Title and statement of responsibility area
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Edition area
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1864-1988 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
17.18 m of textual records 289 planning drawings 250 photographs 13 architectural drawings 7 charts
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Before the appointment of B.J.S. Macdonald as Windsor’s first City Solicitor in September 1930, the city had been in the practice of hiring a law firm as legal counsel. Some of the most notable firms and lawyers were S.L. Springsteen, M.C. Cameron, Patterson and McHugh; Patterson, Leggatt and Murphy; Ellis and Ellis; and F.D. Davis of Davis, Healy and Plante. Prior to 1935 when amalgamation took place, each of the individual municipalities had their own solicitors. The primary functions of the City Solicitor are the drafting of by-laws, agreements, deeds and conveyances; as well as acting as representation on the city’s behalf in legal actions. Initially, Windsor’s City Solicitor also acted as solicitor for local boards and commissions- particularly the Board of Education, Board of Commission and Metropolitan General Hospital. Solicitors no longer perform duties for these boards as they now have their own legal counsel. Initially the solicitors were also responsible for several duties which are now associated with the Chief Administrative Officer- such as reviewing staff matters, departmental reports and issuing directives to all departments. Functions of the Legal Department have evolved over time and now include grievance arbitration, expropriation, union negotiations, lien searches, Worker’s Compensation Board matters and Ontario Municipal Board Hearings. Windsor’s City Solicitors have been Bruce J.S. Macdonald (1930 – 1937), Leon Zenous McPherson (1937 – 1943), Lorne Raeburn Cumming (1943 – 1950), James E. Watson (1950 – 1976), Abraham Solomon Kellerman (1976 - 1993) and Patrick Brode (1993 – present).
Custodial history
The Legal Department fonds was stored in the vault of the Windsor City Market until 1986.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of appeals, arguments, affidavits, agreements, briefs, budgets, by-laws, correspondence, date books, deeds, examinations, exhibits, financial information and statements, income tax returns, judgements, leases, legal documents, notices, orders, legal opinions, office files, petitions, minutes, reports, reports of proceedings, police reports, specifications, summons, transcripts, settlements and supporting documentation; as well as architectural and planning drawings, charts and photographs which illustrate the varied activities, cases and issues affecting the Legal Department. The fonds is divided into four sous fonds: Solicitor’s Office Correspondence Litigation Division Special Projects Papers of the Solicitors for East Windsor Fonds consists of the following series: Law Firms Acting as City Solicitor Third Copies of Correspondence Departmental Correspondence The Corporation of the City of Windsor vs. the Detroit and Windsor Subway Company and the Detroit and Canada Tunnel Corporation The Corporation of the City of Windsor vs. The Imperial Bank of Canada The Corporation of the City of Windsor vs. The Windsor Gas Company Limited Essex Border Utilities Commission Plan Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited and The Corporation of the City of Windsor Hiram Walker-Gooderham and Worts Limited and Subsidiaries Holding Company Limited and the Corporation of the City of Windsor Ladore et al vs. Bennet et al Norton-Palmer Hotel Limited vs. The Windsor Utilities Commission and The Corporation of the City of Windsor Rex vs. Beaudoins Amalgamation Refunding Plan Annexation Dieppe Gardens Property Expropriation Riverside Centennial Pool Drouillard Road Subway Tecumseh Road East Widening Wyandotte Street Extension/Opening Miscellaneous Legal Matters
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Fonds was acquired in 1986, with additional accruals received in 1988, 1993 and 1997.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Access to some files in the series Third Copies of Correspondence and Departmental Correspondence is restricted. Remainder of fonds is open
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Researchers are responsible for observing any copyright regulations which may apply to the publication of their research. Credit for all documentation reproduced is to read: Municipal Archives – Windsor Public Library, followed by the appropriate document/photograph citation. Oversize or tightly bound records may be reproduced only at the discretion of the Archivist. The reproduction of all photographic material, drawings, maps and charts may take up to two weeks
Finding aids
Expanded series-level description for the fonds are included in Guide to the Holdings of the Municipal Archives. A detailed inventory with appendices is available, Legal Department fonds (RG9).
Associated materials
For more information on the Refunding of Windsor’s Debt after amalgamation in 1935 researchers should consult Commissioner of Corporate Services and Treasurer Fonds (RG3 AV); Annexation files are found in Chief Administrative Officer Fonds (RG1 BI) and Council Services and City Clerk’s Department Fonds (RG2 BI).
Accruals
Accruals occur at irregular intervals. Future accruals are expected
General note
Records received in 1993 are unprocessed