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.
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.
Artifact catalogue containing records from the excavation at Lovstrom Block H 1991.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files. Artifact catalogues are PDF files in spreadsheet format. Photographs are in jpeg format.
History / Biographical
Large scale excavations of four block sites took place in 1988 under the direction of Bev Nicholson with Ian Kuijt as crew chief. Block F consisted of 4 excavation units.
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-sub series contains: Summary information of field methology, number and co-ordinates of excavations, personnel and their staff position.
Artifact catalogue containing records from the excavation at Lovstrom Block F.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files. Artifact catalogues are PDF files in spreadsheet format. Photographs are in jpeg format.
History / Biographical
Large scale excavations of four block sites took place in 1988 under the direction of Bev Nicholson with Ian Kuijt as crew chief. Block G consisted of 4 excavation units.
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-sub series contains: Summary information of field methology, number and co-ordinates of excavations, personnel and their staff position.
Artifact catalogue containing records from the excavation at Lovstrom Block G.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files. Artifact catalogues are PDF files in spreadsheet format. Photographs are in jpeg format.
History / Biographical
Large scale excavations of four block sites took place in 1988 under the direction of Bev Nicholson with Ian Kuijt as crew chief. Block H consisted of eight excavation units.
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-sub series contains: Summary information of field methology, number and co-ordinates of excavations, personnel and their staff position.
Artifact catalogue containing records from the excavation at Lovstrom Block H.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files. Artifact catalogues are PDF files in spreadsheet format. Photographs are in jpeg format.
History / Biographical
Large scale excavations of two block sites took place in 1988 under the direction of Bev Nicholson with Brett Waddell as crew chief and Theresa Hill as assistant. Block E consisted of 10 additional excavation units.
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-sub series contains: Summary information of field methology, number and co-ordinates of excavations, personnel and their staff position.
Artifact catalogue containing records from the excavation at Lovstrom Block E 1991.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Artifact catalogue containing 1573 records from Crepeele site 2005.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Numerous photographs were taken during the excavation of the Crepeele site 2005. A selection of photographs of features and personnel performing usual field tasks such as surveying, measuring, excavating, and taking photographs were selected for the archive.
Scope and Content
Sub sub sub series consists of photographs taken during excavation of the Crepeele site 2005.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files. Artifact catalogues are PDF files in spreadsheet format. Photographs are in jpeg format.
History / Biographical
The Crepeele site was identified from the results of the Casselman survey and excavated in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
In 2005 and 2007 the Brandon University Archaeology Field School was held at the Crepeele site in the Crepeele locale.
In 2008 a small crew returned to the site to gather further samples and verify profiles. Three units (XU 50, 51 and 52) were excavated with faunal (animal bone), lithics, fire cracked rock, diagnostic lithics and ceramics recovered from the site. There are 455 records in the artifact catalogue.
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-sub series contains: Summary information of field methology, number and co-ordinates of excavations, personnel and their staff position.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
In 2007 the Brandon University Archaeology Field School was held at the Crepeele site in the Crepeele locale. Denise Ens instructed the school with Kate Decter & Jessica MacKenzie assistants.
Seventeen units were excavated XU30 - 46. Faunal (animal bone), lithics, fire cracked rock, diagnostic lithics and ceramics were recovered from the site. There are over 3050 records in the catalogue.
Scope and Content
Record of daily observations at the site including: excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather.
Artifact catalogue containing 3054 records from Crepeele site 2007.
Scope and Content
Spreadsheet containing information about the artifacts recovered, including: unit, level, artifact number, catalogue number, depth, co-ordinates, entry date, date recovered,count, weight, UTM co-ordinates, notes(excavators initials and comments) and artifact identification.
Numerous photographs were taken during the excavation of the Crepeele site 2007. A selection of photographs of features and personnel performing usual field tasks such as surveying, measuring, excavating, and taking photographs were selected for the archive.
Scope and Content
Sub sub sub series consists of photographs taken during excavation of the Crepeele site 2007.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
The Crepeele site was identified from the results of the Casselman survey and excavated in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
In 2008 a small crew under the direction of Bev Nicholson returned to the site to gather further samples and verify profiles. Three units (XU 50, 51 and 52) were excavated. As well the Graham site 2008 was also excavated.
The field journals contain information about both the Crepeele and Graham sites.
Scope and Content
Record of daily observations at the site including: excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
The Crepeele site was identified from the results of the Casselman survey and excavated in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
In 2008 a small crew under the direction of Bev Nicholson returned to the site to gather further samples and verify profiles. Three units (XU 50, 51 and 52) were excavated. As well the Graham site 2008 was also excavated.
The field journals contain information about both the Crepeele and Graham sites 2008.
Scope and Content
Record of daily observations at the site including: excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather.
Field journals have been scanned in multi-page PDF files.
History / Biographical
The Crepeele site was identified from the results of the Casselman survey and excavated in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
In 2008 a small crew under the direction of Bev Nicholson returned to the site to gather further samples and verify profiles. Three units (XU 50, 51 and 52) were excavated. As well the Graham site 2008 was also excavated.
The field journals contain information about both the Crepeele and Graham sites 2008.
Scope and Content
Record of daily observations at the site including: excavation methods, items recovered, features, local environment and weather.
