Delta Marsh History Initiative, Steering Committee Meeting
9:00 am, 3 October 2005
Home of Shirley Christianson, Portage la Prairie
Present: Barry Bills, Maurice Blanchard, Shirley Christianson, Heidi den Haan, Denzil Gamble, Gordon Goldsborough (sec), Bob Jones, Cynthia Jordan, Myrna Mackey, Glen Suggett
1. Minutes of the last meeting (27 June) were approved by consensus.
2. Business
a) Progress report Suggett is finding that it takes a long time to through the Atkinson log. He has done the period from 1949 to 1959 and has written a draft story about Dr. Atkinson, using the log and pieces from interviews with his sons Terry and Sheridan, which needs to be edited. When he is done, he plans to move on to Jimmy Robinson. Goldsborough has applied for a sabbatical leave from the University which, if granted, would run from July 2006 to June 2007. One of his activities during the leave will be to work on the book. Gamble reported that he has scanned about 2000 of his 35 mm slides and saved them on 4 DVDs.
b) Fish Fry Attendance at the Canada Day Fish Fry was initially slow but picked up, yielding about 350 people in total. The silent auction brought in about $600. Bill was reimbursed $50 for expenses incurred for orange drink concentrate and Daily Graphic ads. Our current bank balance is about $6,068 plus the proceeds of the Fish Fry minus a $450 account deficit at the University of Manitoba. Merl Vust is making a wildlife quilt which he is offering to us for the 2006 Fish Fry. It was decided to pre-sell tickets. Discussion ensued on whether it would be desirable to hold another Fish Fry before Canada Day. It was decided not to hold one.
c) Hutchinson Goldsborough interviewed Gordon Hutchinson for about two hours in late July, among which was some excellent information. He gave the video tapes to Suggett. Christianson will contact Keith Hutchinson to arrange an interview then Goldsborough will do it.
d) Other interviews Neva Pearson is in her 90s, and an interview should be arranged soon. Christianson will arrange one, and Goldsborough will assist. Christianson will also call Bill Linden to see if he would do an interview. Suggett reported that Terry Moberley will be at his lodge this week, and suggested a meeting at the Delta Marsh Field Station for Saturday morning at 11:00 AM (7 October). Suggett will call Pete Ward about a meeting on Wednesday, 19 Oct.
e) Atkinson photos Goldsborough gave a CD of photo scans to Suggett.
f) Home photo Jordan brought a photo of her uncle, Jack Home, sitting on the railing at Delta Channel in 1919. She loaned it to Suggett to scan.
g) Palmer photos and book Kelly Pierson (467-7432), a granddaughter of Grace Dunn, visited the Delta Marsh Field Station in July or August. He has copies of the Dunn book; den Haan will call her to see if we can get another one. Kim Bally in Quebec provided a scan of the Palmer family at Delta, a copy of one in the possession of his aunt in Winnipeg.
h) PCI Archive Goldsborough scanned several excellent photos relating to Delta among the Yosh Tashiro collection at Portage Collegiate, three of which he brought to the meeting. Goldsborough proposed that we give a grant to PCI to help them to identify other Delta photos. Mackey will talk to Jim Pehura, the PCI principal, and Bills will talk to James Kostochuk, the PCI archivist. Relating to other materials which may be useful, it was noted that Percy Gregoire may have Nan Mulders diary, which is not necessarily complimentary to Delta scientists. On a side note, Mackey will send an article on the McGregor archives to Goldsborough for inclusion in the next issue of Manitoba History.
3. Next meeting: The next meeting will be held at the home of Shirley Christianson (118 Wilkinson Crescent, Portage la Prairie) at 9:00 am on Monday, 21 November 2005.
4. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 AM.