Canadian Angus Foundation Archivists

The Canadian Angus Foundation applied for and received funding to hire two summer students to help with archiving. They are about halfway through their work terms, so we thought we should introduce them to you and let you know what they've been working on.

My name is Madelyn Shyba, and I'm a student at St. Mary's University in South Calgary. I'm currently doing a general history degree with the intent of proceeding into the field of museum studies and heritage work. I was born and raised in Calgary, but travelled throughout Canada and the United States with my family when I was younger. We always made a point of taking a trip in the summer that was packed with trips to historical sites and museums throughout the Northwest. This spurred my interest in history, especially that of pioneers and First Nations culture. The prairies continue to inspire me to dig into the roots of our history, and to understand how we relate to the land that we call our home.


I'm excited to work with Canadian Angus cataloguing the significant collection of artifacts and documents, and look forward to finding interesting stories to record and share.  Hopefully, by the end of the summer, we will have a much better understanding of the collection, and a clearer view of some of the Association's history. More importantly, with this better understanding comes the capacity to share it. With this summer’s progress, I'm hopeful that Canadian Angus will find itself in a better position to understand its past and make some new history in the coming years. 



My name is Megan McLeod. I recently completed my second year of university as I pursue my Bachelors of Commerce Degree with a major in Marketing through the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan. With my degree, I hope to pursue a career in public relations and advertising, while maintaining my involvement in the agriculture industry. I have been involved in the cattle industry for many years, and it remains as an integral part of my life. Although my family is mainly involved in the Charolais breed with 130 Charolais cows, I know many of the CAA members that are involved in showing cattle at events such as Farmfair International and Canadian Western Agribition. Also, I know some of the commercial Angus breeders who have become involved in raising commercial show steers, as showing at junior shows and open jackpots with commercial animals is another hobby of mine. Working with the Canadian Angus Association is an amazing opportunity, not only because it challenges my current skills and provides me with new ones, but also because it allows me to stay connected with the industry that I love.


My main task this summer is to identify the many print and digital photos that Canadian Angus has collected in what Madelyn and I have deemed the "Scary Room". It is our task to tackle the many boxes of memorabilia, microfilm, photos, various publications, articles, ads, and other items to identify them and create displays for suitable items in the Angus Central archives. So far, identifying the photos has been an interesting experience and a "blast from the past" as I uncover many photos from the 1980s and 1990s. There have been many familiar faces (both human and bovine)—as well as various new ones—as I go back through photos from events such as the 1985 World Angus Forum, the 1990 Regional Junior Angus Heifer Show in Stettler, and the 1998 Red Round Up, just to name a few.   

Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca