Archival Research Tutorial: Archives in Canada

This is the main portal for searching and accessing archival holdings held in institutions in Canada. Includes links to provincial and territorial databases, online exhibits and digital holdings.
Archives Canada is an official archival portal maintained by the Canadian Council of Archives (CCA), and is a joint initiative of CCA, the Provincial and Territorial Archival Networks, and Library and Archives Canada. All archival descriptions and links contained in this searchable database are provided by provincial and territorial councils, their members, and Library and Archives Canada.

Areas of specialization: architecture, African studies, sexuality studies, Novosti Soviet Press Agency, Batchinsky collection re. Ukrainian liberation movement, W. McAllister Johnson collection of art history publications.

Areas of specialization: Niagara region of Ontario, United Empire Loyalist history, Masonic Book collection, War of 1812, growing holdings on viticulture & oenology.

Portal for research-based cultural resources held by Memorial University and partnering organizations. From books and maps to photographs, periodicals, video and audio, the DAI hosts a variety of collections which together reinforce the importance, past and present, of Newfoundland and Labrador's history and culture.

Strengths in: Nova Scotia history, politics and culture, black history, military history, music, shipping, maritime transportation, medicine.

Areas of specialization: Montreal jazz history, visual arts community, Irish-Canadians.

Located at the University of Saskatchewan, this research centre focuses on the impact and legacy of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.

Listing by subject of the location of important research collections across the country, maintained by Library Archives Canada [archived website].

Areas of specialization: history of Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario.

Areas of specialization: Northeastern Ontario history, theatre, aboriginal records

Bertrand Russell, literary papers, McClelland & Stewart publishers, medical history, local history of southern Ontario, Anglican church, Holocaust history, peace and war, WWI and WWII.

Canadian architecture, history of ideas, history of the book, Islamic studies, Canadian literature

Areas of specialization: folklore studies, maritime history, Newfoundland and Labrador history, culture, labour history etc.

Areas of specialization: Tantramar area of the Bay of Fundy, Chignecto Isthmus area, Dr. Winthrop Pickard Bell, Nova Scotia history, politics and culture.

Areas of specialization: exhibition catalogues; 19th and early 20thC art education publications; artists’ books by Conceptual artists of the 1970s and 1980s; Janet Ferguson collection of craft and craft history; David Burke collection of European art history publications.

Areas of specialization: John A. McDonald, city of Kingston records, literary papers (Al Purdy, Dorothy Livesay, Oberon Press, Hugh Gardner, Bliss Carmen), politicians papers, business records of local firms, photographs and sound and moving images.

Collection strengths include photography, film and Soviet memorabilia, notably:
The archives of Canadian Kodak Ltd.; the photographic archives of Canadian Architect Magazine; the Leniniana Collection of memorabilia relating to Vladimir Lenin collected by Dr. Ron Vastokas; Archives and special collections relating to the history of photography, photographic technology and film.

Areas of specialization: print culture, history of the book, literary papers, women's studies, labour issues, environmental studies, Indo-Canadian materials, politics.

Areas of specialization: history of university, personal papers of alumni and former staff/faculty. See http://collections.mun.ca/stfx/ for digitized material.

Areas of specialization: local business records (Labatt Brewing Company, London Carriage Factory), health records, social organizations (Children's Aid Society, Rocal Canadian Legion), legal records, politics, arts, local family histories, women's history, local fraternal organizations (Orange Lodge in Canada, Odd Fellows, Rebekahs)

Areas of specialization: environmental history, agricultural records, City of Peterborough; Peterborough, Hastings, Prince Edward, Northumberland, Durham, Victoria county records; Northern Studies, canal history, Aboriginal history.

Le Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson (CEAAC) de l’Université de Moncton, fondé en 1968 par le recteur-fondateur de l’U de M, père Clément Cormier, c.s.c., possède la plus grande collection mondiale d’archives et de documentation concernant la réalité acadienne. Son mandat principal est de rassembler et de conserver en un même endroit tout le matériel documentaire pertinent concernant les Acadiennes et les Acadiens et la société acadienne à quelque point de vue que ce soit : histoire, généalogie, ethnologie et de folklore, sociologie, archéologie, démographie, géographie, économie, linguistique, etc. Afin de faciliter l’accès aux chercheuses et aux chercheurs et au public intéressés, le Centre prépare des inventaires et des instruments de recherche.

Areas of specialization: cooperatives (agricultural, forestry, fisheries); regional development, environmental planning, folklore and cultural studies, local history, journalism, unionism.
A listing of their holdings can be downloaded here: http://biblio.uqar.ca/files/ressources/archives-regionales/fonds-archives2010.pdf

Areas of specialization: rare books from 16th to 19th centuries related to Quebec history and cultural studies.

Records centre and university's art collection of regional artists available here: https://oraprdnt.uqtr.uquebec.ca/pls/public/botw001.afficher_fiche_secteur?owa_cd_secteur=1600

Mostly a records management centre for the university's records.

Areas of specialization: agricultural, forestry, petroleum industrial history in Alberta, UofA faculty papers, literary papers (Wilfred Watson, Fred Watt), medical history, fraternal/sororal organizations (rural, professional, military, athletic and musical).

Areas of specialization: Archaeology, anthropology and aboriginal studies, Pacific North West history and culture, Fraternal/sororal organizations (military, university-based, professional, unions etc.), environmental activism (David Suzuki), literary papers (Jane Rule, George Woodcock), local history and politics, social work, civil service and international politics.

Areas of specialization: Canadian architecture, literary papers (W.O. Mithcell, Mordecai Richler, Alice Munro), First Nations history, art and culture, particularly Dene.

Areas of specialization: L.M. Montgomery, theatre, dance, agriculture, rural history, landscape architecture, culinary history, Scottish history and culture.

Mostly university-related records but also includes First Generation Oral History Project (see: http://digitallibrary.uleth.ca/cdm/landingpage/collection/oralhistory).

Areas of specialization: agriculture, Arctic, Subarctic studies, human rights, Icelandic studies, First Nations history, prairie literature, psychical research and spiritualism, theatre history, Ukrainian-Canadian studies, women's studies.

Areas of specialization: Canadian literature, history of the Maritimes and New Brunswick, Beaverbrook Collection.

University archives and records management (not to be confused with library's archives & special collections at: http://www.biblio.uottawa.ca/html/HomePage?node=archives&lang=en).

Areas of specialization: Canadian Women's Movement Archives (CWMA), Slovak archives, UFOs, French literature.

Areas of specialization: PEI history, culture, oral histories, newspapers, fine arts.

Areas of specialization: art and architecture, journalism, writing and theatre, literary papers of Saskatchewan writers and publishers (Anne Campbell, Ken Mitchell, Geoffrey Ursell, Coteau Books, Western Producer Prairie Books).

Areas of specialization: John Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan history and culture, agriculture, Aboriginal history.

Areas of specialization: anarchist studies, architecture, history of the book, film studies, fine arts, literary papers, military history (Canadian Scottish Regiment Collection, Canadian Military Oral History Collection), travel history.

Areas of specialization: newspaper photographs from Kitchener-Waterloo Record, local history of Waterloo area, fire insurance plans, business history, local organizations, family records.

Areas of specialization: local business records (Ford Company of Canada), southern Ontario history.

Collection mandate is to document the history of the University of Winnipeg, the local community, as well as aspects of Manitoba history relevant to research at the University of Winnipeg, including social justice and human rights

Areas of specialization: the Lutheran Church in Canada, water resources, Canada's North, local history of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Areas of specialization: Canadian literary, visual, dance and fine arts, social reform movements, women's studies, environmental studies, multicultural experience.