Fonds consists of political papers including subseries of general correspondence, Ottawa Letterbooks, Manitoba Letterbooks, Indian Affairs Letterbooks, Yukon correspondence, McCreary correspondence, telegram books, and resignation correspondence, 1889-1926; Alaska Boundary Tribunal Papers with subseries on correspondence, background documents, proceedings of the tribunal, articles and clippings, 1898-1904, 1915, 1942; Investment papers with subseries on correspondence; Georgian Bay Canal papers (with sub subseries on correspondence, Canal files, speeches, and clippings) and general investments, 1891-1932; subject files, 1880-1929; family papers, 1925-1957; and Dafoe Papers, 1929-1955, transcripts, 12 cm and originals, 1 cm.
Fonds consists of maps, drawings and other cartographic material pertaining to the proposed creation of the Georgian Bay Ship Canal system. Included are 2 atlases, one in 3 volumes entitled "Georgian Bay Ship Canal survey" originally created to accompany a 1908 Department of Public Works report on the Georgian Bay Ship Canal and the other in a single volume entitled "Typical views on the projected route". A number of maps and views along with a technical drawing depicting various dams and bridges are also included. Fonds also consists of architectural drawings (floor plans, elevations and sections) of a residence for Major John Wright Sifton, the eldest of Sir Clifford Sifton's five sons.
Sifton, Clifford, Sir, 1861-1929 : Born in Middlesex County, Ontario, Clifford Sifton was educated at Victoria University, Cobourg, Ontario, and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1882. First elected in 1888 as Member of the Legislative Assembly for North Brandon, he was from 1891 to 1896 Attorney-General and Minister of Education of Manitoba. In 1896, he met, on behalf of the Province of Manitoba, with the Commissioners of the federal government to settle the constitutional litigation arising from the Manitoba School Law. Elected in 1896 as Liberal Member of Parliament for Brandon, he was Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs and Minister of the Interior until 1905, where he effectively pursued an immigration policy which brought many settlers to the Canadian west.
On account of a disagreement regarding the educational clauses in the Northwest Territory Autonomy Bill, he resigned from the Cabinet in 1905, yet remained a Liberal M.P. until 1911. He also served as British agent at the Alaska Boundary Tribunal in 1903. Clifford Sifton was Chairman of the Commission of Conservation, 1909-1918. Throughout his career, he was an active businessman, investing heavily in natural resource companies, transportation and newspapers, notably the Manitoba Free Press.
See: Johnson Directory of Parliament, p. 530; Canadian Encyclopedia, p. 1695.
