AHOF Members archive

Keith Smith was born and raised on a farm in the Oak Lake area of Manitoba. Following high school Keith attended the University of Manitoba from which he graduated with a B.S.A. in 1955. Three years later he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an MSc. in Extension Education. In 1958, Keith married Joy Harris. Together they raised four children: Richard, Janet, Brian and Murray. Keith began his 33 year career with the Manitoba Department of Agriculture in 1955—beginning as the Agricultural Representative at Holland, then moving to Winnipeg and later to Brandon as a Communications Specialist. He finished his distinguished career as the Principal of the Agricultural Extension Center in Brandon. Encouraging farmers to adopt modern production technology,...

Dr. Frank Leith Skinner (M.B.E., L.L.D.) came from Scotland as a boy and settled with his parents on a homestead near Dropmore, Manitoba. In 1900, Frank filed on a homestead of his own and while raising grain and cattle, he soon responded to his favourite hobby, horticulture, and in 1910 he established what became widely known as Skinners Nursery, Dropmore, Manitoba. Even though he went no further than Grade 8 in school, he became a renowned, self-educated botanist and horticulturist. At his own expense, he traveled almost worldwide in search of hardy trees, shrubs and flowers. These, when crossed with native Prairie species gave Western Canada in particular 12 new species of trees, 88 species of shrubs and over 130 species...

William “Doc” Flowers Sirett was born in the Muskoka District of Ontario in 1879, moving with his parents to the Mentmore district in 1881. He attended school in the local one-room establishment, going on to receive his diploma in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin. In 1904, he attended the Veterinary College in Ontario, receiving his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. His post-graduate studies were taken at McKillop College in Chicago, Illinois. His veterinary practice of 50 years began in 1911 in Minnedosa. Because there was a scarcity of Veterinarians at the time, he received calls from locations miles from Minnedosa. As a result, the practice extended from east of Neepawa to the Brookdale-Mentmore district, south to Rapid City, west to...

Gordon Maxwell Sinclair was born April 6, 1931, at Strathclair, Manitoba, to Samuel and Christene Sinclair. Gordon attended Strathclair Consolidated School and the University of Manitoba. He graduated with a BSA in 1952, winning the Lieutenant Governor’s Gold Medal. In 1958 Gordon married Donalda (Donnie) Manson of Arden. They had two sons Sam and John. Gordon began farming at Strathclair in 1953. The family’s farming operation grew to 2,880 acres, producing elite seed and special crops. A seed cleaning plant and a feed lot complemented the operation. In 1985, Gordon received a 25 year merit award for his production and promotion of top quality seed. In 1995 he celebrated 40 years as an elite seed grower. Gordon began his co-operative...

John Richard (Jack) Simplot was born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1909. He was brought to Idaho at an early age, grew up along the Snake River and through hard work, diligence, and perhaps some good luck, gained an international reputation as a self-made billionaire industrialist. Mr. Simplot’s contribution to the agriculture industry is well known world wide, and his contribution to Manitoba’s agriculture industry and to our communities over the past four decades has been noteworthy. He first learned about phosphate as an essential nutrient for his potato crops in the 1930’s. This was the start of the J.R. Simplot Company’s Minerals and Chemicals Group, which grew to become the largest phosphate fertilizer producer in western North America. Under his...

Jacob John Siemens, born on the family farm near Altona, Manitoba, devoted most of his adult life to the advancement of farming. After taking over the family farm in 1929, Siemens distinguished himself as a progressive farmer and community leader. Siemens played a leading role in the organization and development of such organizations as: Rhineland Agricultural Society, Rhineland Consumer’s Co-operative Ltd., Federation of Southern Manitoba Co-operatives; Manitoba Co-op Wholesale Ltd., Manitoba Co-operative Ltd. and the Manitoba Beet Growers Association. In addition he was a director of the Co-operative Union of Canada and an active member of the Manitoba Federation of Agriculture and Co-operation. Recognizing the importance of education in the agricultural community, Siemens organized the Rhineland Agricultural institute. This youth...

Dr. Alfred Savage (B.S.A., D.V.M., M.R.C.U.S., F.R.C.V.S.) was born in Montreal in 1889. He graduated from McGill University, B.S.A. in 1911, Cornell University, D.V.M. in 1914 and Edinburgh Royal Dick, M.R.C.U.S. in 1928. Joining the staff of the Manitoba Agricultural College in 1921, he served the university as professor of animal pathology and bacteriology from 1930 to 1945, a dean of agriculture from 1933 to 1937 and as professor emeritus from 1964 to 1970. Dr. Savage also served as provincial animal pathologist from 1938 to 1957. Dr. Savage served as dean of agriculture from 1933 to 1937; due to the great depression, these were disastrous years for the university. The Board of Governors seriously considered closing the faculty of agriculture...

John Sanderson holds the distinction of being the first homesteader to file his claim in Western Canada. Born at Prestopans, East Lothian, Scotland, he came to Canada in 1867. He settled first at Fergus, Ontario and moved to Manitoba in 1872. Sanderson arrived in Winnipeg with $30 worldly wealth, $10 of which he paid for his homestead entry located northwest of Portage la Prairie. Here he pitched his tent and with sturdy oxen commenced breaking the virgin soil. He sowed this land by hand to Golden Drop wheat; his first crop was harvested with an old reaper, sheaves were tied by hand, some of the crop was threshed by flail and the rest was taken to a small mill powered...