Harry Spafford (b. 22 Oct 1888, d. 10 May 1978) was born in Holmfield, Manitoba. He married Isabella Hawking of Ninga in 1914 and the couple moved to Brandon in 1915 where they continued to reside until 1973. Harry worked as a locomotive fireman and then as an engineer with the Canadian Northern Railway (CN). While with CN, he was an active member of the Brotherhood of Local Engineers and Firemen No. 788 of Brandon. He served as an alderman in Brandon from 1928 to 1945. In 1932, Harry ran in the Manitoba by-election for Brandon as an Independent Labour candidate and lost to the Conservative member George Dinsdale. In 1952, Harry ran as a Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member in the provincial election and lost to Conservative party representative Reg Lissaman. Harry Spafford passed away in Burnaby, BC, and is interred in the Ocean View Cemetery. (Source: see obituary in McG 4.1 File 66)
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Harry Spafford feeding Canada geese.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Harry Spafford feeding Canada geese near Vancouver 1976.
In 1917 the Brandon Electric Light Co. and the Brandon Gas & Power Co. merged to form the Canada Gas & Electric Company; CG&EC was subsequently taken over by the Manitoba Power Commission;
Brandon's central heating system was taken over by the Brandon Steam Heat Users Co-operative;
On September 13, 1957 at 3:38 PM, an explosion in the boiler and stack destroyed the large stack causing two fatalities.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Canada Gas & Electric Co. steam plant
Notes
View (from 10th St.) of the coal-powered steam generating plant located at 10th St. & Lorne Ave.
Copy negative from 8x10 negative by C.J. Smith (on file).
In 1917 the Brandon Electric Light Co. and the Brandon Gas & Power Co. merged to form the Canada Gas & Electric Company; CG&EC was subsequently taken over by the Manitoba Power Commission;
Brandon's central heating system was taken over by the Brandon Steam Heat Users Co-operative;
On September 13, 1957 at 3:38 PM, an explosion in the boiler and stack destroyed the large stack causing two fatalities.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Canada Gas & Electric Co. steam plant
Notes
Rear view of the coal-powered steam generating plant located at 10th St. & Lorne Avenue
Coal was fed from boxcars up elevators to crushers in two cupolas from which it was fed by gravity to chain grate boilers; The chain grate revolved slowly but constantly with coal fed at front edge, burned, and dumped as cinders in pit at far end
The two boxcars shown were used to haul the coal; One is lettered for the Canadian National, the other is still lettered for the merged Grand Trunk Pacific; Cinders were loaded in gondola cars at far right
Copy negative from 8x10 negative by C.J. Smith (on file).
The Canada Winter Games were held in Brandon, Manitoba, from February 12-24, 1979. According to the official Canada Games website, approximately 2,000 athletes and officials and more than 4,000 volunteers participated in the event. Brandon artist and calligrapher Alex Matheson served as games president. Infrastructure improvements resulted in the construction of the Canada Games Sportsplex complex which contained a 400-seat hockey area, raquetball courts a six-lane 50-metre swimming pool, and a speed skating oval. Mount Agassiz was the site for alpine ski events and new cross country ski trails were developed in the Brandon Hills.
Custodial History
Photograph sent to Fred McGuinness from the Winnipeg Free Press Photo Department
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the opening ceremonies of the Canada Games held in Brandon, Manitoba, 1979. Various teams can be seen standing in the hockey arena of the Keystone Centre. Pennants representing the athletic events hang from the rafters.
Notes
Photograph was collected during the research phase of the monograph "Manitoba: The Province & The People" (1987) written by Fred McGuinness and Ken Coates.
The original Merchants Bank of Canada building (built 1890) was, at one time, used by St. John's Ambulance.
The second Merchants Bank of Canada building (built 1906) was used as the Brandon branch of the Western Manitoba Regional Library, and now is home to the Brandon Chamber of Commerce (P.E. 23/06/09).
The original Federal Building and Post Office was built in 1891
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
The original Merchants Bank of Canada building (right); The second Merchants Bank of Canada building (left); The original Federal Building and Post Office (centre)