10 cm textual records;
2 class portraits;
and 1 small print
History / Biographical
Stella and Gladys Sleigh were born and raised in Rossburn, Manitoba, and attended Normal School in Brandon, Manitoba, in the late 1910's and early 1920's. Both subsequently pursued teaching careers in Manitoba. Katherine McLean also attended Normal School in the early 1890's, and was from Virden, Manitoba.
Custodial History
Janette Donnelly has donated this collection of material that belonged to her mother and aunt, Stella and Gladys Sleigh, respectively. Included in this collection is a booklet that belonged to Donnelly's great-aunt Katherine Sinclair (McLean). This collection was donated to the McKee Archives by Janette Donnelly of McGregor, Manitoba, on September 15, 1999.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of portfolios and notebooks kept by Stella and Gladys Sleigh while attending Brandon Normal School. The portfolios contain drawings and projects that the women made. The notebooks contain information about education in Manitoba in the early 20th century. There is also a portrait taken of Gladys Sleigh around 1920 and two Normal School portraits included in this collection. The collection also includes a notebook kept by Katherine Sinclair (McLean), which describes lessons given to prospective teachers at the Virden Normal School in the early 1890's.
Notes
CAIN No. 202609 (under Stella and Gladys Sleigh fonds).
Fred McGuinness published 17 articles in Reader’s Digest magazine. His most intensive period of writing for the digest was between 1972 and 1982. McGuinness published his first story, “RAPESEED: Golden Bounty for the Prairie Farmer,” in August of 1972. The story “Mrs. K’s Eggs” (1992) appears to be his final publication with the magazine. McGuinness noted in one of his Neighborly News columns (#701, May 24, 1993) that his account about John Lane and his bluebird boxes, titled “The Man Who Brought the Bluebirds Back” (1973), generated the most readers’ correspondence.
Most of McGuinness’ topics focused on agriculture in the Canadian prairies and included: rapeseed, beef/cattle farming, credit unions, ranching, wheat, soil erosion, trout farming, honey, and birds (killdeers, bluebirds, and turkeys). Several articles – “Northwest of 17,” “Boy with Wheel,” “He’s Got a Good Fist,” and “Mrs. K’s Eggs” – were autobiographical in nature.
McGuinness contributed six articles to the Reader’s Digest book division for their publication, Reader’s Digest Scenic Wonders of Canada: An Illustrated Guide to Our Natural Splendors (1976). His assignment for the book focused on the prairie region and McGuinness contributed segments on Clear Lake/Riding Mountain National Park, Cypress Hills, The Big Muddy, Lake of the Woods, Qu’Appelle Valley, and Valley of the Dinosaurs/badlands of Red Deer Valley.
McGuinness conducted research on a number of topics for Reader’s Digest that did not get published with the magazine and he, therefore, published these stories elsewhere. Subjects included: wild rice, Father Larre, Frederick Phillip Grove, coal on the prairies (“Chores/Chore Boy”), community symbols, researching/writing local history, and a story titled “Hole in the Ground.” McGuinness ultimately published his “Frederick Phillip Grove” (1984) and “Coal Days on the Prairies” (1986) articles with Western People magazine. He would write about wild rice, Father Larre, and community symbols in his syndicated Neighborly News column. McGuinness used his local history research materials for his Brandon Sun Diary columns and possibly for the Friesen publication Local History Style Guide (1984) as well as in his memoir writing workshops. He continued to rework “Hole in the Ground,” a story about the swimming pool at Christmas Tree Farm, until 2009.
Fred McGuinness often used his Reader’s Digest articles as writing samples in his memoir writing workshops. He also continually added materials to his research files after an article was published, and in the case of his Reader’s Digest materials, he built upon his “writing local history” and “community symbols” files.
Custodial History
Accession 1-2015 contains records created and collected over the course of McGuinness’ career as a newspaper journalist and freelance writer. The Estate of Fred McGuinness donated the materials to the SJ McKee Archives circa 2011. The Archives accessioned the records in 2015.
Scope and Content
The subseries consists of records created and collected by Fred McGuinness during his time as a journalist, editor, and freelance writer in Manitoba. It includes research materials (e.g., newspaper clippings, copies of articles and book chapters, brochures, pamphlets), notes, drafts, copies of published Reader’s Digest articles, and correspondence.
Notes
Information in the history/biography was taken from Neighborly News columns (McG 2.3 file 12, file 17, file 18); letter dated April 29, 1874 to Glen Sutherland from Fred McGuinness (McG 3.1, file 6); and personal e-mail communication from Rick Ediger, Editor, Reader’s Digest, March 25, 2015
In the file level inventories, square brackets at the end of file names reference the original location of the file in the unprocessed Fred McGuinness collection. The original location is also noted on the front of each file folder
Accruals
Closed
Finding Aid
A file level inventory is available
Storage Location
2015 accessions
Related Material
Fred McGuinness would write/publish about a topic in a number of forums. Therefore, it is possible research materials pertaining to this subseries may be found in the Fred McGuinness collection subseries: Correspondence (McG 1.2), Brandon Sun (McG 2.2), Neighborly News (McG 2.3), Miscellaneous freelance (McG 3.2), Local history research (McG 4.1), and Talks and workshops (McG 6.3)
Arrangement
Arrangement was artificially created by the Archives. Subseries has been re-arranged according to publication period
Photograph shows a group of 14 individuals scattered throughout a yard of a two-storey brick home with an extension. An elderly woman can be seen a wheelchair. Four women are wearing white gowns with long sleeves.
Notes
Writing on the front corner of the photograph reads: 1868
File consists of reference materials regarding university libraries in Ontario gathered for the purpose of planning the use and/or expansion of the John E. Robbins Library at Brandon University. It includes two photographs of Carelton University Library.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration &Finance)
Box 1
