The Blyth Protestant School District #471 was founded in 1886. It became the Blyth School District following the elimination of the denominational school system in Manitoba in 1890. The District was located south of Brandon in the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis. The District existed until the mid-1960s, when it was incorporated into the Rolling River School Division.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes the minute books, financial records (1886-1955), attendance registers (1887-1906), and related documents of the Blyth School District, Rural Municipality of Cornwallis. Aside from attendance records, the fonds contains documents relating to issues of teachers salaries, attendance policies, and holidays.
George F. MacDowell was born in 1913, in Prince Edward Island. He studied at Dalhousie University from 1930 to 1933, but did not complete a degree. During WWII, MacDowell served in Canada and Europe as a member of the Royal Canadian Signals Corps. After the war, he returned to Dalhousie University, graduating with a B.A. in 1947. Subsequently, he graduated with a Masters Degree in Economics from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. George McDowell taught at both Mount Allison University and the University of Alberta before coming to Brandon in 1957 to teach at Brandon College. He remained as a professor in the Economic Department until his retirement in 1979.
MacDowell's work was published in the Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science. In 1971, McClelland & Stewart published his account of the Brandon Packers strike of 1960 titled "The Brandon Packer's Strike: A Tragedy of Errors." In Brandon, MacDowell maintained a relationship with the local Association of Fire Fighters, aiding them with collective bargaining procedures. He also served as Chairman for the MacKenzie Seeds Board, and was a member of the Manitoba Development Corporation Board.
MacDowell never married and had no known children. He passed away on February 26th, 1986.
Custodial History
This collection was in the possesion of George MacDowell until his death. It was then held by the Brandon University Department of Economics until 1997, at which time it was transferred to the McKee Archives at Brandon University.
Scope and Content
The bulk of this fonds falls into five main categories:
1. Records dealing with the Brandon Packers Strike of 1960 and the subsequent legal actions against the owners, including all 2215 pages of the Brandon Packers Strike Commission;
2. Records dealing with the Commission of Inquiry into The Pas Forestry and Industrial Complex, including the complete transcript of the inquiry measuring approximately 5m. This Commission dealt with the conduct of Churchill Forest Industries, a company owned by a Swiss financial firm, which, in the 1960's, was given approximately 93 million dollars by the Roblin Provincial Government to develop The Pas Forestry and Industrial Complex. Churchill Forest Industries and its parent company subsequently came under suspicion of fraud and accused of fradulently transfering The Pas Forestry funds into other foreign business interests;
3. Records dealing with business loans awarded by the Manitoba Development Corporation during the 1970's and 1980's to businesses primarily within Manitoba;
4. Records dealing with McKenzie Seeds, and McKenzie Steele-Briggs Seeds during the early 1980's when George MacDowell was a board member of McKenzie Seeds;
5. Records dealing with Professor MacDowell's career as a Professor at Brandon University, including records relating to his courses and to administrative activities.
To a lesser extent, this collection includes records dealing with the University of Saskatchewan College of Commerce, the publication the "Manitoba New Democrat," issues associated with politics, labor and union in the prairie provinces from the 1960's to the 1980's, articles from various economic periodicals including "Economica" and "Public Finance," a variety of government reports from 1941 to 1981, and records dealing with George MacDowells' relationship with the Brandon Firefighters Association.
Notes
File level inventory available. Description written by Mike White (2002).
The idea of the Keystone Centre was first mentioned in 1958, at a meeting of the board of directors of the Manitoba Winter Fair. The Manitoba Winter Fair wanted a new facility because the old Wheat City Arena had a leaking roof and a deteriorating west wall. The old facility also had limited space and the Winter Fair felt it needed more space for expansion. The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba also had problems with their facilities, such as old barns and poor display areas. The idea of the Keystone Centre was put on hold until 1969, when the boards of the Provincial Exhibition and the Manitoba Winter Fair joined together as the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba and the Wheat City Arena was sold and demolished. The original estimate for the cost of the Keystone Centre facilities was $4.5 million and funding would be proportioned so that the federal and provincial governments would each put in one-third of the money, with the rest coming from local donations. The financial campaign for the Keystone Centre began in 1970, and construction began in November 1970. The grand opening of the Centre was in March 1973, and coincided with the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair of that year.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains many folders full of correspondence, financial statements, meeting minutes and other documents relating to the development and construction of the Keystone Centre from 1970-1974, including those from the Keystone Executive Committee, as well as the Building Committee. Fonds also contains one folder that pertains to the Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey from 1959. This folder contains the names and locations of all farmers in the Brandon area in 1959. The Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey was created in 1959, in order to make farming in the Brandon area more profitable. The survey was aided by Doane Agricultural Service from St. Louis, Missouri, who had success creating agricultural development programs in the United States. Fonds also contains folders from the Provincial Exhibition with correspondence, pamphlets, estimates, and studies from the 1960's. There is also one folder belonging to the Manitoba Winter Fair, which contains correspondence and financial statements relating to the Wheat City Arena. Fonds also contains information pertaining to the proposals made in the 1960's, for the building of the Keystone Centre, as well as one folder about the Keystone campaign from 1970-73. There is also one folder about the opening of the Keystone Centre, which contains newspaper clippings and guest lists. Finally, the fonds contains information about a court case involving Albert Bobyk and Robert Stewart. Stewart was the project manager for the Building Committee and Bobyk worked on the Keystone Center. The fonds includes a report about the trial of the two men who were charged with fraud involving their work on the Keystone Centre.
Laurie V. Smith served as the President of the Brandon Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion during the 1940s.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds includes correspondence, policy documents, and publications relating to the activities of the Royal Canadian Legion, primarily in Brandon under the Presidency of Laurie V. Smith, during and after the Second World War. Prominant themes include the aquiring of gifts for hospitalized veterans, primarily through the Canadian Legion Christmas Tree project, veteran rehabilitation, and promotion of the Canadian Victory Loans project.
Red River Valley (Feeder Cattle Association)Co-operative Elevator Association Limited Minutes of Executive Board meetings, 4 January 1966 - 19 December 1967 Miscellaneous Feeder Cattle Association correspondence, 1966 - 1969 Corporate Name: Rural Municipality of Springfield
Cypress River Co-operative Elevator Association Limited Organizational papers: 1930 - 1969 Resolution re Accrued Interest and Surpluses, 1930 - 1931 Application for One Share of Stock, July 23, 1931 Bylaw No. 12, July 23, 1931 Bylaw No. 13, July 23, 1931 Shareholders' Meeting re Bylaw No. 12 and 13, July 23, 1931 Agreement between CRC - MPE, August 1, 1931 Bylaw No. 14, November 3, 1931 One Share of Common Stock, December 1, 1931 Meeting re Bylaw No. 15, March 9, 1933 Agreement between CRC - MPE, October 15, 1936 Bylaw No. 16, October 31, 1939 Bylaw, Cancellation of Share Capital, October 29, 1940 Approval of Bylaw - Cancellation of Share Capital, 1940 General Bylaws, October 27, 1941 Bylaw No. 18, October 27, 1941 Bylaw No. 19, October 27, 1941 Bylaw No. 20, October 27, 1941 Resolution re Surplus, 1941 - 1942 Agreement between CRC - MPE, August 1, 1954 Directors' Resolution, October 18, 1961 Agreement between CRC/MPE, December 15, 1966 Bylaw No. 26, March 23, 1967 Arrangement and Transfer Agreement, June 17, 1967 Directors' Resolution accepting Arrangement, no date and Transfer Agreement, no date Minutes of Executive Board meetings, Volume 1 April 5, 1928 Volume 4 January 25, 1991 Minutes of Shareholders Annual meetings, 1938 - 1990 (20 reports). Financial records and statistics Statement of Surplus, 1938 - 1946 (5 reports) Final Statements, 1931 - 1943, (5 reports) Auditors Reports, 1932 - 1968 (14 reports) Detail of Grain Earnings, 1963 - 1968 (4 reports) Review of Operating Results, 1960 - 1968 (4 reports) Comparative Statement, July 31, 1932 Growers Equity Payment, January 12, 1945 Surplus and Terminal Mortgage Payment, December 11, 1945 Financial Statements, December 31, 1945 Receipts, December 30, 1963 Correspondence, 1925 - 1967 Membership list, 1942 - 1969 Miscellaneous, Receipt dated January 1981 for Pool Elevators ad in Newsletter. Corporate Name: Rural Municipality of Victoria
Swan River Co-operative Elevator Association Limited Organizational papers: 1961 Directors' Resolution, 18 October 1961 Corporate Name: Rural Municipality of Swan River.
