The first Women's Institute in Canada was created by Mrs. Adelaide Hunter Hoodless in Stoney Creek, Ontario, on February 19, 1897. The Women's Institute was created to unite rural women with the hopes that this would help women improve their homes and communities. The motto of the Women's Institute became, "a nation could not rise above the level of its homes." The group was to be non-partisan and non-sectarian to allow for maximum participation. The Women's Institute became one of the very few ways for rural women to meet and share ideas and problems with others. The Women's Institute spread throughout Canada and reached Manitoba in 1910, when Morris and Valley River, Manitoba, formed Women's Institute branches. The Women's Institute branches in Manitoba were known as Home Economics Societies until 1919, when they became branches of the Manitoba Women's Institute. The Home Economics Societies specialized in community service work. At first, the groups concentrated on home management and child care, and eventually they became involved with social and political issues. In addition to community work, the Women's Institute branches also invited many guest speakers to their meetings and promoted education and the dissemination of information to rural women on subjects such as canning, growing fruits and vegetables, dental hygiene and rural electrification. The Manitoba Women's Institute continues its work today.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned in 2002 by the McKee Archives. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
This collection has been artificially created and consists of miscellaneous newspaper and magazine clippings, handbooks, newsletters, photos and song sheets collected by various unknown Manitoba Women's Institute branches. Some newletters included in the collection are "Institute News" from the Manitoba Women's Institute, "National Farm Forum Guide", "Federated News" from the Federated Women's Institute of Canada and "The Country Woman" from Associated Women of the World. The newspaper clippings in the collection relate to Women's Institute branches around Manitoba and the rest of Canada.
Related women's institute collections in the McKee Archives include:
Manitoba Women's Institute; Minnedosa Women's Institute; Cordova Women's Institute; Clanwilliam Women's Institute; Rathwell Women's Institute; Strathclair Women's Institute; Crocus Women's Institute; Southwest A Region - Manitoba Women's Institute; Douglas Women's Institute
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
John E. Smith Block Fire
Notes
The John E. Smith Block was built in 1907.
Because of the fire, the building was badly gutted and the front wall bulged outward. As a result, the structure was condemned.
The Canadian Bank of Commerce had moved to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce building at the corner of 8th Street & Rosser Avenue in mid-1960's, and their old building adjacent to Smith Block had since sat vacant. As a result, the stage was now set to clear the area where both buildings had stood for the construction of Scotia Tower. LAS.
[Mr. Stuckey put two negatives in same envelope, numbering them FA7 and FA7a. We have separated them.]
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
John E. Smith Block Fire - The Morning After
Notes
The John E. Smith Block was built in 1907.
Because of the fire, the building was badly gutted and the front wall bulged outward. As a result, the structure was condemned.
The Canadian Bank of Commerce had moved to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce building at the corner of 8th Street & Rosser Avenue in mid-1960's, and their old building adjacent to Smith Block had since sat vacant. As a result, the stage was now set to clear the area where both buildings had stood for the construction of Scotia Tower. LAS.
[Mr. Stuckey put two negatives in same envelope, numbering them FA7 and FA7a. We have separated them.]
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Christie Building Fire
Notes
Located on the south side of the 800 block Rosser Ave.
Building was empty at the time and prepared for demolition for the new Gallery Mall. The fire was believed to be started by vandals, probably accidentally.
This photo also shows the Brandon Fire Department's (then) newest fire engine (see also file F21).
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Stylerite Hardware building fire
Notes
Formerly Brandon Hardware.
[Mr. Stuckey put four negatives in same envelope, numbered FA10 and FA10a. We have separated them and numbered them FA10(1) and FA10(2), and FA10a(1) and FA10a(2).]
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Stylerite Hardware building fire
Notes
Formerly Brandon Hardware.
[Mr. Stuckey put four negatives in same envelope, numbered FA10 and FA10a. We have separated them and numbered them FA10(1) and FA10(2), and FA10a(1) and FA10a(2).]
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Stylerite Hardware - immediate demolition of building's shell after fire
Notes
Formerly Brandon Hardware.
[Mr. Stuckey put four negatives in same envelope, numbered FA10 and FA10a. We have separated them and numbered them FA10(1) and FA10(2), and FA10a(1) and FA10a(2).]
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Stylerite Hardware - immediate demolition of building's shell after fire
Notes
Formerly Brandon Hardware.
[Mr. Stuckey put four negatives in same envelope, numbered FA10 and FA10a. We have separated them and numbered them FA10(1) and FA10(2), and FA10a(1) and FA10a(2).]
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
The Brandon Asylum for the Insane
Notes
The entire Brandon Asylum complex was completely destroyed. Patients were temporarily housed in the Winter Fair Building (located on the 500 block of 10th Street).
It is reported that the nearly 700 staff and patients were evacuated without any loss of life due to the fire itself (Refvik K. 1991. The Brandon Asylum Fire of 1910. Manitoba History, Number 21, Spring 1991).
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
CPR Ice House Fire with engine 701
Notes
This large ice house, located between the CPR tracks and Assiniboine Avenue at 3rd Street, was filled with blocks of ice from the Assiniboine River each winter. It had a long high platform for [loading ice blocks into] refrigerator cars, and also handled charcoal braziers for heating these same cars in winter. The new ice house structure that was built after this fire was much smaller, as it had an artificial ice plant.
With mechanically temperature-controlled cars replacing ice-cooled refrigerators, it was demolished in the 1970's.
This photograph shows how steam switch engines were used as fire engines. A hose carried in a box under the tender was fitted into a branch of the boiler feed pipe (discharge pipe). When the injector was turned on it gave a nozzle pressure of over 200 psi.