Fred McGuinness worked with The Medicine Hat News for 10 years, starting in 1955, when he was hired as an assistant to the paper’s publisher. In 1958, he was promoted to publisher of the newspaper. At the same time McGuinness was also appointed vice-president of Southam Company Limited. Based in Toronto, Southam Company Limited was the parent organization that oversaw the Southam Printing Company (Toronto and Montreal) and the publication of a number of weekly newspapers, including The Ottawa Citizen, The Hamilton Spectator, The Winnipeg Tribune, The Calgary Herald, The Edmonton Journal, The Vancouver Province and The Medicine Hat News. In addition to his administrative duties, while with The Medicine Hat News, McGuinness authored a column titled, “The Lighthouse.” In November of 1965, he resigned as publisher and moved with his family to Winnipeg where he was appointed manager of the New Personnel and Information Division with James Richardson and Sons.
In 1988, McGuinness was hired by The Medicine Hat News to write a 20 article feature about his reminisces of Medicine Hat. McGuinness referred to this collection of stories as “Hat Memoirs.”
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 contains records created and collected by Fred McGuinness during his time as a journalist, editor, and freelance writer for The Medicine Hat News. Records include Medicine Hat News clippings from the 1960s, a scrapbook containing clippings of McGuinness’ Lighthouse column (1961-1964) and drafts of McGuinness’ 1988 Medicine Hat memoirs.
Records in the subseries consist of rough drafts, article proofs, newspaper clippings, a scrapbook, and correspondence.
Notes
Readers’ correspondence pertaining to McGuinness’ time in Medicine Hat may be found in Fred McGuinness’ personal papers, subseries McG 1.2 Correspondence
Accruals
Closed
Finding Aid
A file level inventory is available
Storage Location
2015 accessions
Arrangement
Arrangement was artificially created by the Archives. Subseries has been re-arranged according to publication period
These records were produced between 1984 and 1985, the researching and writing period for the book The Pride of the Land: An Affectionate History of Brandon’s Agricultural Exhibition. Published in 1985 by Peguis Books (Winnipeg), Pride of the Land is a 222-page soft cover book, containing hundreds of pictures, and 50,000 words of text.
BU faculty members Dr. Kenneth “Ken” Stephen Coates, Assistant Professor of History, and Mr. Fred McGuinness, Lecturer in Journalism, authored the book. Assisting the writers was a research team of four BU history students, which were referred to as “The Pride Team”: Diane Fowler, Rob McGarva, Bruce Stafeld, and Byron Williams.
The Pride Team was tasked with collecting and synthesizing exhibition documents and other materials in city, provincial, and federal records spanning 100 years. Many local newspapers and committee minutes were consulted.
The authors cover 103 years of Brandon Fair history, starting with the first fair in 1882 followed by the development of other agricultural fairs and exhibitions in Brandon, specifically The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, and the Ag-Ex livestock show.
Custodial History
Records were collected and created by McGuinness, Coates, and The Pride Research Team during the process of the creation of the book, The Pride of the Land: An Affectionate History of Brandon’s Agricultural Exhibition. The materials were donated to the SJ McKee Archives by the authors circa 1988. The Archives accessioned the records in 2008.
Scope and Content
The subseries consists of textual records, created and collected during the production of the monograph Pride of the Land. It includes research cards created by the research team, copies of newspaper articles from very early editions of Brandon newspapers (such as the Brandon Sun, Brandon Daily Sun, Western Sun, and The Independent), copies of fair/organizational minutes, photocopies of photographs used in the publication, and chapter drafts. Of particular interest are the detailed summaries of Provincial Exhibition minutes that were specifically produced for each book chapter.
Notes
Information in the history/biography was taken from a Brandon University press release dated June 1985, about the Pride of the Land Project (see file 64)
Description Note: The original accession number is noted on the front of each file folder. The circled number indicates the original file order in the 6-2008 accession
Accruals
Closed
Language Note
Fred McGuinness often uses journalistic jargon to label his files. A “brite” refers to a short, amusing story
Pride of the Land acronyms:
PEM = Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba
RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police
WAAA = Western Agricultural & Arts Association
Finding Aid
A file level inventory is available
Storage Location
2015 accessions
Related Material
Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba fonds
Arrangement
Arrangement was artificially created by the Archives. Subseries has been arranged according to book chapter. McGuinness often organized his ideas and research materials by potential brite topic
Box contains unbound Manitoba Pool Elevators central office meeting minutes. Folders in this box include: unbound minutes of MPE Annual and Special Meetings 1976-98; Prospectus Nov 28 1997; MPE Annual Meeting Minutes 1990 and 1991; MPE Delegates Meetings 1989-1998; MPE Board of Directors Meetings July 16 1997 – May 19 1998; MPE Board of Directors Meetings August 20 1996 - June 18 1997; Agricore / AWP / MPE Board of Directors Meetings June 12 1998 – Oct 30 1998.
This box contains bound volumes of audited financial statements for local MPE associations. The records include the following:
Local Association Financial Statements 1941-42 A-Ewa; 1941-42 Fai-McC; 1941-42 McT-Woo; 1942-43 A-Ewa; 1942-43 Fai-McC; 1942-43 McT-Woo; 1943-44 A-Ewa; 1943-44 Fai-McC; 1943-44 McT-Woo
This box contains minutes from meeting of MPE sub-district councils. The records include the following:
1a. Sub-district #101 Oct 22 1997 – June 15 1999
1b. Sub-district #101 August 5 1993 – August 12 1997
2. Sub-district #102 August 3 1993 – Dec 9 1997
3a. Sub-district #103 Jan 27 1997 – April 14 1999
3b. Sub-district #103 August 4 1993 – Nov 25 1996
4. Sub-district #104 August 4 1993 – April 20 1999
5a. Sub-district #105 Oct 30 1996 – June 29 1999
5b. Sub-district #105 Oct 28 1993 – July 2 1996
6a. Sub-district #201 Nov 4 1996 – July 30 1999
6b. Sub-district #201 Sept 29 1993 – Oct 2 1996
7a. Sub-district #202 Oct 21 1996 – July 8 1999
7b. Sub-district #202 Nov 3 1993 – August 1 1996
8a. Sub-district #203 July 25 1996 – June 28 1999
8b. Sub-district #203 May 31 1993 – April 3 1996
9a. Sub-district #204 Nov 20 1996 – June 24 1999
9b. Sub-district #204 Oct 14 1993 – Oct 31 1996
10a. Sub-district #205 April 1 1996 – July 30 1999
10b. Sub-district #205 August 4 1993 – Nov 27 1995
11a. Sub-district #301 July 5 1996 – August 9 1999
11b. Sub-district #301 July 26 1993 – March 11 1996
12a. Sub-district #302 Jan 9 1996 – June 28 1999
12b. Sub-district #302 Oct 12 1993 – Oct 25 1995
13a. Sub-district #303 Jan 3 1996 – June 29 1998
13b. Sub-district #303 Oct 13 1993 – Oct 24 1995
This box contains minutes from meeting of MPE sub-district councils. The records include the following:
14a. Sub-district #304 Oct 8 1996 – June 23 1993
14b. Sub-district #304 August 3 1993 – August 6 1996
15a. Sub-district #305 Oct 2 1996 – April 7 1999
15b. Sub-district #305 August 4 1993 – August 7 1996
16a. Sub-district #401 April 11 1996 – August 10 1999
16b. Sub-district #401 August 10 1993 – Feb 7 1996
17a. Sub-district #402 March 21 1997 – August 16 1999
17b. Sub-district #402 August 4 1993 – Jan 27 1997
18. Sub-district #403 August 3 1993 – August 17 1999
19. Sub-district #404 Nov 2 1993 – April 16 1999
20a. Sub-district #405 Feb 9 1996 – July 12 1999
20b. Sub-district #405 August 5 1993 – Dec 7 1995
21. Sub-district #501 Nov 4 1993 – April 8 1999
22a. Sub-district #502 Nov 16 1995 – Oct 27 1998
22b. Sub-district #502 August 3 1993 – Oct 3 1995
23a. Sub-district #503 April 8 1996 – June 28 1999
23b. Sub-district #503 Nov 24 1992 – Feb 12 1996
24a. Sub-district #504 March 13 1996 – August 18 1999
24b. Sub-district #504 August 11 1993 – Jan 4 1996
25a. Sub-district #505 July 31 1996 – June 29 1999
25b. Sub-district #505 Oct 27 1993 – April 11 1996
26a. Sub-district #601 Oct 28 1996 – July 7 1999
26b. Sub-district #601 August 10 1993 – July 18 1996
27a. Sub-district #602 Oct 24 1996 – Feb 15 1999
27b. Sub-district #602 August 31 1993 – April 3 1996
28. Sub-district #603 August 10 1993 – April 15 1999
This box contains minutes from meeting of MPE sub-district councils and district advisory committees. The records include the following:
29. Sub-district #604 Nov 23 1993 – March 8 1999
30a. Sub-district #605 Oct 26 1995 – April 14 1999
30b. Sub-district #605 Oct 28 1993 – June 22 1995
31. Sub-district #701 Feb 10 1994 – Oct 15 1998
32a. Sub-district #702 Feb 10 1996 – June 29 1999
32b. Sub-district #702 August 23 1993 – Oct 10 1995
33a. Sub-district #703 Nov 4 1996 – August 3 1999
33b. Sub-district #703 June 14 1993 – Oct 21 1996
34. Sub-district #703 June 7 1993 – April 28 1999
35. Sub-district #704 Oct 29 1993 – April 6 1999
36. Sub-district # 705 August 10 1993 – Oct 16 1998
37a. Sub-district #801 Jan 13 1997 – March 15 1999
37b. Sub-district #801 Nov 3 1993 – Nov 27 1996
38. Sub-district #802 Nov 23 1992 – March 16 1999
39a. Sub-district #803 June 12 1996 – July 20 1999
39b. Sub-district #803 Sept 15 1993 – Nov 12 1995
40. Sub-district #804 August 6 1993 – July 19 1999
41a. Sub-district #805 Nov 28 1995 – July 22 1999
41b. Sub-district #805 August 23 1993 – Oct 2 1995
42. District Advisory Committee 1105 1999-2001
43. District Advisory Committee 1106 2000-2001
44. District Advisory Committee 1107 April-Nov 2000
45. District Advisory Committee 1108 Jan-Nov 2000
46. District Advisory Committee 1201 2000-2001
47. District Advisory Committee 1202 1999-2001
48. District Advisory Committee 1203 1999-2001
49. District Advisory Committee 1204 1999-2001
50. District Advisory Committee 1205 1999-2000
51. District Advisory Committee 1206 1999-2001
52. District Advisory Committee 1207 1999-2001
53. District Advisory Committee 1208 1999-2000
54. District Advisory Committee 1101 2000-2001
This box contains minutes from meeting of MPE district advisory committees. The records include the following:
55. District Advisory Committee 1102 2000-2001
56. District Advisory Committee 1103 2000-2001
57. District Advisory Committee 1104 2000-2001
58. District Advisory Committee 1005 1999-2001
59. District Advisory Committee 1006 2000-2001
60. District Advisory Committee 1007 1999-2001
61. District Advisory Committee 1008 1999-2001
62. District Advisory Committee 1001 1999-2001
63. District Advisory Committee 1002 2000-2001
64. District Advisory Committee 1003 Apr., July 2000
65. District Advisory Committee 1004 1999-2000
66. District Advisory Committee 906 2000-2001
67. District Advisory Committee 907 2000-2001
68. District Advisory Committee 908 2000-2001
69. District Advisory Committee 901 2000-2001
70. District Advisory Committee 902 2000-2001
71. District Advisory Committee 903 April 12 2000
72. District Advisory Committee 904 2000-2001
73. District Advisory Committee 805 1999-2000
74. District Advisory Committee 806 July 7 2000
75. District Advisory Committee 807 July 7 2000
76. District Advisory Committee 801 2000-2001
77. District Advisory Committee 802 2000-2001
78. District Advisory Committee 803 Nov 14 1999
79. District Advisory Committee 804 2000-2001
80. District Advisory Committee 705 March 15 2000
81. District Advisory Committee 708 March 14 2000
82. District Advisory Committee 707 March 15 2000
83. District Advisory Committee 606 (Miscellaneous)
This box contains general circulars sent out by the MPE central office to the local ssociations. The records include the following:
32. General Circulars 1958
33. General Circulars 1959
34a. General Circulars 1960
34b. General Circulars 1960
35. General Circulars 1961
36. General Circulars 1962
37a. General Circulars 1963
37b. General Circulars 1963
38a. General Circulars 1964
38b. General Circulars 1964
Pool Insurance Limited was created in 1939 and re-incorporated at Pool Insurance Company in 1940. It was designed to internalize some of the insurance risk of MPE, which had previously been carried by an extenal company.
Co-operative Life Insurance Company was formed in 1945 to offer pool members affordable life insurance tailored to their lives as producers.
See also fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of documents and minutes.
File consists of correspondence, minutes, capital and ongoing budgets for the Day Care Centre for Brandon, a presentation for the City Council of Brandon from the Committee for a Day Care Centre for Brandon.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration & Finance)
Box 7
The Brandon College Senate was created in 1900 under “An Act to Incorporate Brandon College.” At the time, however, the Senate was not given a clear policy mandate. The Act stated: The Professors in said College, together with three members of the Board of Directors nominated by the said Board for that purpose, shall constitute the Senate, to whom shall be entrusted the reception, academical superintendence and discipline of the students and of all other persons within the said College.
Despite general authority over the discipline of students, measures to enforce discipline and the power to appoint or remove professors rested with the Baptist Convention. As a result, the Senate remained largely ineffective until 1910 when the Board re-defined their function as follows: The Senate be composed of the Council of the College together with three members appointed by the Board of Directors. That this body shall be responsible for all matters that concern the determination of the curriculum, the recommendations to the Board regarding appointments of instructors in subjects otherwise specifically assigned to individual members of the several faculties.
These new powers provided the Senate with a rational boundary of authority including some control over the curriculum, but its main function was still recommendations to the Board on matters concerning faculty. There are no known documents regarding the Brandon College Council, which existed from 1910 to 1915. Affiliation with McMaster was a contentious issue with faculty. Courses had to correspond with those in McMaster, effectively eliminating the Brandon College Senate from its authority over academic matters.
In 1915 the Senate was re-organized following the “Act to Amend An Act to Incorporate Brandon College.” With this reorganization the Senate assumed a more direct role in the selection of faculty and tutors. As well, the Senate became a stronger advisory body of the faculty.
The Brandon College Senate remained relatively unchanged until 1939 when, under by-law 1, the Board defined the Senate functions as:
Power to regulate instructions and to determine the methods and limits of instructors.
To prepare a calendar of the College for publication.
To recommend to the Board the establishment or abolition of, or any changes in departments, chairs, lecture-ships, bursaries, scholarships and prizes, and generally have charge of all matters of an academic character, but shall not have any power to incur any expenditures or liabilities on behalf of the Corporation until specifically authorized by resolution of the Directors, nor shall their powers be construed as authority to engage teachers for the Corporation.
Along with these functions the Senate was also the body that possessed the binding authority to deal with all academic grievances.
The Senate under the new Charter and by-law 1, consisted of the President, Chairman of the Board, seven members from the faculty (including President and Registrar), and six members from the Alumni. The Registrar was to act as Secretary.
The Senate was changed once more in 1959. This change led to a more significant role in the administration of Brandon College.
Scope and Content
These records consist mainly of minutes from various faculty council and executive meetings from 1900 to 1942 including Arts, Science and Theology faculties. Included as well are Minutes of the Ministerial Committee of the Baptist Union of Western Canada As well, there are University of Manitoba Senate Minutes dating from 1950 to 1958.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 5: Brandon College Senate
The program for the McKenzie Centennial Exhibit describes the materials in this sub-series as a "visual collection of artifacts, printed materials and photographs, 1883-1996, celebrating the centennial of A.E. McKenzie Co. Inc."
Created by current employees and based on research by Nancy McLennan, Sandra Head and J. Lasby Lowes, the McKenzie Centennial Exhibit opened on April 25, 1996. It remained open to the public on every Thursday between 2 to 4 p.m. to the end of June, 1996. Some of the furnishings used in the display were contributed by the Daly House Museum. Located in the McKenzie Building, the exhibit was assembled along the corridors of the building. It contained a variety of materials, such as invoices, pay envelopes, blueprints, documents, furniture and photographs from the one hundred years of McKenzie Seeds’ history.
Following the close of the exhibit, a smaller permanent installation was to be constructed at the McKenzie Building.
Custodial History
In the course of preparing the exhibit, Nancy McLennan took documents from the collection, but failed to make a record of where the documents came from. As a result, these materials have been left in the Centennial sub-series. It proved impossible to return them to their original place in the fonds.
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes the individual descriptions of each exhibit printed on small white envelopes, a guide to the exhibit, a photograph listing for photos used in the various displays and the 1973 Directory of Canadian Chartered Accountants. The sub-series also includes intact files for exhibits 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 39 and 40, Wholesale Sales Literature, Steele Briggs Seed Co., Scrimping and Spending Big Time, Seed Wagon, Mostly Catalogue Inserts, Letterhead, and For Your Reading Pleasure, respectively.
In addition, a number of booklets made by the creators of the exhibit are also contained within the sub-series. These booklets are primarily a combination of original and reproduced sales literature and catalogues, but also may or may not contain some correspondence, seed packets, clippings and history for McKenzie Seeds, Pike Seeds/Robertson Seeds, Acquisitions (Steele Briggs, Canada Seeds, Brett-Young Seeds), and McFayden/McConnell.
In addition to the above booklets, there are also materials dealing with the catalogues and sales literature of McKenzie Seed Co. suppliers, such as Bodger Seeds, H. Keft from Holland, the Denholm Seed Company, and the Vis Brothers. A number of documents, programs and booklets relating to the seed industry in general, such as the "Black Leaf" Bulletin and a number of documents relating to agriculture in Manitoba are also included.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
Related Material
Photographs from the Centennial Exhibition of McKenzie Seeds can be found in Series 5 (Photographs), sub-series 5.9 (Centennial Photos).
These documents were created between 1910 and 1972 by the administration of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba.
Custodial History
See sous-fonds RG2SF1 for custodial history.
Scope and Content
This series includes various contracts and agreements between the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba and companies hired for the fair. These companies include musicians, entertainment, stage hands, concessions and more. The series also includes inventories, by laws, the 1920 Act of Incorporation. Most of the documents are from 1957 to 1962.
Notes
Inventory of documents in the series is available in the printed finding aid.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF1 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba
The minutes were created by the summer fair Board of Directors and the various committees and sub-committees associated with the Board.
There is ample evidence in the minutes of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba that the administrative structure was largely one by committee. By 1903, there were at least nine separate committees. These committees were Grounds and Buildings, Sports and Attractions, Public Comfort, Advertising and Printing, Privileges, Gates, Finance, Excursion and Transportation, and Prize List. Of these committees only Public Comfort, Privileges, and Excursion and Transportation were comparatively short-lived. These committees are not mentioned after 1903, 1920, and 1925, respectively. The remaining six committees all survive in various forms to this day.
In 1908 there is mention of a Speed committee, which dealt with the racetrack at the fairgrounds. This committee was in existence until the early 1970s, when racing, along with the condemned grandstand, was discontinued. By 1915 there is mention of a Reception committee that continues on until the mid-1970s.
In the 1920 minutes several committees are mentioned. The committees included Concessions, Grandstand, Accommodation, Police/Security, and Wild Birds and Animals. The Wild Birds and Animals is not mentioned in further minutes, but Grandstand and Accommodation are mentioned into the mid 1950s. Both the Concessions and Police/Security are mentioned until the late 1970s.
In 1925, there are several new committees mentioned. They include Heavy Horse, Light Horse, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Swine, Farm Boy’s Camp, Poultry, Grains and Grasses, Horticulture, Dairy Competition, Machinery Row, Natural History, Fine Arts and School Exhibits, and Livestock Parade. The enormous expansion of committees is a reflection of the expansion of the exhibition. Almost all aspects of farming now had its own committee, and an effort to help young people continue in farming was made with the forming of camps for farm boys. All of these committees were long lived, although not necessarily with the original title. From approximately 1930 to 1940, all of the Cattle were lumped together, but by 1950 a Commercial Cattle committee was mentioned, and by 1974 there was also a Special Agriculture Display and Exotic Breeds. By 1979 there were Steer Show and Bull Sale committees. Around 1930, a Calf and Colt Competition committee was also added.
In 1930 there is mention of a Dining Room committee, but it is not mentioned again. In response to changing society, a Car Parking committee was created around 1935. This committee remained under various titles through to today. Another short-lived committee, Grandstand Gates, is mentioned from about 1935 to 1940. For some time there was also a Band Competition committee. It is mentioned from 1940 to 1945, and then not again until 1979.
In 1950 there was a Dogs committee, but no further mention is made of this committee. From 1955 to 1960 there was a separate Fire committee, until it was amalgamated with Police/Security. In 1955 two new committees are mentioned. These are the Trade Fair and Homecraft committees. While the Trade Fair is not mentioned after about 1960, the Homecraft committee seems to have been in existence until the mid 1970s.
A 4-H and Junior Activities committee was formed around 1960 to take the place of the Farm Boy’s Camp. This committee continued the exhibition’s attempts to keep young rural people interested in farming.
In the minutes for 1970, two more committees are mentioned. They are the Food and Beverage and the Bees and Honey committees. While one would suppose that the Food and Beverage Services committee was a new title for the Concessions committee, the Concessions committee is also mentioned. The Bees and Honey committee is mentioned until about 1974 in committee minutes.
By 1974 three more committees are mentioned in the minutes. They were the Baby Fair committee, which was a petting zoo, the Expansion, Project and Grants committee and the Midway committee. While the Midway and Baby Fair committees lasted until at least the late 1970s, the Expansion, Projects and Grants committee is not mentioned past the mid 1970s. Also mentioned in 1979 are the Pork Congress, Family Fair, Entertainment, and Exhibitor’s Lounge committees.
Custodial History
See sous-fonds RG2SF1 for custodial history.
Scope and Content
The records consist of minutes created by the Board of Directors, Shareholders, and various committees and subcommittees of the Provincial Exhibition. It should be noted that while the minutes are extensive, they are not organized according to committee. Rather, they are organized by the year in which they were created.
Notes
Inventory of documents in the series is available in the printed finding aid.
Storage Location
RG 2 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Association fonds
RG2SF1 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba
