Showing 5 results

Archival description
Only top-level descriptions Fonds Politicians--British Columbia
Print preview View:

Gretchen Brewin fonds

  • PR-2184
  • Fonds
  • 1991-2001

The fonds consists of the records created by Gretchen Brewin in her capacity as MLA including her time as Deputy Speaker, Speaker and Minister for Children and Families. The fonds consists of the following series: political workbooks, 1992-2001; day timers, 1993-2001 and general office files, 1991-2001.

Brewin, Gretchen

Herbert Anscomb fonds

  • PR-2329
  • Fonds
  • [ca. 1911-1993; predominant 1924-1972]

The fonds consists of the records of Herbert Anscomb, who had one of the longest and most important political careers in the history of British Columbia. They document his activities as Reeve of Oak Bay, B.C., Mayor of Victoria, opposition member in the B.C. legislative assembly, cabinet minister in the B.C. government in numerous portfolios, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of British Columbia, and member of the federal Royal Commission on Transportation from 1959 to 1962. Predominantly, the records relate to his political career which began with his election to Oak Bay council in 1924 and ended with his defeat in the provincial election of 1952. The fonds also consists of a relatively small number of records concerning his personal life, family, and his involvement in the wine and brewing industry.

The documentary forms most significant in number include correspondence, photographs, and speeches (in public, in the legislature, and for radio broadcast). In smaller numbers the documentary forms include handwritten notes which were passed from MLAs to Anscomb during sittings in the legislature, magazine articles, and political campaign literature such as brochures, posters and pamphlets. The fonds also includes collected editorial cartoons, caricature drawings and other art work, certificates, reports, guest and visitors books, and ephemera.

The records reflect a wide range of subjects; these include: government, politics and economic policy during the depression and World War II, the province’s coalition government, infrastructure building, political competition against the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF party), the single transferable vote electoral system, the process of appointment to government jobs, hospital insurance, and the history of the Conservative Party in B.C. and its relationship with the federal party.

The fonds consists of six series, as follows:
• Provincial political records
• Municipal political records
• Personal records
• Royal Commission on Transportation records
• Photograph album
• Newspaper clippings scrapbooks

Records of particular note include detailed diaries which Anscomb kept as Minister of Mines, Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister of Public Works, and Minister of Municipal Affairs in the early to mid-1940s. The fonds also consists of a rich collection of photographs which document in particular his career as mayor of Victoria and as a B.C. government cabinet minister.

The fonds also consists of a series of 12 volumes of newspaper clippings dating from 1924 to 1978. These scrapbooks cover Anscomb’s entire political career; subjects include all aspects of government and politics in Oak Bay, Victoria and the province of B.C., and not just articles pertaining to Anscomb himself. The fonds includes a manuscript of an unpublished autobiography Anscomb began in 1953.

Where possible the archivist has arranged records chronologically. Where files clearly had been used together as a group by their creator, that order was maintained.

Anscomb, Herbert, 1892-1972

Rosemary Brown fonds

  • PR-2328
  • Fonds
  • 1969-1986; predominant 1977-1986

The fonds consists of the records of Rosemary Brown, and were created in her capacity as a member of the British Columbia legislative assembly (MLA), and as a member of the New Democratic Party. A large number of the records reflect Rosemary Brown’s activities on legislative committees and her caucus critic responsibilities.

The records, in smaller numbers, were also created in her capacity as a public speaker, columnist, and university instructor, activities which were not directly related to her job as MLA, but which were carried on at the same time she was an MLA. The fonds also consists of a relatively small number of personal records which were intermingled with records relating to her MLA work.

The records were created by Rosemary Brown at the B.C. legislature, although whether they were created by her, immediate staff, or caucus research staff, is not always clear. Records were also presumably created in Brown’s constituency office.

Records reflect events in the two constituencies she served, although most reflect the time period after she left Vancouver-Burrard to serve as MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds, from 1979 to 1986. Although the majority of her correspondence was with people in the greater Vancouver area, the geographic scope of the records includes all of the province of British Columbia as she was concerned with province-wide issues, and also received letters from citizens throughout the province. In addition to concerning B.C. affairs there are reports and letters from outside B.C. and concerning issues of national and international relevance.

The records date predominantly from 1977 to 1986.There are virtually no records from the periods of Brown’s life prior to becoming an MLA in 1972 or after her retirement from B.C. politics in 1986. There are almost no records from her first years as MLA, from 1972 to 1975, when she was on the government side of the house.

The subject matter of the files includes all aspects of British Columbia politics and public policy. However there is a particular emphasis on records related to the subjects of her caucus critic responsibilities and legislative committees, and areas of her personal interest and activism. Her critic or spokesperson areas, reflected in the files, include the Human Resources ministry (and related areas of Health), feminism and the status of women, human rights and minority groups, Attorney General, and Consumer and Corporate Affairs. The files also reflect her interest in municipal affairs, education, environmental issues, labour rights, civil rights, minorities and each of these in an international context.

A large amount of the correspondence is from members of the public who expressed their opinions on political and social issues. Correspondence also includes “case work” (requests from the public for assistance with personal issues and problems). As Brown was a well-known public figure, the correspondence comes from various parts of the province and is not restricted to her constituents. There are also a significant number of records related to the policies and political activities of the New Democratic Party both in B.C. and across Canada.

The fonds consists of the following documentary forms: correspondence; memos; briefs on legislation and issues from government, organizations and non-governmental bodies; research information; copies of Hansard and government bills and budget documents; reports; newsletters; pamphlets; petitions; position papers; press releases; reports; petitions; studies; election campaign literature and voter lists.

The fonds also consists of a large amount of collected resource or reference material; these subject files include clippings, newsletters, magazines, pamphlets and photocopied articles. There are a small number of Brown’s speeches and articles written by Brown. Some records appear to have been given to Brown by research staff, with their suggestions that she use the information for her questions in the legislature or for speeches. There are also what appear to be Brown’s handwritten notes on issues.

A small number of files consist of personal correspondence (friends and acquaintances) and personal business records, (financial, real estate purchases, mortgage, MLA remuneration), and collected ephemera. These were intermingled with the records relating to her MLA work.

There are no photographs in the fonds.

The correspondence files are arranged as they were by the creator of the records, in chronological and alphabetical order.

The files were found to have no numbered classification system. They were usually well-labeled by the creator of the files, and organized by the creator according to subjects falling under the responsibility of a government ministry (i.e. the Human Resources ministry, Health, the Attorney General, and Consumer and Corporate Affairs, etc.). However, many appeared to be out of the order of their original filing system, so it was sometimes necessary for the archivist to reorganize the files to return them to this original subject arrangement, grouping files according to the subject matter as it appears in the title of the folder.

The archivist determined that distinct series could not be distinguished; the fonds therefore consists of only one series.

Brown, Rosemary (Wedderburn), 1930-

W.C. Budd fonds

  • PR-2292
  • Fonds
  • 1962-1968

The fonds consists of material accumulated by W.C. Budd between 1962 and 1968 while he served as executive assistant to Premier W.A.C. Bennett. The records consist of correspondence, both political and personal; framed photographs of W.A.C. Bennett and others, correspondence and photographs relating to Bennett's trade mission to Japan in 1966, pamphlets, newsclippings and magazines relating to Bennett and the Social Credit party and other material including two signed copies of a Len Norris cartoon.

Budd, William Clarence

Sir Richard McBride fonds

  • PR-0539
  • Fonds
  • 1905-1958

The fonds consists of private and official correspondence and papers, notebooks of facts and figures on B.C., financial statistics, insurance policies and miscellaneous papers and photographs relating to honours and appointments. Fonds also includes clipping books, photograph albums, wallets and diaries, railway passes, a souvenir autograph booklet, a welcome home certificate signed by the officials of the Municipality of Coquitlam [MS-0347 also available on microfilm], and two oversized certificates commemorating his advancement to third degree masonry with the Free and Accepted Masons of B.C and upon the opening of Lord Selkirk School from the Municipality of South Vancouver.

McBride, Richard, Sir, 1870-1917