Fonds contains six series: I. Robert G. Brett series, 1873-1926, 36 cm of textual records, consisting of: A. Personal papers, 1873-1926 (1. Correspondence, 2. Financial papers, 3. Other papers); B. Business papers, 1897-1925, (1. Banff businesses, 2. Businesses outside Banff); C. Professional pap…
73 cm of textual records. -- 11 photograph albums (ca.850 prints). -- ca.350 photographs (ca.320 prints, 28 negatives)
History / Biographical
Robert George Brett, 1851-1929, was a prominent physician, hotel-hospital owner, businessman and politician Banff, Alberta from 1883 until 1929. Brett was born in Strathroy, Ontario, son of James Brett and Catherine Mallon. He was educated as a physician at the University of Toronto (M.D., 1874), and practiced medicine at Arkona, Ontario. He moved to Winnipeg in 1880, where he helped found the Manitoba Medical College.
R. G. Brett moved to Banff in 1886, founding the Banff Sanitarium. In 1909 he established the Brett Hospital. Brett also had numerous other businesses and real estate in Banff (including the National Park Drug Store, the Sanitarium Bottling Co., the Bretton Hall Hotel, Lithia Bottling Co.) and elsewhere.
In 1878, Brett married Louise Theodora Hungerford, 1855-1935, of Waterford, Ontario. Of their five children, only two survived infancy, Reginald H. "Harry", 1879-1925, and Robert Earle, 1887-1912. Earle Brett was survived by Maidie (Stacpole) Brett, whom he married in 1910, and by an infant daughter. Dr. Harry Brett was married to Helen Brett, 1877-1964, who outlived the rest of her family by many years. Associated closely with the Brett family was Dr. Brett's nurse, Annie McLauchlin.
From 1881 to 1901, R. G. Brett was Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the North-West Territories, and from 1889 to 1891 he was president of the executive council. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta from 1915 to 1925. He died in Calgary.
Scope & Content
Fonds contains six series:
I. Robert G. Brett series, 1873-1926, 36 cm of textual records, consisting of: A. Personal papers, 1873-1926 (1. Correspondence, 2. Financial papers, 3. Other papers); B. Business papers, 1897-1925, (1. Banff businesses, 2. Businesses outside Banff); C. Professional papers, 1889-1925 (1. Political correspondence, 2. Official correspondence, 3. Other material);
II. Louise H. Brett series, [between1855 and 1935], 10 cm of textual records, consisting of: A. Writing, betw.1885 and 1935; B. Scrapbooks, ca.1900, ca.1910; C. Diaries and letters, 1912-1925; D. Other, ca.1870-1924.
III. Reginald H. "Harry" Brett series, ca.1910-1921, 10.5 cm of textual records, print material and photographs. Consists of: A. Personal papers, ca.1910 (1.Scrapbooks, 2. Ephemera); B. Business papers, 1912-1921.
IV. Helen Brett series, 1925-1965, 4.5 cm of textual records, consisting of: A. Correspondence, 1927-1950; B. R. G. Brett estate papers, 1925-1949; C. Financial and business records, 1936-1962; D. Other, 1935-1965.
V. Brett family series, [ca.1860-ca.1935], consisting of : A. Photographs albums, ca.1860-ca.1910; B. Photographs, ca.1875-ca.1935.
VI. Other material series, [before 1928], 2 cm of textual records, consisting of: A. Annie McLauchlin papers, 1914-1928; B. Other, before 1925.
See fonds level description for biographical history. Reverend Arthur Wellesley Richard Whiteman was born in 1865 in Teeswater, ON. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree from Queen’s University and received his Bachelor of Divinity from his studies at the Belfast and Edinburgh Universities. He also attended Robertson College for a year in Edmonton. Rev. Whiteman began his career as a missionary in British Columbia. He worked in Presbyterian churches in Cardston, Cochrane, Calgary and Macleod. At Knox Church in Calgary he was financial secretary and assistant minister for nine years. He was active in the church union question, and organized congregation members at Knox Church and St. Andrew’s, Macleod who voted against union. He married Nina L. Whiteman (nee Grenny) in 1898, and their daughter Dorothy Whiteman was born in 1901. Rev. Whiteman died in 1926 in Macleod, AB.
Scope & Content
One file containing a scrap book created by A. W. R. Whitman.
Scrap book contains newspaper articles regarding religious services and speeches, political articles regarding the conflicts at Derry. Loose pages are inserted throughout, containing sermons and religious notes.