Series consists of records relating to individual officers who worked for Canadian National Railways, and maintained or collected by the company.
The records relate to the activities of:
C.J. Smith (and his family), who worked his way up to the level of Vice President in the 1920s (see volumes 11728 -- 11733);
Arthur J. Hills, who started his career with the Canadian Northern Railway, became Assistant to the Vice-President of the Operation and Construction Department and later Chief of Personnel in CNR, and then after 1940 went into a career in labour relations (see volumes 11844-11862);
Colonel G.R. Stevens, a historian of CNR;
Les Strike, a CNR employee who created records management systems for CNR between the 1930s to the 1960s.
W.S. Thompson, director of CN Public Relations department from 1922 to 1950. (see volumes 16862; 16864).
For further details about these particular CN employees, see lower-level sub-series descriptions.
The series also consists of research material relating to the 'CN Oral History Project' and the 'CN History Project' (history of Canadian National Railways for the period 1922-1979); as well as background research material relating to author Donald MacKay's publication 'The Asian Dream - The Pacific Rim and Canada's National Railway'.
Vol. 15861 consists of a draft copy of a book manuscript about CN employee S.W. Fairweather, with related archival memos and correspondence from 1930s; and correspondence with CN archivist about various historical subjects, ca. 1980s-1990s
Vol. 15862 consists of material relating to the CN History Project, including a draft manuscript on Canadian Rail Technology and miscellaneous publications on CN rail history, including a draft manuscript of The Great Scot, ca. 1970s-1990
Vol. 15863 consists of further manuscript material relating to Canadian rail technology, and CN archivist correspondence relating to records management and archival material sent to the national archives, ca. 1972-1995
Vol. 15864 consists of material relating to the CN History Project, including correspondence between CN and author Donald Mckay re. his book The Asian Dream, correspondence and related records for a conference on the history of railways in Canada, a copy of a finding aid for RG30M 934002 (stations, station yards, and plans), various agreements between CN and Donald McKay relating to various publications, and correspondence relating to research requests, ca. 1979-1991.
Vol. 15865 consists of material relating to the CN History Project, including background information on the CN Archival Program, origins of the history project, and correspondence between CN archivist and various researchers. Also included is background on the CN shops at Transcona, Manitoba, on the Canada Atlantic Railway, and the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad, ca. 1974-1986.
Vol. 15866 consists of material relating to railway unions, including the United transportation union (with a related copy of a finding aid for the union fonds at LAC MG 28 I216) (1960s), interview transcripts and related records on Robert Bandeen, CN President (1982), miscellaneous publications including a history of Montreal's Central Station, background on CN's synoptical history and copies of previous histories of the company, (1962-1985) and copies of annual reports for CN from 1919-1921.
Vol. 15867 consists of CN Oral History Project interview transcripts of CN employees, 1987-1991, by last names A to G.
Vol. 15868 consists of CN Oral History Project interview transcripts of CN employees, 1987-1991, by last names G to S.
Vol. 15869 consists of CN Oral History Project interview transcripts of CN employees, 1987-1991, by last names S-W. Also located here are release for the interviewees, copies of transcripts of interviews with CN personal conducted by Joseph Schull in 1977, and second copies of transcripts for CN Oral History project, not in alphabetical order.
Vol. 15870 consists of second copies of transcripts of CN Oral History Project of CN employees, not alphabetical order.
Vol. 15871 consists of second copies of transcripts of CN Oral History Project of CN employees, not alphabetical order.
Vol. 15872 consists of copies of annual reports for other railways including Canadian Northern and Canadian Government Railways 1918-1919 and also the 1919 CNR annual report; testimony of CC Maynard, air brake supervisor, on rule 208, interview transcripts for Miscellaneous CN Employees Glen Wightman, Ron Bailey, Graham Crossman, Joe Cernak, Bill Cronan, and Alex Douglas (ca. 1990).
Vol. 15873 consists of 2 ledgers, one a list of cabooses constructed between 1879-1952 and the second is comprised of special orders of the general traffic manager 1928-1951
Vol. 15874 consists of 90 black and white photographs, including one photo album of 50 photographs showing the construction of Symington and Transcona Yards near Winnipeg, 1961 and various photos of the Montreal Central Station vicinity, 1930s-1940s.
Note that with regards to the CN Oral History Project, included are typed transcripts of employee interview tapes as well as the original sound recordings (on case, project-related correspondence, and subject research files.). The original sound recordings will be described in due course.
The interviews are with veteran employees, were conducted from ca. 1987-1991, and a few of the interviews describe activities in the 1920s, while the majority cover activities during the 1960s and 1970s. There are a wide range of subjects covered: finance, dieselization, the Macpherson Royal Commission, the National Transportation Act of 1967, reorganization into areas, railway culture, relations with government, research, marketing.
Interviewees included are:
Maurice Archer, VP Research and Development
Charles Armstrong VP Mountain Region, President CN Holdings
WH Bailey VP Purchasing and Stores; President CANAC
Robert Bandeen President CN
Jack Bleakley Passenger Service
Wilfrid Bonefant Superintendent and Trainmaster
DW Brayshaw Employee Relations
Lorne Brisbin Locomotive Engineer, Chairman Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen
Garth Campbell VP Passenger Service
Jack Cann VP Operations
Jack Carlyle CN Radio Network 1920s
GM Cooper VP Corporate Secretary
Henry Craig Overseas Marketing (pre World War Two)
Vermot Daly CN Telegraph
Pierre Delagrave VP Passenger Service (turbo train)
SF Dingle VP Operations
Archie Duffie PR Department
Graham Fielding Locomotive Engineer
Doug Fisher NDP MP, Unions, Railway Committee
John Gardiner VP Railway Economics
Jean Gautier Quebec Regional Manager
VV Gonder VP Operations (1930s)
John Gratwick VP CN Marine, Chairman of Transport Development Agency
Charles Harris Director Public Relations
Keith Hunt VP Industrial Relations; Transportation and Maintenance
T Hurley VP Purchases and Stores
Frank Hutton Civil Engineer
Douglas Lacombe PR Atlantic Region Affairs
RR Latimer President CN Rail
J-Louis Levesque Member of CN Board
JA McDonald VP Corporate Development
JW Graham McDougall VP also Chairman Strategic Rail Group
Ron Messenger VP Atlantic Region
Lloyd Morgan Secretary to Donald Gordon
John Noel PR
Lorne Perry PR
Jack Pickersgill Minister of Transport
RJ Proulx VP United transportation union CN Locomotive Engineer
Howard Pye Corporate Secretary
Jean Richer VP Passenger Service
Frank Roberts VP Passenger Service and President of VIA
Alex Smaill Gen Supt. transport, Great Lakes;
Walter Smith CN rep Ottawa
Dr. O.M. Solandt VP Research and Development
Jack Spicer Exec. VP
R Seliski Engineer CANAC
Pierrie Taschereau Chairman
Rupert Tingley President CN Marine
GJ Trainor VP CN Hotels
Ralph Vaughan VP Corporate Secretary
RW Worraker General Foreman Pt. St. Charles
Also in this series is one silent film, produced by Gagnon/Valkus Inc., 7 minutes and 26 seconds long, and entitled "CN Public Image". This film will be described along with the sound recordings in due course.
