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The Archives of United Grain Growers Ltd.

Provenance

The Department of Archives and Special Collections of the University of Manitoba acquired the United Grain Growers collection over the space of two years. The original gift, which is the largest portion of the collection, was donated 9 July and 9 August 1990 and given the accession number A.90-35. In mid-November of 1990, a further donation was made and accessioned as A.90-70. Six additional accessions were received in 1992. Thus this present collection is the sum total of eight accessions, spanning twenty-two months.

The formal deed of gift by which the company ceded ownership to these materials to the University of Manitoba was signed by then President and Chief Executive Officer, Lorne F. Hehn, on 17 October 1990. Copies of this transmittal document are available in both the Corporate Secretary's office of the United Grain Growers and the Department of Archives and Special Collections of the University of Manitoba.

Scope and Content

The United Grain Growers Limited was founded in 1906 under the name of the Grain Growers Grain Company Limited. In 1917 it amalgamated with the Alberta Farmers Co-operative Elevator Company Limited, thereby forming the UGG. The collection documents these early years and, in some instances, illustrate aspects of the grain industry at the end of the nineteenth century. The collection presently fills some 84 containers, and occupies 39 linear feet of shelf space. The collection includes early documentation and by-laws, financial records, correspondence, submissions to inquiries and Royal Commissions, statistical information on many subjects dealing with agriculture in general, elevator records, and publications. Furthermore there are specific records which deal with UGG's six subsidiary companies.

For further insight into the collection, the researcher is directed to the first UGG company history (box 1, folder 1) and The Alberta Farmers Co-operative Elevator Company history (box 1, folder 5).

Arrangement

Researchers should be aware that it is impossible to cross-reference all archival information. There are many instances within this collection where a single item may belong in more than one place. Wherever possible the original order has been maintained; however, this has proven difficult in those circumstances where several accessions contained material of a similar or identical nature. Thus it is advisable to examine all categories when searching for material. Nevertheless every effort has been made to bring together all similar items under the umbrella of specific subject headings.

In ideal circumstances the researchers would view the entire collection. However, time and interest restraints seldom make this possible. In lieu of this, it is intended that the most important and the most central themes of the Company are addressed first and foremost in the collection. From there, the issues become more convoluted, and centre less around the heart of the company. For instance, the fact that the Company was the first completely farmer-owned company is a key plank in the UGG platform. Thus the researcher must understand the collection from the point of view of its general provenance. He or she is asked to understand that the UGG has always attempted to emphasize its role as a co-operative and farmer-owned company. Nevertheless, the Company also belongs to the genre of big business. The arrangement of the material within this collection mirrors UGG's struggle to represent effectively these two sides of its make-up.

Separation Statement

The UGG collection came to the Department of Archives and Special Collections requiring in excess of seventeen meters of shelf storage space. The processed collection now takes considerably less room (thirteen meters) as a result of processing and the separation of items. The separated material falls broadly into one of three categories: material extraneous to the collection; material separated for preservation purposes; and material which is held elsewhere on campus. The first category includes all duplications that were produced by the UGG as well as files which were gathered by the UGG, but were not generated by the company. These records have not been documented. The second category of separated material involves the photographic collection. For the index of photos, see Section IV. The third category is composed of those documents which have been removed in order to improve other collections within the University of Manitoba Libraries and which do not impair the quality or the integrity of the collection held in this archive. These items are listed in Section V.

Access Regulations

In compliance with the deed of gift, the following conditions on access apply:

a) the donor allows free and equal access to all its papers held at the University of Manitoba provided that with respect to minutes of any board or committee proceedings, such access shall only be given to those persons who have received prior verbal or written approval from the donor which shall not be unreasonably withheld;

b) access shall be provided during regular business hours of the Department of Archives and Special Collections, University of Manitoba Libraries;

c) photocopying is permitted users of the collection provided that such copies are for their own use and are made in accordance with the copyright laws of Canada; and

d) the University of Manitoba has the right to govern and restrict access by third parties to any part of the collection.