Hugh Blair Mackenzie Fonds F516

A Q4, 5

Date of the items: 1899-1903

Physical description: 3 cm

Title: Hugh Blair Mackenzie Fonds

Creator: Hugh Blair Mackenzie

Repository: Trent Valley Archives

Reference number: TVA Fonds 516

Scope and contents: Photographs and albums related to the life and career of Hugh Blair Mackenzie, general manager of the Bank of Montreal from 1929-1930.

Access Conditions: No Restrictions

Finding aid: None, see file listing below

Accruals: No further accruals are expected

Custodial history: Donated by H. B. Mackenzie, the grandson of Hugh Blair Mackenzie, on November 7, 2013

Biographical sketch: Hugh Blair Mackenzie was born in Ingersoll, Ontario in 1867. The family moved to Brantford where his father was the Venerable G. C. Mackenzie, D. C. L., Archdeacon and rector of Grace Church. He studied at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, and was eagerly attracted to the developing financial world in Canada at the time. In 1884, at age 17, he found an opening at the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Brantford, Ontario. Three years later, he transferred to the Bank of British North America. While there, he rose to the position of chief inspector, a position that took him across Canada. He visited many small communities where he started new branches, some of them documented in his photograph albums. After occupying this position for several years, he became manager of the branch in Victoria, British Columbia, and then the superintendent of central branches in 1907, working out of Winnipeg and Montreal.

While occupying this role, he was credited with “nursing infant branches to prosperity,” and had a varied work schedule which he seemed to enjoy. An editorial in the Financial Times in April of 1929 noted “Whether in a teller’s cage in Ontario or listening to financial problems of a pioneer in an improvised bank in a prairie bar-room, inspecting a city branch or sleeping on the trail with a million and a half dollars for his pillow, he seemed equally at home, happy in his work, and full of the zest of life.”

When the Bank of British North America merged with the Bank of Montreal in 1917-1918, Mackenzie began working for them. In October of 1929, he became the general manager of the bank, succeeding Sir Frederick Williams-Taylor. While he was busy with his career, Mackenzie still found time to raise a family and pursue other interests. He was a member of the council of the Board of Trade and the Canadian Club in Montreal, and an avid athlete, partaking in baseball, tennis and golf. He married Maude M. Weir and had three children with her, two sons and a daughter.

Mackenzie passed away the following year on April 25, 1930 from a cerebral haemorrhage while he was at work preparing for a board meeting. He was 63 years old. Some obituaries, messages from colleagues and summaries of his life and career are in file 0.

Related fonds at TVA: See F372 Fairbairn Family for more materials relating to the Mackenzie family.

Access Points:
Bank of British North America
Bank of Montreal
British Columbia
Manitoba
Banff
Yorkton

List of Files:

  1. Photos from an album, 1899, 13 photos. Includes:
    • Siwash catching, Salmon on Nimkish River, B. C., November 1899
    • Malaspina Point Hotel
    • Wharf at Tescada Island November 1899
    • View from steamer looking north in Johnson Strait
    • Cabin on Klanche River Claims, Vancouver Island B. C. November 1899
    • Open cut on Letitia M. C. Showing shaft Nov. 1899
    • Gulls gathering to feed on dead salmon, Karmutsen Lake, Vancouver Island B. C. Nov 1899
    • Siwash Rancheree, Alert Bay B.C.
    • Poling up rapids on river Vancouver Island B.C. Nov 1899
    • Siwash Rancheree at Alert Bay, Vancouver Island, showing totem poles etc.
  2. 9 Salt prints, 6″ x 8″
    • View looking south, taken from station 268
    • Cut on south side White Fish Creek valley
    • View looking north, taken from station 265
    • Hospital at White Fish
    • White Fish Creek valley, looking south
    • Summit cut near Romford, looking north
    • Big cut at White Fish Creek, looking south
    • Baby Lake, looking north; taken from about station 110.
    • Baby Lake, looking north
    • View looking north, taken from station 249
  3. Album 1; Suede leather bound, tied with leather lace, 47 photos, 4″x6″, and 5″x8″
    1. Rossland BC 1903
    2. Rossland BC 1903
    3. Rossland BC 1903
    4. Victoria BC
    5. Vancouver BC
    6. Ashcroft BC
    7. Kaslo BC
    8. Greenwood BC
    9. Rossland BC
    10. Town of Ferguson, Landau
    11. Town of Camborne, Landau
    12. Rutherford cottage, Popular City
    13. Popular City from rail & bridge 1903
    14. Popular City from Cameron’s hotel
    15. A Camborne street
    16. Beacon Hill Park, Victoria
    17. Bank of British North America, Victoria, manager=s residence [photo missing]
    18. Victoria BC large tree
    19. Steveston, near Vancouver (harbour scene)
    20. Thompson Landing Landeau
    21. Boundary Creek bridge, near Midway (horse & rider crossing)
    22. Near Ashcroft BC
    23. Victoria BC [Mr Mackenzie having tea with Mr & Mrs Oliver Bridda)
    24. On the Dewdney Trail, below Rossland
    25. Near Ashcroft
    26. Sunday meeting place, near Ashcroft
    27. Freight team leaving Ashcroft for Cariboo
    28. “Eva” and “Ophis-lade” Stamp mills on Camborne landau
    29. Trent Lake City, from top of CPR wharf shed
    30. Victoria BC [stage coach]
    31. On the Gorge, Victoria BC [man smoking pipe in canoe]
    32. Vancouver BC
    33. Kettle River near Grand Fork BC
    34. Boundary Creek, BC
    35. Trout Lake from Trout Lake City, Landeau
    36. Trout Lake, Landau
    37. Fish Creek below Camborne
    38. Sheep Creek during the Winter near Rossland
    39. Thompson’s Landing, Landau
    40. Poplar Creek from the bridge
    41. Dewdney Trail bridge across Sheep Creek
    42. Boundary Creek near Midway [note horse and saddle]
    43. The Arrow Lakes
    44. Upper Sheep Creek falls near Rossland [note man and his dog]
    45. Kettle River [horse and rider pausing]
    46. Kettle River near Midway
    47. Lower Sheep Creek Falls near Rossland
  4. Album 2; Suede leather bound, tied with leather lace, decorated with flowers, 29 photos, 4″x6″ [some pages removed, some pages never used]
    1. The only means of transit from the railway station of Radnor to the iron furnaces [flat rail car showing
      five well-dressed men, three with overcoats]
    2. Smash up of a Phoenix ore train, BC
    3. Breaking the prairie in Manitoba [shows two units – teams of five work horses.]
    4. Estevan 6 a.m. from the CPR depot
    5. Greenwood BC [shows lots of buildings]
    6. Nelson, BC [view from across lake, mountains in background]
    7. Wall Street in old New York
    8. Market day in Kingston, Ont. [great scene]
    9. Another view of the Smashup of the Phoenix ore train
    10. A young mine near Greenwood BC
    11. Providence mine at Greenwood BC
    12. A mining hoist worked by horse power near Greenwood BC
    13. Mother Lode ore quarry near Greenwood [photo damaged]
    14. A steam shovel at work in the ore quarry of the Granby M. S. Co at Phoenix BC
    15. Granby Mining & Smelting Co. ore quarry at Phoenix BC
    16. Phoenix BC from the Knob hill
    17. Phoenix BC from the Greenwood Road
    18. CPR coal field buildings near Banff
    19. CPR coal fields tunnels near Banff
    20. Breaking a bronco to the saddle at Yorkton one Sunday a.m. [one of the elevators is Stead & Bernier
      Elevator Company]
    21. Two six-horse teams ploughing the virgin prairie in Manitoba
    22. Estevan, from a windmill
    23. Yorkton, NWT [prairie in background]
    24. Battleford NWT [Bank of British North America in foreground]
    25. Yorkton NWT from the CPR windmill [Somebody has written “Dunlops” across a building in left
      foreground; the H.B.C. (Hudson’s Bay Company) store is left of that building.]
    26. Our staff at Yorkton NWT May 1904 [Two men on horseback.]
    27. Stow & Dolly [man on horse; in front of the branch of the Bank of British North America.] Stow
      likely bank employee.
    28. The Market Square, Rosthern NWT {Western Elevator Co Ltd No 29; winter scene; lots of people.]
    29. The artist? [H. B. Mackenzie on his horse, it would seem.]
  5. Album 3; Suede leather bound, tied with leather lace, decorated with flowers, 50 photos, 4″x6″
    1. Kettle River BC
    2. A rancher’s house between Battleford and Saskatoon
    3. Rosthern NWT
    4. The stage on the prairie in winter-time [no sign of a road; trees on horizon]
    5. Sicamano Lake on the CPR BC
    6. Kettle River BC
    7. Kettle River BC
    8. Kootenay Indians & their canoes at Kaslo BC
    9. Remains of a snow slide in the mountains near Kaslo BC [3 Indians]
    10. Kettle River [horse without a rider]
    11. Kettle River BC
    12. Kettle River BC [two ladies fishing]
    13. Near Midway BC
    14. Kootenay Lakes, Kaslo BC
    15. Nelson BC (view from across lake)
    16. Breaking the prairies in Manitoba
    17. Near Midway BC (cattle)
    18. Buffalo near Winnipeg
    19. Long Lake near Yorkton NWT (several cows)
    20. Banff
    21. Long Lake near Yorkton NWT
    22. Kootenay Lake, Kaslo BC
    23. Arrow Lakes, BC
    24. Long Lake, near Greenwood BC
    25. Near Greenwood BC (horse trying to rear)
    26. Long Lake near Greenwood BC
    27. At Banff
    28. “Fozy” [or “Tony”] race horse and jockey
    29. Near Midway BC [horse with 3 children mounting]
    30. CPR Hotel, Banff
    31. A portion of Calgary NWT
    32. Calgary NWT
    33. Breaking the prairie in Manitoba
    34. Fort Garry, Winnipeg
    35. Near Winnipeg, Man.
    36. Red River, Winnipeg
    37. Yorkton NWT from top of a windmill (dup.)
    38. Breaking a bucking bronco to the saddle in Manitoba (dup)
    39. Breaking two broncos to harness in Manitoba [false front boom style building]
    40. Banff
    41. Near Brandon Man. These horses were more amiable until an automobile arrived on the scene.
    42. Victoria BC
    43. Near Banff
    44. Kettle River BC
    45. North Bend BC
    46. Near Yorkton NWT
    47. Vancouver BC near entrance to Stanley Park
    48. Yorkton NWT from a windmill
    49. Breaking two broncos to harness in Manitoba.
    50. [The “artist”] (dup)