and documents related to various other activities of the Manitoba Pool Elevators organization. Fonds also contains documents pertaining to the Manitoba Co-operative Poultry Marketing Association Limited and its successor, the Manitoba Dairy and Poultry Co-operative Limited, and related agencies.
Other items in the fonds (dating from the 1890's to 2001) include: books acquired for the Manitoba Pool Elevator Library, including a complete run of both the Scoop Shovel (MPE's first newspaper)and the Manitoba Cooperator; photographs; slides; audiotapes; and reel-to-reel videos.
Finally, the fonds contains a small number of miscellaneous items such as banners, and company issued briefcases.
This fonds is organized into four series, (A) Local Association records, (B) Central Office Records, (C) Subsidiary Companies and Co-operatives, (D) Commissions, Committees and Inquiries
Notes
Description by Mike White (2002), revised and enlarged by Jillian Sutherland (2009-2010).
History/Bio taken from F.W. Hamilton, "Service at Cost: A History of the Manitoba Pool Elevators 1925-1975" (Saskatoon: Modern Press) and from records within the fonds.
Preparation of this description made possible in part by a generous grant from the Brandon University Student's Union Work Study Program 2009.
Researchers are responsible for observing Canadian copyright restrictions.
Finding Aid
File level inventory available for some boxes. The Pool Elevator library and publications are available online through the Brandon University Library catalogue.
In the summer of 1986, faculty members at Brandon University developed a project aimed at identifying the archival records that existed in public and private collections throughout western Manitoba. A grant was secured from the Manitoba Heritage Federation, and reseachers were employed to travel throughout the region to identify and record the wide variety of records. The results of their work was a four volume set of inventories.
Custodial History
W.R. Morrison left the university in 1991. At the time he gave Tom Mitchell copies of volumes 1-3. In 2006, John Everitt provided the archives with a copy of volume 4.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of four volumes: 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1991. The inventories were generated through extensive research at various centres throughout western Manitoba. Each inventory contains a record of archival materials held by individuals, organizations and/or municipalities throughout the region.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees came into existence in September 1963, during a convention in Winnipeg when The National Union of Public Employees and the National Union of Public Service Employees merged. In 1964, the Manitoba Division of CUPE (now CUPE Manitoba) held its founding convention in The Pas. At that time, there were 12 affiliated local unions and a total membership of 1,300. The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada's largest union. Public service employees formed CUPE to protect their rights, to negotiate wages and working conditions, and to achieve dignity in the workplace.
Custodial History
Fonds was in the possesssion of the Brandon CUPE Office until its donation to the S.J. McKee Archives in 1995.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains general administrative files of the CUPE including agreements, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and convention records. In addition, fonds includes records for many CUPE locals in southwestern and north-central Manitoba. These includes files for each local containing agreements, lists of officials, correspondence and financial records. An extensive body of records dating from 1956 exists for CUPE local #69. This local began its existence as the Brandon Civic Employees Federal Union formed in April 1919.
73 cm textual records; approx. 70 photographs with negatives
History / Biographical
The first conference of Western Canadian Registrars was held in January, 1952, at the University of Alberta. The four western Canadian Universities were represented by G.B. Taylor (Registrar, University of Alberta), C.B. Wood (Registrar, University of Saskatchewan) and A.D. Cairns (Assistant Registrar, University of Alberta). No attempt was made at this meeting to set up a formal organization or to plan regular meetings.
It was not until the University of Alberta and The University of British Columbia jointly hosted the “Second Triennial Conference of Registrars of Canadian Universities and Colleges” at the Banff School of Fine Arts in January 1962, that plans were made to establish a western regional organization of registrars of degree granting universities and colleges. Since the national group would meet every two years, it was agreed that the western group would meet in the intervening year.
The first official meeting of the Western Universities Registrars was held at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, in 1963. The Association was established as a regional component of the Association of Registrars of the Universities of Canada (ARUC). The second meeting was held in January, 1965 at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.
Since the national group chose to forego its regular meeting in 1966 in order to hold it in Montreal during Expo 1967, the University of Calgary hosted the third western conference in June, 1966. This was the first conference to which delegates from non-degree granting colleges were invited.
The fourth western regional conference was hosted by the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, 1968; the fifth at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus, 1970; and the sixth, hosted by the University of Alberta at Jasper, Alberta, 1972.
During the 1972 conference a steering committee was formed to develop a structure and constitution for a formal organization. The committee consisted of Barry Browning (Registrar, The University of Manitoba), Jerry Della Mattia (Director of Admissions, Douglas College, Vancouver), Len Semrau (Registrar, NAIT, Edmonton) and John Dorgan (Registrar, University of Saskatchewan).
The next meeting was held the following year in Brandon, Manitoba. At this time the constitution was approved and the name Western Canadian Association of Registrars of Institutions of Post-Secondary Education (WCARIPSE) was adopted for the newly formalized organization. Fred Bennett, Registrar of Camosun College, Victoria, BC was selected to serve as the first chair of WCARIPSE, serving a two year term.
Institutional membership was open to all provincial and federal institutions of post-secondary education located in the four western provinces of Canada. The 1973 membership roster consisted of 42 institutional members and 94 individual members.
The western association was originally established as a regional component of the Association of Registrars of the Universities of Canada (ARUC). However, a rather serious problem arose in 1966 when the western group agreed to include non-degree granting institutions in its membership even though ARUC membership was restricted to degree granting institutions. The issue, and some other problems closely related to it, was not settled until the ARUC Conference of 1974. At that time, the motion to extend membership to include non-university registrars was moved, subsequently carried and ARUC became the Association of the Registrars of Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC).
The University of Saskatchewan hosted the 1979 WARUCC conference in Saskatoon. In 1981, at the conference in Winnipeg, the four founding members, Alex Cairns, Douglas Chevrier, Norm Cram and Jack Parnall were presented with honorary memberships in WARUCC.
Vancouver was the site for the 1983 conference, at which time Doug Burns, Edith Allen and Alan Wallis were honored as life members of the association.
Subsequent meetings were held in Lethbridge, 1985, and in Regina, 1987. By 1987 membership had grown to 65 institutional members and 225 individual members. The constitution was amended to extend membership boundaries from the four western provinces to 88 degrees (W) longitude, providing for participation by Lakehead University and colleges of the Northwest Territories and Yukon.
The 1989 conference was hosted by The University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. In 1991 Capilano College hosted the conference at Whistler in British Columbia. In 1993 the University of Calgary hosted the conference in Calgary. In 1995 the University of Saskatchewan hosted the conference in Saskatoon. In 1997 The University of Manitoba hosted the conference in Winnipeg. In 1999 the University of Northern British Columbia hosted the conference in Prince George, British Columbia.
Custodial History
Records had been in the possession of various secretaries of WARRUC until their donation to the McKee Archives in 2006.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of minutes, financial records, membership records, photographs and miscellaneous documents.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the WARRUC website at: http://www.brandonu.ca/emu/mcleod/warucc/web_pages/history.htm (February 2006). Some processing completed. Financial records (ie bank statements, invoices) were culled from the records. Description by Christy Henry.
The United Farmers of Manitoba was founded in 1920. It was an inclusive farmers' organization established to replace the Manitoba Grain Growers' Association. The UFM supported farmer candidates in the 1920 provincial election. In 1922, it helped elect the UFM government of John Bracken (1922-42). The UFM also participated in federal politics, supporting twelve successful candidates in the 1921 federal election. The UFM was financed by its members. Its membership varied from 15,700 in 1923, to 3700 in 1931. In 1939, the UFM became the Manitoba Federation of Agriculture.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes documents relating to the membership, both male and female, of the Wingham branch of the United Farmers of Manitoba and the United Farm Women of Manitoba. Documents dealing with the position of the branch on prohibition c. 1922, discussion within the branch of the "wheat pool" movement, annual reports for the organization, newsletters, correspondence on matters political and agrarian, and records relating to the activities of the branch as a cooperative buying agency are also included. Fonds also contains minutes of the provincial convention of the UFM and correspondence from the central office of the UFM.
Hector Ross Hume was born on December 8, 1902, in the R.M. of Glenwood to John Hume and Jean Gordon. He grew up on the family farm, section 29-7-22, later known as Abergeldie Stock Farm, and attended Whitefield School and then Souris High School. Along with his father, Ross operated the 640-acre farm near Souris, Manitoba, where they sold purebred Angus cattle, shopshire sheep, Yorkshire swine, seed grain and had a government approved flock of hens. John Hume retired in 1947, and died in January 1953.
Ross married Mina Radcliffe on December 20, 1929. Together they had one daughter, Margaret (b. April 11, 1932). In the fall of 1953, Ross lost part of his right arm in a farming accident; he continued to operate the farm with the help of his wife for an additional year before the couple sold the farm to Henry Gordon and moved to Souris where Ross obtained a job as Business Manager of the Souris Hospital.
Mina Hume died on February 14, 1960, and shortly thereafter Ross enrolled in a correspondence course in accounting with the Central School of Chicago and in a two year course in Hospital Administration, with the University of Saskatchewan. Upon graduation in 1962, Ross became the Administrator of Souris and Hartney hospitals, a position he held until 1972. Following his retirement, Ross wrote two books - "The Hospital Tree Grows Tall" and "Tale Wagging By and Old Time" - which he published and sold locally.
During his time on the farm, Ross was a member of the Manitoba Cattle Breeders Association and a member of the local Agricultural Society. He was also secretary of the latter organization. From 1968-1981, Ross was on the Board of Directors for Victoria Park Lodge, and for a while in the 1970s, he was on the Board of Directors for the Souris Hosptial.
Ross Hume died on January 9, 1986 at Victoria Park Lodge in Souris, Manitoba.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custoridal history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes Ross Hume's tabulations and tables of statistics relating to prairie agriculture. The data includes market information (sources the Winnipeg Free Press) for the years 1890 to 1940, derived from correspondence with Cora Hind of the Winnipeg Free Press. The fonds also includes a variety of other statistical data. Some of this data was derived from the work of Hume's father, John Hume. (See The Country Guide (February 1943) article included in the fonds).
Notes
History/Bio information taken from The Hume Family entry in "The People of Souris and Glenwood: from the earliest beginnings to the present" published by Souris and District Heritage Club Inc. (2006). Description by Christy Henry.
Edward Walker was born in Lymm, Cheshire, England in 1836. He emigrated to Canada at age 59 in 1895, from Stockport, England. Walker came to Canada with three of his children - Dora, Daisy and Theo - and settled in Millwood, Manitoba. In childhood, Walker was a victim of polio and walked with the aid of two canes throughout his adult life. Walker was a professional photographer. Once in Canada, he also took out a homestead at N.W. 18-19-229, though it appears that his son Theo did most of the work required to gain title to the property. In addition to his work as a photographer, Walker was appointed post-master for Millwood in 1901, and operated a small store. Edward Walker retired as postmaster in 1920. He died in 1923.
Custodial History
The Walker fonds arrived at the S.J. McKee Archives as part of the Lawrence Stuckey Collection in 2001. While the circumstances are not known, it seems evident that Stuckey acquired the Walker negatives in the course of his professional career as a photographer and collector.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains a variety of images of Millwood, Manitoba and the surrounding agricultural community, its people, and life produced by Edward Walker in the course of his work as a professional photographer. These images were produced from gelatin dry plate negatives, a process introduced around 1880, to replace the wet collodin process in which a photographic solution was applied to a glass plate just prior to exposure. Edward Walker’s pictorial account of life in and around Millwood Manitoba circa 1900, is an important photographic legacy of pioneer life on the upper reaches of the Assiniboine Valley.
The village of Millwood was located in the Assiniboine River valley close to the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border just a few miles northwest of Binscarth and a similar distance southwest of Russell. It came into existence in 1887, with the construction of the Manitoba and North-Western Railway, a road that ran diagonally through the new West from Prince Albert, North West Territories to Portage la Prairie Manitoba.
Notes
Description by Tom Mitchell.
Storage Location
2006 accessions
Storage Range
2006 accessions
Related Material
Several prints were located with the Walker Negatives. These were created by Lawrence Stuckey and have been located with the Lawrence Stuckey collection and identified as "Edward Walker" prints.
RG 6, 8.2.4 (Library - S.J. McKee Archives - Archival displays).
Arrangement
Edward Walker – Millwood negatives
1. Manitoba and Northwestern railway steam shovel loading flat cars for the “fill” c. 1900
2. Completed “fill” near Millwood c. 1900
3. Steam shovel filling flat cars for the “fill”
4. Boy and pony
5. Farmer in field
6. Portrait – man
7. Portrait – man and woman
8. Portrait – man and women
9. Portrait – man
10. Portrait – little girl
11. Baseball game in progress
12. Cottage home
13. Portrait – man
14. Portrait – little girl
15. Gentlemen, horse and dog.
16. Portrait – two men
17. Portrait – mother and daughter
18. Mill and new Mill elevators c. 1896
19. Horse power in harness
20. Construction of railway bridge
21. Construction railway bridge
22. First automobile Millwood
23. Man, horse, carriage
24. Horse, sled filled with dead moose
25. Harvest scene reaper in action
26. Aboriginal people, tee pee
27. North Western railway bridge over the Assiniboine c. 1900
28. Railway trestle near the “Clay Dump”, on west hill near Harrowby
29. Team of horse in harness drawing a sled
30. Boy, horse with steer tethered to horse’s tail
31. Horse drawn wagon with children, woman and dog
Greenway was located seven miles east of Baldur in southwestern Manitoba. The hamlet started out as a branch point in a railway spur and took its name from Thomas Greenway, one of the early premiers of Manitoba. The Greenway Fair was held annually in Greenway until 1973, when it was moved to Baldur where better facilities were available.
Custodial History
The records were donated to the Archives by Glen Olmstead prior to 1997 (approximately 1990). The fonds was originally in the possession of Doris Stone.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of newsclippings, a membership to the Greenway Agricultural Society, a paper napkin from the 60th Anniversary (1914-1974) of the Greenway United Church, "The History of Greenway 1889-1975", the program for the Manitoba Centennial Service 1970 held at Glenora Anglican Church, Greenway Agricultural Society prize lists from 1923, 1945-1951, 1953-1954, 1957-1990, two publications on the standards for judging foods, clothing and handicrafts at fairs and exhibitions and a copy of the program for the Greenway cairn dedication.
Gabriel Richard Rowe was born in Coleman, P.E.I. in 1897. In 1918, he enlisted in the Canadian Army. After the Great War, he moved to Viscount, Saskatchewan were he was principal of a high school. In 1924, Rowe moved to Brandon where he served as principal for various schools until his retirement in 1964. G.R. Rowe attended the University of Manitoba graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1935, a Bachelor of Education 1952, and a Master of Education degree in 1957. Rowe also studied at the University of Minnesota, Harvard, and the University of British Columbia. Rowe served as President of the Manitoba Teachers' Scoiety from 1948 to 1949. He served as a member of the International School Master Association, the Brandon's Citizens' Committee of the Arts, and the Brandon General Hospital Board. He died in Brandon on January 6th, 1968.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned in 1997 by the McKee Archives. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes photographs, certificates and diplomas, career resumes, testimonials, draft obituaries, and correspondence, relating to G.R. Rowe's professional teaching career, and in small part to his personal life.
William Wallace was born in Scotland around 1859. In 1881, when William was twenty-two, he emigrated to Canada with his father and brother. Once here they settled near what is today Forrest, Manitoba. The following spring they moved to the northwest margin of settlement in Manitoba, homesteading in the Shellmouth area. Wallace remained a resident of the region for the rest of his life. William Wallace was active in community affairs. He was appointed to the post of Secretary-Treasurer of the Shellmouth Municipality in 1887, and he held the position until 1904. In 1909, Wallace was injured in a railway accident, and he had to give up farming. He moved to Shellmouth and took up the position of postmaster, which he held for twenty-seven years. He died in 1945, and is buried at Shellmouth cemetery, Manitoba.
Custodial History
The letters contained in the fonds remained in the possession of Margaret Wallace, who was the original recipient of the correspondence. She emigrated to Canada in 1904. At some point the letters passed to William Wallace who kept them in his possession in Shellmouth. In 1941, William contacted Professor E. J. Westcott of Brandon College regarding the fonds. He offered it to the College for safekeeping. Westcott accepted the letters. Westcott passed the letters on to various officers and staff at Brandon College and then Brandon University. Since 1982, the collection has resided in the S. J. McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of hundreds of letters that William Wallace and his brother, Andrew, wrote to their sister, Maggie, from 1881 until 1904. The first letter, dated 22 March 1881, was written by both William and Andrew aboard the S.S. Prussia as they sailed to North America from Scotland. The last letter was written on 4 January 1904 by William. It was written to inform Maggie and her husband that William had reserved a homestead in their name. This letter marks the end of the fonds. Later that spring Maggie and John emigrated to Canada to be with her family.
William was keenly interested in everything going on around him; his letters and Andrew's reveal what life was like for inexperienced settlers on the Canadian agricultural frontier in the last years of the ninteenth century. Fonds touches on a variety of social, political and economic themes.
Notes
CAIN No. 202641. A partial accession of the Wallace collection was completed in 1992 by Eileen McFadden.
The Roseland Church was built in 1883 as a Presbyterian church, funded in large part by the Roseland Ladies Aid Society. In 1912, thirteen years before formal union between these two denominations took place, the Roseland Presbyterian Church was united with a local Methodist congregation. The Roseland Church was closed for a few years following the Second World War. However, the Church was revived and it continued to function until 1969, when it was officially closed. Subsequently, the building was sold and moved, and a cairn was placed where the church had been located.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains a minute book for the Roseland Church from 1882-1969, a summary of the organization and development of the Roseland Church, clippings dealing with the history of the community of Roseland, and a summary history of the Roseland Curling Rink.
Martin Kavanagh was born in Wicklow, Ireland in 1895. He was educated in Wexford, Dublin and London. Following his arrival in Canada in 1923, Kavanagh was employed as the Principal of Treherene High School. In 1929, he joined the staff of Brandon Collegiate Institute. He taugh Latin and Geography at the Collegiate until 1963. In 1946, Kavanagh published The Assiniboine Basin: A Study of Discovery, Exploration and settlenment. In 1963, he published La verendrye - His Life and Times. Martin Kavanagh died in 1987.
Custodial History
Fonds remained in the possession of Kevin Kavanagh and James Wall following Martin Kavanagh's death. Wall donated his portion of the fonds to the McKee Archives in November 2004. Kevin Kavanagh donated his portion of the fonds in December 2004.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains an unpublished autobiography written by Martin Kavanagh and several draft narratives for a slide presenation based on Kavanagh's biography of La Verendrye. Fonds also contains one file of business correspondence c. 1971.
