Backing board is warped and has two large tears on the back. There is foxing on the image and board on the front
Custodial History
Image was donated to the McKee Archives in 2020 by Don Smith, Associate Curator/Manager of the Cornwall Community Museum/SD&G Historical Society and a volunteer with the City of Cornwall's Heritage Cornwall Committee. Smith was asked by a local used bookstore owner to find a home for a box of items they had acquired from the new owner of a Lancaster, ON are antique/collectibles operation.
Scope and Content
Composite portrait of the players, manager and president of the Wheat City Business College hockey team. The name and position/role of each man is written in the bottom right corner of their portrait.
The Pestyk brothers and the Tackaberry brothers, both immigrant families, cornered the market on custom made skates for professional hockey players in North America in the middle of the twentieth century. In 1937, following George Tackaberry's death, his widow sold his boot patent to C.C.M. (Canadian Cycle and Motor Company Limited). CCM used the design and name for its elite C.C.M. skate, known as Tacks. The Pestyk brothers lived north of Princess Avenue on 22nd Street in Brandon, MB. The Tackaberry brothers lived on 15th Street in Brandon, MB.
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Pestyk brothers in their workshop examining a boot mold with the name G. Gover written on it.
Portrait of a Brandon YMCA sports team. The players are wearing shorts and tank tops with cleated shoes. Their shirts show a distinctive Brandon YMCA logo. A small ball of some sort is on the ground in front of the YMCA steps to the right of the dog.
The photograph belonged to Tom Black who appears in the photograph (he is listed as J. Black). His son Errol acquired it at the time of his father's death and donated it to the McKee Archives in 2007.
Scope and Content
Photograph consists of portraits of the players and executive of the Southend Football Club. The Southend Football Club were winners of the Charity Cup in 1927, 1928 and 1930.
The photographs (BAPC 7.6 and 7.7) were left with Esther Bryan of the City of Brandon's Recreation Department responsible for scheduling of baseball/softball games at Curran Park. She gave them to Niel Henry, a local girls fastball coach in Brandon ca. 2000. The photographs were stored at Henry's residence at 27 Grant Blvd. until he gave them to the McKee Archives in September 2006.
Scope and Content
Photograph is a portrait of the players, coach, manager and honorary president of the Thomson girls softball team, Brandon City Champions 1927-1928-1929.
The photographs (BAPC 7.6 and 7.7) were left with Esther Bryan of the City of Brandon's Recreation Department responsible for scheduling of baseball/softball games at Curran Park. She gave them to Niel Henry, a local girls fastball coach in Brandon ca. 2000. The photographs were stored at Henry's residence at 27 Grant Blvd. until he gave them to the McKee Archives in September 2006.
Scope and Content
Photograph consists of portraits of the players, coach, manager and honorary president of the Thomson girls softball team, Brandon City Champions 1927-1928-1929.
Notes
The names of the two catchers, M. Kennedy and O. Johnson are missing from the scanned image.
Robert (Bob) Troy Blair was born on March 11, 1930 in Brandon, MB. His first six years were spent in Alexander, MB, where his father and uncle operated a grocery store. In 1936, his family moved to Souris, MB, where his father ran a grocery store. Blair received his primary and high school education, with the exception of Grade 12, in Souris.
Blair remembers his school years in Souris as mainly happy years. He was involved with both piano and organ music lessons. he was never interested in physical sports with the exception of golf. World War II broke out in September of 1939. Souris became the site of #17 SFTS and home base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Many of the service men came from England, Australia and New Zealand. Blair's mother always entertained at least two for dinner every Sunday. Rationing of sugar, tea and coffee, butter and meat became a way of life. Blair had the job every Saturday of pasting the ration coupons into booklets. It was also when he was in Grade 6, that Blair realized he was more attracted to boys than to girls. Perhaps it was because so many attractive airmen surrounded him!
In November of 1947, the Blair family relocated to Alexander where Bob Blair finished his Grade 11. This was not a good year due to bullying. In September of 1948, Blair moved to Winnipeg to attend United College for his Grade 12. Upon completion of Grade 12, Blair remained in Winnipeg until June 1950. he worked at a number of businesses - Gestetner, Eaton's Mail Order shoe department, Maple Leaf Milling, and the drug store in the Medical Arts Building. In September 1950, he entered Brandon College. Blair was very active in extra-curricular affairs while at Brandon College; particularly drama. Following his B.A. he enrolled in the Education Faculty, having decided to become a teacher.
Blair's teaching career spanned 34 years. All but one year was spent in the Brandon School Division. On his first day of teaching in the Division he met the man with whom he would spend the next 46 years. He was primarily a teacher of English and Music. A highlight of his career was exchange teaching in Sacramento, California in 1961. Orientation for exchange took place in August in Washington, D.C., where Blair had the opportunity to meet President J.F. Kennedy. He vividly recals the morning that JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963. In September 1965, Blair assumed the principalship of Park School and in September of 1969, the same position at George Fitton School where re remained until his retirement in 1989. He was a member of the Brandon Picnipals' Association, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and servedas President of the Brandon Teachers' Association. Among his major accomplishments during his time as principal were the introduction of a centralized school library in both Park and George Fitton Schools and the integration of special needs students into regular classroom situations wherever possible. He was made a Life Member of the Manitoba Teachers' Society (Brandon) in June 1990. Following his retirement Blair worked as a Library Automation Consultant (1989-1993).
Blair also had numerous community involvements during his time in Brandon. he was active in the Brandon Little Theatre (Best Actor Award, Manitoba Drama Festival for One Act Plays in 1963), the Brandon Festival of the Arts, the Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music Competition, and Arm Industries to name a few.
Following the death of his partner in 2001, Blair moved to Saskatoon to live with a younger gay couple. He has been active in volunteerism: as an Ambassador for the Saskatoon Airport Authority, assistant with the Saskatoon Health Region's Immunization Clinics, information clerk for the Festival of Trees, data entry clerk for the Saskatoon Music Festival, on the Board of the Saskatoon Jazz Society, and Hospitality Coordinator for the Saskatoon Jazz Festival.
Robert Troy Blair died on July 2, 2024 in Saskatoon, SK. He is buried in Brandon, MB.
Custodial History
Records were in Blair's possession until he donated them to the Mckee Archives on Homecoming weekend October 2013.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two scrapbooks containing 145 photographs and ephemera (play and graduation programs, tickets, pins, newspaper clippings) documenting Bob Blair's days at Brandon College. Social events and extra-curricular activities are heavily featured in the two scrapbooks. Also included are graduation portraits for the Classes of 1951, 1952 and 1953. Of the 145 photographs all are black and white except for two photos of the Class of '53 reconvocation (May 1993), and one from the Class of '53 reunion (2003).
Bertha Miriam Clark was born on Prince Edward Island but attended public and high school in Brandon, MB. She was a member of the Class of 1929 and served as Lady Stick in her final year at Brandon College.
Clark married J. Scott Leith, Brandon College Class of 1928. Scott and Bertha Leith's son James Clark Leith is in the Canadian Who's Who.
Custodial History
Album was sent to Pat Britton, Brandon University Director of Alumni Relations, by Bertha Leith in April 1991. Britton then transferred it to the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a small accordian style photograph album (7 x 10.5 x 3.5 cm) created by Bertha Clark during her years at Brandon College. The photographs, which measure 4" x 2.75", depict numerous people and events.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the 1928-1929 Sickle.