Fonds consists of three sous-fonds: M573 / V797 / S60.
M573 consists of three series, 26 cm of textual records, 1924-2005. Series I: Personal Papers, 19 cm, ca.1930-2005 (including notebooks and drafts of various talks that Jean delivered and records related to her participation in the Trail Rider…
26 cm of textual records.-- 109 photographs (42 prints, 67 lantern slides). -- 2 sound recordings.
History / Biographical
Jean Alexandra Hembroff was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on April 5, 1908 to Walter B. Hembroff (d. 1945) and Sarah Jane Hembroff (d.1952). Jean was accepted to the MacPhail School of Music and Dramatic Art at the University of Minnesota, from which she graduated in 1927. She returned to Winnipeg to begin teaching courses in speech arts and drama. To establish herself, she first volunteered as the "story lady" at the Williams Avenue Public Library and quickly became known as an excellent speaker sought by many different organizations. She taught at St. Mary's Academy and the Evening Institute at the University of Manitoba, as well as offered private sessions. Many of her students used the skills they learned from Jean as they entered radio, television, politics, and business. Jean was also very active in organizing and adjucating Speech Arts festivals in Manitoba, often going to inaccessible places to give workshops. Her teaching, broadcasting, adjucating, coaching, and speaking career spanned more than 50 years.
Jean was hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway's promotions manager to give presentations and broadcast interviews across Canada and the United States. In 1937, Jean joined the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and participated in their summer trail ride in the same year. For that year's issue of the Trail Rider's Bulletin Jean wrote an article - and became the first woman to ever do so. In 1938, during her lecture titled "Trail Riding in the Rockies" on January 18, 1938 at the Royal Alexandra Hotel, Jean met John David (Jack) MacDonald. Jack and Jean were married on June 18, 1938, and the couple had one son, Bruce Walter James MacDonald (August 28, 1946-August 25, 2016).
Jean participated in several trail rides with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Trail, and produced articles reflecting her experiences. Jean loved to travel and visited places all around Canada and the United States, Borneo, Tangier, Montevideo, Stockholm, New Delhi, and Tonga. At the age of 102, Jean passed away on February 2, 2011 and is buried in Winnipeg.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of three sous-fonds: M573 / V797 / S60.
M573 consists of three series, 26 cm of textual records, 1924-2005. Series I: Personal Papers, 19 cm, ca.1930-2005 (including notebooks and drafts of various talks that Jean delivered and records related to her participation in the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Hikers of the Canadian Rockies, particularly 1937-1939). Series II: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings, 4 cm, 1924-2000 (including correspondence with John Murray Gibbon, former students, and attendees at various talks, as well as newspaper articles that Jean wrote about various subjects and articles of her achievements). Series III: Collected Materials and Ephemera, 3 cm, ca.1930-1950 (including a variety of collected poems and ephemera, as well as a copy of The Beaver Magazine from 1940, for which Jean wrote an article titled "On the Trail of Sir George").
V797 consists of two series, 24.5 cm of visual records, ca.1928-1939. Series I: Photograph Prints, 3 cm, ca.1928-1939 (includes personal photographs of Jean and her family and friends as well as photographs of Jean and Jack's visit to Lake Louise in 1939). Series II: Lantern Slides, 21.5 cm, ca.1937-1939 (Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies official ride of 1937 to Mt. Assiniboine; Sky Line Hikers of the Canadian Rockies official ride of 1939 to Ptarmigan Valley and Skoki; collection of trail ride songs).
S60 consists of two sound recordings, 1 cm, 2004 and 2007 (Winnipeg at Christmas, narrated by Jean, broadcasted on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
File consists of 129 lantern slides pertaining to mountaineering expeditions and scenic views in the Canadian Rockies. Includes images of pack trips, ice climbing, hiking, and Alpine Club of Canada camps. Locations include Emperor Falls; Berg Lake; ascent of Resplendent Mountain; Mount Edith Cavell…
Some items produced by Charles Potter and James Mahon
Date Range
[1913-1925]
Physical Description
129 photographs : lantern slides
Scope & Content
File consists of 129 lantern slides pertaining to mountaineering expeditions and scenic views in the Canadian Rockies. Includes images of pack trips, ice climbing, hiking, and Alpine Club of Canada camps. Locations include Emperor Falls; Berg Lake; ascent of Resplendent Mountain; Mount Edith Cavell; Mount Maud; Mount Commander; Mount Marpole; Mount Habel; Mount Robson; Mount Temple; Mount Huber; Castle Mountain; and Wilcox Pass.
Notes
Some items are numbered on outer edges or otherwise labelled
File consists of 20 lantern slide photographs depicting scenes in Victoria, Vancouver and vicinity in British Columbia; Edmonton, Calgary and vicinity in Alberta; Regina and other regions in Saskatchewan; Winnipeg in Manitoba; and shipping activity on the Great Lakes.
Most images in file issued by Department of the Interior Natural Resources Intelligence Branch
Date Range
[ca.1925]
Physical Description
20 photographs : lantern slides
Scope & Content
File consists of 20 lantern slide photographs depicting scenes in Victoria, Vancouver and vicinity in British Columbia; Edmonton, Calgary and vicinity in Alberta; Regina and other regions in Saskatchewan; Winnipeg in Manitoba; and shipping activity on the Great Lakes.
File consists of 70 lantern slide images pertaining to views from Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier, Jasper and Waterton Lakes National Parks. Specific locations include: Marble Canyon and Sinclair Canyon; Mount Stephen, Lake Oesa, Lake O'Hara, Lake McArthur, Takakkaw Falls, Twin Falls and Yoho Glacier; Ille…
Some items issued by Department of the Interior Natural Resources Intelligence Branch and by Canadian National Railways
Date Range
[ca.1925]
Physical Description
70 photographs : lantern slides
Scope & Content
File consists of 70 lantern slide images pertaining to views from Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier, Jasper and Waterton Lakes National Parks. Specific locations include: Marble Canyon and Sinclair Canyon; Mount Stephen, Lake Oesa, Lake O'Hara, Lake McArthur, Takakkaw Falls, Twin Falls and Yoho Glacier; Illecillewaet Glacier and surrounding area; Jasper town and Jasper Park Lodge; Maligne Lake, Maligne Canyon, Mount Edith Cavell and Mount Robson; and Waterton Lake area. Most items are captioned.
Notes
Slides are organized by location:
V756 / III / A / PS - 161 to 167 : Kootenay
V756 / III / A / PS - 168 to 185 : Yoho
V756 / III / A / PS - 186 to 194 : Glacier
V756 / III / A / PS - 195 to 226 : Jasper
V756 / III / A / PS - 227 to 230 : Waterton Lakes