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Archival Description
Powers Brothers fonds Series
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Administrative records of Powers Brothers Limited

Series consists of documents pertaining to the administration of Powers Brothers, namely meeting minutes and reports. All documents were produced in Lunenburg, NS, the location of the company's headquarters. The meeting minutes books document three types of meetings held by Powers Brothers: directors, shareholders, and general. Many of these meetings appear to have been annual, although emergency meetings were held on occasion. The books also includes agendas and memos that were created in connection with the meetings. The majority of meetings documented in this series were held by Powers Brothers, with although some were held by the company's subsidiary, Powers Marine Services, which existed from 1944 until 1967. The series also includes reports created by, or pertaining to, Powers Brothers. The company produced annual directors' reports, which were overviews of the company's economic performance. Outside agencies produced a variety of reports on the company, including operations reports, comparison reports, property appraisals, financial forecasts, and a windup plan. Bulk of the materials were created between 1970-1985.

Architectural and property plans and maps

Series consist of architectural and property plans drawn by, or pertaining to, Powers Brothers. The majority of the documents are blueprints of local buildings in which the company performed jobs, as well as heating and plumbing systems they developed, installed, or repaired around Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Provinces. The plans created by Powers Brothers employees tend to be drawn with a pencil and ruler, although some were created freehand. These originals were usually drawn on very thin paper and should be handled with care. For some contracts, Powers Brothers commissioned external companies to create the plans. This series also includes drawings of the Powers Brothers' property. Plans can also be found in the job files and job estimates series. The majority of files in this series were discarded, as they were not made or commissioned by Powers Brothers, but rather only used as reference documents for calculating job estimates.

Contract records of Powers Brothers

Series consists of financial records pertaining to Powers Brothers' various job contracts. These jobs were often located in Nova Scotia, but some were located throughout the Atlantic Provinces. The records in this series consist of ledgers and journals (some of which are unbound). The ledgers include expense totals, copies of invoices, and payments made by clients. The journals are more detailed, and were used to record the following job-related costs: material, labour, freight, and taxes. There are journals for both closed and active contracts. Both types of record books use job numbers to identify each contract. Bulk from 1972-1985.

Correspondence of Powers Brothers

Series consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence that was filed separately from the job files. Correspondents include clients, contractors, vendors, personnel, associations, government departments and representatives (both federal and provincial), and insurance companies. Most correspondents were based in Nova Scotia, particularly Lunenburg, but some were located throughout the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, and Ontario. The correspondence primarily pertains to the Powers Brothers' work in the early 1980s and includes job quotations, client complaints and charge disputes, information about products offered by vendors, and product warranties. The series also contains information about the company's membership and duties in various associations, and some personal letters written by John Powers to members of the community. There is also a file of correspondence by A. F. Powers from the early 1900s, which consists of personal and business letters with local correspondents, job quotations, and invoices. Some material from the series was discarded (namely invoices and unsolicited mail) and the series was arranged alphabetically by archivist. Bulk from 1980 - 1986.

Employee records of Powers Brothers

Series consists of documents relating to permanent and contract employees hired by Powers Brothers. These employees were primarily based in Lunenburg, but it was common for the company to hire local help for jobs based around the Atlantic Provinces. These documents consist of payroll journals, directories, summaries of vacation and layoffs, and workers' compensation records. This series provides an overview of employee life at Powers Brothers and includes information about job titles, annual compensation, bonuses and raises, hours worked, time off (namely vacation), layoffs, contributions to unions and workers' compensation boards, and the physical risks of the jobs (as detailed in the Workers' Compensation reports of injuries). Bulk

Financial records of Powers Brothers Limited

Series consists of various records documenting the financial activity of Powers Brothers, including general ledgers, annual financial statements, income tax forms, inventories, and stock journals. These records were created and maintained at Powers Brothers headquarters in Lunenburg, although the annual financial statements were produced by an accounting company in Halifax. The company's daily financial transactions and rough annual summaries were recorded in the general ledgers. In addition to the ledgers, the company maintained rough calculations (including trial balances) in separate files that were often used as supporting documentation for the annual financial statement calculated by their accountants at the end of each fiscal year. The company documented its physical assets with annual inventories, which include lists of job materials (e.g. Sheet metal, paint), real estate, vehicles, machinery, etc. Also included in this series are income tax documents pertaining to both the company and its employees, and stock records. The latter includes journals detailing sales and transfers of stock, as well as certificates and receipts. The series also contains the financial documents for Powers Marine Services, a subsidiary company and include financial statements, income tax returns, and general records of financial transactions that occurred throughout the period listed in the file title. Some files also include correspondence.

Job estimates and tenders

Series consists of documents pertaining to various job estimates calculated by Powers Brothers for jobs located in Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Provinces. There are two types of documents: estimate sheets and estimate files. The estimate sheets were generally created in response to job requests from organizations (namely businesses, hospitals, and schools), although some pertain to residential jobs. The majority of estimate sheets were deselected; the ones that have been retained are representative of how Powers Brothers calculated and presented estimates to potential clients. The estimate files contain materials used in the creation of job quotations. These materials include: correspondence (with clients, contractors, and vendors), calculation sheets, plans, brochures, catalogues and price lists, manuals of parts to be used or repaired by Powers. Job estimates can also be found throughout the Correspondence and Job Files series. Bulk from

Job files

File includes a variety of documents which support work done on different jobs, such as correspondence, blueprints and drawings, product literature, quotes and estimates, invoices, etc. Where available file titles are from original file arrangement by Powers Brothers; many files are arranged in reverse chronological order - this is the original arrangement. The job numbers in each file title were given by Powers Brothers and are found in varying files across multiple series as these numbers were their method of tracking jobs. Some job numbers repeat.

Legal documents of Powers Brothers

Series consists of legal contracts pertaining to, or agreed to, by the company and some of its prominent employees (namely Frank Powers and A. F. Powers). The majority of these documents are deeds, leases, and mortgages relating to the Powers Brothers' real estate holdings in Lunenburg and surrounding area. This includes property in the area of Lapland, Lunenburg County, which A. F. Powers co-owned during the mid twentieth-century. The series also includes: agreements between the company and other organizations, which are usually financial in nature (such as loan repayment agreements with the Royal Bank of Canada); employee agreements; insurance papers; professional licenses (e.g. Plumbing licenses); and the will of A. F. Powers. Some files in this series, particularly those pertaining to insurance and the Lapland property, also include correspondence, usually with local government or legal counsel. Bulk from 1910 - 1985.

Murphy and Wharton

Series consists of documents created and used by Murphy and Wharton, a plumbing company based in Halifax, NS, that was acquired by Powers Brothers in 1978. Murphy and Wharton primarily took jobs located in the Halifax area, although they accepted contracts around Nova Scotia. The documents in this series demonstrate the types of jobs the company performed, its financial situation, and its relationships with local clients, contractors, vendors, and personnel. The documents in this series are similar to those pertaining to Powers Brothers, and have been grouped into the following sub-series: administrative records (meeting minutes, reports), correspondence, employee records, job estimates, financial records (annual statements, inventory sheets, stocks, tax returns), and legal documents (agreements, deeds, insurance policies,

Powers Brothers' photographs

Series consists of photographs taken or commissioned by Powers Brothers. These photos are primarily of plumbing or heating jobs the company completed around Nova Scotia and displays of the company's goods and services, which were shown at local exhibitions (such as the Nova Scotia Fisheries Exhibition). The series also includes photographs of employees, Powers Brothers storefronts in Lunenburg, and parade floats sponsored by the company. Many of the photos are not dated, and people in the photographs are not identified.

Printed material of Powers Brothers

Series consists of printed material written by or about Powers Brothers or their employees, such as newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and transcripts of radio shows and advertisements. The majority of these documents appeared in local publications, or related trade publications. Many of these documents pertain to important events in the company's history, including its 100th anniversary in 1974 and its closure in 1986.

Programs and other materials regarding the Nova Scotia Fisheries Exhibition

Series consists of records pertaining to the company's involvement in the Nova Scotia Fisheries Exhibition. The exhibition was held annually in Lunenburg, and Powers Brothers was part of the committee responsible for organizing prizes and programs for the event for each year represented in this series. The records include correspondence, lists of donations, lists of prizes, lists of prize-winners, and statements of profits and losses.

Solar heating projects

Series consists of documents relating to Power Brothers' involvement in solar heating initiatives in the 1980s, namely the government-led Solar Domestic Hot Water Program and Canadian Oil Substitute Program. With authorization from vendors like the Canadian Solar Industries Association and Norsun, Powers Brothers sold and installed many solar water heaters in homes around Lunenburg. These jobs were often residential, but there were a few systems installed at local businesses and organizations. The documents in this series include correspondence with government agencies, solar heating companies and associations, and clients, job estimates,

Sound recordings of Powers Brothers

Series consists of broadcast records for the radio show "75 Years of Progress, Powers Brothers Limited," commemorating the company's 75th year in business. This show was divided into several parts and described the history of Powers Brothers. It aired on the local radio station CKBW, owned by the Maritime Broadcasting Corporation. Transcripts of these shows are located in the Print Material series, file 174-1. Series also contains correspondence about the recordings.

Unions and associations of Powers Brothers

Series consists of documents pertaining to various unions and associations to which Powers Brothers belonged or had a professional connection. The unions tended to be based in various regions of the Maritime Provinces; Powers Brothers secured contracts in many locations throughout the Maritimes, and consequently had to cooperate with many different local unions. The union-related documents primarily consist of correspondence and copies of labour agreements. The majority of associations in this series were based in Nova Scotia, but some were national in scope (such as the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada). There are three main types of associations to which Powers Brothers belonged: professional associations; retail associations; and general, local business associations, namely the Lunenburg Economic Development Commission. The association-related documents include membership certificates, authorized- dealer certificates, correspondence, memos, minutes, and reports. Bulk from 1965 - 1985.