Merril Menzies was an economist and brother-in-law of Dr. Glen Green, one of Diefenbaker’s closest political supporters in Prince Albert. In late 1956 Green gave Diefenbaker a paper by Menzies on the possibilities of northern development in Canada. As a result, Menzies became Diefenbaker’s chief economic advisor and the force behind the Northern Vision policy of the 1958 campaign. He resigned his position prior to the 1963 election.
This subseries contains reference material accumulated by Merril Menzies while serving as Diefenbaker’s economic advisor.
This subseries contains general subject files about Progressive Conservative party affairs within the constituency, and requests from constituents for assistance in dealing with the federal government in matters of pensions, unemployment and taxation. Election files from the constituency are filed with the general election files.
This series contains reference material collected by John Diefenbaker and his staff from 1940, when he was elected to Parliament, to 1957, when he became Prime Minister. A wide range of political and social subjects, both Canadian and international, are present.
This subseries consists of all files relating to the 1942, 1948, and 1956 conventions, national and provincial organizations, and the development of policy positions.
This subseries contains original and photocopied documents from other series and additional notes used in writing Diefenbaker’s memoirs. There is also apparently routine material from the late 1970s which was filed with the memoirs series. Files E/1 - E/63 were arranged by the research staff in the alpha-numeric system used by the Prime Minister’s office. Files E/64 - E/219 were similarly arranged, but do not exactly conform to the PMO filing system. Files E/220 - E/222 contain documents on defence which were pulled and arranged chronologically by Gerald Haslam in 1968. Files E/223 - E/233 were labelled in the hand of Archie McQueen, Diefenbaker’s assistant at the time Diefenbaker’s death.
This subseries consists of personal records and general correspondence, including Diefenbaker’s financial records, invitations, and requests for assistance from persons outside of Diefenbaker’s constituency.
This subseries contains correspondence about publishing John Diefenbaker’s memoirs. It includes correspondence with publishers, possible biographers, and Diefenbaker’s assistants and friends.
This series contains those files which appeared to have been removed from their original order or created specifically for use in writing John Diefenbaker’s memoirs. It also contains correspondence about the memoirs project, notes, and drafts of the memoirs, One Canada. There are notes and annotations in Diefenbaker’s hand throughout this series.
This series contains motion picture film, video tape, phonograph records, and audio tape, and constitutes the sound and moving image records kept by Diefenbaker.
This series contains the manuscripts of John Diefenbaker’s speeches as well as background material, drafts, suggestions from staff, and annotated delivery copies.
This series contains documents relating to Diefenbaker’s actions for the collection of rents, unpaid loans and other debts. Those cases involving extensive litigation to collect the debts are to be found in the case files.
