Series consists of: one postcard inside a protective cover (H9 x W14.5 cm) one hand-written note (H14.5 x W15 cm) one 13-page hand-written memoir/family history by Oswald A. McGuinness (H28 x W21.5 cm) one envelope (H40 x W23 cm) Content includes: McGuinness family tree; history of the McGuinness f…
1 cm of textual records (16 pages ; 23 x 40 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
Series consists of:
one postcard inside a protective cover (H9 x W14.5 cm)
one hand-written note (H14.5 x W15 cm)
one 13-page hand-written memoir/family history by Oswald A. McGuinness (H28 x W21.5 cm)
one envelope (H40 x W23 cm)
Content includes: McGuinness family tree; history of the McGuinness family and their time in Belleville, Ontario; Robert's role as inspecting engineer in the Banff Springs expansion; Robert's artwork on the CPR postcard depicting the spiral tunnels; and the envelope that was used to gift the above items to the Whyte Museum
Notes
Oswald A. McGuinness is the younger brother of Father Robert McGuinness. Oswald was a surveyor and helped build the road from Invermere to Calgary, and he lived in Invermere
The McGuinness family tree goes back to Oswald and Robert's great-grandparents, from Ireland to England and then to Ontario
In the hand-written note, which is undated and the author is unknown although it is possible that it was written by Flora McGuinness when she gave it to Mark Nightingale, an association between Robert and the building of the Bow River Bridge is made
Mark Nightingale also gifted 3 newspaper clippings located in M460 / I / B / 3-5
M460 / II / 1 : created by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Fonds consists of two series: I. St. Mary's Parish, ca.1945-1983, 0.16 cm, and contains two sub-series: A. Architecture, ca.1945-1983 (architectural plans, general information); B. Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings (pertaining to Father McGuinness and St. Mary's Parish), 1950-1978. II. McGuinn…
1.11 cm of textual records (34 pages : 29 x 42 cm or smaller) -- 9 architectural drawings : annotations ; 89 x 58 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
Originally from ancient Iveagh, which is now County Down, Ireland, the McGuinness family eventually migrated to Liverpool at an unknown time. The McGuinness family were provision merchants in Liverpool, but found supplies limited so they emigrated to Canada. Born on June 20, 1886 in Liverpool, Father Robert James McGuinness moved to Belleville, Ontario, Canada with his family in 1890. He had 7 brothers and sisters, including Oswald A. McGuinness, who settled in Invermere, British Columbia.
Robert attended St. Lawrence College in Ampleforth, Yorkshire, and completed his studies at St. Servan in Rhiems, France, qualifying as an engineer. He held a position with the federal government upon his return to Canada, however when World War I broke out Robert served in the 29th Battalion of CRTS building pontoons behind European battle lines. After returning to Canada, Robert worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway as an architectural engineer, which brought him west to Banff, Alberta. Robert was the resident architectural engineer overlooking the construction of the Banff Springs Hotel expansion in the 1920's.
In the late 1920's, Robert traveled to Rome to enter the seminary and four years later he was ordained as a priest. After serving as priest in Calgary, Robert was appointed Catholic priest in Banff in 1936, where he lived and worked until his death in 1961. To fulfill a personal dream, Robert designed and supervised the construction of the new church building and grounds for St. Mary's Parish (St. Mary's of the Assumption) which was completed in 1951. During his years in Europe, Robert visited ancient churches and cathedrals which influenced the design of the church, primarily the Norman Chateau architectural style.
Robert was also a talented artist. Some of his work can be seen in galleries in New York and in Banff. His work has been reproduced for Canadian Pacific Railway tourism material, including the Spiral Tunnels postcard included in this fonds.
Robert died in Calgary on June 17, 1961, just shy of his 75th birthday, after being ill for a few months.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two series:
I. St. Mary's Parish, ca.1945-1983, 0.16 cm, and contains two sub-series: A. Architecture, ca.1945-1983 (architectural plans, general information); B. Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings (pertaining to Father McGuinness and St. Mary's Parish), 1950-1978.
II. McGuinness Family, 1953-1977, 1 cm (private records, including handwritten notes, a memoir, and a postcard).
Notes
. IYounger brother Oswald was a surveyor who built the road from Invermere to Calgary
There is some indication that Robert had a role in the construction of the Bow River Bridge or the collection of the stones used for the bridge, but this is unconfirmed