See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series is comprised of various documents, agreements and contracts generated by A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. Among the documents are by-laws, letters of patents, land deeds, leases, transfers of property, grants of probate, trademark documents, certificates of title, incorporation documents, bills of sale, assets and liabilities, licenses to do business, loan documents, tax statements/certificates, insurance documents, memorandums, declarations, estate documents, releases, settlements, mortgages, and bill 87.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 1 Board of Directors
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of one folder containing thank you letters to Prof. George F. MacDowell, Professor of Economics at Brandon University, and a long-time member of the McKenzie Seeds Board for his service to the company.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 1 Board of Directors
Related Material
RG 6 (Brandon University fonds), MG 3 (Brandon University Teaching and Administration), MG 3 1.12 (George MacDowell fonds).
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes minutes of the Board of Directors of McKenzie Seeds, extracts from minutes of the Board of Directors, information on shareholders of the company, notices of Board meetings, suggested meeting agendas, the President's annual report for 1967, and memos regarding Board meetings/business.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 1 Board of Directors
Related Material
Additional minutes for the meetings of the Board of Directors of McKenzie
Seeds, dating from the mid 1930's, are held in the Provincial Archives of Manitoba.
Minute excerpts for the Board of Directors are located in the Document sub-series in the file titled By-Laws for 1940-1985.
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes financial statements of various kinds for McKenzie Seeds and combined financial statements for McKenzie Seeds and its subsidiaries, particularly McFayden Seeds. Chartered Accountants used for this purpose include: Marwick, Mitchell & Co., Webb, Read, Hegan, Callingham & Co./Webb, Read & Co., George A. Touche & Co., Oscar Hudson & Co., Morden, Sprague & Co./Laird, Sprague & Co., Edwards, Morgan, Halliday & Co., Welch, Hinton and Welch, McDonald, Currie & Co./Cooper Brothers & Co., Meyers Dickens Norris Penny & Co./Meyers, Norris, Penny & Co. and the Comptroller-General for the Province of Manitoba.
This sub-series also includes a number of purchase offers made to A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd as well as proposed plans to sell the company. Offers were received from United Grain Growers, Maple Leaf Mills, McKenzie Seeds Staff, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta Wheat Pools, and the Ferry Morse Seed Co.
Twelve ledgers, including branch order, mail order and cash registers, general ledgers, current ledgers, payroll sheets and branch daily cash reports, are also part of the sub-series. Other miscellaneous financial records and statements include information on McKenzie Seeds' proposal to the Manitoba Government for re-financing in the early to mid 1980's.
Notes
Additional dates for the records in the financial sub-series are as follows:
1. Prepared Financial Statements: 1907-1918, 1920-1923, 1926-1938, and 1942-1979.
2. Purchase Offers: U.G.G. (1959, 1966), Wheat Pools (1961), McKenzie Staff (1963),
Maple Leaf Mills (c. 1965), Ferry Morse Seed Co. (c. 1969-1970).
The extent of the ledgers in sub-series McS 1 1.5 (Financial Records) separate from the other
financial records in the sub-series is 95.9 cm. The financial records without the ledgers measure 60 cm.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 1 Board of Directors
Related Material
Financial statements and records for the individual companies acquired by
McKenzie Seeds are located in Series III.
Information regarding the sale of McKenzie Seeds is located in Series II (Office of the President/GM), sub-series I (A.E. McKenzie), in the file entitled A.E. correspondence with W.A. Johnson. Some of these records are connected to the purchase offers received by McKenzie Seeds.
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes reports from three management consultants: Harbridge House, Urwick, Currie & Partners Ltd., and Thorne Stevenson & Kellogg. As well, the sub-series contains correspondence between the President and Comptroller of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. and Harbridge House regarding the implementation of a management training program and plans to combat the weak field seed market. The Urwick, Currie reports deal with improvement in company operations and improvements in packet seed processing. The Thorne Stevenson & Kellogg report is entitled 'Implementing a Strategic Planning Process.' Each of the reports completed for the company deal with improving the business operations of McKenzie Seeds.
Harbridge House – this record is a management-training program designed to address a weak field seed market.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 1 Board of Directors
This is an artificially created body of records dealing with four firms acquired by A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. An administrative history for each company can be found below.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Included within the sub-series are financial records, correspondence, merger documents, miscellaneous documents and records. Not all of the companies contain the same categories of information. This series is sub divided into each of the major companies acquired by McKenzie Seeds throughout its years of operation. The sub-series include: (1) Brett-Young/Sabetha Seed Companies; (2) Steele Briggs Seed Company; (3) Pike and Co.; and (4) McFayden Seends.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 3 Acquisitions
This artifically created series consists of records and items that did not fit into any of the preceeding series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This series consists of materials used for the Centennial Exhibit of McKenzie Seeds and miscellaneous publications.
It has been divided into three sub-series, including: (1) Centennial Exhibit; (2) Miscllaneous; and (3) Scrapbooks.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
The Seed Marketing Company Ltd. was located at P. O. Drawer 1885, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and, later, at 382 Maryland Street, Winnipeg. Created by the A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd., this company was incorporated under Dominion Charter by Federal Letters Patent, dated March 18, 1930. As well, the company was registered only in Manitoba under the provisions of the Manitoba Companies Act.
A. E. McKenzie made the application for the charter under the name A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. and, from 1933, the Board of Directors was made up of employees of A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. Although the authorized capital stock of the company was 500 no par value shares, only 50 of these were issued and allotted at a price of $10 per share.
According to a letter written by A. E. McKenzie to the Acting Director, Department of the Secretary of State, Companies Division, Ottawa, Ontario, the company was created with a specific purpose in mind. During the years 1930-1933, A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. accumulated a large quantity of oats for seeding purposes, at a time when crops were generally poor due to extended drought. These seeds, as well as wheat, barley and flax were supplied to farmers on a signed order in the name of Seed Marketing Co. Ltd. Parties, either individuals or municipalities, took a "Seed Grain Mortgage" from the Seed Marketing Co. as a method of payment. This enabled the farmers, who had little or no money, to plant crops. Presumably following harvest the mortgage was paid off.
On the whole the idea of supplying distressed farmers with seed through a Seed Grain Mortgage was fairly successful. In addition to selling the seed directly to the farmers, seed was also sold to rural municipalities, from whom payments were assured. The municipalities, in turn, assumed responsibility for payment from the farmers to whom they had supplied the seed purchased from the Seed Marketing Company.
The original Board of Directors was as follows: A. B. Downing, J. L. Lowes, F. B. Roberts, F. C. Thompson, and J.A. Young. Each received 1 share each in the company. H. J. Morden, a former member of the Corporation, held the other 45 shares from Winnipeg.
From 1933-1936, J. A. Young was President of the company. Following his death in 1936, the position was given to A. B. Downing, who acted as President of the Seed Marketing Company until illness forced him to step down in 1959. In 1960, J. L. Lowes became President, and the following members of A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. became Directors: R. R. West, Miss E. A. Yeo and J. R. McPhail.
The Seed Marketing Company had been kept alive under its original charter in case A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. might have cause to use it for some other purpose. Eventually, the company was considered in default by the federal government for neglecting to fill Annual Returns for the year 1962. At that time, the company was informed that it was no longer considered a subsisting corporation, and, as such, was no longer entitled to the sole use of its corporate name. That same year, A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. relinquished interest in the Seed Marketing Company Ltd., and the remaining Directors resigned their positions.
The name "Seed Marketing Co. Ltd." was also used by A. E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. on two other occasions. Around 1948, the name was used in Ontario under authority of an Extra Provincial License from the Province of Ontario, especially in labeling cartons of a Lawn Grass mixture to meet price competition in Quebec, the Maritimes and Towers Discount Department Stores.
Prior to 1948 the name was used to in the purchase of Forage Crop Seeds in northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This series includes minutes from meetings of the Board of Directors and shareholders of the company. It also includes correspondence between McKenzie, Lowes, Wm. Johnson, the Department of the Secretary of State, W.E. Chiswell - Comptroller for McKenzie Seeds, Robert Steen and various other individuals dealing with the incorporation of the company, its charter and letters of patent. Some of the records deal with the failure of the company to file annual returns for the years 1963 and 1964. The series also contains financial records including annual summaries/reports, corporation income tax returns, and return of information and particulars under the Manitoba Companies Act.
Also included within the series is a book (27.5 x 38 x 3 cm) containing the letters of patent incorporating the Seed Marketing Co., the general by-laws of the company, and minutes from meetings of its Board of Directors.
Information regarding the Seed Marketing Co. is located in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics file 23 of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
The offices of the President and General Manager were established in 1896 with the creation of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. These positions were held jointly by the one officer of company until 1975, when the Board of Directors of the Company divided the two positions, thereby relieving the President from management of plant operations.
Under the General By-Laws of the Company, the President, when present, presided over all Board of Directors meetings. He also signed all documents that may have required his signature and performed any other duties assigned to him by the board. The President exercised general supervision and control over the business of the Company and performed such duties as are usually associated with the office of President of Chief Executive officer of a company.
The General Manager had full power and authority to manage and direct the business and affairs of the Company. He was also responsible for employing and discharging agents and employees of the Company. After A.E. McKenzie gifted the majority of his company shares to the Government of Manitoba in 1945, the General Manager remained responsible for all operations of the Company. However, the General Manager found himself accountable to a Board of Directors comprised mainly of government appointees.
A. E. McKenzie held the offices of President/General Manager from 1896 until his death in 1964, at which time J. Lasby Lowes succeeded him. Following Lowes' retirement in 1968, A.R. Swanson was appointed by the government to fill the positions. Anthony J. Maruca became President of A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd. in 1972. In 1975, the Board of Directors appointed William Moore the first individual to hold the position of General Manager without also occupying the President's office. At the same time, Mr. Pat Kelleher was named the new interim President. Following Kelleher's resignation, Moore was appointed President of the company. Keith Guelpa became President around 1984 following Moore's departure from the company to face criminal charges arising from his activities as an officer of the company. Raymond West assumed the position after Guelpa’s departure.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Series consists almost entirely of records and documents generated by the first two President/General Managers of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. In addition to the records created by A.E. McKenzie and J. Lasby Lowes in their capacity as President/General Manager, records pertaining to the various properties owned by the Company are also included. The series also contains marketing documents, including catalogues and sales literature, as well as a reference library comprised of twenty titles dealing with business and the seed industry and some records dealing with the President/General Managers following Lowes' retirement.
The series has been divided into seven sub-series, including: (1) A.E. McKenzie; (2) J. Lasby Lowes; (3) Comptroller; (4) Properites; (5) Marketing; (6) Reference Library; and (7) Miscellaneous Publications/Correspondence.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 2 Office of the President/General Manager
Customers and employees of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. donated some of the records in this series. Others were taken for insurance purposes, while some of the records involve McKenzie subsidiaries. Some of the records may have been taken as advertisements or for promotional reasons. Most of the records were generated by the company itself and deal exclusively with McKenzie Seeds and its business operations or the seed industry.
Custodial History
Photographs in sub-series 5.14, 5.15, 5.16 were donated to McKenzie Seeds by Irene Cullen, Josiph Airey, and Alan R. Mundie respectively.
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Series consists primarily of black and white photographs pertaining to A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd and the seed industry. Included are photographs of the McKenzie Building, plant and field workers and equipment, executives, particular events at McKenzie Seeds and product photographs. A complete list of categories can be found below.
The series is arranged as follows:
5.1 McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. Executives
5.2 Construction at McKenzie Seed Co. Brandon (two files)
5.3 Exterior Photographs of the A. E. McKenzie Co. Building
5.4 McKenzie Seed Co. Plant Operations and Workers (two files)
5.5 McKenzie Seed Co. Equipment and Plant - Head Office 1983
5.6 McKenzie Seed Co. Field Operations and Workers
5.7 McKenzie Seed Co. Strike 1944
5.8 Fires at McKenzie Seed Co. 1910, 1945, 1972
5.9 McKenzie Seed Co. Centennial Exhibition 1996
5.10 Miscellaneous McKenzie Seed Co. Photographs
5.11 People Connected to McKenzie Seed Co.
5.12 Princess Anne's Visit to McKenzie Seed Co. 1982
5.13 Onion Set Production Book
5.14 Irene Cullen Photographs - McKenzie Seeds Employee Photos
5.15 Josiph Airey Photographs - McKenzie Product Photos
5.16 Alan R. Mundie Seed Production Photographs
5.17 Steele Robertson/Steele Briggs Seeds Photographs
5.18 Seed Packet Display Units Photographs
5.19 Product Photographs
5.20 Parade Photographs
*5.21 Oversized Photographs
5.21.1 Drawer #1: Executive Photographs
5.21.2 Drawer #2: Office and Equipment/Plant Photographs
5.21.3 Drawer #3: Miscellaneous Oversized Photographs
5.21.4 Drawer #4: Artifacts
Notes
* The term "drawer" in the Scope and Content Filed for sub-series 5.21, referes to the oversized map drawers in the McKee Archives reading room.
Errol Black's article on the strike at McKenzie Seeds (sub-series 5.7) titled “25c an hour; 48 hours a week; more toilets; less cats: the labour struggles of the "girls" at the A.E. McKenzie Company in Brandon,” was published in Prairie Forum, spring 1992 vol 17 no 1 pp. 33-59.
Finding Aid
An inventory is available for the artifacts, as well as each of the photograph sub-series.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 5 Photographs
Related Material
MG 1 (A.E. McKenzie Fonds), sub-series 1 (Brandon College Inc.) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds contains photographs relating to the History of Brandon College Inc. booklet.
Series 1 (Board of Directors), sub-series 5 (Financial), of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds contains some photographs in the file entitled Steele Briggs Spring Campaign for Edmonton. The pictures are part of a sales booklet.
Steele Briggs related photographs are located in the scrapbook in Series 3 (Acquisitions), sub-series 2 (Steele Briggs) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
DIRECTORS OF DEVELOPMENT/INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT:
D.R. MACKAY (1973-1984)
See RG 6 4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration & Finance) for biographical information on D.R. MacKay.
GORDON MCDIARMID (1986 - 1991)
Gordon McDiarmid attended the University of Winnipeg and George Williams College (Chicago). His B.A. included a double major in Social Science and Group Work. His Masters degree was in Counseling Psychology with added course work and aplied research in Organization Dynamics. McDiarmid's psychiatric research and interships were undertaken at Michael Rease and Mount Sinai Hospitals in Chicago.
Prior to taking the posistion of Director of Private Funding at Brandon University, McDiarmid was President and CEO of U-Rent It Ltd. and Wallace & Wallace Fences Ltd. in Winnipeg (1973-1985) and Campaign Director fo the United Way of Calgary (1985-1986).
During his time at Brandon University McDiarmid: established a new University Foundation; organized annual and special gifts campaigns, endowments and the planned gift program; upgraded publications, initiated print standards policy, introduced desktop publishing and managed the media relations program for Communications; and as acting Director of Alumni and External Relations for two and a half years he revitalized the Board, expanded membership, initiated the affinity card program, the alumni directory, the IDC phone/mail program and expanded the national reunion program.
McDiarmid left Brandon University in 1991, to assume the post of Vice-President, Development, at the Banff Centre. He held this position until 1994, when he became the owner of Assiniboine Consulting Group Ltd. (Calgary) and the Vice President Western Canada of Navion Financial Management Ltd. (Vancouver). From 1998-2000, McDiarmid was the Director of Development - Special Projects for Lions Club of Winnipeg Housing Centres. From 2000-2003, he was the Interim Executive Director and an independant consultant for the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. McDiarmid also owned a private consulting practice from 1995-2006.
As of June 2010, Gordon McDiarmid lives in Winnipeg, MB.
L. JOHNSON (July 15, 1991 - 1994)
Lorraine Johnson was appointed Executive Director, Development and External Relations, effective July 15, 1991. From 1985-1989, she served as Director of University Relations for Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. Prior to her appointment at Brandon University she was a partner with a management and fund raising consulting firm in Nelson, BC.
S. DECTER HIRST (1994 - 1997/1998)
No biographical information yet.
BRUCE SHAVERS (1998 - 1999)
No biographical information yet.
B. PROVEN (August 1998 - March 2003)
Beth M. Proven attended high school in Carberry, MB in the late 1980s. In 1991, she graduated from the University of Manitoba with a B.A. She continued her education through an international agricultural exchange program in Kianga, Queensland (1992), an Arts Administration Certificate from Grant MacEwan Community College (1995), Certified Fundraising Executive Accreditation (CFRE) (2004) and a four-year Certificate in Management and Administration (CIM) from the University of Manitoba (2006).
Proven began her marketing and fundraising career in the arts, working for Wanuskewin Heritage Park, the Saskatoon International Fringe festival, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Shakespeare by the Sea. She moved into university fundraising in 1997 as Development Officer for Dalhousie University's Captial Ideas Campaign.
In August 1998, Proven came to Brandon University where she served as the Director of Development and Alumni Relations. In addition, she also managed the activites of the Brandon University Foundation and participated in the Presidents Advisory Committee. She left Brandon University in March 2003. Since that time she has been employed as the Director of Development for St. Paul's College at the University of Manitoba (2003-2004) and as Manager Planned Giving at the University of Manitoba (2004 - present).
Currently (February 2007), Beth Proven lives in Winnipeg, MB.
K. WHELPTON - acting (2003-2004)
Kate Whelpton was born on January 9, 1973 in Windsor, ON. She received her Honours B.A. in Geography and Political Studies from the University of Guelph in 1996, her B.Ed. from the University of Toronto in 1997 and her M.Ed. from Brandon University in 2005.
After teaching in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for a few years, Whelpton returned to working in poast-secondary education as the Sexual Harassment Advisor for Mount Allison and Brandon Universities. Since 2000, Whelpton has assumed the position as the Director of the Office of the President, overseeing the administration of the PResiden'ts Office, including planning and implementing all aspects of the meetings of the Board of Governors, budgets, staff meetings, events, strategic initiatives, and general administrative oversight of the organization. In 2003-2004, she was appointed Acting Executive Director of Institutional Advancement.
MARC DESROSIERS (2003 - July 2007)
No biographical information yet.
CINDY YACYSHEN - acting (July 2007 - October 2009)
Cynthia Hope Yacyshen was born on May 13, 1968 in Brandon, MB. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (Advanced - Major: Applied Economics, Minor: Business Administration) from the University of Maniotba in 1992. In 2004, she received her "National Certificate in Fundraising Management" from Ryerson University.
Prior to coming to Brandon University in 1997, Yacyshen was Marketing Coordinator for Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, MB. At Brandon University she was Campaign Officer for the Brandon College Legacy Campaign and then Senior Development Officer. In July 2007, Yacyshen was named Acting Director of Institutional Advancement. Yacyshen left her position at Brandon University in October 2009.
Notes
A partial file level inventory for this sub-series exists as a Word document. History/Bio information for Beth Proven was taken from the resume and biography she gave to the Archives (February 2007). Kate Whelpton appears in the Brandon University records as Kate Ramsey, Kate Whelpton and Kate Gross. Kate Whelpton provided her own biographical information (August 2007). Cindy Yacyshen provided her own biographical information (September 2007). Gordon McDiarmid provided his own biographical information (May 2010). History/Bio information for Lorraine Johnson taken from the Fall 1991 issue of Alumni News.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 10: Office of Development
File consists of information about Beaver Food Service Associates Limited, lists of residential accounts;non-resident colleges;school cafeteria accounts;hospital accounts;homes for the aged; and cafeteria accounts, metropolitan investigation and security guard daily activities reports, correspondence, memos, rules for residences, a pamphlet for Housing and Food Services at Brandon University, news articles, and a copy of "The Residence - Brandon University: General Announcement and Residence Rules."
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration & Finance)
Box 7
File consists of Bobcat programs, correspondence, minutes, participation in sport survey results, budget information, development plans, the constitution for the Nancy Stanley Trophy for the Outstanding Female Athlete, the constitution of the Jim Casey Memorial Award for Sportsmanship, the constitution for the Student Athletic Council Trophy, Bobcat schedules, Intramural Sports council and Intramural Athletic Board records, Hoop Classic records, reference materials, and a copy of "Intercollegiate Athletics at Brandon University - a Deepening Crisis."
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 2: Board of Governors
2.5 Board of Governors' committees
