Gerry Beaubier was born in Wainwright, Alberta to Beatty and Babe Beaubier. He completed his high school in Saskatoon, before receiving a BSc in Geography from Brandon University.
Before attending university Gerry served in the army as a special reserve, while working as a night clerk at the Bessbourough Hotel in Saskatoon. His post-graduate career consisted primarily of work for Canada Agriculture, under the PFRA Branch (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration). Later he would work as an Executive Manager, helping develop forage and range management programs for several post secondary schools, including, Assiniboine Community College, as well as schools in Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Saskatoon.
Gerry Beaubier married Joyce Abercrombie, of Saskatoon. Together they had two sons: Neil and Dean. Neil, an Account Advisor for the Royal Bank, was born in Regina, and currently works in Swift Current. Dean was born in Swift Current, received his PhD in Education and currently lives in Forrest working at Elton Collegiate.
The Beaubiers, who were originally from Ireland, emigrated to the Canadian West, making Gerry part of the fourth generation of his family to call the region home. His great-grandfather, along with his grandfather and great uncle were amongst the first one hundred settlers in Brandon. Together they first built the Beaubier House, a boarding house for early settlers and travellers. After it burnt down they began construction on the Beaubier Hotel, which stood at the corner of 8th Street and Princess Avenue in Brandon until August 17th, 2008. His grandfather, David Wilson Beaubier, continued to build and operate hotels throughout the prairies, including the Empire Hotels (of Brandon and Saskatoon) and The Park (Moose Jaw).
David Wilson Beaubier served as a secretary of the Orange Lodge of Manitoba. As an Orange Lodge Colonel, he worked with other Orange Lodge members, to recruit throughout the prairies for the purpose of World War One. For his efforts , David was promoted to Leftenant Colonel, and later Captain of the 99th Manitoba Rangers. David's sons (Gerry’s father, at University of Manitoba, and uncle at McGill), were both working towards undergraduate degrees when war broke out in 1914, and each would leave school to join their father at Camp Hughes.
Custodial History
Gerry Beaubier collected these photos primarily in the years 2000-2011, largely
from family and friends who knew of his interest in the topic. They were donated to the S.J. Mckee Archives in 2011.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of digital photographs of those who trained for battle in World War I at Camp Hughes and in Brandon, Manitoba. It also includes a digital copy of the cover of the Nominal Roll of Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men, who departed from Brandon in 1917.
The photos, taken primarily at Camp Hughes, are of a number of battalions, including the 34th, 100th, 108th, 181st and 214th. The photo, PT in England, is a postcard sent home from Beaty Beaubier. The Massey Harris building seen on the right side of, WW1 B parade0001, was used to house troops throughout the war. The man standing alone at the front of the parade in, 181 Parade, is David Wilson Beaubier.
Notes
Information for the biographical and custodial histories was provided by Gerry Beaubier on September 25, 2013. Description by Dustin Lane (October 2013).
The decorative ceiling and border are consistent with another photograph in the McGuinness collection (see 20-2009.78) in which Gordon Irwin is identified. According to Henderson's 1909 Brandon City Directory, Gordon Irwin - a barber - and tobacconist J.S. Rosby shared at storefront at 919 Rosser Avenue. This address is situated on the north side of Rosser Avenue, adjacent to a laneway. It is possible that the back of the shop overlooks the Grand Union Hotel on the corner of Pacific Avenue and 10th Street.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the interior of a store primarily selling pipes and cigars. An ornate tin ceiling and wallpaper border are evident. A barber shop area can be seen in the back of the shop near the exit.
Notes
Writing on the back reads: Harold Tackaberry says may have been Jory's or Waldron's, now part of Knowlton's. The handwriting is Fred McGuinness'.
Photograph shows the interior of a store primarily selling pipes, cigars, and postcards.
Notes
Writing on the back reads: Letters on right-hand door read IMP, probably Imperial - Rosser [807] at Eigth Street. The handwriting is Fred McGuinness'. Date ascertained from Saskatoon Fair poster hanging on wall at right of photograph. Business name retrieved from Henderson's Brandon City Directory 1911. Adams Shoe Company store front visible through shop's windows.
Photograph shows the interior of a store primarily selling pipes, cigars, and postcards.
Notes
Handwriting on back of phograph reads: Harry Finnegan, Brandon, Man. Date ascertained from Waterloo Manufacturing Co. calendar hanging by door at left of photograph. Interior furnishings same as photograph 20-2009.2.
Photograph shows the interior of a bar with a group of 18 patrons and staff standing to the right of the counter. Two framed photographs of dogs playing poker hang above the bar. Date ascertained from certificate hanging above the cash register.
Notes
William Henderson is listed as the bartender for the Grand Union Hotel in the 1909 Henderson's Brandon City Directory.
Photograph shows the Brandon Hardware Company Ltd. storefront at 641 Rosser Avenue on the corner of 7th Street. A billboard advertisement for Stephen's Pure Paints is on the 7th Street side of the building. A company delivery truck is parked on the street. Two men appear to be window shopping on the avenue side of the store.
Photograph is scratched and has been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of intersection of the 000 block of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue. Horse and buggies are travelling on both roads. Businesses on the east side of 8th Street from Pacific to Rosser Avenues are clearly visible and include: a Lunch Room (likely Aagaard's Lunch Counter), the Hotel Imperial Annex, Liverpool House (a boarding house), R.S. Thompson and Company Real Estate Office (Land Office), a barber shop (likely J. Coulter's), Frank Gowen photography studio, and Fleming's Drug Store. A possible street fair is in progress on Rosser Avenue. One man is surrounded by a crowd adjacent to the Fleming Block, another man stands on a soap box in the middle of the intersection, while a third man is standing behind a booth. Building construction appears to be happening on the west corner of 7th Street and Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: 296. One photograph (20-2009.12) is glued above and two others are glued on the reverse side. Page appears to be from a photo album.
Photograph has been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
History / Biographical
On 16 November 1906, Manitoba was hit by a severe winter storm that began that Thursday evening and extended through the weekend. The Brandon Daily Sun ("Storm Extends Over a Large Territory," 17 Nov. 1906, 1) reported that rail and telegraph services had been disrupted, country roads were impassable, and business in town was at a stand still. Following the weekend, the daily reported the blizzard was one of the greatest in recent memory. CPR trains had been caught in drifts by Carberry and an express car had caught fire and was destroyed ("Worst Storm in Many Years," Brandon Daily Sun, 19 Nov. 1906, 1).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of intersection of the 000 block of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue in the winter. Businesses on the east side of 8th Street from Pacific to Rosser Avenues are clearly visible and include: a Lunch Room (likely Aagaard's Lunch Counter), the Hotel Imperial Annex, Liverpool House (a boarding house), R.S. Thompson and Company Real Estate Office (Land Office), a barber shop (likely J. Coulter's), Frank Gowen photography studio. Fleming's Drug Store on the corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue has been replaced by the Bank of Hamilton. The Imperial Hotel is visible on the west side of 8th Street. The 8th Street Bridge is visible in the background.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: 338, November 1906. Page appears to be from a photo album. The photograph appears to be taken from the interior of a builing on the southwest corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue.
Photograph has been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
History / Biographical
On 16 November 1906, Manitoba was hit by a severe winter storm that began that Thursday evening and extended through the weekend. The Brandon Daily Sun ("Storm Extends Over a Large Territory," 17 Nov. 1906, 1) reported that rail and telegraph services had been disrupted, country roads were impassable, and business in town was at a stand still. Following the weekend, the daily reported the blizzard was one of the greatest in recent memory. CPR trains had been caught in drifts by Carberry and an express car had caught fire and was destroyed ("Worst Storm in Many Years," Brandon Daily Sun, 19 Nov. 1906, 1).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of intersection of the 000 block of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue in the winter. Businesses on the east side of 8th Street from Pacific to Rosser Avenues are clearly visible and include: a Lunch Room (likely Aagaard's Lunch Counter), the Hotel Imperial Annex, Liverpool House (a boarding house), R.S. Thompson and Company Real Estate Office (Land Office), a barber shop (likely J. Coulter's), Frank Gowen photography studio. Fleming's Drug Store on the corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue has been replaced by the Bank of Hamilton. The Imperial Hotel is visible on the west side of 8th Street. The 8th Street Bridge is visible in the background. Men in winter coats and hats are crossing the street at the intersection. A horse-drawn sleigh is parked on 8th Street.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: 340, after the storm November 1906. Page appears to be from a photo album. The photograph appears to be taken from the interior of a builing on the southwest corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue.
John Dickson (b. 17 Mar 1854, Scotland; d.15 April 1926, Brandon) was considered one of Brandon’s pioneer dentists. Dickson immigrated to Canada in 1857, where he lived in Hamilton, Ontario, for a number of years. Dickson then came to Manitoba and operated a grocery in Chater before he studied dentistry, graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1886. Dickson settled in Brandon where he married Anna Louise Harrison on 28 December 1891.
The couple had four children: Mrs. Irving Cross [Mary Louise, b.20 Dec 1892, Brandon; d. 22 Oct 1981, Saratoga, NY]; Dr. John Harrison Dickson [b. 26 Aug 1894, Brandon; d. 17 June 1956, Killarney]; Dr. Stanley Rodgers Dickson [b. 18 Feb 1896, Brandon; d. 25 July 1963, Brandon]; and Mrs. Emile Baldeschweiler [Isobel Marion Coates, b. 13 Nov 1900, Brandon; d.?] of New York.
Sources: “Pioneer Dentist of Brandon in Dr. John Dickson,” Brandon Daily Sun 16 Apr 1926 and Manitoba Vital Statistics database.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the interior of a dentist's office with dentist's chair and sink, as well as shelves and a table lined with medicines. This office is possibly that of Dr. John Dickson who had his practice at 804 Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: December 1906.
Photograph shows the exterior of the Royal George Hotel located at 142-6th Street, Brandon. Striped awnings cover the second and third storey windows of the hotel. Dogs roam the sidewalk in front of the hotel. Advertisements cover the fence adjacent to the hotel and include: Fort McMurray town site settlement; Mortgage sale for city property; Starland Theatre featuring Miss Amy Lawrence, Soprano; Sherman Theatre; 15th Annual Horticultural Exhibition
Notes
Date ascertained from 15th Annual Horticultural Exhibition advertisement posted on fence adjacent to hotel. Address obtained from Henderson's Brandon City Directory for 1913.
Photograph shows the possible interior of the Grandview Hotel. A young man is working behind the counter that holds a cash register and tobacco display case. A calendar for March 1913 advertises O.L. Harwood's Insurance, Real Estate, and Loans. Below the hotel's 35-room call box is an advertisement for the Public Stenographers Company. A postcard stand holds cards of Brandon's courthouse and other prominent buildings.
Photograph shows the possible interior of the Grandview Hotel. A young man is working behind the counter that holds a cash register and tobacco display case. A calendar for March 1913 advertises O.L. Harwood's Insurance, Real Estate, and Loans. Below the hotel's 35-room call box is an advertisement for the Public Stenographers Company. A postcard stand holds cards of Brandon's courthouse and other prominent buildings.
Notes
Date ascertained from calendar above counter. This photograph is a duplicate of 20-2009.23 but is in sharper focus. Grand View is written in pencil on the back of the photograph.
Photograph shows the midway at the 1913 Dominion Fair. Attractions include California Orange Juice stand and Patterson's Animal Trainer Show. The Dominion Exhibition Display Building II can be seen in the background.
Notes
Photograph appears to be a part of a sequence of photographs, see 20-2009.30 to 20-2009.40
Photographs have been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of north side of Rosser Avenue, primarily the 700 block, along which sewer pipe is being laid. Visible buildings and businesses include: The Fleming Block with Lowes Brothers Clothing and Manitoba Farmers Hedge and Wire Fence Company, the Beaubier Block and its Empire Hotel, A.M. Percival (a grocer), the Brandon Hardware Company (600 block), and the Arlington Hotel (500 block) are visible along the north side of the avenue. The Bank of Hamilton Building is on the southeast corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: 290. Page appears to be from a photo album.
Photograph is stained and water damaged. A newspaper clipping about William (Billy) Muir is glued to the top left hand corner of the mat. The image is exfoliated in the right hand corner. The negative has been reverse printed.
History / Biographical
Coombs & Stewart opened the first general store in Brandon in 1881, which was located on 6th Street and Pacific Avenue. According to G.F. Barker (Brandon: A City, 1977, 291), William (Billy) Muir worked at the store until he opened his own grocery store in 1888.
Custodial History
Donated to Fred McGuinness by Allena Strath (nee Coombs).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the Coombs & Stewart general store located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and 6th Street. A group of men pose in front of the wood-framed store.
Notes
Back of photograph reads: One of first stores in Brandon, Coombs...[?]
According to G.F. Barker (Brandon: A City, 1977, 291), William (Billy) Muir worked at Coombs & Stewart's on Pacific Avenue until he opened his own grocery store in 1888. The shop was located at 143-6th Street, Brandon, and was demolished for a parking lot in 1952.
Custodial History
Donated to Fred McGuinness by Allena Strath (nee Coombs).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the "Wm. Muir General Grocer" building on 6th Street. Two men pose in the doorway of the store. The man on the left is likely William Muir. Barrels are lined on the boardwalk in front of the store. Apples and mason jars can be seen in the shop's windows.
Notes
Front of photograph reads: Sixth Street between Rosser - Princess. Back of photograph reads: Billy Muir's Store, 143 6th Street Brandon - 57 years in business in this location. An address label affixed to the back of the mat reads: Mrs. James Strath, Box 421, Souris, Man.
Gordon Irwin (1878 - 1968) was a long-time barber in Brandon, Manitoba. Irwin was born in Allenbank, Ontario. He married Elizabeth Jane Rollings (b. 04 Dec 1880, Napanee, ON; d. 24 Jul 1976, Brandon, MB) in Malton, Ontario, on January 11, 1905, and the couple moved to Brandon shortly thereafter. According to Henderson's Brandon City Directories, Gordon Irwin worked as a barber, for more than 49 years, in various establishments throughout the city. Notable shops include: the Imperial Hotel (1906), the CPR Barbers (1913-1923), Heise's (1929-1935), Kidds (1930-1941), and Robert Fowles (1949-1955). The Irwins celebrated their diamond anniversary in 1965, which was photographed and profiled in the Brandon Sun (14 Jan 1965, 8). According to his Brandon Sun obituary (19 April 1968, 12), Gordon Irwin passed away in Brandon on April 17, 1968, and was interned in the Rosewood Cemetery.
The decorative ceiling and border are consistent with another photograph of a tobacconist's shop in the McGuinness collection (see 20-2009.1). According to Henderson's 1909 Brandon City Directory, Gordon Irwin - a barber - and tobacconist J.S. Rosby shared at storefront at 919 Rosser Avenue. This address is situated on the north side of Rosser Avenue, adjacent to a laneway. It is possible that the back of the shop overlooks the Grand Union Hotel on the corner of Pacific Avenue and 10th Street.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the interior of a barber shop. Three barbers are posing by their chairs and two customers are receiving a shave. The barber in the centre has been identified as Gordon Irwin. A display for Rudolf's Patent Pipes is in the foreground. An ornate tin ceiling and elaborate border are visible in the photograph. Framed pictures hang above the mirror, including an advertisement for undertakers Vincent & Macpherson (1901-1906).
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Dave Dick says centre barber is Gordon IRWIN, location may have been about 813 Rosser. May have been Kidd's Barber Shop. Harold Tackaberry confirms IRWIN. McGUINNESS.
Photograph is scratched and has been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of the northeast intersection of the 000 block of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue. Horse and buggies are parked along the east side of 8th Street. Businesses on the east side of 8th Street from Pacific to Rosser Avenues are clearly visible and include: a Lunch Room (likely Aagaard's Lunch Counter), the Hotel Imperial Annex, Liverpool House (a boarding house), R.S. Thompson and Company Real Estate Office (Land Office), a barber shop (likely J. Coulter's), Frank Gowen photography studio, and Fleming's Drug Store. A possible street fair is in progress on Rosser Avenue. One man is standing on a soap box and is surrounded by a crowd in the middle of 8th Street. Another man can be seen standing behind a booth on the northwest street corner. Building construction appears to be happening on the west corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: 297. One photograph (20-2009.80) is glued below the photograph. Another photograph is glued on the reverse side. Page appears to be from a photo album.
Left hand corner of mat is bent. Mock-up instructions are written in pencil at the bottom right hand corner. Portions of the photograph itself are marked with pen.
History / Biographical
The Queen's Hotel was located on the corner of Rosser Avenue and Tenth Street (Steen & Boyce, 1882. Brandon, Manitoba, Canada and Her Industries. Steen & Boyce Publishers Printers & Binders, 81.). Therefore this photo appears to display Rosser Avenue looking east. P.E. 11/06/09
Scope and Content
Photograph shows early Rosser Avenue under construction between 9th Street and 10th Street in the 1880s. Buildings that line the avenue are wood framed and there are wooden boardwalks in front of a few structures. On the north side of Rosser Avenue signs for Fortier & Bucke Commision Agents and Transit House (Hotel) can be seen. On the south side of Rosser Avenue, the Queen's Hotel and Robinson Brothers and Company groceries and dry goods store are open for business. A family appears to be standing on the stoop at the dry goods store. A boy is lounging in the entryway of the Queen's Hotel. A man is standing on a wooden plank that extends across the dirt road of Rosser Avenue between the dry goods store and the commission agents' shop.
