Call Number: Mss 102, Pc 104

Title: Barry Broadfoot fonds.

Dates: 1973-1989.

Extent: 2.63 m of textual records. -- 56 photographs.

Biographical sketch: Barry Samuel Broadfoot was born in Winnipeg in 1926. He graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1949 with a B.A. As an undergraduate he was editor of the student newspaper The Manitoban. He had a long career in journalism. Broadfoot worked for the Vancouver News Herald, The Edmonton Bulletin, the United Press, and finally for The Vancouver Sun (1955-1972). In 1972 he turned his creative energies into publishing books on Canadian history, which were based upon his extensive oral history interviews with ordinary Canadians across Canada. These included the best-selling works Ten Lost Years (living memories of those who survived the Great Depression), Next Year Country (an overview of life on the Prairies up to 1987), The Immigrant Years (stories of immigrants from Britain and Europe who came to Canada after the Second World War) and several others.

Custodial history: The fonds was donated to University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections by Barry Broadfoot in 1991.

Scope and content: The fonds consists of contracts, manuscripts, edited versions, proofs and photographs associated with nine of the author's books. It also consists of a manuscript of an unpublished novel written around 1970, and a series of unpublished essays on culture and publishing in Canada. There are rejected stories, interviews that were too long to include in published works, and a substantial amount of unsolicited correspondence documenting the experiences of ordinary Canadians. Broadfoot seldom retained the original tape recordings or the names of those he interviewed and later quoted in his books.

Restrictions: There are no restrictions on this material.

Accruals: No further accruals to this fonds are expected.

Finding aid: A printed finding aid is available in the Archives reading room and an on-line finding aid is available at the link below:

MSS 102, PC 104.