In 1971, A. E. McKenzie Seeds Co. Ltd. acquired Brett-Young Seeds. Based out of Winnipeg, Brett-Young dealt exclusively in Field seeds. The price of the company was based on 75% of the booked pre-tax profit for a five-year period starting in 1972, with a minimum price of 1.3 million. In 1975, the company was sold to Manitoba Pool Elevators for 1.76 million plus inventory. However, while McKenzie Seeds owned the company, it generated 2.3 million in profits, 75% of which was paid to the previous shareholders.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of financial statements, board minutes and documents, including return of information and particulars under the Companies Act of Manitoba and notices of the change of directors. Correspondence in the sub-series deals largely with the resignation of the directors of Brett-Young Seeds. Records dealing with the sale of Brett-Young Seeds to Manitoba Pool Elevators are also included. The sub-series also includes one file of documents relating to the Sabetha Seed Co.
The sub-series is divided into two sub sub series, including: (1) Correspondence; and (2) Financial.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 3 Acquisitions
Related Material
One document relating to Brett-Young Seeds and McKenzie Seeds is
located in Series 1 (Board of Directors), sub-series 1 (Documents).
Historical information regarding Brett-Young Seeds is located in Series 2
(Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics file 11 (Tape 24).
The 1974 catalogue for Brett-Young Seeds is located in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 4 (Marketing).
Sales literature and catalogues for Brett-Young Seeds are located in Series 5 (Miscellaneous), sub-series (Centennial Exhibition) in the file entitled Acquisitions Booklet.
The Canada Seed Company was formed in 1913 by Mr. R. C. (Clark) Steele at Hagersville, Ontario with the intent to process and export farm seeds. However, in later years, the company branched out into the Garden Seed business. Early in the 1930's, R. C. Steele merged his company with the Steele Briggs Seed Co., which was owned by his brother Walter D. Steele. Following the deaths of W. D. Steele and E. F. Crossland, R. C. Steele was elected President of Steele Briggs.
A few years later, Vancouver interests took over the seed companies under Steele Briggs, including the Canada Seed Company. At this time, R. C. Steele retired from the company to form Steele Robertson Co., headquartered in Edmonton. W. D. Dack was appointed President of Steele Briggs. In June 1951, W. D. Dack took control of company operations from the Vancouver interests and, in 1961, the Steele Briggs Seed Co. purchased the Rennie Seed Co.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series contains the resignation of A.J. Maruca as an officer and director of
Canada Seeds Ltd. and a report on operating results for the nine-month period ending
February 28,1967. The remainder of the records in this sub-series are financial
statements prepared by Meyers Norris Penny & Co.
The sub sub series is divided into two sub sub sub series, including: (1) Financial; and (2) Miscellaneous.
Historical information regarding Canada Seeds Ltd. is located in Series 2 (Office of the President/GM), sub-series 2 (J. Lasby Lowes), Historical Topics file 10 (Tape 23) and file 11 (Tape 24) of the A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd. fonds.
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.
Some water stains and dirt around the edges (the writing hasn't been affected). The second page of the Cash book has a program from the 1936 annual sale of pure bred bulls and females at the Winter Fair (Brandon, MB) glued to it.
History / Biographical
Administrative history for the Manitoba Elevator Company is currently unavailable.
Custodial History
Fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a Cash book (April 1890-November 1895) and an Accounts Receivable/Grain Deliveries book (April 1890-December 1895).
As the Manitoba Pool Elevators grew as a co-operative organizations and later a corporation, it aquired subsidiary companies and became involved with other co-operative organizations. These various companies were usually acquired or formed to either reach out to other types of producers in Manitoba or to assist Pool members. MPE was also involved with larger umbrella or subsidiary co-operative organizations.
See also fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
This series has been divided into nine sub-series, including: (1) Border Fertilizer Ltd., (2) Co-enerco, (3) CSP Foods, (4) Co-op Farm Implements, (5) Co-operative Life Insurance Co. & Pool Insurance Ltd., (6) Livestock Co-operative Division, (7) Poultry and Dairy Pools, (8) The Wasagaming Foundation, (9) North Cypress-Langford Weed Control Districts
In the spring of 1994, Fred McGuinness was contracted by Great Plains Publications to assist with the writing of the centennial publication Old Pathways, New Horizons: A History of the Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, 1896-1996. Published in 1996, by Great Plains Publications (Winnipeg), Old Pathways, New Horizons is a 111-page illustrated soft cover book.
Custodial History
These materials were donated to the SJ McKee Archives by the Estate of Fred McGuinness circa 2011. The Archives accessioned the records in 2015.
Scope and Content
The subseries consists of two draft manuscripts and two letters of correspondence. Records were generated during the writing of the book Old Pathways, New Horizons: A History of the Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, 1896-1996. The book was commissioned by the Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company and published in 1996 by Great Plains Publishing Limited.
Notes
Information in the history/biography was taken from a letter dated April 19, 1994, to Fred McGuinness from Gregg Shilliday (see file 11) and publication information listed in the dust jacket of the book
Accruals
Closed
Finding Aid
A file level inventory is available
Storage Location
2015 accessions
Arrangement
Arrangement was artificially created by the Archives
File consists of correspondence, lists of members of the Board of Directors of Brandon College, financial information and completed Return of Information and Particulars' forms for the Province of Manitoba - The Companies Act.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 4: Office of the Vice-President
4.2 Office of the Vice-President (Administration & Finance)
Box 8
