The fonds consists of records created or received by Ernest C. Manning during his tenure as the Premier of Alberta. The files include records generated by the activities of Herbert Greenfield, John E. Brownlee, Richard G. Reid, and William Aberhart as Premier that Manning received upon taking office.
The fonds also includes materials relating to Manning's external activities of the Premier, including speeches, radio broadcasts, correspondence, as well as records pertaining to the Prophetic Bible Institute, the Alberta Social Credit League, as well as Aberhart's and Manning’s constituency records.
The records contain correspondence, memorandum, reports, meeting minutes, agendas, legislation, submissions from organizations, newspaper clippings, invitations, registers of incoming mail, and other records containing diverse information regarding all aspects of government administration, including:
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Agriculture, including schools, livestock, dairying, wheat and other crops, relief plans, the Alberta Wheat Pool, marketing, land settlement, cooperatives, and agricultural colonies, drought, soil erosion and conservation;
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Justice, including acts and legislation, police, judges, gambling, prisons, and law enforcement generally;
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Education, including schools, teachers, organizations, universities, agricultural colleges, other post-secondary and technical institutions, school districts, school buildings, students, school boards and trustees, and school finance;
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Executive Council, including the British monarch, the Governor General, the Lieutenant-Governor, civil service, consular services and Agent-General positions;
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Environment, including soil and water conservation, flood control, and dry areas;
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Mines, minerals and other resources, including electricity, fisheries, forestry, timber, hydropower, coal, natural gas, pipelines, oil and oil sands;
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Legislative Assembly, including meetings of the caucus, library administration, sessional papers, acts and legislation, speeches from the throne, reports, printing, and elections;
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Labour, including minimum wage issues, disputes and strikes, unemployment, working conditions, and the Worker’s Compensation Board;
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Municipal affairs, including cities, villages, towns, irrigation districts, special districts, improvement districts, planning, and local taxation and assessment;
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Provincial Secretary, including corporations, theatres, motor vehicles, airplanes, historic sites, licensing, tourism, movies and censorship;
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Public health, including hospitals, nurses, doctors, communicable and other diseases, mental health, sanatoriums, vital statistics, child welfare;
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Public works, including roads, highways, parks, public buildings, and transportation;
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Public welfare, including relief and unemployment projects and programs, mother’s allowances, and pensions;
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Publicity and advertising, including government advertising, government publications, the Publicity Commissioner, films, television and radio broadcasts, exhibitions, and CKUA Radio;
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Treasury, including provincial finances, bank policy, taxation, public debt, free trade, auditor’s reports, statistics, and audits;
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Telephone and railway matters, including Alberta Government Telephones, the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canadian National Railway, and other railways;
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Trade, commerce and industry, including economic plans, freight rates, tariffs, free trade, marketing, licensing, and trade organizations;
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Interprovincial issues, including relief efforts, commerce, Premier’s conferences, and liaison between provinces;Dominion and national issues, including constitutional matters, federal royal commissions, federal-provincial conferences, immigration and citizenship;
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Celebrations, commemorations, and visits of dignitaries, including royal visits and those of Governors-General;Imperial, British, and international matters, including imperial conferences;
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Alberta political parties, including the United Farmers of Alberta, the Alberta Social Credit League, Social Credit organizations in other provinces, and other political groups in Alberta; and
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Other issues, including immigration and specific immigrant groups, wars and veterans, religion and the creation of the United Church, civil defense, alcoholism, and women’s rights.
The fonds also includes a file of financial accounts of the Alberta Hotel Licenses "Help Win The War Fund" administered by Manning as well as letters patent appointing Manning as Provincial Treasurer (1944), Minister of Mines and Minerals (1952) and Attorney General (1955). It also includes a small volume of records created by Manning after leaving office.
