AAO Municipal Archives Resource Guide & Directory 2002

Directory
Of
Municipal Archives
In
Ontario
Archives Association of Ontario

Board of Directors, 2001-2002
President
Michael Moir
City of Toronto Archives
Vice President/President Elect
Loryl MacDonald
University of Toronto Archives
Secretary
Lynne Prunskus
Brock University
James A. Gibson Library
Treasurer
Trevor Banks
Health Canada
Advisory Services
Theresa Regnier
University of Western Ontario
J.J. Talman Regional Collection
Communications
Ryan Carpenter
Archives of Ontario
Institutional Development
Dan Zelenyj
City of Vaughan Archives
Preservation
Linda Chakmak
Municipal Archives - Windsor Public
Library
Professional Development
Paul J. Henry
AAO Support
Office Coordinator
Marianne Henskens
Archives Advisor
Tom Belton
ARCHEION Coordinator (Acting)
Philippa Cummings
Preservation Consultant
Iona McCraith
Municipal Archives Interest Group
Brian Masschaele, Chair
Elgin County Archives

Directory
Of
Municipal Archives
In
Ontario
Edited by
G. Mark Walsh

Table of Contents
Preface
Forward
Introduction
Background
The Value of a Municipal Archival Program
Restructuring and Municipal Archives
The Municipal Act and Municipal Archives
Elements of Municipal Archives
Legislated Mandate
Reporting Structure
Separate Budget
Qualified Staff
Appropriate Facilities
Public Access
Records Management Program
Professional Archival Practices
Starting or Choosing a Municipal Archival Program
Municipal Administration
Public Libraries
Community Museums
University Archives
Local Historical Societies
Summary
Further Assistance
Select Bibliography
Contacts and Resources
Directory Entries
Using the Entries
Entries
Index
Appendix I: Extracts from Relevant Legislation
Appendix II: Sample Municipal Archives Documents
Appendix III: List of Archives of Ontario Local Government Records by Municipality

Preface
This publication seeks to accomplish two tasks. First, it sets out the requirements for the
delivery of professional archival services for Ontario municipalities. Second, it provides
a directory of those institutions across the province that deliver all or some of these
services. Every effort has been made to produce as comprehensive a directory as
possible. Any errors or omissions are not intentional.
The project was undertaken initially by Municipal Archives Interest Group (MAIG)
member Bruce Beacock of the Simcoe County Archives. Bruce is to be congratulated for
getting the Directory moving, and the work that he put into the project is reflected in
many of the entries for institutions and Appendix III (List of Archives of Ontario Local
Government Records by Municipality).
Thanks must go to the AAO Board Member responsible for Advisory Services, Theresa
Regnier, for all of her efforts in overseeing the development of a contract for the project.
Illustrations have been provided courtesy of the City of Thunder Bay Archives, Elgin
County Archives, Municipal Archives-Windsor Public Library, Peterborough Centennial
Museum and Archives, Prince Edward County Archives and Queen’s University
Archives. Iona McCraith, the AAO Preservation Consultant, kindly reviewed the draft to
ensure that preservation concerns were properly addressed.
Of particular note is the support and advice given to the Consultant by the AAO Archives
Advisor, Tom Belton, and MAIG Chair, Brian Masschaele of the Elgin County Archives
– for which they have my gratitude.
Finally, a lot of appreciation goes to Adele Reichler-Walsh for proof reading, editorial
advice and support.
G. Mark Walsh, Consultant
Ingersoll, Ontario

Forward
On behalf of the Municipal Archives Interest Group (MAIG) of the Archives Association
of Ontario, I am pleased to bring you this directory. MAIG represents municipal
archivists, institutions and individuals interested in the preservation and use of municipal
and other community based records in Ontario. Among our many goals is to bring
together municipal archives and provide professional mentoring in the development of
new and emerging municipal archives in the province.
This publication has two primary objectives: First, it aims to provide directory
information on municipal archival programs as a means of increasing communication
among these programs. Secondly, it exists as an advocacy tool in the development of
further programs by providing guidance on matters such as the legislative context of
municipal archives, models of governance and elements of a sound program. Our hope is
that this will not be a static document. New entries are our best sign that we are
achieving our goal of a viable network of municipal archives in the province.
Ontario’s municipalities have a rich recorded heritage. Local governments create records
that are extremely important to every day life, documenting matters such as land-use
planning, environmentalism, infrastructure development and the lives of citizens in the
community. A municipal archival program developed according to the guidelines
established in this publication is the best way to ensure that these records are
systematically preserved and made available, both to the municipality and the general
public.
We encourage you to contact any of the programs listed in this publication. It has been
our pleasure to make these pages available to you.
Sincerely,
Brian Masschaele, Chair
Municipal Archives Interest Group
archivist@elgin-county.on.ca

Introduction
Background
The activities of a country furnish material of perpetual interest to the student of
human affairs. Through this material, centuries long old and grey, return again fresh in
the vigour of youth; through this record are reflected as in a mirror past hopes and
aspirations, past glory and defeat. Of all national assets, archives are the most precious;
they are the gifts of one generation to another and the extent of our care of them marks
the extent of our civilization. Each day that passes is a triumph for an archive, for each
day some mere scrap of paper permits justice to prevail. And yet while so much of our
happiness and safety as individuals, and as a people, is inseparable from archives, the
average man bestows little thought either upon their commercial or historical value.
Serious minded people often question the wisdom of preserving records, and the fiat is
issued for their destruction. Nor is this altogether surprising. For twenty years or more,
perchance, no one has required them. Why should they be kept?
As a rule the papers of a given generation are seldom required after their
reception and primary use; but when all personal touch with that period has ceased, then
these records assume a startling importance, for they replace hands that have vanished
and lips that are sealed.
(Arthur G. Doughty, The Canadian Archives and its Activities, King’s Printer, Ottawa,
1924, pp. 5-6)
Some twenty-two years before Dominion Archivist Sir Arthur Doughty published The
Canadian Archives and its Activities there was concern about what should be done in
Ontario to collect, preserve and make accessible the documentary heritage of the
province.
While the primary focus in 1902 was the establishment of the Archives of Ontario
(accomplished one year later), members of the Ontario Historical Society were also
concerned that “Especially pressing…was the need to preserve ‘early municipal records,
records of township meetings, rolls of early inhabitants, etc’…”1
One hundred years later the acquisition, arrangement and description, preservation and
accessibility of archival quality municipal records in Ontario are still concerns.
Ontario’s municipal governments – villages, townships, towns, cities, counties, regional
municipalities, counties, districts and band councils – operate in a complex environment.
It is the only level of government where the governing body – i.e. the Council – may be
addressed directly by concerned citizens while in session.
1
Donald MacLeod, “‘Quaint Specimens of the Early Days’: Priorities in Collecting the Ontario Archival
Record, 1872-1935”, Archivaria Number 22, Summer 1986, p.22

Local government is responsible for the collection, storage, retrieval and use of many
different forms of information on residents. Municipalities are bound by legislation such
as the Municipal Act and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
Act that apply directly to local government records – and further legislation like the
Assessment Act, Registry Act and Vital Statistics Act pertaining to areas of information
collection and use by municipalities mandated by the provincial government. Although
terms of access to local government recorded information are prescribed by these laws,
many Ontario municipalities have not sought the proven benefits of an archival program.
There are almost as many reasons given for not developing local government archival
programs as there are municipalities in Ontario. Reductions in financial and human
resources and like reasons are commonly given. The one outstanding cause remains a
fundamental lack of understanding of the value of archival programs for Ontario
municipalities.
The Value of Municipal Archival Programs
Working successfully in today’s public sector requires timely and efficient access to a
wide range of information. In order to gain that access and use the information
effectively, it has to be managed.
Archival programs have been viewed in some local government as a cultural add-on, a
program that allows the public to look at historical documents of little value beyond a
glimpse into the past. While there most assuredly is a cultural aspect to the value of a
municipal archival program, archives also provide a valuable management tool.
“Information Management” is a term that has been applied almost exclusively to
Information Technology – electronic information creation, processing, storage and use.
And yet, information is information, regardless of format. Managing municipal recorded
information means looking after those records that – for their legal, fiscal, administrative
and historical value – are deemed worthy of permanent preservation. In other words, in
order to completely manage all recorded information, municipalities must manage their
archival records.
The “startling importance” that Sir Arthur Doughty attributed to archives when personal
contact has ceased with a time period or generation increases significantly by the fact that
the issues and concerns associated with municipal administration and management do
not necessarily change with the passing of a given generation. When the “hands that
have vanished and lips that are sealed” are represented by the archival record, a
municipality’s documentary heritage may be the only means of resolving complex and
immediate concerns.2
2
For a discussion on some very practical applications of information found in municipal archival records,
see G. Mark Walsh, "Tunnels, cholera and sewers - archives anyone?" Municipal World, Vol. 103 No.12,
December 1993, pp. 18-19.

Some of the strongest arguments for introducing and maintaining a program of records
management for municipalities are space and equipment savings, improved efficiency
and ease of retrieval of information. Yet the fact that there are legal obligations and long-
term information needs with regards to archival materials is often overlooked.
Combining the efficiencies of records management with the value of archives can give
local government a more complete program of recorded information management.
In short, the greatest single value of archival programming for Ontario municipalities is a
complete and comprehensive approach to managing their information – all of it.
Restructuring and Municipal Archives
Although it is true that a municipal archival program is of great value in managing
recorded information, it has other values as well, including the preservation of cultural
materials and the historical identity of communities no longer officially in existence.
Restructuring and amalgamations have made many smaller communities part of a larger
municipality. Community identity endures, however, and the archival record of
antecedent communities assumes, again in Sir Arthur Doughty’s words, a “startling
importance” as the former municipalities’ archives may be the only evidence of
community history and development.
“New” municipalities continue to be responsible for the preservation and accessibility of
the archival records of antecedent local government.3
The value of these materials will
not decrease. In fact, as development and redevelopment takes place, understanding land
use, policy and the history of areas subsumed into new municipalities will actually
increase the value of local government archival materials in restructured municipalities.
The Municipal Act and Municipal Archives
In the Municipal Act (RSO 2001, c. 25), Section 228 pertains to the duties of the
Municipal Clerk. The duties in relation to access to local government records are made
clear in Section 253(1), wherein the Clerk must maintain and provide public access "at all
reasonable times" to minutes, by-laws, books, records and accounts of Council. In
antecedent legislation, there was provision that "the Archivist of Ontario and a municipal
council may agree that any document of the municipality may be transferred to and kept
by the Archivist." (This in reality was not an option – the Archives of Ontario had, for
some time, not accepted municipal archival records.) Amendments to the Municipal Act
- the legislation to be implemented on January 1st
, 2003 - have removed references to the
Archivist of Ontario and inserted provisions for the preservation and maintenance of
records locally in an archives.
3
For a discussion on this subject, see Brian Masschaele, “Archival records and restructuring”, Municipal
World, Vol. 111 No. 3, pp. 15-18.

The importance of planning and development of programs for municipal archives is
significantly increased by Section 254(1), reading as follows:
254. (1) A municipality shall retain and preserve the records of the municipality
and its local boards in a secure and accessible manner and, if a local board is a
local board of more than one municipality, the affected municipalities are jointly
responsible for complying with this subsection. 2001, c. 25, s. 254 (1).
The logic of an archival program for individual Ontario municipalities would seem to be
compelling in relation to this requirement. By the terms of this legislation, however,
Ontario municipalities may designate an “archivist”4
to function as its archives. This
designation may be a “local, regional or university archives” empowered by terms of an
agreement to act as the official repository for a given municipality (RSO 2001, c. 25, s.
254[3]).5
It is interesting to note what this section does not say. The possibility of depositing
original archival materials in the Archives of Ontario is no longer an option in the new
legislation. Section 254(7) confirms municipal ownership of recorded information for the
purposes of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,
meaning Ontario municipalities will continue to be responsible for ensuring that the
provisions of that legislation are met, regardless of whether or not the records in
question are physically in a municipality’s custody. It does not make provision for
designating a library or museum as the municipality’s “archivist”. Specific reference to a
“local, regional or university archives” by inference means that for the designation to be
in compliance with the Act, Ontario municipalities must be dealing with an established
archival institution. Libraries and museums that simply hold archival materials may or
may not qualify.
In order to clarify exactly which institutions may be considered to be archival in nature,
there is a need to present well-defined criteria for official or designated municipal
archives.
Elements of Municipal Archives6
In order to determine just what the requirements or criteria are for municipal archival
institutions, it is necessary to examine the following areas:
 Legislated Mandate
 Reporting Structure
4
The term “Archivist” in the former Municipal Act was used to mean the Archivist of Ontario. In the
impending legislation it is interpreted as outlined below.
5
See Appendix I for extracts from this act and other related legislation.
6
Elements in this section are drawn in part from the AAO Archives Advisor’s Notebook. The documents
comprising the Notebook are available at www.aao.fis.utoronto.ca/aa/notebook.html and concern the
development of community archives. The AAO is also drawing up institutional standards.

 Separate Budget
 Qualified Staff
 Appropriate Facilities
 Public Access
 Records Management Program
 Professional Archival Practices
Legislated Mandate
There are two vehicles for mandating municipal archives programs. The first is a
resolution of Council. This mechanism holds the force of law with municipal ordinances.
The second is a by-law, which is very useful where the duties of the municipality’s
archives and archivist are outlined. 7
A legislated mandate becomes all the more important under the new Municipal Act where
an existing archives is being designated as the official repository for a municipality. The
resolution or by-law names the archives as being responsible for the acquisition,
processing, preservation and accessibility of all records of the municipality, its boards
and commissions8
appraised as being of permanent value. It further instructs all elected
and appointed officials of the municipality not to remove archival records or deposit them
in another repository. It may refer to existing by-laws for the retention of municipal
recorded information, citing those that indicate the final disposition of records series as
“archival” or directing “transfer to archives” as the authority for materials held in its
official archives. In the case of a designated “local, regional or university archives”
being used as the municipality’s repository, the Council resolution or by-law will also
execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with that institution, outlining the
responsibilities of both parties.
Reporting Structure
In order for a municipal archival program to be successful, it must be positioned within
the Administration in such a way as to have direct access to department heads and
Council. In most cases where a municipality operates its own archives, this will mean
reporting through the Clerk as the official with major responsibilities for records keeping.
If the archival program is buried beneath layers of organizational structure, its
efficiency will be severely compromised.
7
See Appendix II for sample County of Elgin Archives By-Law.
8
The most notable exceptions for municipal boards are Police Services Boards, which will require separate
arrangements for their archival materials. A similar process can be followed with a motion of the Board
and if necessary, a separate MOA.

Where an archival facility has been designated as the municipality’s repository, it is
necessary to ensure that there is a connection at the appropriate level to the
Administration and Council. Further, the municipality should receive periodic
information – an annual report at the very least – on the progress, status and use of its
archival materials.
The question of placement of the program and reporting structure in a designated archival
facility becomes one of great significance. A municipality needs to ensure that its
designated “archivist” is not at so low a level within the organization that those actually
providing the archival services cannot speak with authority on meeting the terms of the
MOA.
Separate Budget
A municipal archival facility, whether operated by local government itself or designated
to provide services, must have a degree of separation and autonomy. Decisions regarding
acquisitions cannot be implemented, for example, if there is no funding available. A
municipality may have an extremely well-developed set of retention by-laws, directing
that records of permanent value be transferred to its archives, but without a financial
commitment there cannot be a successful archival program.
The necessity of a separate budget for archival activities is dramatically increased with
the use of a designated facility. A “local, regional or university archives” working with
local government must be responsible for documenting that the terms of the MOA have
been met. If, for example, a local library or museum with an archival program does not
maintain a separate budget for the municipality’s archival services, it is entirely possible
in times of financial retrenchment that the municipal archives will suffer.
In one form or another, municipalities will pay for archival services. It only makes sense
to ensure that the costs for delivery of these services – either internally or by a designated
institution – can be documented.
Qualified Staff
Appraising records for their value, deciding what merits permanent preservation and what
may be discarded are activities that dramatically affect the availability of local
governments’ documentary heritage. Understanding how the information contained in
archival records may be used – for the benefit of the municipality and the researching
public – is vital to the success of an archival program.
Clearly, acquiring the archival records of Ontario’s municipalities, taking appropriate
measures for their preservation and making the materials accessible requires a definite
education, background and skill set.9
9
The AAO is developing documentation on “Professional Knowledge Requirements for Archivists in
Ontario.” The draft document is available on the AAO website.

Ontario has a variety of educational opportunities for archivists. These range from the
Post Appointment Training Program offered by the Archives Association of Ontario10
to
Archival Administration courses in graduate History and Library Science studies through
to a full Master of Archival Studies (MAS). Those responsible for municipal archival
programs should have completed one of these programs.
The importance of qualified staff increases when a municipality has a designated archival
facility. Neither museum curators nor librarians are archivists, and although they will
have similar skills, their approach to materials differs radically from those trained in
archival principles and practices.
It is incumbent upon Ontario’s municipalities to ensure that the staff responsible for their
archives are qualified. In the same way that a municipal clerk usually holds the AMCTO
designation or those leading public works departments have a P.Eng certification, so too
must those making decisions on and working in municipal archives have appropriate
qualifications.
Appropriate Facilities
Following the development of a legislated mandate, placing the archives in a sound
reporting position, securing a separate budget and qualified staff, attention should then be
turned towards creating a proper facility to manage the municipality’s records.
Preservation should always have top priority in archival facility planning. Preservation is
the basis upon which all other archival functions flow. There is no point in acquiring,
arranging and describing records if they are allowed to deteriorate. Central to preserving
municipal archival records is creating a stable environment for their storage. Ideal
conditions for maintaining largely textual records are 18 to 20 degrees Celsius and 40 to
45 per cent relative humidity. Photographs and audiovisual records require even cooler
and drier conditions. Stability in these conditions is even more important. Conditions
should be monitored on a regular basis using instrumentation such as a
thermohygrograph.11
The facility should also be secured against potential disasters and
theft. Priority should be given to creating a suitable storage environment above all other
facility and programming issues, whether it be through a full environmental control
system or simply through vigilant control of the thermostat along with use of a
humidifier/dehumidifier (depending upon the season).
In addition to paying attention to the preservation requirements of an archival facility,
there is a need to ensure that space has been allocated for separate research and storage
areas. Shelving is required that can bear the load of heavy records (a single one cubic
foot box full of records can weigh up to forty pounds). Consideration will also have to be
given to the unique storage requirements of certain types of municipal records. (E.g.
10
The AAO offers both Core and Advanced workshops in this program, intended to provide archivists
already in the field with the skills necessary to operate a professional archival program.
11
Information about the AAO’s complimentary Thermohygrograph Loan Program and Preservation
Consultant services are available on the AAO website.

architectural plans filed in Building Department records can be stored either flat or rolled
but are safer flat in map cabinets.) The “stack area” for storage needs to be closed – in
other words only archives staff may have access to it. An open storage area is an
invitation to theft or loss and more importantly, can lead to a violation of the Municipal
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act if inappropriate access is given to
sensitive information or materials containing personal information. Secure storage for
the preservation of a municipality’s archives is not optional – Section 254(7) of the
Municipal Act mandates this under “Duties of Archivist.”
Archives stack area, Municipal Archives-Windsor Public Library (Courtesy MAWPL)
An archives “reading room” is essential for monitored public access to municipal records.
It allows the researching public to comfortably examine records in conducting research.
Typically containing tables and comfortable chairs, the reading room may also have
specialized equipment from microfilm readers to computer terminals, depending on the
nature of materials held by the archives.
It is also useful to have a work area and office space where staff may undertake both the
processing (arrangement and description) of archival materials and routine office
functions.
A thorough examination of the facilities offered by institutions being considered for
designation as the municipality’s archives is essential for appropriate preservation and
accessibility of local government archival materials. While a local museum will have a
strong understanding of preservation requirements, it may not have a reading room.

Similarly, local libraries provide services in access to information on a daily basis, but
may not have a facility that meets preservation requirements. Both are required to
operate an archival facility.
Reading Room, Prince Edward County Archives (Courtesy PECA)
Public Access
The legislated requirement to provide public access "at all reasonable times" from the
Municipal Act is further reinforced by the terms of the Municipal Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act. Beyond these two pieces of legislation, there is the notion
that access to information created, received and used by any level of government is a
fundamental principle of democracy. One author has written,
The circumstances of access….to records of local governments defy any
orderly description. Few local governments have official archives, and
it is a question how many support the people’s right to know. This
democratic principle…and the fact that local governments are
responsible for taxation, utilities….and other matters affecting the daily

lives of citizens makes for the observance of the legal concept of “public
records”…12
Local government public records are public property in the same manner as public works,
recreation centres and any other project or program developed from the municipal tax
base.
Conducting research in a Reading Room (Courtesy City of Thunder Bay Archives)
Public Records are public property, owned by the people in the same
sense that the citizens own their own courthouse or town hall, sidewalks
and streets, funds in the treasury. They are held in trust for the citizens
by custodians.... As public property, public records may no more be
altered, defaced, mutilated or removed from public custody than public
funds may be embezzled or misappropriated. Indeed, because records
document the conduct of the public's business - including the protection
of rights, privileges and property of individual citizens - they constitute a
species of public property of a higher value than buildings, equipment
and even money, all of which usually can be replaced by the simple
12
Philip C. Brooks, Research in Archives: The Use of Unpublished Primary Sources, Chicago and London:
The University of Chicago, 1969, pp. 63-64.

resort to additional taxes. It is the unique value and irreplaceable nature
of records that given them a sanctity uncharacteristic of other kinds of
property and that account for the emergence of common-law principles
governing their protection.13
In order to meet these principles, Ontario municipalities need to develop archival
programming that balances access with privacy. In this area, there is no differentiation
between current and historical recorded information.
The question of public access to a municipality’s archival records is one of the strongest
arguments for a well-developed archival program, and combines many of the points
discussed above together. Preservation is always for the purpose of eventual access, even
if a period of closure must be observed. Municipal archives staff need qualifications - a
sufficient background in archival principles and practices in order to determine if the
records in question are subject to regulatory requirements. Finally, the inclusion of the
reading room component in municipal archival facilities referred to above gives the
physical possibility of providing secure access to historical records – another requirement
under Section 254(7) of the Municipal Act (“Duties of Archivist”).
Records Management Program
The overall management of recorded information – often referred to as records
management – requires that all information, regardless of format or final disposition be
looked after. The lack of inclusion of archival materials in municipal records
management programs often leads to a net loss of information.
Simply put, to manage information in a comprehensive fashion, there must be an archival
component in records management programming. The most successful local government
records management programs are in fact operated by municipal archives.14
This is the
most effective method of ensuring the seamless delivery of recorded information
management services – from the creation of the record through to its ultimate disposition.
The disposition of all municipal records falls into one of two categories. Either the
record will ultimately be destroyed or maintained permanently. Permanent retention of
records is undertaken by all Ontario municipalities – so that all municipalities have a
collection of archival quality records whether or not they operate a program to service
these records.
It is interesting to note that the Municipal Act sets out the requirements for retention and
disposal schedules (Section 255) immediately after dealing with the preservation and
access of archival materials (Section 254). This is the only mechanism for the
destruction of municipal records of limited value. Scheduling the disposition of recorded
information is an important aspect of any records management program.
13
H.G. Jones, Local Government Records: An Introduction to Their Preservation, Management and Use
(Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1980), pp. 23-24
14
Good examples of municipal archives with responsibility for records management and archival
programming are the Cities of Thunder Bay and Toronto.

The regulations of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
further require the use of retention by-laws for the disposal of personal information, as
the following sections indicate:
3.(3) Every head shall ensure that reasonable measures to protect the records in his or her
institution from inadvertent destruction or damage are defined, documented and put in
place, taking into account the nature of the records to be protected. R.R.O. 1990, Reg.
823, s. 3.
5. Personal information that has been used by an institution shall be retained by the
institution for the shorter of one year after use or the period set out in a by-law or
resolution made by the institution or made by another institution affecting the institution,
unless the individual to whom the information relates consents to its earlier disposal.
R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 823, s. 5.
In other words, all destruction of municipal recorded information must be authorized. It
makes little sense to think that the permanent retention of archival materials should not be
subject to the same considerations.
Records management, through the scheduling process, identifies those records series that
are of permanent value – in other words the municipality’s archival records – as well as
those of limited value that are authorized for eventual destruction. Records management
is valuable to archival endeavours by getting rid of voluminous information of limited
value. Archives are valuable to records management activities through the management
of permanent records – making for a complete, comprehensive and effective program of
municipal recorded information management. Take away either component and
municipal recorded information management is less complete, not comprehensive and
less effective.
There is nothing in the impending Municipal Act that would preclude the inclusion of
records management services in the MOA with a designated archives. Where archival
and records management programming are separated, careful coordination of activities is
required to achieve the full benefit of both areas. It is strongly suggested that, where
these activities are separated, the head of a municipality’s archives review and sign off
on records schedules. In this way, municipalities can ensure that the preservation and
accessibility of their archival records is safeguarded.

Records Centre, City of Thunder Bay Archives (Courtesy City of Thunder Bay
Archives).
Professional Archival Practices
The success or failure of a municipal archival program goes well beyond meeting
legislated requirements. In addition to the elements listed above, a good municipal
archives will undertake to meet or exceed professional standards as defined by the
Archives Association of Ontario, Association of Canadian Archivists, Bureau of
Canadian Archivists and Canadian Council of Archives.
Professional practices start with professional ethics. Archivists have access to
information that is sensitive, and it is incumbent upon members of the profession that
they not profit personally from those materials under their custody. The Association of
Canadian Archivists has developed a “Code of Ethics for Canadian Archivists” that lays
out the framework for professional conduct. Municipal archives, whether internally
operated or a designated institution, need an official statement endorsing the Code as
their standard.
Related to legislated mandates is a more detailed document – the archives Mission
Statement. Simply put, this document details what the archives does and why it does it.
Immediately following upon the Mission Statement is an Acquisition Strategy. The
Acquisition Strategy sets out what the archives will acquire, and takes into account the
disposition of other materials that may be found in collections (principally library
materials and museum artifacts). The Mission Statement and Acquisition Strategy take
together actually limit the activities of the archives to a given area.
When dealing with designated institutions, municipalities will want to examine existing
Missions Statements and Acquisition Strategies in order to determine whether or not the
designated facility has the means of meeting these goals.

The most basic activity in archives is the arrangement and description of holdings.
Professional practice demands that archival institutions follow the established principles
such as provenance, respect des fonds and that external order is not imposed upon
archival materials. That means that library or museum cataloguing techniques must
not be employed in the arrangement and description of archival materials.
In addition to following the principles mentioned above, archival institutions need to
develop a program of descriptive standards. The recommended practice currently is to
follow the Rules for Archival Description (RAD) developed by the Bureau of Canadian
Archivists. When consistent description of archival materials is undertaken, the
possibility of using information technology for enhanced access is increased
dramatically.
The Municipal Act calls for physical control over local government archival materials for
their secure preservation. By inference it calls for the kind of intellectual control over
these materials afforded by descriptive standards for the sake of accessibility.
Successful municipal archives also provide leadership and initiative in the use of the
information under their custody. This area ranges from ensuring that offices in municipal
administration are aware of pertinent information on current and timely issues to
promoting research in the institution’s holdings. It means appraising the information in
archival materials for research value and connecting potential users to documentation –
both inside and beyond the municipality.
Like any profession, archivists need contact with their colleagues and related disciplines
to stay abreast of developments, skills and techniques. Professional practice in archives
is enhanced through participation in professional organizations.
These practices come from the body of professional knowledge required to be an
archivist and are essential for the successful operation of municipal archival programs in
Ontario.
Starting or Choosing a Municipal Archival Program
Based on the elements given above, there are several different models of operating a
municipal archival program in Ontario. Regardless of the approach, all elements outlined
above should be incorporated into the program. The soundest approach is to operate the
archives within the civic administration, for instance reporting to the municipal clerk.
That means passing a Council resolution or by-law with the archives appropriately placed
within the administration. The archives has a separate budget, qualified staff, appropriate
facilities, provides public access to materials, operates a records management program
and follows the professional practices outlined. Setting up a new program within the
administration allows for the most complete control over municipal archives. It
recognizes the value of public records as public property, operated and maintained by
local government itself.

Where this is not possible, meeting all of the requirements set out under the “Elements”
section can be achieved by designating archives within public libraries and municipally-
funded community museums. University archives and those operated by local historical
societies usually do not have the same connection to a municipality as public libraries and
community museums – which are most often governed by a local board with Council
appointees.
Those museum, university and local historical society archival programs presently
operated across Ontario provide the services associated with acquisition, preservation and
accessibility of municipal archival materials, but frequently do not provide records
management services. University and local historical societies archives are not
necessarily connected to the municipalities served in a formal reporting structure.
If the option of designating an “archivist” outside of the civic administration is selected
according to the Municipal Act, municipalities undertaking this avenue of preserving and
making accessible their archival records will have to give careful consideration to the
services to be included in the Memorandum of Agreement.
Details below give examples of municipal archival programs developed under the
different model structures.
Municipal Administration
The City of Thunder Bay Archives is a good example of a municipal archival program
inside the administration. That municipality has access to its documentary heritage but
heritage and management are not seen as mutually exclusive areas of endeavours.
Recorded information management is seamless, with historical documentation and
records management under one roof. Qualified staff preserve and make accessible
archival materials in appropriate facilities using professional practice.
The City of Toronto Archives also operates a full service program. Similarly, for upper
tier municipalities the Simcoe County Archives is a good example of programs that meet
the requirements of a full municipal archival program.
Toronto and Thunder Bay are examples of programs reporting through Corporate
Services or City Clerk’s Departments. Other municipalities have a different reporting
structure, but still within civic administration. The City of Ottawa Archives, for example,
reports through the Department of People Services (formerly Community Services).
Archival programs for the Cities of Ottawa and Toronto are further examples of archival
endeavours and municipal restructuring, serving a much larger geographic area and
incorporating the archives of antecedent municipal governments.

City of Thunder Bay Archives signage (Courtesy City of Thunder Bay Archives).
Public Libraries
Although a new program, the Elgin County Archives shows the benefits of legislated
mandate and a reporting structure that gives the County Archivist direct access to
Council. It has a separate budget for archival operations and is responsible for records
management. A developing institution, it has qualified staff and is setting up the services
that will allow public access – all based on professional archival practices.
The Guelph Public Library Archives, also a relatively new formal program, is currently
designing new facilities that will allow for improved preservation and access to its
municipal archival holdings. It is also examining the Archives’ role in records
management for that municipality.
Most public library municipal archival programs have the strength of hiring qualified
professional archivists. Public Libraries operate under the Public Libraries Act, with
representation of Council appointees and a well-defined reporting structure – most
evident through the municipal budget process.

Elgin County Archives, St. Thomas (Courtesy Elgin County Archives).
Community Museums
The Peterborough Centennial Museum and Archives (PCMA) provides most services
except records management, typical of the community museum-municipal archives
model. Similar programs are found for upper tier municipalities in Dufferin, Huron and
Wellington Counties. In many examples of this type of institution, especially in smaller
museums, archival programming tends to be added to the duties of the curator and the
acquisition of municipal archival materials is melded into an overall museum collections
policy. The PCMA, however, has a facility housed within the museum physically, with
its own mission statement, acquisitions policy, budget and staff. It reports to
Peterborough City Council through that municipality’s Heritage Committee, a body that
includes Council members – so that there is a direct link to City Council in its reporting
structure.
Those community museums receiving funding from the Ontario Ministry of Culture,
Tourism and Recreation’s Community Museum Operating Grant Program will have a
board of trustees that may or may not have Council appointees. Attention will have to be
given in those instances where there is not municipal representation on the board in the
MOA, in order to ensure that there is a reporting mechanism.

Peterborough Centennial Museum and Archives (Courtesy PCMA)
University Archives
At present, there are principally four university archives that have collected municipal
archival materials – Brock University, Queen’s University, Trent University and the
University of Western Ontario.
Queen’s University Archives (Courtesy Queen’s University Archives)
Of these three institutions, Queen’s University Archives is alone in having an agreement
with the former City of Kingston to acquire, preserve and make accessible the archival
records of that municipality. Both Brock University Archives and the J. J. Talman

Regional Collection at the University of Western Ontario Archives have had informal
arrangements with upper and lower tiered municipalities in their geographic areas.
Although Queen’s University Archives did not provide records management services to
the former City of Kingston, they did receive materials in accordance with records
schedules through retention by-laws. For the Brock University Archives and Western’s
Talman Regional Collection, acquisitions at present are not as systematic. Trent is no
longer actively collecting municipal records.
Queen’s University Archives is a good example of a designated university archival
facility working with a municipality through a Memorandum of Agreement.
Local Historical Societies
One of the best examples of a municipal archival facility operated by a local historical
society is the Prince Edward County Archives. The Prince Edward County Historical
Society operates that county’s archival program based on an agreement that specifically
designates it as the official archives. Further, the agreement includes reference to the
retention by-law so that wherever the disposition is permanent retention for a given
record series, the documentation must be deposited in the Prince Edward County
Archives. This facility reports to Council through the Commissioner of Community
Services.
Prince Edward County Archives (Courtesy PECA)

Like Queen’s University Archives, the Prince Edward County Archives is a good
example of a designated local archives operating an archival program on a municipality’s
behalf by means of an agreement.
Summary
A full range of archival services, including records management, is most often offered
through those archives placed within municipal administration. Public library municipal
archival facilities are capable of undertaking all services, and where records management
services are not provided libraries are aware of the importance of the municipal archives-
records management link. Community museums, university and local historical society
archives are principally concerned with the preservation and accessibility of municipal
archival materials.
(Courtesy Prince Edward County Archives)
Choice of a model for an archival program will vary with the information needs of
particular municipalities. Where local government seeks to undertake the comprehensive
management of recorded information, placement of the archival program within the
administration is recommended. A second possibility combining archives and records
management still within the municipality by virtue of local boards reporting structure is
the public library-municipal archives model.
Where a municipality is principally concerned with the preservation and accessibility of
its archives, community museum, university or local historical society archival programs
may be an option.
By the terms of the Municipal Act local government can designate an existing “local,
regional or university archives” as its official repository with an agreement. This option

should be exercised for any program that is not directly part of municipal administration.
Library boards are local boards, and within the municipal budget process; they operate,
however, independently of Council and the Administration. The same is true of
municipally-funded museums that may have Council appointees on their boards. Unless
placed directly within the municipal administration, they too operate independently at
arms’ length.
If a municipality chooses to start its own archival program, it is highly recommended that
the requirements outlined in “Elements of a Municipal Archives” above be met. Such
compliance also increases the likelihood that municipal or designated archival
programs can take advantage of project grants offered by the Canadian Council of
Archives through the Archives Association of Ontario. Meeting these requirements is all
the more important if a designated facility is used. Municipalities wishing to start or
designate an archival program should avail themselves of the Archives Association of
Ontario’s Archives Advisor Program and Preservation Consultant – services available
at no cost.
The preservation and accessibility of municipal archival records is not an option; it is a
requirement of the Municipal Act. The extent to which municipal archival programs
succeeds will be directly proportionate to the level of commitment given to them – in
policy, financial resources, physical facilities and human resources - by Ontario’s
municipalities. Only with that commitment can we again see “hands that have vanished”
and hear “lips that are sealed.”

Further Assistance
Select Bibliography
Association of Canadian Archivists, Municipal Archives: Promoting Efficiency &
Effectiveness, Ottawa, 2001.
Kent Haworth, “Local Archives: Responsibilities and Challenges for Archivists”,
Archivaria Number 3, Winter 1976/77, pp.28-39.
H.G. Jones, Local Government Records: An Introduction to Their Preservation,
Management and Use (Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local
History, 1980).
Donald MacLeod, “‘Quaint Specimens of the Early Days’: Priorities in Collecting the
Ontario Archival Record, 1872-1935”, Archivaria Number 22, Summer 1986, p.22
Brian Masschaele, “Archival records and restructuring”, Municipal World, Vol. 111 No.
3, pp. 15-18.
New York Local Government Records Advisory Committee, The Quiet Revolution:
Managing New York's Local Government Records in the Information Age, Albany, 1987.
G. Mark Walsh, "Tunnels, cholera and sewers - archives anyone?" Municipal World, Vol.
103 No.12, December 1993, pp. 18-19.
_____, "The Micro Approach: Municipal Records and Canadian Studies" Canadian
Issues/Themes canadiens Vol. X No. 4, 1988, "Research Tools in Canadian Studies/Outils
de recherche en etudes canadiens", pp. 65-74.
_____, "Municipal Archives and Genealogy" In The Footsteps Of The Habitants
(Proceedings of the 23rd Annual OGS Seminar) Ontario Genealogical Society, Toronto,
1986, pp. 67-75.
Contacts and Resources
Alliance of Libraries, Archives and Records Management (ALARM)
www.fis.utoronto.ca/people/affiliated/alarm/index.htm
The Alliance of Libraries, Archives and Records Management is an employer/employee
forum with representatives from libraries, archives and records management
organizations who are working to identify and act on shared human resource issues.
This cooperation is mutually beneficial as the skills needed, the forms of material
handled, and the clients served increasingly overlap. ALARM gathers information on

workforce issues. Subsequently ALARM will develop a strategy for human resources
development appropriate to the information resources management sector to serve as a
catalyst for promoting training and life-long learning. This will contribute to improved
qualifications in the labour force, and, the creation of better jobs.
Archives Association of Ontario (AAO)
http://aao.fis.utoronto.ca
By using the AAO website, the Archives Advisor and Preservation Consultant services
can be accessed. Information will also be found there on the Post-Appointment Training
Program offered by the AAO, the Annual AAO Conference, the AAO Listserve
(maintained by the York University Archives, along with a discussion group on the Rules
for Archival Description - RADMEMO) and the Municipal Archives Interest Group
(MAIG).
The AAO administers certain grant programs coordinated by the Canadian Council of
Archives (CCA). Institutions holding memberships in the AAO for a period of one year
or more are eligible to apply for CCA grants.
Of note are discussions, papers and communications developed by the AAO on topics of
interest to Ontario archives in general and municipal archivists in particular. One
example is the ongoing development of institutional standards for archives in Ontario.
The AAO newsletter, Off the Record, provides information and discussion.
Archives of Ontario (AO)
www.archives.gov.on.ca
While no longer mandated by the Municipal Act to collect municipal archival records, the
Archives of Ontario (AO) does have substantial holdings from municipalities across the
province. Descriptions of these records can be accessed through the AO website, as can
Vital Statistics documentation.
The AO is also the lead agency for the Province of Ontario in Recorded Information
Management (RIM). Information on this subject is available on the website. Although
concerning provincial records, the information on RIM may be of value to local
government and municipal archivists as a model program.
A Senior Archivist is responsible for the municipal holdings in the AO. At present, the
incumbent is Wayne Crockett, who can be reached at wayne.crocket@archives.gov.on.ca
or by telephone at (416) 327-1528. The toll-free number for the AO is 1-800-668-9933.

Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA)
www.archivists.ca
Established in 1975 and incorporated in 1978, the Association of Canadian Archivists
(ACA) evolved from the Archives Section of the Canadian Historical Association (CHA).
Today, based in Ottawa and with hundreds of members across the world, the ACA has a
four-fold focus:
• Providing leadership for everyone engaged in the preservation of Canada's
Documentary Heritage
• Encouraging awareness of archival activities and developments and the
importance of archives to modern society
• Advocating the interests and needs of professional archivists before government
and other regulatory agencies
• Communicating to further the understanding and cooperation amongst members
of the Canadian archival system, and other information and culture based
professions
Ongoing ACA activities include a bi-monthly newsletter (ACA Bulletin), a scholarly
journal (Archivaria), a publications program for monographs and occasional papers, an
archival education program, and an annual conference, meeting and workshops. The
ACA has a formal constitution and produced the Code of Ethics for Canadian Archivists.
Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO)
www.amcto.com
The AMCTO will be useful for municipal archivists wishing to better understand the
issues before local government administration and/or to pursue the educational offerings
of this organization towards the AMCTO designation. Of particular note are the advice,
committee work and courses offered by this association to members concerning
municipal records management.
Canadian Archival Listserv (ARCAN-L)
The University of Alberta Archivist maintains a national Canadian archives listserv,
ARCAN-L. Discussions on this forum range from routine matters to complicated and
complex issues in the Canadian archival community. Subscribing to the list can be
undertaken via e-mail to MAJORDOMO@UALBERTA.CA.

Canadian Archival Information Network (CAIN) and ARCHEION
www.cain-rcia.ca
http://archeion-aao.fis.utoronto.ca
The CAIN Web site gives access to the holdings of most Canadian archival institutions.
Under the CAIN system, each archival institution - containing the physical documents
such as texts, maps, artwork and more - regularly produces descriptions of these
documents and sends them to their Provincial network. Each Provincial/Territorial
network and the National Archives then makes the descriptive records accessible through
the CAIN national database. CAIN provides searchable access to these entries and links
to over 800 participating institutions.
ARCHEION, Ontario's Online Archival Information Network, provides access to the
province's many and diverse archival holdings through a network of fonds level
description. It provides researchers with a single portal to locate the holdings of
participating repositories and view fonds level descriptions of those archival materials.
ARCHEION is a fully searchable Web interface, introducing a new generation of users to
archives.
Sponsored by the Archives Association of Ontario, ARCHEION represents the province's
commitment to CAIN.
Canadian Archival Resources on the Internet
www.usask.ca/archives/menu.html
The University of Saskatchewan Archives maintains extensive and well developed
information on its website, “Canadian Archival Resources on the Internet.” Archival
institutions with websites are listed alphabetically, by geographic region and by type of
institution. In this latter category, many municipal archives’ websites can be accessed
through this site.
Canadian Council of Archives (CCA)
www.cdncouncilarchives.ca
Founded in 1985 as a result of federal-provincial efforts to encourage and facilitate the
evolution of an archival system in Canada, the Canadian Council of Archives provides
coordination within the system. Its tasks are to:
• identify national priorities;
• make recommendations as to the system's operation and financing;

• develop and facilitate the implementation and management of programs to assist
the archival community;
• advise the National Archivist;
• promote better communications between the various components of the Canadian
system; and
• communicate archival needs and concerns to decision-makers, researchers and the
general public.
The CCA funds projects based on its priorities and objectives – in this province through
the Archives Association of Ontario. Membership in the AAO for a period of one year is
a prerequisite in applying for CCA grants.
The AAO is represented on the CCA, giving Ontario’s input into the Canadian Archival
System. Ontario participates in national archival initiatives through the AAO and CCA,
such as the Canadian Archival Information Network (CAIN) and ARCHEION.
(Courtesy City of Thunder Bay Archives)

Directory
of
Municipal Archives
in
Ontario:
ENTRIES

Using the Entries
The entries provided in this directory provide a range of information on different archival
institutions with municipal records.
For research purposes, readers need also consult Appendix III: List of Archives of
Ontario Local Government Records by Municipality below in order to ensure that
additional information on the locale in question is covered. This will be particularly
important for antecedent communities that may have been annexed or amalgamated prior
to 1985.
The entries are intended to serve to facilitate communication between archival
professionals, municipal administrators and the researching public. All entries have
addresses and telephone numbers for institutions; most have e-mail addresses and website
URLs.
“…so much of our happiness and safety as individuals, and as a people, is inseparable
from archives …”
(Arthur G. Doughty, The Canadian Archives and its Activities, King’s Printer, Ottawa,
1924, p. 5)

Archives of Ontario
Established 1903
Address: 77 Grenville Street, Unit 300
Toronto ON M5S 1B3
Contact: Wayne Crockett, Senior Archivist Municipal Records
Telephone: (416) 327-1528, 1-800-668-9933
Facsimile: (416) 327-1999
E-Mail: wayne.crockett@archives.gov.on.ca
Web Page: www.archives.gov.on.ca
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 08:15 - 17:00
Collections Policy - Summary of Holdings:
Municipal records were largely acquired following the 1969-1974 series of
municipal amalgamations in an effort to ensure preservation of threatened
records. Generally, an agreement was reached for the transfer of historical
records (pre-amalgamation) to the Archives of Ontario, with no ongoing
commitment to acquire further records. The Archives is not currently acquiring
municipal records
Administration:
Municipal Records is a subject area within the Archives of Ontario Municipal/
Culture/Human Rights Portfolio. The Senior Archivist reports through a Team
Leader to the Archivist of Ontario.
Services: Full reference and photocopying services; some microfilm copies of
municipal records are available through interloan.
Disabled Access: Yes
The Archives of Ontario has custody of municipal records of the following
current and former municipalities:
See Appendix III – Archives of Ontario Local Government Records by
Municipality

Arnprior & District Archives
Established 1986
Address: 21 B Madawaska Street,
Arnprior ON K7S 1R6
Contact: Laurie Dougherty, Archivist
Telephone: (613) 623-0001
Facsimile: (613) 623-0001
E-Mail: ADArchives@hotmail.com
Web Page: www.ADArchives.org
Business Hours: Monday-Saturday, 13:00 - 15:00
The Arnprior and District Archives is the designated repository for those records
identified as Apermanent@ under the respective records retention schedules of
local municipalities (Town of Arnprior By-law No. 4852-2000; Township of
McNab-Braeside By-law No. 99-21).
Administration:
The Arnprior and District Archives is administered by a volunteer Board of
Management.
Services: Research, photocopying, microfilm inter-institutional loan
Disabled Access: Partial access; if necessary, records will be transported
upstairs to the public library to accommodate disabled patrons.
The Arnprior & District Archives has custody of municipal records of the
following current and former municipalities:
Current: Town of Arnprior; Township of McNab-Braeside
Former: Township of McNab; Village of Braeside.

Bayfield Historical Society Archives
Established 1977
Address: 20 Main Street North,
Bayfield,ON
Mailing Address: PO Box 161,
Bayfield ON N0M 1G0
Contact: Elaine Sturgeon, Volunteer Archivist
Business Hours: Wednesday, Saturday, 13:00 - 17:00
April 15 through December 01 only
There is no formal mandate established for the collection of municipal records.
The Society Archives accepts records pertaining to the former Village of Bayfield
and the former Townships of Stanley and Goderich, which are contiguous to the
village. The former municipalities became wards of the Municipality of Bluewater
under amalgamation which became effective January 01, 2001.
Administration:
The Bayfield Historical Society Archives Room is administered by the Executive
of the Bayfield Historical Society.
Services: Photocopying
The Bayfield Historical Society Archives has custody of municipal records
of the following current and former municipalities:
Current: Village of Bayfield; Township of Stanley

Brant County Museum & Archives
Established 1908
Address: 57 Charlotte Street,
Brantford, ON N3T 2W6
Contact: Stacey McKellar, Director/Curator
Telephone: (519) 752-2483
Facsimile: (519) 752-2483
E-Mail: bcma@bfree.on.ca
Web Page: www.bfree.on.ca/comdir/musgal/bcma
Business Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 10:00-16:00, Saturday 13:00-16:00,
Sunday 13:00-16:00 (July & August only)
Mandated to collect Brantford and Brant County.
Administration:
The Brant Museum & Archives reports to the Board of Directors, Brant Historical
Society.
The Brant Museum & Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: City of Brantford, County of Brant

Bruce County Museum & Archives
Established 1955
Address: 33 Victoria Street North
Southampton, ON
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 180
Southampton, ON N0H 2L0
Contact: Paul White, Archivist
Telephone: (519) 797-2080
Facsimile: (519) 797-2191
E-Mail: paulwhite@brucecounty.on.ca
Web Page: www.brucecounty.on.ca/museum/archives.htm
Business Hours: Monday Friday 9:00 – 17:00, Saturday 10:00 – 17:00,
Sunday 13:00 – 17:00
Under review due to restructuring. Municipal records dealing with some of the
townships within the County, Bruce, Saugeen, Elderslie most particularly are
available.
Administration:
The Archives reports through the Director/Curator to County Council.
Services: Photocopying, microfilm reader/printer, research
The Bruce County Museum & Archives has custody of municipal records of
the following current and former municipalities:
Current: County of Bruce; Townships of Saugeen and Elderslie

Cambridge, City of, Archives
Established 1984
Address: 46 Dickson St. 2nd Floor,
Cambridge ON
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 669
Cambridge ON N1R 5W8
Contact: Jim Quantrell, Archivist
Telephone: (519) 740-4680 ext. 4610
Facsimile: (519) 623-0058
E-Mail: quantrellj@city.cambridge.on.ca
Web Page: www.city.cambridge.on.ca
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 08:30 – 16:30
Collect and organize records in any format records related to the organization
and management of the Corporation of the City of Cambridge and its founding
municipalities of Galt, Preston and Hespeler.
Administration:
Report concering administrative matters to the City Clerk. Also deal with the
Cambridge Archives Board, an advisory committee of council advising Council on
Archival issues.
Services: Photocopying, microfilm and microfiche readers, extensive finding aids
The City of Cambridge Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: City of Cambridge
Former: Municipalities of Galt, Preston and Hespeler

Chatham-Kent Archives
Established 1998
Address: 325 Grand Avenue East (W. G. McGeorge Building),
CHATHAM, ON
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 640,
315 King Street West,
CHATHAM ON N7M 5K8
Contact: Bev Snobelen, Archivist Assistant
Telephone: (519) 436-0977
Facsimile: (519) 436-5152
E-Mail: bevs@city.chatham-kent.on.ca
Web Page: www.city.chatham-kent.on.ca
Records of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and/or former municipalities that
now comprise the Municipality of Chatham-Kent are collected. Records
management functions are formally mandated in By-law No. 287-1999 of the
Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
Administration:
The Archivist Assistant reports through the Information Co-ordinator to the
Director of Corporate Services.
The Chatham-Kent Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: Municipality of Chatham-Kent
Former: City of Chatham; Towns of Blenheim, Bothwell, Dresden, Ridgetown,
Tilbury and Wallaceburg; Villages of Erie Beach, Erieau, Highgate, Thamesville,
and Wheatley; Townships of Camden, Chatham, Dover, Harwich, Howard,
Orford, Raleigh, Romney, Tilbury East, and Zone

Cobourg and District Historical Society Archives
Established 1980
Address: C. Gordon King Centre,
200 Ontario Street,
Cobourg ON
Cobourg ON K9A 4W4
Contact: Cath Oberholtzer, Chairperson
Telephone: (905) 377-0413 (answering machine)
Business Hours: Wednesdays, 14:00 - 17:00:
Friday, 10:30 - 13:00, or by appointment
There is no established policy for the acquisition or transfer of municipal records.
Administration:
The Cobourg and District Historical Society Archives is semi-autonomous, but
receives funding from, and submits expenditures and minutes of its meetings to,
the Executive of the Historical Society.
The Cobourg and District Historical Society Archives has custody of
municipal records of the following current and former municipalities:
Current: Town of Cobourg

Edinburgh Square - Heritage and Cultural Centre
(Town of Haldimand Archives)
Established 2001
Address: 80 Caithness Street East,
Caledonia ON N3W 2G6
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 400,
45 Munsee Street, Cayuga ON NOA 1E0
Contact: Anne Unyi, Curator
Telephone: (905) 765-3134
Facsimile: (905) 765-3009
E-Mail: esquare.centre@haldimandcounty.on.ca
Web Page: www.haldimandcounty.on.ca/community/heritage_culture/museums_culture.asp
Business Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00 – 16:30
Saturday 10:00 – 14:30 (summer only)
No formal policy on municipal records.
Administration:
The Curator reports to the Manager of Culture & Heritage within the Community
Services Division.
Services: Photocopying, photographic reproduction, educational programs,
workshops, family history,
The Edinburgh Square - Heritage and Cultural Centre has custody of
Current: Town of Haldimand
Former: Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk; County of Haldimand

Elgin County Archives
Established 2001
Address: 450 Sunset Drive,
St Thomas ON N5R 5V1
Contact: Brian Masschaele, Archivist
Telephone: (519) 631-1460 ext 138
Facsimile: (519) 631-9209
E-Mail: archivist@elgin-county.on.ca
The Archives has responsibility for management of the active records of the
executive and administrative departments and agencies of the county, and for all
permanent records of the county since its inception in 1852. Transfer
agreements with local municipalities were being negotiated during 2001. The
Archives mandate was established under Elgin County By-law No. 01-21.
Administration:
The Archivist reports to the Manager of Library Services.
Services: Under review
The Elgin County Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: County of Elgin; Town of Aylmer; Municipalities of Bayham, Central
Elgin, Dutton/Dunwich, and West Elgin; Townships of Malahide and Southwold
Former: Townships of Aldborough, Bayham, Dunwich, Malahide, South
Dorchester, and Yarmouth; Villages of Belmont, Dutton, Port Burwell, Port
Stanley, Rodney, Springfield, West Lorne and Vienna

Esquesing Historical Society Archives
Established 1982
Address: Georgetown Branch
Halton Hills Public Library.
9 Church Street
Georgetown, ON L7G 2A3
Contact: Geoff Cannon, Manager, Information Services (HHPL)
Mark Rowe, Esquesing Historical Society Archivist
Telephone: (905) 873-2681 ex. 2513
Facsimile: (905) 873-6118
E-Mail: cannong@hhpl.on.ca
rowem@aztec-net.com
Web Page: www.hhpl.on.ca/sigs/ehs/home.html
Business Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 09:30 - 20:30, Friday & Saturday
09:30 - 17:00, Sunday 13:00 - 17:00pm (October – May)
There is no formal gathering process for municipal records. Most of the
municipal items collected have either come from the library collection or through
donations to the society.
Administration:
The archives operates under an agreement between the Esquesing Historical
Society and the Halton Hills Public Library.
Services: Photocopying, microfilm reader/printer
Disabled Access: No
The has custody of municipal records of the following current and former
municipalities:
Current: Town of Halton Hills
Former: Towns of Acton, Georgetown; Township of Esquesing

Greater Sudbury Public Library and Heritage Museums
Established 2001
Address: 74 MacKenzie Street
Sudbury, ON P3C 4X8
Contact: Nada Mehes, Archivist
Telephone: (705) 673-1168 ext. 274
Facsimile: (705) 673-0554
E-Mail: nada.mehes@city.greatersudbury.on.ca
Material relating to the geographic area encompassed by the City of Greater
Sudbury will be kept in the Archives.
Administration:
The Archives reports to the Manager of Library and Heritage Resources.
Services: Under review
The Greater Sudbury Public Library and Heritage Museums has custody of
Current: City of Greater Sudbury
Former: Regional Municipality of Sudbury; City of Sudbury; Municipalities of
Valley East, Nickel Centre, Onaping Falls, Walden, Rayside, Balfour and Capreol

Grey County Archives
Established 2000
Address: 493862 Baptist Church Road,
RR 2, Priceville ON N0C 1K0
Durham ON OG IRO
Contact: Karin Foster, Heritage Co-ordinator, Archives (County
Archivist)
Telephone: (519) 369-3245
Facsimile: (519) 369-6547
E-Mail: archives@greycounty.on.ca
Web Page: www.greycounty.on.ca/archives
Saturday, 08:30 - 13:00 (May through September only)
The collections policy is guided by the retention by-laws of the various
municipalities which comprise the County of Grey. No by-law has been enacted;
Archives activities are currently mandated by County Council resolutions
Administration:
The Heritage Co-ordinator reports to the County Clerk.
Services: Genealogical and historical research, photocopying, foxing, digital
imaging, microfilm readers, access to word processing.
The Grey County Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: County of Grey; Township of Artemesia
Former: Townships of Bentinck, Derby, Egremont, Glenelg, Holland, Normanby,
Proton and Sullivan; Villages of Chatsworth, Dundalk, and Neustadt

Guelph Public Library Archives
Established 1981
Address: 100 Norfolk Street,
Guelph ON N1H 4J6
Contact: Bill Hughey, Archivist
Telephone: (519) 824-6220, ext 245
Facsimile: (519) 824-8342
E-Mail: bhughey@library.guelph.on.ca
Web Page: www.library.guelph.on.ca
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00 - 21:00, Saturday, 09:00 - 17:00
(The Archivist=s schedule varies, but the Archives is open
any time the Archivist is in during the listed hours.)
There is no formal collections policy or mandate (in development during 2002).
The Archives currently acquires municipal records on an ad hoc basis, when
requested by the City of Guelph, and usually as a result of space requirements.
Administration:
The Archivist reports to the Head of Information Services, who in turn reports to
the Chief Librarian. The Chief Librarian reports to the Library Board.
Services: Reference services, photocopying, microfilm reader-printers,
microform inter-library loan. Some of the photographic collection is available in
digital format.
The Guelph Public Library Archives has custody of municipal records of
Current: City of Guelph

Hamilton Public Library, Special Collections
Established 1974
Address: 55 York Blvd,
Hamilton, ON L8R 3K1
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2700, Stn. LCD 1,
Hamilton, ON L8N 4E4
Contact: Margaret Houghton, Archivist
Telephone: (905) 546-3409
Facsimile: (905) 546-3202
E-Mail: mhoughto@hpl.ca
Web Page: www.hpl.ca/LOCAL/SPCOLL/Speccol.shtml
Business Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 – 18:00;
Tuesday, Thursday 9:00 – 21:00; Saturday 9:00 – 17:00;
Sunday (September-April) 13:00 – 17:00
The City of Hamilton transferred a large quantity of their archival record to the
Special Collections Department of the Hamilton Public Library. This was done
under the auspices of the City Clerk but no formal arrangement was ever entered
into and there is nothing in writing. The County records which we hold were
transferred at the time of the implementation of Regional Government in 1973
and there is no written agreement concerning these records either.
Administration:
The Archives component of Special Collections reports to the Department Head
and thence to the Chief Librarian.
Services: Photocopying, microfilm copies, research by mail for a fee
The Special Collections, Hamilton Public Library has custody of municipal
records of the following current and former municipalities:
Former: County of Wentworth; City of Hamilton; Townships of Beverly, Binbrook,
East Flamborough, Glanford, and West Flamborough

Heritage House Museum
(Town of Smith Falls)
Established 1982
Address: 11 Old Slys Road,
Smith Falls ON
Smith Falls ON K7A 4T6
Contact: Carol Munden, Curator
Telephone: (613) 283-8560
Facsimile: (613) 283-8560
E-Mail: hhmchin@superaje.com
Web Page: www.town.smiths-falls.on.ca/tourism/hhmuseum
Business Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 10:30 - 16:30 (May through November)
Monday-Friday, 10:30 - 16:30 (December through April)
There is no current policy respecting the acquisition of municipal records. The
only such records in the Museum=s holding - Collector=s Rolls and Assessment
Rolls - were donated by the Town of Smiths Falls.
Administration:
The Heritage House Museum is administered by the Heritage House Advisory
Committee, which is appointed by the Municipal Council of the Town of Smiths
Falls.
Services: Access to research materials
Disabled Access: No
The Heritage House Museum has custody of municipal records of the
Current: Town of Smiths Falls

Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol
Established 1950
Address: 110 North Street
Goderich, ON N7A 2T8
Contact: Claus Breede, Director
Telephone: (519) 524-2686
Facsimile: (519) 524-1922
E-Mail: claus_breede@fcmail.avonmaitland.on.ca
Web Page: www.huroncountymuseum.on.ca
Municipal records are collected under the County of Huron policies relating to
retention and records management.
Administration:
The Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol is under the administration of the
Museum Director and Cultural Services Committee of the County of Huron.
Services: Brief searches (20 minutes or less); photocopying; photographic
orders
municipalities:
Current: County of Huron
Former: Former municipalities of the County of Huron

James A. Gibson Library Special Collections and Archives
(Brock University)
Established 1964
Address: 500 Glenridge Avenue,
St. Catherines ON L2S 3A1
Contact: Lynne Prunskus, Special Collections and Archives Librarian
Telephone: (905) 688-5550 ext 264
Facsimile: (905) 988-5490
E-Mail: Lynne.Prunskus@BrockU.CA
Web Page: http://www.brocku.ca/library
Some records have been acquired by formal agreement, others informally. The
Archives is not currently acquiring records.
Administration:
The Special Collections and Archives Librarian reports to the Collections
Management Librarian, who reports to the University Librarian.
Services: Consultation, photocopying, reference
municipalities:
Former: Counties of Lincoln and Welland

J. J. Talman Regional Collection
Established 1942
Address: The University of Western Ontario,
London ON N6A 3K7
Contact: John H. Lutman, Head
Telephone: (519) 661-2111, ext. 84813 and 84821
Facsimile: (519) 661-3911
E-Mail: jlutman@lib.uwo.ca
Web Page: www.lib.uwo.ca/weldon/docs/regional.shtml
The J.J. Talman Regional Collection acquires selectively on deposit public
records from the City of London, Middlesex County and local jurisdictions within
the latter, and much less intensively other counties and their local jurisdictions for
the counties of Elgin, Lambton and Norfolk which, along with Middlesex County,
formed the historical "London District". Future acquisition of municipal records
remains dormant awaiting the formation of municipal archives or their repatriation
to established municipal archives.
Administration:
The Head of the J. J. Talman Regional Collection reports to the University of
Western Ontario Archivist.
The J. J. Talman Regional Collection has custody of municipal records of
Current: Counties of Lambton and Middlesex; City of London
Former: Counties: Norfolk; Townships: Elgin County (Aldborough, Bayham, Dorchester
South, Dunwich, Malahide, Southwold, Yarmouth); Huron (McKillop); Middlesex
(Adelaide, Metcalfe, Mosa, Nissouri (before divided into East and West), Nissouri West,
Westminster, Williams (East and West); Norfolk (Charlottesville, Houghton, Middleton,
Townsend, Walsingham, Windham,Woodhouse); Villages/towns/cities: Elgin (Aylmer,
Dutton, Port Stanley, Rodney, Springfield, St. Thomas, Vienna, West Lorne); Middlesex
(Ailsa Craig, Byron, Glencoe, Ilderton, London, London East, London West, Lucan,
Newbury, Parkhill, Strathroy, Wardsville)

Kitchener, City of, Corporate Archives
Established 1994
Address: Corporate Records Management,
City Hall, PO Box 1118,
200 King Street West,
Kitchener ON N2G 4G7
Contact: Christine Tarling, Manager of Corporate Records
Telephone: (519) 741-2769
Facsimile: (519) 741-2892
E-Mail: christine.tarling@city.kitchener.on.ca
Web Page: www.city.kitchener.on.ca
The collection includes all archival records, in any medium, created by any
employee of the municipal corporation, its elected representatives or their
appointees acting in their respective capacities. Excluded from this policy are the
records of elected representatives or their appointees which are deemed to be
personal or political, as opposed to administrative in nature, and which are filed
or stored separately from corporate records. The collection also includes
selected memorabilia (eg. awards, presentation items) relating directly to the
history of the City=s administration and local government. The Archives=
mandate was established under City of Kitchener By-law No. I-162 (passed June
13, 1994, and revised January 21, 2000).
Administration:
The Corporate Archives is part of the Corporate Records Management Section of
the City Clerk=s Division in the Corporate Services Department.
Services: Photocopying, research, photographic and digital reproduction
The City of Kitchener Corporate Archiveshas custody of municipal records
of the following current and former municipalities:
Current: City of Kitchener
Former: Town of Berlin, Village of Bridgeport

Lennox & Addington County Museum & Archives
Established 1974
Address: Thomas Street East,
Napanee ON
Mailing Address: Postal Bag 1000,
Napanee ON K7R 3S9
Contact: Jennifer Bunting, Archivist
Telephone: (613) 354-3027
Facsimile: (613) 354-1005
E-Mail: museum@fox.nstn.ca
Web Page: http://home.fox.nstn.ca/~museum/
Business Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00 – 12:00, 13:00 - 16:30
The Lennox and Addington County Museum's mission is to tell the story of the
County of Lennox and Addington, and its people. The Museum accepts records
from all levels of municipal government and related boards and agencies.
Museum is also the custodian of the collections of the Lennox and Addington
Historical Society which include some older municipal materials.
Administration:
Archives is part of Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives, which
reports to Information Services at the County.
Services: Photocopying available as permitted by legislation and conservation
concerns
Disabled Access: No
The Lennox & Addington County Museum & Archives has custody of
Current: County of Lennox and Addington; Municipalities of Greater Napanee,
Loyalist, Stone Mills and Addington Highlands
Former: County of Lennox and Addington; Town of Napanee; Townships of
Abinger & Ashby, Adolphustown, Amherst Island, Camden, Denbigh Ernestown,
Kaladar & Anglesea, North Fredericksburgh, Richmond, Sheffield and South
Fredericksburgh; Villages of Newburgh, Bath

Markham Museum and Historic Village
Established 1998
Address: 9350 Highway 48,
Markham ON L3P 3J3
Contact: Catherine Molloy, Curator
Telephone: (905) 294-4576
Facsimile: (905) 294-4590
E-Mail: cmolloy@city.markham.on.ca
Web Page: www.city.markham.on.ca
Municipal records are acquired as part of the Museum=s general collections
policy.
Administration:
The Curator reports to the Manager of the Museum, from whom the successive
reporting relationships include a Director, a Commissioner, the Chief
Administrative Officer, and the Mayor and Town Council.
Services: Public research, directed research through correspondence,
photocopying, photographic reproduction
Disabled Access: No
The Markham Museum and Historic Village has custody of municipal
records of the following current and former municipalities:
Current: Town of Markham

Niagara Historical Society
(Niagara-on-the-Lake)
Established 1895
Address: 43 Castlereagh St.
P.O. Box 208
Niagara-on-the-Lake, L0S 1J0
Contact: Clark Bernat, Managing Director
Telephone: 905-468-3912
Facsimile: 905-468-1728
E-Mail: nhs@niagara.com
Web Page: www.niagara.com/~nhs
Business Hours: Monday-Sunday 10:00 - 17:30 (May – October),
13:00 – 17:00 (November – April)
There is no separate collections policy for the Municipal Records. These are
acquired through the Municipality, all other material is evaluated by the
Collections Management Committee based on our formal policy. There is an
informal agreement between the Society and Municipality.
Administration:
A Board of Directors overseas all operations at the advice of the Managing
Director, who delegates action through the various staff and volunteers.
Services: Photocopying, research
The Niagara Historical Society has custody of municipal records of the
Current: Niagara-on-the-Lake

Norfolk County Archives
Established 1929
Address: 109 Norfolk Street South,
Simcoe ON N3Y 2W3
Contact: William Yeager, Curator
Telephone: (519) 426-1583
Facsimile: (519) 426-1584
E-Mail: office@norfolklore.com
Web Page: www.norfolklore.com
Business Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 10:00 - 16:30, Saturday-Sunday, 13:00
– 16:30, Tuesday, 10:00 - 16:30 (June through August only)
The Archives has acquired records informally for many years. Some have
recently been accepted as long-term or permanent loans. Only records of the
County of Norfolk are accepted.
Administration:
The Norfolk County Archives is administered by the Board of Directors of the
Norfolk Historical Society.
Services: Research library, photocopying, inter-library loan
The Norfolk County Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Former: County of Norfolk; Towns of Port Dover and Waterford; Townships of
Charlotteville, Townsend and Woodhouse

Osgoode Township Historical Society & Museum
Established 1972
Address: 7814 Rideau Street,
P.O. Box 74, Vernon ON K0A 3J0
Contact: Michelle Lachance, Archivist/Curator
Telephone: (613) 821-4062
E-Mail: oths@magma.ca
Business Hours: Friday-Saturday, 12:00 - 16:00, Wednesday, 12:00 - 16:00
(April through November), Thursday, 12:00 - 16:00 (April
through December)
The Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum has no formal collections
policy for municipal records, but has acquired assessment and tax collectors=
rolls.
Administration:
The Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum is administered by a
Board of Directors, to which the Archivist/Curator reports.
Services: Photocopying, research access
The Osgoode Township Historical Society & Museum has custody of
Current: Township of Osgoode

Ottawa, City of, Archives
Established 1977
Address: c/o City of Ottawa
2nd Floor Sussex Pavilion,
111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa ON K1N 5A1
Contact: David Bullock, City Archivist
Telephone: (613) 580-2424 ext. 13787
Facsimile: (613) 580-2614
E-Mail: david.bullock@city.ottawa.on.ca
Web Page: www.city.ottawa.on.ca/city_services/culture/heritage/2_8_arch_museums_1_en.shtml
Business Hours: Monday-Friday 08:30 - 16:30, Tuesday 18:30 - 21:00;
Monday-Friday 08:30 -16:00 (May-Sept)
All historical records from the newly-amalgamated City of Ottawa (2001) and
predecessor municipalities are deposited in the City of Ottawa Archives.
Administration:
The City of Ottawa Archives reports to the Innovation, Development &
Partnerships Branch, Cultural Affairs Division, People Services Department.
Services: Photocoping, photographic reproduction, reference and limited
research, exhibit material & public programming ( including Archives exhibits,
tours & lectures)
The City of Ottawa Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: City of Ottawa
Former: Cities of Gloucester, Kanata, Napean, Ottawa and Vanier; Townships of
Cumberland, Fitzroy, Gloucester, Goulbourn, Huntley, March, Marlborough,
Nepean, North Gower, Osgoode, Rideau, Torbolton and West Carleton; Village
of Rockcliffe Park

Oshawa Community Archives
Established 1957
Address: 1450 Simcoe Street South
Oshawa, ON L1H 8S8
Contact: Jennifer Weymark, Archivist
Telephone: (905) 436-7624
Facsimile: (905) 436-7625
E-Mail: archivist@oshawamuseum.org
Web Page: www.oshawamuseum.org
The Archives will collect material which will contribute to the understanding of the
history of development of Oshawa from early Native settlement to pioneer
settlement of the 1790's to the present time.
Administration:
The activities of the archives are brought to the Archives Committee, a standing
committee and a named position on the Oshawa Historical Society, and the
committee is responsible for assisting Chairperson of the committee and the
archives staff in the affairs of the archives. The Chairperson of the committee
brings recommendations from the Archives Committee to the Board of Directors
of the Society for discussion and/or approval.
Services: Photocopying, photograph reproduction, research assistance
The Oshawa Community Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: Town of Oshawa
Former: Municipality of East Whitby

Oxford County Archives
Established 2000
Address: 12 Vine Street, PO Box 69,
Beachville ON N0J 1A0
Contact: Mary Gladwin, Archivist
Telephone: (519) 423-1928 ext 209
Facsimile: (519) 423-1964
E-Mail: archives@oxford.simcoe.on.ca; mgladwin@ocl.net
Business Hours: By appointment only
The County of Oxford Archives regularly acquires historical and inactive
corporate records from the County=s Records Centre. The Archives was
established by Resolution of County Council, adopted October 27, 1999,
effective January 01, 2000. Pending the adoption of formal policies, the Archives
currently (2002) operates under the informal policies in use when the collection
was located at the Norwich and District Archives
Administration:
The Archivist reports to the Head Librarian, who reports to the Library Board and
the Director of Corporate Services. The Chairperson of the Library Board reports
to County Council on Archives= matters.
Services: Reproduction services available, microfilm reader-printer on site,
custom paper conservation and repair services, custom microfilming services
The Oxford County Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: County of Oxford
Former: District of Brock

Peel, Region of, Archives
Established 1977
Address: 9 Wellington Street East,
Brampton ON L6W 1Y1
Contact: Diane Allengame-Kuster, Registrar
Telephone: (905) 791-4055
Facsimile: (905) 451-4931
E-Mail: diane.kuster@region.peel.on.ca
Web Page: www.region.peel.on.ca/heritage/archives.htm
Saturday, 12:00 - 16:30
The collection of municipal records is mandated under Regional Municipality of
Peel By-law No. 14-87, being Aa by-law to provide for the preservation and
destruction of documents and records of the Regional Municipality of Peel.”
Administration:
The Archives Committee provides input from the community; Archives staff
reports to the Curatorial Director of the Peel Heritage Complex.
Services: Local history library, photocopying, microfilm reader/printer,
photographic darkroom
The Region of Peel Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: Regional Municipality of Peel; Cities of Mississauga and Brampton;
Town of Caledon
Former: County of Peel, Towns/Villages of Brampton, Bolton, Caledon East, Port
Credit and Streetsville; Townships of Albion, Caledon, Chinguacousy, Toronto
and Toronto Gore

Penetanguishene Centennial Museum
Established 1967
Address: 13 Burke Street,
Penetanguishene ON L9M 1C1
Contact: Sim Salata, Curator
Telephone: (705) 549-2150
Facsimile: (705) 549-7542
E-Mail: pcmchin@mid.igs.net
Web Page: www.penetanguishene.on.ca
Business Hours: Monday-Saturday 09:00 - 16:30, Sunday 12:00 to 16:30
(closed Fridays October 2 to April 30)
Municipal records originating with the Town of Penetanguishene are collected.
Administration:
The Curator reports to the Municipality through the Museum Board.
Services: Photocopying, interlibrary loan
municipalities:
Current: Town of Penetanguishene

Peterborough Centennial Museum & Archives – City Archives
Established 1967
Address: 300 Hunter Street East,
P.O. Box 143, Peterborough ON K9J 6Y5.
Contact: Jim Leonard, City Archivist
Telephone: (705) 743-5180
Facsimile: (705) 743-2614
E-Mail: JLeonard@city.peterborough.on.ca
Web Page: www.kawartha.net/~jleonard/home.htm
(Appointments required)
The City Archives is the official repository for all municipal records of permanent
value generated by the City of Peterborough.
Administration:
The City Archives operates under the 1996 by-law establishing the Culture &
Heritage Division and Board and reports to Council through the Board.
Services: Photocopying, research services, photographic reproduction,
consulting
The City Archives, Peterborough Centennial Museum & Archives has
custody of municipal records of the following current and former
municipalities:
Current: City of Peterborough
Former: Town of Peterborough; Village of Ashburnham

Prince Edward County Archives
Established 1983
Address: Portland Street,
Picton ON
Picton ON K0K 2T0
Contact: Pamela Noxon, Co-ordinator of Volunteer Activities
Telephone: (613) 393-2204
E-Mail: cnoxon@kos.net
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00 - 16:00 (July & August)
Thursday, 10:00 - 16:00 (September through June)
The Archives acquires the permanent corporate records of the County of Prince
Edward, based upon County By-law No. 1535 (March 22, 1983), which
established the County=s records retention schedule. By-law No. 1568 (October
25, 1983) established the mandate and activities of the County of Prince Edward
Archives. An agreement between the County and the Prince Edward Historical
Society was executed in1985, whereby the Society agreed to administer the
Archives under the County=s direction as prescribed in By-law No. 1568.
Administration:
The County of Prince Edward Archives reports to the Commissioner of
Community Services.
Services: Photocopying, research
municipalities:
Current: County of Prince Edward
Former: Town of Picton; Villages of Bloomfield and Wellington; Townships of
Ameliasburgh, Athol, Hallowell, Hillier, North Marysburgh, Sophiasburgh, and
South Marysburgh

Queen’s University Archives
Established 1968
Address: Kathleen Ryan Hall,
Queen=s University,
Kingston ON K7L 3N6
Contact: Don Richan, University Archivist
Telephone: (613) 533-2378 (Mr. Richan)
Facsimile: (613) 523-6403
E-Mail: archives@post.queensu.ca
Web Page: http://library.queensu.ca/webarch/
Under review as of December 13, 2001.
Most of the permanent records of the City of Kingston are in the custody of Queen=s
University Archives under an agreement dating back to the early 1970's (the City of
Kingston retains ownership of its records). No agreement exists between the University
and the amalgamated City of Kingston (January 01, 1998), and no transfers have taken
place since prior to that date. Some permanent records are stored in the City=s
Records Centre.
Administration:
The University Archivist reports to the Clerk of the City of Kingston with respect to the
City=s records.
Services: Public access in supervised reading room, photocopying, microforms inter-
archival loan, conservation and photograph labs, micrographic camera, online database
The Queens’ University Archives has custody of municipal records of the
Current: County of Frontenac
Former: City of Kingston

Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Archives
Established 1994
Address: 50 East Street,
Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 3C3
Contact: Linda Burtch, Archives Technician
Telephone: (705) 759-5239
Facsimile: (705) 759-8752
E-Mail: admin.library@cityssm.on.ca
Web Page: www.cityssm.on.ca/library/index.htm
Business Hours: Monday-Thursday 09:00-21:00, Friday 09:00-18:00
Saturday 09:00-17:00, Sunday 14:00-17:00
Miscellaneous records have been donated to the library by various city
departments such as Planning, Community Services and the Clerks Department.
A Council resolution identifies the library as a repository for video tapes of city
council meetings. The library holds these tapes for three years and then returns
them to the clerk's office except those deemed by council to be retained
permanently. Similarly, a council resolution and subsequent by-law 97-68
provides for the transfer of ownership of a second copy of all municipal by-laws
to the library board.
Administration:
The archival program reports through the Library’s Chief Executive Officer.
Services: Photocopying, reference service
The Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Archives
has custody of municipal records of the following current and former
municipalities:
Current: City of Sault Ste. Marie

AAO Municipal Archives Resource Guide & Directory 2002

AAO Municipal Archives Resource Guide & Directory 2002

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