Archives of Ontario

Provincial archives in Canada

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Archives of OntarioArchives publiques de l'Ontario

Agency overview
Formed| 1903 (1903)
Headquarters| 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard
Toronto, Ontario
Minister responsible|

* Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement

Agency executive|

* Jacqueline Spencer,
Archivist of Ontario

Website| www.archives.gov.on.ca

The Archives of Ontario are the archives for the province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1903 as the Bureau of Archives, the archives are now under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. The main offices of the archive are located at York University in Toronto.

## History

[edit]

The York University Research Tower and Archives of Ontario building

The Bureau of Archives, as it was originally known, was first located in the Ontario Legislative Building, under the leadership of Alexander Fraser (1860–1936), a Scottish-born Toronto journalist, academic and militia officer who held the position of Provincial Archivist from 1903 to 1935.[1] During his tenure, Fraser remained a prolific author and amongst other things prepared annual reports for publication describing progress in making records available to the public, and presenting the full texts of major document collections. He summarized his vision for the scope and work of the Archives in a paper he presented to the American Historical Association at Buffalo in 1911.[2] In it he described the popularity of the Archives annual report volumes amongst historians and members of the public.

In the Depression era, the Archives was put on a precarious footing by Premier Mitch Hepburn's desire to close it down as a cost-cutting measure. Fraser was targeted for retirement and his assistant James J. Talman became acting head while also tasked with heading the Legislative Library. Talman was able to save the Archives by agreeing to move its office and collections to basement vaults.[3] Talman eventually took new employment as Chief Librarian at the University of Western Ontario, where he started an archives collection that became the Regional History Division at UWO. Fraser's private papers as Provincial Archivist found their first home there. The Ontario Archives was not returned to a solid footing until the late 1940s under Helen McClung.[4]

The Archives moved to the Canadiana Building (14 Queen's Park Crescent West) on the University of Toronto campus in 1951, at which time it was known as the Department of Public Records and Archives. During the period the Archives was located there, staff archivists, including Edwin Guillet, became well known for their research work in support of the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board[5] \- which placed historical site plaques throughout the province[6] \- and for preparation of historical surveys of many regions of the province that were published as part of a series of volumes describing the work of conservation authorities in Ontario \- also restricted from Internet access by Crown copyright.

The Archives relocated to 77 Grenville Street in 1972 and its name was also changed to the Archives of Ontario. The reading room at the Grenville building closed on March 26, 2009, as part of the move to new facilities in North York.

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Archives of Ontario building on the York University grounds, which also houses the York University Research Tower, was on April 30, 2007. The groundbreaking was attended by former Minister of Government Services Gerry Phillips and former York University President and Vice-Chancellor Lorna Marsden.[7] The building was opened to the public on April 2, 2009, and is expected to be the site of the Archives for at least the next thirty-five years.[8]

In addition to preserving the records of the Ontario government, the Archives has from the outset actively sought records of private individuals and organizations that reflect Ontario's history. In the words of Alexander Fraser, "The Province has been so long entirely neglected that when I undertook to organize the department I decided that the most valuable service I could render to the public was to acquire, to collect, and safely preserve whatever material I could find, believing the day would soon come when the value of such material would be fully realized and the necessary office assistance provided to enable me to make the accumulated archives conveniently accessible to the public."

Notable private records include the fonds of Eaton's, Conn Smythe, and Moriyama and Teshima Architects.

## List of Archivists of Ontario

[edit]

The head of the Archives has been known as the Archivist of Ontario since 1923, prior to that they were known as the Provincial Archivist.

Name | Term | Notes

|
|

Alexander Fraser | 1903–1935 |
James J. Talman | 1935–1939 | Acting, also serving as Acting Legislative Librarian
Helen A. McClung | 1939–1944 | Acting
John H. Bennett | 1944 |
Helen A. McClung | 1944–1950 |
George W. Spragge | 1950–1963 |
Donald F. McOuat | 1963–1978 |
William G. Ormsby | 1978–1986 |
Ian E. Wilson | 1986–1999 |
Miriam McTiernan | 1999–2010 |
David Nicholl | 2010 |
Angela Forest | 2010–2013 |
James Hamilton | 2013–2015 |
John Roberts | 2015–2024 |
Jacqueline Spencer[9] | 2024-  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Archives of Ontario : Alexander Fraser fonds". ao.minisisinc.com.
2. ^ Fraser, Alexander (September 22, 1913). The Ontario Archives scope of its operations: paper read at the twenty-seventh annual meeting of the American Historical Association, held at Buffalo, N.Y., December 27-30, 1911. CIHM/ICMH Microfiche. [s.n.] – via Hathi Trust.
3. ^ FROM THE ONTARIO ARCHIVES TO THE UWO, by James J. Talman (Transcript of his talk at the 6' AGM on November 14, 1991) in EX LIBRIS NEWS Newsletter of the Ex Libris Association Fall 1992 (Number 12) p.24 https://www.exlibris.ca/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=newsletters:elan_issue_12_fall_1992.pdf
4. ^ McClung, Helen (1947). "Department of Public Records and Archives of Ontario". The American Archivist. 10 (2): 184–186\. doi:10.17723/aarc.10.2.nt44828n87550330.
5. ^ "Provincial Plaque Program". Ontario Heritage Trust. February 17, 2017.
6. ^ "Ontario's Historical Plaques". www.ontarioplaques.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023.
7. ^ "Construction begins on new home for the Archives of Ontario", Ministry of Government Services, Government of Ontario April 30, 2007. Accessed on 2008-06-23
8. ^ "StackPath". plenarygroup.com.
9. ^ "Order in Council 1438/2024 | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 2025-02-02.

## See also

[edit]

* Archives of Ontario GLAM-Wiki page

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archives of Ontario.

* v
* t
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Government of Ontario departments and agencies

Ministries|

* Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and Rural Affairs
* Attorney General
* Cabinet Office
* Children, Community and Social Services
* Citizenship and Multiculturalism
* Colleges and Universities
* Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
* Education
* Energy
* Environment, Conservation and Parks
* Finance
* Francophone Affairs
* Public and Business Service Delivery
* Health
* Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Sport
* Indigenous Affairs
* Infrastructure
* Intergovernmental Affairs
* Labour, Immigration, Training, Skills Development
* Long-Term Care
* Municipal Affairs and Housing
* Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
* Seniors and Accessibility
* Solicitor General
* Transportation
* Treasury Board Secretariat
* Women's Social and Economic Opportunity

Boards and commissions|

* Alcohol and Gaming Commission
* Civilian Police Commission
* Energy Board
* Fairness Commissioner
* Film Review Board
* Human Rights Commission
* Landlord and Tenant Board
* Liquor Control Board
* Mining and Lands Commissioner
* Northland Transportation Commission
* Municipal Board
* Niagara Escarpment Commission
* Niagara Parks Commission
* Securities Commission
* St. Lawrence Parks Commission
* Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

Other Crown agencies
and corporations|

* Agricorp
* Agricultural Research Institute
* Cancer Care
* Cannabis Retail Corporation
* Clean Water
* Conservation
* Education Quality and Accountability Office
* Ontario Health
* Cancer Care Ontario
* eHealth
* Trillium Gift of Life Network
* HealthForceOntario
* Health Quality Ontario
* Health Shared Services Ontario
* Local Health Integration Networks
* Ontario Health atHome
* Patient Ombudsman
* Financial Services Regulatory Authority
* Games Ontario
* Heritage Trust
* Independent Electricity System Operator
* Lottery and Gaming Corporation
* Metrolinx
* Municipal Property Assessment Corporation
* Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
* Ontario Place
* Parks
* Power Generation
* Public Health
* Real Estate Council
* Royal Ontario Museum
* Science Centre
* Science North
* Supply Ontario
* TFO
* TVO

Provincial services|

* Archives
* Crown Attorney
* Forensic Sciences
* Independent Police Review Director
* Provincial Police
* ServiceOntario
* Special Investigations Unit

Offices of the Legislature|

* Auditor General
* Elections Ontario
* Environmental Commissioner
* Information and Privacy Commissioner
* Integrity Commissioner
* Office of the Legislative Assembly
* Ombudsman
* Poet Laureate

Other|

* Executive Council
* Premier
* Deputy Premier
* Agent-General
* Emergency Management Ontario
* Arts Council
* Hydro One
* Ornge
* Parliament Network
* List of defunct Ontario ministries and agencies

* v
* t
* e

Public institutions and infrastructure in Toronto

Libraries and archives|

* Archives of Ontario
* City of Toronto Archives
* Film Reference Library
* Ryerson Image Centre
* Toronto Public Library
* Toronto Reference Library
* North York Central Library

Universities and colleges|

* Centennial College
* George Brown College
* Humber College
* OCAD University
* Seneca College
* Toronto Metropolitan University
* University of Guelph-Humber
* Université de l'Ontario français
* University of Toronto
* York University

Institutional|

* City Hall
* Civic Centres
* East York
* Etobicoke
* North York
* Scarborough
* York
* Convention Centre
* Metro Hall
* Osgoode Hall
* Police Headquarters

Infrastructure|

* Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
* Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
* High Level Pumping Station
* Hogg's Hollow Bridge
* Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
* Leaside Bridge
* Prince Edward Viaduct
* R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant
* ExPlace Wind Turbine

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* SNAC
* Yale LUX

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