Born on a farm in Horton Township, R. R. 3, Renfrew, Peg Whyte is the daughter of Robert B. Leitch and Ellen (Gillespie) Leitch. She attended Renfrew Collegiate. While single, she worked at the Murphy Gamble Department Store in Ottawa. She married Gordon Howard Whyte; they had one son, Ronald (retired Human Resources Director at Boeing). Peg was a member of the Arnprior Ladies’ Curling Club. In 1932, Gordon took over and operated the Whyte Bakery in Arnprior (see Mighty Fine Bread and Fancy Pastry by Kathryn Boys and Peter Hessel) and later became the manager of the Liquor Store in Arnprior. See copy of article filed with collection about Margaret "Peg" Whyte by Debra L. Pretty-Straathof published in Vol. 2 No. 5 Winter 1999-2000 "Your Neighbour in the Ottawa Valley" for biographical details.
Acquisition Source
Donated by the creator, Peg (Margaret) Leitch (Whyte) in May 1995 and 2001.
Scope and Content
Collection includes seven scrapbooks, arranged chronologically, two photograph albums and six loose photographs dealing with family, local, national and international events. In terms of local events, the creator collected clippings on such areas as the following: wedding, graduation and burial announcements, accidents, war time, opening of stores and the museum, political victories, crime, and the township council.
SCRAP BOOK No. 1 -- ca. 1929-1931. -- 1 item
This book with the little blonde girl on the cover contains clippings covering such topics as local events, obituaries, movie stars, sports figures, copies of poems, floor plan of the house, love, fashion, school, current events, and dried flowers.
SCRAP BOOK No. 2. -- 1931-1943. -- 1 item.
This dark blue book with a gold script and stripes contains mostly newspaper clippings dealing with such topics as the Dionne Quintuplets, the British royalty, the announcement of the Leitch and Whyte wedding in Ottawa in 1931 and the fire that destroyed the Whyte Bakery in Arnprior on Christmas Day 19?
SCRAP BOOK No. 3. -- 1944- 1949. -- 1 item.
This Empire Scrap Book has information on such topics as the Dutch royalty, war events, Almonte troop train crash, local events, and obituaries.
SCRAP BOOK No. 4. -- 1949-1952. -- 1 item.
This dull green book with pictures of scissors and paste pot contains clippings about many local events as well as national events such as the burial of Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie King.
SCRAP BOOK No. 5. -- 1952-1961. -- 1 item.
This book with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation on the cover contains clippings about local events (particularly curling), national and international events such as Kennedy’s assassination.
SCRAP BOOK No. 6 -- 1962-1969. -- 1 item.
This book with a picture of boat on a river has clippings about local events.
SCRAP BOOK No. 7. -- 1969-1975. -- 1 item.
This book with a picture of two kittens has clippings about local events.
2 PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS -- 1908-1941; 1941-1954; 1928-1972
Two photograph albums containing approx. 500 b&w photographs of family
and friends in Renfrew, Rhoddy’s Bay and Arnprior.
Also contained in this series are six loose, black and white photos:
1. group photograph of Mrs. Whyte’s grandparents and her fathers brothers and sisters
2. curling team (Peg is centre, holding cup)
3. Mr. & Mrs. Leitch’s wedding portrait by Handford studios in Renfrew.
4. Ravenscrag (Pinnacle home outside Renfrew)
5. Mrs Whyte’s parents in their Harry Street home.
6. Mrs Whyte’s parents in their Harry Street home.