Grants and Contributions

This project will digitize and facilitate access to Indigenous oral histories of Treaties negotiated between the Crown and Indigenous nations in Canada. Beginning in 1989 the OTC has collected extensive oral histories from Indigenous Elders across Western Canada, preserving knowledge that has been passed down through generations on the negotiation, spirit and intent of Treaties.

The “Taku River Tlingit Archive Digitization” project will digitize heritage documents, photographs and videos. There are approximately 2000 audio recordings already retrieved, and more are expected. There are also hi8 video cassettes and paper documents. The audio material must also be transcribed. This project will result in the digitization work as well as built capacity and skills through the development of this repository.

The Louis Riel Institute (LRI) has collected valuable audio recordings spanning two decades; the 1980s-1990s. This project focuses on a collection of audio interviews that document the history, culture and languages of the Métis through the voices of Knowledge Keepers and Elders. The interviews feature Métis authors, activists, leaders and discuss topics including but not limited to Métis identity, language preservation, community histories and cultural traditions. The main goals of this project are to digitize to preserve the audio-cassette collection, transcribe audio recordings research the collection provenance and make collection accessible through LRI's content management system.

HCA Dance Theatre (HCA DT) is working with its sister organizations: HCA Arts for All (HCA AFA) and Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts (HCA), to create an official archive, HCArchives, documenting the cultural and performing arts history in Hamilton; as it relates to the HCA family of organizations. This project was started in May of 2022 with the hiring of an archivist through the generous combined funding of Young Canada Works (YCW) and Youth Break Barriers to Employment (YBBE). HCA DT is endeavoring to build on this strong foundation, and make further progress on the cataloging and digitization of our documentary heritage. In the 9-month timeline proposed below, HCA DT will catalog and digitize 50% of the current collection, move the collection into safer storage using appropriate materials and, pursue external professional transfer of media from out-dated mediums to digital files (audio cassettes, VHS, DAT, etc. ).

The Maple Ridge Historical Society is turning much of its focus towards improved preservation of its physical archival records. The project revolves around the acquisition of specialized equipment to isolate materials from uncontrolled environments in the archival facility. The archives contains a variety of materials sensitive to degradation, including a collection of over 100,000 negatives from renowned Maple Ridge photographer, Don Waite. The acquisition of cold storage and humidity management equipment will allow sensitive materials to be preserved for future visitors and researchers to access.

This project involves recording the oral histories of at least 100 residents and former residents of the Lakes District, with a special emphasis on the oral histories of people of Indigenous and non-Caucasian descent. The history of the Lakes District is not just the history of the colonizers; many non-Caucasians contributed to the region’s growth.

The Canadian Railroad Historical Association (CRHA) Archives and Documentation Centre wishes to improve accessibility to its archives, while optimizing its archive management. To this end, a targeted analysis was conducted in 2021. Four commercially available systems, including the one currently used by the Centre, were evaluated in depth based on the needs of the organization and its clients. The results of this analysis led to the selection of AtoM software. The current project consists of installing the AtoM software in the Centre’s infrastructure and configuring it based on the internal classification plan. Then, the descriptive, bibliographic and image records contained in ArchiLog—the software currently used at the Centre—will be migrated, and a quality validation and adjustments will take place as needed.

The NumArt project targets the following activities: Digitize, describe and preserve 25,342 photographs, which comprise the artistic and cultural photographic heritage of the Franco-Saskatchewanian community from 1974 to 2000, assembled in the collections of the Conseil culturel fransaskois and the newspaper L’Eau vive. Train and educate Francophones in archival processing. Promote this heritage through virtual exhibitions, publications and community and school activities.

Friends of Grain Elevators (FOGE) requests funding to ensure its Voices of the Grain Trade oral history collection is preserved and fully available to the public by spring 2024. The activities of this project include transcribing 144 audio files, creating archival documentation for all new and existing interview transcripts (metadata description, interview summaries, and keywords), and uploading audio files to FOGE’s website. For long-term preservation, FOGE will work with Lakehead University’s archives to store the collection, ensuring Voices will be discoverable and usable for future generations. The more than 200 narrators within the collection tell the story of how Thunder Bay once became the world’s largest grain port, as well as the modern changes that saw the industry’s decline.

Incorporated in 1999, Archives de Bellevue Inc. (ABI) compiles the Francophone documentary heritage of the St. Isidore-de-Bellevue region (Batoche, St. Louis, Domremy, Duck Lake, Hoey). The 24 linear metres of Francophone and Métis archives include 49 individual fonds and nine organization fonds, as well as religious archives. Activities include evaluation and consultation meetings, development of tools (acquisition policy; processing, description and classification procedures; preservation policy and contingency plan; accessibility plan), training in procedures and tools and design of an informative website.