Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Agricore United fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material
- Architectural drawing
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1900 - 2007 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
12.88 m of textual records.
12,351 slides.
12672 photographs
31 sheets of negatives.
71 compact discs.
5 audio reels.
40 VHS video cassettes.
351 blueprints.
9 DVDs.
93 audio cassette tapes.
24 photo slides.
11 digital camcorder tapes.
4 DVCAM tapes.
5 maps.
1 data cartridge.
1 floppy disk.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
On July 30, 2001, Agricore announced that the boards of both United Grain Growers and Agricore Cooperative had unanimously agreed to a merger that would create a new company, Agricore United, which would be modeled after UGG's share structure. On November 1, 2001, the merger took place and Agricore, the last of the prairie cooperatives, ceased to exist.Since the merger, Agricore United became the largest agribusiness in western Canada dealing in grains, oilseeds, special crops, marketing, agri-products, agri-food processing, and feed manufacturing. The merger also allowed for a greater ability to access public markets for additional capital. The company has weathered adverse growing conditions like drought and floods in various parts of western Canada, low grain stocks, and growing competition from international markets. While offering farmers management services like financing, risk management, agronomic expertise, and access to end-use markets, Agricore United has been able to capitalize on a wider system of developed infrastructure networks of port terminals, country elevators, and farm service centres. Built on the foundation of Agricore United and Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Viterra was formed in 2007 through a merger.Refer to the finding aids for earlier history of United Grain Growers Ltd. and Agricore Cooperative Ltd.
Name of creator
Administrative history
The precursor to the United Grain Growers was formed in 1901 in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, by a group of farmers who came together to discuss common problems related to grain farming. The "Grain Growers" concept spread quickly to Alberta and Manitoba and, in 1917, the movement amalgamated its commercial interests in the three Prairie Provinces to form United Grain Growers Ltd. The infrastructure of the company included grain elevators, terminals, and a farm supply network. U.G.G. bought or built an extensive series of country elevators across the west from 1912 to the 1960s. Grain terminal facilities were also constructed and included facilities at Thunder Bay, New Westminster, and Vancouver. Through their elevator system, the U.G.G. sold supplies such as coal, twine, chemicals, and fertilizer to their farm customers. The new millennium brough much consolidation for Canadian agribusiness and U.G.G. was part of this trend. On November 1, 2001, it merged with Agricore (formed by the consolidation of the Manitoba and Alberta Wheat Pools) to form a new company, Agricore United. In 2007, Agricore United merged with Saskatchewan Wheat Pool to form Viterra. For a more detailed history and choronology of the company from beginnings to 1990, see the finding aid "The Archives of the United Grain Growers Limited", by Jeffery Long.
Name of creator
Administrative history
Agricore Cooperative Ltd. was created November 1, 1998, through the friendly merger of Alberta Wheat Pool Ltd. and Manitoba Pool Elevators. It existed for only three years, then merged with United Grain Growers to form Agricore United in November 2001. Before the merger, it was one of the largest agribusinesses in Western Canada. Moreover, as Agricore United is a publicly traded company, Agricore can be seen as the last of the farmer-owned cooperatives, a movement that significantly altered prairie-farming practices in the twentieth century. Agricore officially began operations on November 1, 1998. Extensive preparations were made to ensure that a seamless transition occurred when the two historic cooperatives became one new entity. Winnipeg was selected as the head office and staff was shifted accordingly. In late 1999, Agricore weathered its first serious crisis when the cooperative's unionized staff went on strike. The next year and a half saw Agricore expand its business in a variety of ways including the establishment of high throughput elevators in Elva, Manitoba and at the junctions of highway 3 and 14 between Morden and Winkler, in Manitoba. Though wheat and grain prices in 1999-2000 reached historic lows, Agricore managed to increase earnings and further enhance its reputation as one of western Canada's most influential agribusinesses. On July 30, 2001, Agricore announced that the boards of both UGG and Agricore had unanimously agreed to a merger that would create a new company, Agricore United, which would be modeled after UGG's share structure. On November 1, 2001, the merger took place and Agricore, the last of the prairie cooperatives, ceased to exist.
Custodial history
A collection of property ledgers (MSS SC 182) was transferred to University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections from Agricore United through the efforts of Tom Kirk in 2003. Several further accessions were transferred by Agricore United in 2007 and 2008. The 2012 accession (A12-101) was donated by Viterra in 2012. The 2013 accession (A13-53) was donated by Viterra in 2013.
Scope and content
The 2003 accession (A03- 04) consists of six ledger books used by United Grain Growers (UGG) in the management of their property in the three Prairie Provinces. The ledgers are organized by province and locations are organized alphabetically. Entries focus on the payment of mortgages and the cost of repairs and improvements.
The first 2007 and 2008 accessions (A07-46, A08-22, and A08.72) consist of a small manuscript collection (MSS 268) containing a UGG operation manual for elevator managers, operating manuals for various grain elevator machinery, blueprints, and material relating to shares, allotments, dividends, bonds, and ledgers. The large photo collection (PC 226) contains photographs, slides, and slide scans of nearly every Agricore/UGG elevator site throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, six VHS video cassettes of the United Grain Growers Video Magazine, and five sheets of grower and producer lists. In total, the photograph collection consists of 1773 blueprint slides, 8758 slides, 1250 photographs, 59 CDs featuring slide shows, and the six aforementioned video cassettes. The map collection (MC 25) holds various blueprints of grain elevators and their components. In total, the map collection consists of 351 blueprints.
The second 2007 accession (A07-68) contains publications and financial records of the United Grain Growers Ltd., as well as some annual reports of Public Press Ltd., a subsidiary of U.G.G.
The second 2008 accession (A08-155) consists of U.G.G. minutes and correspondence from the years 1918-1952.
The first 2009 accession (A09-51) consists of material collected by the United Grain Growers library. Following the 2001 merger of UGG and Agricore, the library was donated, along with other archival material, to the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections. The collection has been divided into series and sub-series, and includes records related to acts, by-laws, and amendments (of federal, international, and private bodies) and records about UGG personnel. It includes various publications (including those of the UGG, the federal government, the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Manitoba Pool Elevators, and the Canadian Wheat Board).
The A09-51 accession also includes records relating to various commissions and inquiries, including the Royal Commission on Railway Transportation in Canada and the Royal Commission on Transportation, as well as various submissions of the UGG to different commissions and inquiries. The collection contains bound copies of UGG annual reports and UGG News; various reports and submissions by the UGG and by other private and government bodies; and a large series of records related to transportation, including records related to the Western Grain Transportation Act, the Crow Benefit (Crow's Nest Agreement), the Producer Payment Panel, and the Gilson Report.
Finally, the A.09-51 collection includes 1546 slides, 676 photographs, 31 sheets of negatives, 10 VHS tapes, 19 audio cassette tapes, 1 DVD, and 2 CDs, most of which document the activities (including annual meetings) of United Grain Growers Ltd.
The second 2009 accession (A09-58) consists of memoranda, correspondence, and other materials relating to the election, estate shares, charter, and by-laws of the United Grain Growers Board of Directors; correspondence and materials relating to various UGG-related monographs and publications (including "T.A. Crerar: A Political Life" by J.E. Rea, and "The First Fifty Years" and "I Was There" by R.D. Colquette, UGG News, and UGG Annual Catalogs); reports and memoranda relating to contracts with the Canadian Wheat Board; transcripts, minutes, delegate reports, and resolutions of annual meetings; materials relating to UGG work with liaison organizations and organizations in support of co-operative initiatives; contracts and by-laws relating to UGG subsidiaries, including United Feeds Ltd., Public Press Ltd., and Grain Growers Export Co. Ltd.; publications and correspondence relating to UGG 50th, 75th, and 80th anniversaries; stock certificates and shareholder cards; newspaper clippings; and financial ledgers.
The A09-58 accession also contains a slide collection showcasing photos of various grain elevators, terminals, and technology, as well as historic photos related to agriculture and farm cooperatives.
Finally, the A.09-58 accession features five audio recordings of UGG radio shows and promotional material.
The 2011 accession (A11-57) consists of a UGG financial ledger from the years 1919 to 1935.
The 2012 accession (A12-101) consists of a few textual records, and photographs of grain elevators in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
The 2013 (A13-53) accession donated by Viterra consists of a large manuscript collection dominated mainly by U.G.G records. These include annual members meetings, news releases, press clippings, and bound copies of transcripts; U.G.G local annual meeting reports as well as correspondence within local town boards; Agricore United annual members meetings, spring update newsletters, and resolutions committees; Agricore United advisory group reports, cards/plaques and local board grants; material relating to U.G.G. local boards including meetings, grants, expenses, local board handbooks, local board histories and changes to or re-organization of local boards. A small portion of the collection is made up of Agricore Cooperative meetings, delegate newsletters/updates, district advisory committees and communications; files dedicated to the U.G.G/Agricore Cooperative merger are included; and lastly, various U.G.G research materials such as credit vouchers, U.G.G news, grain publications, share dividends, U.G.G acts, by-laws and charters, resolutions and station header file listings. In total, the photograph collection consists of 24 slides, 24 VHS cassettes, 11 digital camcorder tapes, 4 DVCAM tapes, and 8 DVDs. The TC collection is made up of 73 audio cassettes. The map collection includes 5 maps, consisting of U.G.G operating elevator points and prairie grain handling sites as well as Agricore United grain and CPS facilities. Lastly, the EL collection inludes a Saskatchewan Wheat Pool data cartridge, Agricore United floppy disk and 10 CD's.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Restrictions apply to some folders due to sensitive financial information.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Users must abide by relevant copyright legislation.
Finding aids
A finding aid can be downloaded from the fonds-level description by clicking on the "Download" link under "Finding Aid" on the right-hand side of the screen.
Generated finding aid
Associated materials
United Grain Growers Ltd. fonds (United Grain Growers Ltd. fonds (MSS 76, PC 83, TC 96)
Accruals
As Agricore United merged with Saskatchewan Wheat Pool in 2007 to form Viterra, there are no further accruals expected.