A digital version of this newsletter can be found here.

Introducing our Board

Chair: Andrew Morrison

Vice-Chair: Heather Bidzinski

Finance and Grants: Katrin Nielsdottir

Secretary: Jackson Anderson

Digital Initiatives: Jackson Anderson and Katie Lynch

Education: Al Thorleifson

Indigenous Relations: Carmen Miedema and Mary Horodyski

Information and Outreach: Corser du Pont

Membership: Carmen Miedema and Heather Bidzinski

Student Member-at-large: Blake Mueller

Call for New Board Member

Special Initiatives Member-at-Large: We are seeking a Member-at-Large to assist in organizing the Manitoba Day event. This can be a shared position.

Committee Reports

Digital Initiatives: The DI Team ran a workshop on Manitoba Archival Information Network (MAIN) for the University of Manitoba Archival Studies Class. We continue to assist members with renewing or starting membership online. See Renewing and Starting Membership in this newsletter.

Education and Advisory Services: The Committee has organized an Archiving Email Workshop. See Upcoming Events for more information.

Finance and Grants: No report this month.

Indigenous Relations: We appreciate the participants who came to our first "Archivists' Outing" at the WAG on March 18. Special thanks to AMA member Nicole Fletcher for her insightful tour of the Robert Houle "Red is Beautiful" exhibit and for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the archives and vault. We had some thoughtful consideration of how archives can support decolonization and the important role of provenance in these efforts. We look forward to our next outing!

Information and Outreach: The I&O Committee met on March 8^th. The Committee has provisionally scheduled the AMA Trivia Night for Wednesday, April 26^th. The AMA currently has 259 followers on Twitter and 170 on Instagram. Please send any Advisory Services requests you may have to advocacy@mbarchives.ca.

Membership Committee: No report this month.

Student Member-at-Large: No report this month.

Renewing and Starting Membership online

A reminder that membership renewals are due on April 1, 2023. Please follow the instructions below to renew online. Please contact the AMA at ama1@mts.net or Digital Initiatives at webmaster@mbarchives.ca if you have any difficulties.

Membership renewals can be completed by logging into the website clicking on "View profile" in the top right-hand corner of the page. In your profile, click on the "Renew to [date]" button. Update your information in the fields that appear as needed and click the "Update and next" button. Review your information and click the "Pay online button" to finalize your renewal in PayPal.

Upcoming Events

Email Archiving at the University of British Columbia: What We’ve Learned – Thursday - April 27^th, 2:00 pm

Hosted by Andy Resto and Barbara Towell, this presentation will go over the work of the UBC Email Archiving Working Group over the past year. First we will discuss what we learned from conducting research through an environmental scan and a literature review, followed by an outline of our email archiving goals. This will include a discussion of our proposed workflows, email management tools, and policy development. Throughout we will discuss challenges that we have faced, and will end the session with an open Q&A.

News from our Members

Conservation Treatment of the First Winnipeg City Council Minutes, 1874-1875

The following comes from Sarah Ramsden of the City of Winnipeg Archives

With financial assistance from the Heritage Grants Program (Province of Manitoba), the City of Winnipeg Archives worked with Conservator Jane Dalley to treat the first Winnipeg City Council Minutes. This project involved treating the City’s first Minute Book, its index, as well as the rough minutes of the first Council meeting that were recorded and stored separately. All of these records showed various signs of deterioration, were extremely fragile, and could not be handled without risking further damage. Because of their fragility, staff restricted access to these records years ago, offering researchers microfilm copies as an alternative. However, without being able to read the rough minutes of the first Council meeting, which were in pieces, their precise contents remained a mystery.

During treatment, the records were cleaned, stabilized, and agents of deterioration were removed. The results were astounding. In addition to extending their life, the treatment has increased the artefactual value of these records, restored them to a condition where they can be handled safely by staff, and recovered missing information. It is exciting to say that, in advance of Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary in 2024, staff can remove the access restrictions to the first City Council Minutes. To aid in their preservation, however, staff will continue to reduce the amount of handling, encouraging users to use digitized copies and transcriptions of the first Council Minute Book available online.

Read more about the project on the AMA’s blog here.

Updates on City of Winnipeg Archives

The City of Winnipeg has approved funding to renovate the City of Winnipeg Archives’ previous home at Carnegie Library. For more information, read the articles and announcements below.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/carnegie-library-renovation-winnipeg-archives-1.6774058

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/03/19/new-life-breathed-into-carnegie-library

https://www.winnipeg.ca/city-governance/budget-finance/multi-year-budget-2023-update

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-budget-2023-passes-1.6787803

Job Opportunity!

The University of Winnipeg Archives is hiring an Archives Assistant for the Indigenous Course Requirement Collection. Click the link below to apply!

https://www.northstarats.com/University-of-Winnipeg/Indigenous-Course-Requirement-Collection-Archives-Assistant-Library-Term/76094

Shelley Sweeny awarded Platinum Jubilee Medal

Text from Winnipeg Free Press and the Government of Manitoba

Shelley Sweeney has been awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal. The criteria for the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Manitoba) is broad. Recipients can be of all ages and from all walks of life, provided that they have made a contribution to society. Nominator Dr. Jon Gerrard (MLA River Heights) said “Shelley Sweeney, champion in the preservation of Manitoba’s history, was chosen for her contribution to the promotion of Manitoba’s cultural fabric and diversity by expanding the acquisition of private archives at the University of Manitoba Archives and through her work in preserving records related to reconciliation.”

Above: Dr. Shelley Sweeney receives Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal at the Manitoba legislative building in Winnipeg, December 19, 2022. Photographer: Richard Condie.

UMASC Documentary 

Last year the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections produced a short documentary about A.H. Reginal Buller's role in the history of the University of Manitoba.  This film was based on the exhibition "’He was the Very Model of a Modern Research Scientist:’ Reginald Buller and the Founding of the University of Manitoba". Click here to watch the full documentary.

Archival Webinars

Backlog Webinars

Antiracism & Decolonization in Archives & Records Management Series

NCTR Dialogue: Land Back

Call for Volunteers

We are always looking for members to join our committees. Volunteering with the AMA is an excellent way to network with archivists, build skills, and shape the future of archives in Manitoba. If you are interested, please contact the Chair, or a committee chair, at one of the email addresses listed on this page https://mbarchives.ca/contact 

News for the newsletter?

Does your archive have a new grant or a new hire? Or do you have a collection you want to promote? Send your news to ama1@mts.net and we will include it in an upcoming newsletter.

The following comes from Sarah Ramsden of the City of Winnipeg Archives

With financial assistance from the Heritage Grants Program (Province of Manitoba), the City of Winnipeg Archives worked with Conservator Jane Dalley to treat the first Winnipeg City Council Minutes. This project involved treating the City’s first Minute Book, its index, as well as the rough minutes of the first Council meeting that were recorded and stored separately.

All of these records showed various signs of deterioration, were extremely fragile, and could not be handled without risking further damage. More specifically, the book bindings were damaged; the leather binding on the Minute Book had red rot; there were loose pages, and the rough minutes of the first Council meeting were crumbling. Because of their fragility, staff restricted access to these records years ago, offering researchers microfilm copies as an alternative. However, without being able to read the rough minutes of the first Council meeting, which were in pieces, their precise contents remained a mystery.

During treatment, the records were cleaned, stabilized, and agents of deterioration were removed. The work involved repairing the bindings and tears, targeting the red rot, dry-cleaning pages, reinforcing the most damaged pages and sections with Japanese tissue, and re-assembling loose fragments of paper using a light table.

The results were astounding. In addition to extending their life, the treatment has increased the artefactual value of these records, restored them to a condition where they can be handled safely by staff, and recovered missing information. Once reassembled, we learned the “rough minutes” of the first Council meeting were original copies of resolutions tabled at the meeting, as opposed to a complete set of minutes. Thankfully, the minutes of the first Council meeting are recorded elsewhere.

It is exciting to say that, in advance of Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary in 2024, staff can remove the access restrictions to the first City Council Minutes. To aid in their preservation, however, staff will continue to reduce the amount of handling, encouraging users to use digitized copies and transcriptions of the first Council Minute Book, which are currently available on our website Winnipeg in Focus – see: https://winnipeginfocus.winnipeg.ca/i04042

The City of Winnipeg Archives gratefully acknowledges:

• Jane Dalley, Director of Jane Dalley Heritage Consulting, for all conservation work
• Province of Manitoba for its financial support of the project

Submitted by Sarah Ramsden, Archivist, City of Winnipeg Archives, with contributions from Jane Dalley

Photo Gallery:

A digital version of this newsletter can be found here.

Introducing our Board

Chair: Andrew Morrison        

Vice-Chair: Heather Bidzinski

Finance and Grants: Katrin Nielsdottir     

Secretary: Jackson Anderson

Digital Initiatives: Jackson Anderson and Katie Lynch

Education: Al Thorleifson

Indigenous Relations: Carmen Miedema and Mary Horodyski

Information and Outreach: Corser du Pont

Membership: Carmen Miedema and Heather Bidzinski

Student Member-at-large: Blake Mueller

Call for New Board Member

Special Initiatives Member-at-Large: We are seeking a Member-at-Large to assist in organizing the Manitoba Day event. This can be a shared position.

Committee Reports

Digital Initiatives: We are assisting members with renewing or starting membership online. See Renewing and Starting Membership in this newsletter.

Education and Advisory Services: Stay tuned for upcoming events.

Finance and Grants: The Community Internship Committee has chosen Daly House and Manitoba Metis Federation for Intern Grants. The application process for students is starting.

Indigenous Relations: We had a successful webinar on February 8, on “Creating a Meaningful Land Acknowledgment” with Allen Sutherland, also known as Waabiskhi Mazinazoot Mishtaatim, or White Spotted Horse. Stay tuned for more events.

Information and Outreach: Stay tuned for news about an online Trivia night!

Membership Committee: Please be sure to renew your membership by April!

Student Member-at-Large: Stay tuned for updates!

Renewing and Starting Membership Online

A reminder that membership renewals are due on April 1, 2023. Please follow the instructions below to renew online. Please contact the AMA at ama1@mts.net or Digital Initiatives at webmaster@mbarchives.ca if you have any difficulties.

Membership renewals can be completed by logging into the website clicking on "View profile" in the top right-hand corner of the page. In your profile, click on the "Renew to [date]" button. Update your information in the fields that appear as needed and click the "Update and next" button. Review your information and click the "Pay online button" to finalize your renewal in PayPal.

Focus on Treaties

“What's Your Treaty Story?” Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3a6048e38dae4afd8def879b63f2b1b5  

“Interactive treaty education facility Agowiidiwinan Centre opens at The Forks in Winnipeg” by Darren Bernhardt, CBC News, Dec 15, 2022.. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/agowiidiwinan-treaty-centre-open-forks-winnipeg-1.6686978

“Treaties and the Treaty Relationship Webinar Series” Canada’s History. https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/webinars/treaties-and-the-treaty-relationship-webinar-series

Photo of the Month

Sara Dyck at the Mennonite Heritage Archives using the overhead camera stand to digitize the newspaper "Steinbach Post.” Check out the News about our Members to learn more about the Mennonite Heritage Archives new digitization project.

News about our Members

Mennonite Heritage Archives

An exciting development for the Mennonite Heritage Archives is a new digital platform.  In November 2019 MHA consulted focus groups and heard the call for more online access, which the pandemic has only heightened. As one response, we have embarked on a large digitization project – providing online access to digitized archival content with word searchable capabilities for printed materials. Newspapers and community magazines are currently being posted.  Titles include Steinbach Post, Conference of Mennonites in Canada Yearbook, CMBC Alumni Bulletin, and some books by the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society.  Specialized software was used to recognize the gothic German script.  While not 100%, the results make using these resources much easier. An official launch is yet to come.  The new platform based on the Islandora software, will be able to pull descriptive data from our AtoM instance called MAID (Mennonite Archival Information Database) where applicable.  

Proposed Funding for City of Winnipeg Archives

The City of Winnipeg has proposed a budget that includes $12.6 million to renovate Carnegie Library at 380 William Avenue. This would give the City Archives a proper facility for the first time since 2013. During renovations, the Carnegie Library was damaged in a rainstorm, and the records were then moved to the Myrtle Street location. The budget will be reviewed at the Standing Policy Committee meetings starting on March 3, with a council debate on March 22.

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/this-is-a-double-win-advocates-pleased-with-proposed-funding-for-old-archives-building-1.6272465

Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Preservation and Promotion

Nominations are open until Friday, March 3, 2023 for the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Preservation and Promotion. Initiated in 2011 and presented with the Manitoba Historical Society, this award recognizes “people who have rendered prolonged, meritorious service in the preservation and promotion of Manitoba’s history and heritage”. For more information, see the Manitoba Historical Society website at http:// www.mhs.mb.ca/info/awards/lg/index.shtml

Call for Volunteers

We are always looking for members to join our committees. Volunteering with the AMA is an excellent way to network with archivists, build skills, and shape the future of archives in Manitoba. If you are interested, please contact the Chair, or a committee chair, at one of the email addresses listed on this page https://mbarchives.ca/contact 

News for the newsletter?

Does your archive have a new grant or a new hire? Or do you have a collection you want to promote? Send your news to ama1@mts.net and we will include it in an upcoming newsletter.

A digital version of this newsletter can be found here.

Introducing our Board

Chair: Andrew Morrison           

Vice-Chair: Heather Bidzinski    

Finance and Grants: Katrin Nielsdottir         

Secretary: Jackson Anderson      

Digital Initiatives: Jackson Anderson and Katie Lynch

Education: Al Thorleifson

Indigenous Relations: Carmen Miedema and Mary Horodyski

Information and Outreach: Corser du Pont   

Membership: Carmen Miedema and Heather Bidzinski

Student Member-at-large: Blake Mueller

Call for New Board Member

Special Initiatives Member-at-Large: We are seeking a Member-at-Large to assist in organizing the Manitoba Day event. This can be a shared position.

Committee Reports

Digital Initiatives: We are developing accessibility standards for our Zoom events. We are also assisting members with renewing or starting membership online. See Renewing and Starting Membership in this newsletter.

Education and Advisory Services: Members of the AMA can expect to hear about our planned workshop on Archiving Digital Media within the coming month. The presentation will look at recent experiences of several organizations to undertake archiving of digital media, what to save, and how to do so.

Finance and Grants: The Association for Manitoba Archives Fund, supported by Endow Manitoba and administered by The Winnipeg Foundation, provides the AMA with a reliable source of operating income today and in future years as we continue to build capital through ongoing contributions. To learn more about this fund and the opportunity to donate to it, please follow this link:  https://www.mycharitytools.com/gift/wpgfdn/donate?fund=894 

Indigenous Relations: Please save February 8 at 7 pm for a webinar on “Creating a Meaningful Land Acknowledgment” with Allen Sutherland, also known as Waabiskhi Mazinazoot Mishtaatim, or White Spotted Horse. Registration is on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-a-meaningful-land-acknowledgment-tickets-519134424037

Information and Outreach: Stay tuned for news about an online Trivia night in February!

Membership Committee: We are starting the process of reviewing membership categories and fees.  We hope to have a formal proposal completed by March 1st and look forward to hearing your feedback once it is available.

Student Member-at-Large: Plans are underway to renew the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) student chapter.

Renewing and Starting Membership online

A reminder that membership renewals are due on April 1, 2023. Please follow the instructions below to renew online. Please contact the AMA at ama1@mts.net or Digital Initiatives at webmaster@mbarchives.ca if you have any difficulties.

Membership renewals can be completed by logging into the website clicking on "View profile" in the top right-hand corner of the page. In your profile, click on the "Renew to [date]" button. Update your information in the fields that appear as needed and click the "Update and next" button. Review your information and click the "Pay online button" to finalize your renewal in PayPal.

“Creating a Meaningful Land Acknowledgement” with Allen Sutherland / Waabiskhi Mazinishin Mishtadim (White Spotted Horse)

The AMA is pleased to invite you to this free webinar presented in collaboration with the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba. Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 7 pm on Zoom. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-a-meaningful-land-acknowledgment-tickets-519134424037

Focus on Treaties

“What's Your Treaty Story?” Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3a6048e38dae4afd8def879b63f2b1b5

“Interactive treaty education facility Agowiidiwinan Centre opens at The Forks in Winnipeg” by Darren Bernhardt, CBC News, Dec 15, 2022. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/agowiidiwinan-treaty-centre-open-forks-winnipeg-1.6686978

“Treaties and the Treaty Relationship Webinar Series” Canada’s History. https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/webinars/treaties-and-the-treaty-relationship-webinar-series

News about our Members

The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada is pleased to announce the official reopening of the completely renovated Freeman Family Holocaust Education Centre (HEC). New additions to the HEC include an interactive table featuring stories and photographs outlining the lives of local survivors before, during, and after the Holocaust, and a computer kiosk connecting visitors to the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive (VHA) and its more than 55,000 video testimonies and a list of 1.9 million searchable names. The Jewish Heritage Centre is the only full access site to the VHA between Toronto and Calgary.

For more information, please visit the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada website: https://www.jhcwc.org/

Krystal Payne has an article in the current Fall/Winter 2022 issue of Archivaria titled “Archival Harm Reduction: A Theoretical Framework for Utilizing Harm-Reduction Concepts in Archival Practice.” Read the article here: https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria. You can also read her M.A. thesis “Archival harm reduction: utilizing public health harm reduction concepts for reconciliatory power shifts in archives” here : https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/handle/1993/35762.

Jane Dalley is selling off various types of archival storage enclosures left over from rehousing projects and client orders, including document storage cases and boxes, polyester sleeves and slide storage systems. Please contact her at j_dalle@zoho.com for a list of items, quantities and prices.

Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Preservation and Promotion

Nominations are open until Friday, March 3, 2023 for the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Preservation and Promotion. Initiated in 2011 and presented with the Manitoba Historical Society, this award recognizes “people who have rendered prolonged, meritorious service in the preservation and promotion of Manitoba’s history and heritage”. For more information, see the Manitoba Historical Society website at http://www.mhs.mb.ca/info/awards/lg/index.shtml

Call for Volunteers

We are always looking for members to join our committees. Volunteering with the AMA is an excellent way to network with archivists, build skills, and shape the future of archives in Manitoba. If you are interested, please contact the Chair, or a committee chair, at one of the email addresses listed on this page https://mbarchives.ca/contact

News for the newsletter?

Does your archive have a new grant or a new hire? Or do you have a collection you want to promote? Send your news to ama1@mts.net and we will include it in an upcoming newsletter.

On December 6th, the AMA hosted the online event "Archiving the Records of the MMIWG2S+ Inquiry". The two speakers, Dr. Karine Duhamel and Marta Dabros, have graciously agreed to share their presentation notes. 

NI-MMIWG MAA Dec 2022.pdf

MMIWG_RM_2022-12-06c.pdf

A digital version of this newsletter can be found here.

Message from the Chair

Thank you everyone for your participation in the AGM and during the entire year.  The AMA is looking forward to working with our new board members and under the new by-laws approved at the AGM.  We are anticipating new opportunities and programming in the new year that will hopefully be of value to all members.  Best wishes for the holiday season.

- Andrew Morrison, Chair of the Association for Manitoba Archives

Call for New Board Member

The AMA has the following volunteer position open. Board positions are usually for a period of 2 years. Please note that we have Board meetings one time per month and the meetings are held over Zoom in the evening. If you are interested, or want more information, please email Chair@mbarchives.ca.

Special Initiatives Member-at-Large: From article 5.3 of our by-laws? “Members-at-Large are welcome to attend all meetings, to participate in discussions, vote at meetings, and to help with the organization of Association events.” In particular, we are seeking a Member-at-Large to organize the Manitoba Day event. This can be a shared position.

Committee Reports

Digital Initiatives: Digital Initiatives provided technical support for the “Archiving the Records of the MMIWG Inquiry” webinar. The committee has also started examining ways to improve the accessibility of the AMA's webinars.

Education and Advisory Services: Plans are in the works to hold two workshops in 2023. One addresses the role of trauma in archival research, the second will explore the process of archiving digital media.

Finance and Grants: We are excited to report that we received eight applications for the MICEC Archival Internship grant. We will be reviewing the applications over the next month. The Archival Internship is intended to give an archival student relevant experience, under the supervision of an archivist, while using the opportunity to discover and process within a smaller, local archive that may not otherwise have the opportunity to fund such a position.

Indigenous Relations: We had solid attendance at the “Archiving the Records of the MMIWG Inquiry” on Dec 6 with panelists Dr. Karine Duhamel and Marta Dabros. If you are wanting to support Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, please take some time to review the 231 Calls for Justice that were developed through the Inquiry here. 

And if you are able, please give a donation to support Velma’s House, a 24/7 safe space, here. 

Information and Outreach: Stay tuned for news about an upcoming social event!

Membership Committee: No report this month.

Student Member-at-Large: The AMA welcomes Archival Studies JMP student Blake Mueller to this role.

Featured Member: The Winnipeg Architecture Foundation

The Winnipeg Architecture Foundation (WAF) has been expanding its archival holdings over the past several years. Thanks to funding from the Documentary Heritage Community Programs and Young Canada Works, WAF has been working on arranging, describing, and digitizing the holdings. The collection includes personal and business records of individual architects, designers, and firms and largely pertains to those who were born in Manitoba, taught at the University of Manitoba, or had professional practices in Winnipeg. These include: Arthur James Donahue*, Burton Stovel*, Charles Grant Marshall*, Claude de Forest*, Debby Lexier, Dennis Carter*, George A. Stewart, Green Blankstein Russell, Harlyn E. Thompson, the Manitoba Association of Architects*, Peter Tittenberger, Roy Izen*, Roy Sellors, and Stan Osaka*. (* denotes finalized collections with finding aids which can be found on MAIN here. 

Shop local this holiday season! The Winnipeg Architecture Foundation has a range of publications and merchandise for sale that celebrate Winnipeg’s architectural history. Pick up our latest publications, Max Blankstein: Architect, Osborne Village: An Architectural Tour, and Ghost Signs: An Exchange District Walking Tour, or some of our unique merch like mugs and viewmasters. We also have items for kids, including the bilingual book The Golden Boy in the Case of the Missing Cube / Le Golden Boy enquête: qu’est-il arrivé au Cube? and two colouring books!

Shop online at winnipegarchitecture.ca/shop or visit us in person at 266 McDermot Avenue, Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00.

News from our Members

Indigenous Afternoons at the Archives of Manitoba returns beginning January 2023! These bi-weekly afternoons assist researchers, students, and community members with family and community archival research. See the poster below for details or email archives@gov.mb.ca or tbphotos@uwinnipeg.ca.

A pdf of this poster can be found here.

Call for Volunteers

We are always looking for members to join our committees. Volunteering with the AMA is an excellent way to network with archivists, build skills, and shape the future of archives in Manitoba. If you are interested, please contact the Chair, or a committee chair, at one of the email addresses listed on this pagehttps://mbarchives.ca/contact 

News for the newsletter?

Does your archive have a new grant or a new hire? Or do you have a collection you want to promote? Send your news to ama1@mts.net and we will include it in an upcoming newsletter.

A digital version of this newsletter can be found here.

Committee Reports

Digital Initiatives: Jackson Anderson and Katie Lynch have been elected co-chairs. We have upcoming events which will continue to be organized on Eventbrite. Please reach out for tech support or suggestions on improving the AMA website.

Education and Advisory Services: Stay tuned for upcoming events and workshops.

Finance and Grants: The Association for Manitoba Archives (AMA) and Endow Manitoba seek applications from community heritage institutions to host a fully-funded archival studies internship in Summer 2023. Funding of $12,000 is available to pay the intern, while $3,000 is available to pay an archival advisor/mentor, if necessary. Applications are due by Monday, December 5, 2022.

Indigenous Relations: Please join us December 6 at 7-8:15 pm CST for our online webinar on Archiving the Records of the MMIWG2S+ Inquiry. Panelists are: Dr. Karine Duhamel, Marta Dabros, and Petra Lundy. Moderator: Carmen Miedema. Please see our website for more information and to register https://mbarchives.ca/event-5057393

Information and Outreach: No report this month.

Membership Committee: No report this month.

Special Initiatives Member-at-Large: We are looking for volunteers to help with the Manitoba Day Awards! If you are interested, or want more information, please email ama1@mts.net

Student Member-at-Large: Students interested in volunteering with the AMA can send an email to ama1@mts.net or reach out to us on our social media.

Photo of the Month

This photo comes from the Anna Leclerc fonds from the Service des archives de l'Université se Saint-Boniface. The photo was taken by Meyers Photo. This photo shows the ruins of the aftermath of the St. Boniface fire on November 25, 1922. Ten lives were lost due to the fire, and the building with many Franco-Manitoban records were destroyed. In the long and rich history of the College de Saint-Boniface, November 25, 1922, will always remain an important date.

If you would like to feature a photo from your archives, please submit a photograph along with a sentence or two describing the records, to webmaster@mbarchives.ca.  We love to showcase the collections from our member institutions!  

News about our members

Join us in congratulating Anne Lindsay for being awarded the Best PhD Dissertation in Canadian Studies (2022) by the Canadian Studies Network and the University of Manitoba Distinguished Dissertation Award (2022).  Anne’s dissertation looks at slavery in the Canadian fur trade. For more information, see

https://news.umanitoba.ca/slavery-as-part-of-canadian-history/

Anne’s dissertation is available online at the University of Manitoba website: https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/bitstream/handle/1993/35829/Lindsay_MargaretAnne.pdf?sequence=1

Anne is also a graduate of the Archival Studies stream of the Joint Master’s Program of the UM/UW. Her 2011 M.A. thesis is available here: https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/handle/1993/4874

You can read more about Anne’s work in helping Indigenous community members locate family history in this recent CBC news article:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/three-sisters-residential-school-graves-1.6635772 

The University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections have posted their short film about the Reginald Buller exhibit “‘He was the Very Model of a Modern Research Scientist:’ Reginald Buller and the Founding of the University of Manitoba" on YouTube. The film includes excellent commentary from Shelley Sweeney and Gordon Goldsborough and was produced by UM Archives & Special Collections head Heather Bidzinski. Enjoy the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuirjunpaSY

Special Announcements

Panel discussion: “Archiving the Records of the MMIWG2S+ Inquiry”

The Association for Manitoba Archives is hosting a panel discussion with Dr. Karine Duhamel, Marta Dabros and Petra Lundy.

The panel will be held online on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, from 7:00 – 8:15 pm CST.
The webinar is free and open to all. Please register at Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/archiving-the-records-of-the-mmiwg2s-inquiry-tickets-475651134347

University of Manitoba’s History Colloquium Committee: “Making Archives, Forging Nations: A Critical History of Canada’s National Archives and Total Archives Tradition.”

The University of Manitoba’s Department of History Colloquium Committee hosted a talk with Dr. Jamila Ghaddar entitled, “Making Archives, Forging Nations: A Critical History of Canada’s National Archives and Total Archives Tradition.”

The talk was held on November 30^th from 2:15-3:30 in 409 Tier Building with discussant Raymond Frogner.

Call for Volunteers

We are always looking for members to join our committees. Volunteering with the AMA is an excellent way to network with archivists, build skills, and shape the future of archives in Manitoba. If you are interested, please contact the Chair, or a committee chair, at one of the email addresses listed on this page https://mbarchives.ca/contact 

News for the newsletter?

Does your archive have a new grant or a new hire? Or do you have a collection you want to promote? Send your news to ama1@mts.net and we will include it in an upcoming newsletter.

On October 25th, Dr. Laura A. Millar delivered a talk entitled "Truth, Lies, and Evidence: The Role of the Archivist in an Information Age". The talk was held as a hybrid event with over 100 attendees joining by Zoom and a dozen more attending in person at the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections. Dr. Millar spoke on archivists' roles in the modern era and how archivists could define these roles going forward. Afterwards, Dr. Millar responded to several questions and comments from the attendees.

Dr. Millar has graciously shared her presentation notes, which can be found here. Please note that this version of the notes has been edited to remove any third-party images, to protect third-party IP or other rights. The author has made this text available for research or personal use only.

Special thanks to Dr. Millar for the fantastic talk, the University of Manitoba for hosting the event, Dr. Greg Bak and Al Thorleifson for organizing the event, Katie Lynch for serving as MC, other AMA volunteers for technical support and advertising, and all the attendees who were able to make it. 

A digital version of this newsletter can be found here

Annual General Meeting – November 10 

Our AGM will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. You can register on our website at: https://mbarchives.ca/event-5018153  

AMA Constitution/By-laws 

AMA members received an email recently with our proposed changes to the AMA constitution and by-laws. Please review and email any comments or questions by October 31 to the board members below. Suggestions for changes will be reviewed by the board and the proposed amendments will be presented for a vote at the AGM. 

Heather Bidzinski     Heather.Bidzinski@umanitoba.ca  

Al Thorleifson          pembinamanitouarchive@gmail.com  

 

Committee Reports 

Digital Initiatives: Registration for events is running smoother as we have begun using EventBrite software. We are also upgrading our analytics capabilities to not only capture data on MAIN, but also the AMA’s website. 

Education and Advisory Services: We held a successful webinar on Oct 25 with Dr. Laura A. Millar on “Truth, Lies, and Evidence: The Role of the Archivist in an Information Age”. Over 100 people registered for the event. 

Finance and Grants: Stay tuned for our fulsome report at the AGM. Also, we are looking for volunteers to join the committee. 

Indigenous Relations: We updated the Indigenous Resources list on our website at https://mbarchives.ca/indigenous_resource_list. Two new sections are added: “Repatriation and Reparation” and “Theses by Archival Studies M.A. students”. If you have links you would like to suggest, please email IndigenousRelations@mbarchives.ca  

Information and Outreach: The committee has been very active during the municipal election campaign advocating for a proper facility for the City of Winnipeg Archives. 

Membership Committee: Please take a few minutes to fill in our quick survey and contribute to improving the membership renewal process. Survey closes Friday, November 4. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDVnjoXvozsXFuYzJIaGVLeG9EY1wUNMh2RI8y-tyWeMGiCw/viewform  

Special Initiatives Member-at-Large: We are looking for volunteers to help with the Manitoba Day Awards! If you are interested, or want more information, please email ama1@mts.net  

Student Member-at-Large: We will provide a report next newsletter. See you at the AGM! 

Photo of the Month 

This photo comes from Christy M. Henry at the SJ McKee Archives at Brandon University. Titled “1975 SF – Travellers”, this is part of a new acquisition from the Brandon Sun. 

If you would like to feature a photo from your archives, please submit a photograph along with a sentence or two describing the records, to webmaster@mbarchives.ca.  We love to showcase the collections from our member institutions! 

News from our members 

The Pembina Manitou Archive website has issues from 75 different Manitoba newspapers and magazines. This digital collection has been developed through a partnership with the Manitoba Legislative Library. Visit the collection at: https://pembinamanitouarchive.ca/types/view/11  

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Funded by a generous grant from The Winnipeg Foundation, the University of Winnipeg Archives and Oral History Centre are excited to begin the second phase of the Two-Spirit Oral History project, emphasizing life stories of Two-Spirit Elders and Knowledge-Keepers. 
 
The first phase of the project, donated by Two-Spirited People of Manitoba Inc., consists of interviews conducted in 2018, during the 31st International Two-Spirit Gathering at the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre near Beausejour, MB. The recordings have been made accessible online in accordance with the stewardship agreement signed by Two-Spirited People of Manitoba Inc., and consent agreements signed by interviewees:  
https://archives.uwinnipeg.ca/our-collections/two-spirited-people-of-manitoba-oral-histories.html  
 
The stories of Two-Spirit people have been mostly absent from history owing to white settler colonization and discrimination, including within Indigenous and LGBTQ+ communities. The goal of the project is to record Two-Spirit histories for future generations by sharing their lived experiences. These stories will help to provide source material for new histories, research, and creative works about, for, and by Two-Spirit people, and they may assist people of all ages who identify as Two-Spirit, through these examples. The Archives hopes to have the second phase of the project accessible online by the end of the year.  

 

Special Announcements 

Webinar: Governance Back: Exploring Indigenous Approaches to Reclaiming Land Governance  

The David Suzuki Foundation presents a free public webinar on Thursday, Nov 3 at 2:30 pm CST (3:30 EST). The panel features Aimee Craft and Valentin Lopez, and will be moderated by Rachel Plotkin. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MzZxMYQUQ5CCcdDQ2ETL6g?mkt_tok=MTg4LVZEVS0zNjAAAAGHpI10KcHyDugDBVdeAUQN2HdClt5IB7z15vRLLTjskTwAKkwApcBAYZclnJWDH0agqA1g6QiOWaIHGBI7rSx5DxhDdJ_osNnsYgUNU6X9fA-7  

The Governance Back event is based on the recently published report, available for download at https://davidsuzuki.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/DSF-governance-back-September-20-v2-003.pdf  

Call for Volunteers 

We are always looking for members to join our committees. Volunteering with the AMA is an excellent way to network with archivists, build skills, and shape the future of archives in Manitoba. If you are interested, please contact the Chair, or a committee chair, at one of the email addresses listed on this page https://mbarchives.ca/contact   

                                        

News for the newsletter?  

Does your archive have a new grant or a new hire? Or do you have a collection you want to promote? Send your news to ama1@mts.net and we will include it in an upcoming newsletter. 

A digital version of this newsletter can be found here.

Message from the Chair

The AMA hopes that everyone had a good summer! As autumn arrives and we return to our usual routines, we also have new opportunities to engage with our colleagues, including our Annual General Meeting and the Heritage Summit presented by the eight Provincial Heritage Agencies.

-Andrew Morrison, Chair of the Association for Manitoba Archives

Save the Date! – Annual General Meeting – November 10

Our AGM will be held Thursday, November 10, 2022. Further details will be arriving in your email inbox.

Committee Reports

Digital Initiatives: Digital Initiatives has cleaned up several duplicate authorities in MAIN. We also updated the subject access point “Slaves” to be “Enslaved Persons” to reflect the Library of Congress change in subject headings.

Education and Advisory Services: The education committee continues to work on plans for a workshop on archiving emails and a series on addressing trauma in archival contexts. As well, there is interest from among the region’s museums for a workshop on developing their own archives.

Finance and Grants: Did you know that the funding for the AMA Thesis of Distinction Award comes from our endowment fund with the University of Manitoba? We have been awarding this prize since 1994. For more information, see our website at https://mbarchives.ca/thesisaward

Indigenous Relations: We are planning a panel discussion on MMIWG2S and Archives.

Information and Outreach: The three committee members are maintaining the AMA's social media accounts, as well as actively fielding Advisory Services enquiries.

Membership Committee: Psssst! Have a second to help a Membership Committee member out? Fill in our quick survey and contribute to improving the renewal process.

Survey

Special Initiatives Member-at-Large: We are looking for volunteers to help with the Manitoba Day Awards! If you are interested, or want more information, please email ama1@mts.net

Student Member-at-Large: We welcome Krystal Paine as Student Member-at-Large. Krystal is a recent graduate of the Joint Master’s Program in History in the Archival Studies stream. Currently, she is a PhD student at the University of Manitoba and working as a Research Associate with Kishaadigeh Collaborative Research Centre (University of Winnipeg). Krystal would welcome a co-rep to volunteer alongside her – please email ama1@mts.net if you are interested in this opportunity.

Photo of the Month

September’s photo comes from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Archives. Thanks to archivist Gayle DeGagne for the submission.

This photo was taken in 1951 during the Winnipeg Ballet’s “Royal Command” performance attended by Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. The young girl facing them is Janie Adams. It was photographed by David Portigal and is originally from the Winnipeg Free Press collection of the Western Canada Pictorial Index https://images.uwinnipeg.ca/action.cfm?imageNumber=41657

Sheila Killough, one of the young dancers in 1951, wrote a charming account of the Princess’s visit:

"We are sorry now that we gave you such a serious ballet. How we wished you could have stayed for the next number. It was a comedy and lots of fun. We feel sorry, too, that you did not have any young friends in the Royal Box. We had a party after the performance, and we wished that you could have come. You could have hung up your tiara with ours and pinned a white gardenia in your hair and danced and danced with Philip the whole evening."

(Excerpt from The Royal Winnipeg Ballet: The First Forty Years by Max Wyman, Doubleday & Company, 1978).

The company received Royal designation on January 31, 1953 and was the first ballet company in the Commonwealth to receive this honour.

For more information about the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Archives, please visit https://www.rwb.org/who-we-are/alumni/alumni-association/. The Sheila Killough fonds are listed in MAIN: https://main.lib.umanitoba.ca/sheila-killough-fonds

If you would like to feature a photo from your archives, please submit a photograph along with a sentence or two describing the records, to webmaster@mbarchives.ca.  We love to showcase the collections from our member institutions!

Special Announcements

Job postings

The AMA is happy to circulate job postings to our membership. Please note that we will only circulate postings that include specific salary information (e.g., pay per hour, salary per year, or salary range). You can send your postings to ama1@mts.net

Call for Volunteers

We are always looking for members to join our committees.  Volunteering with the AMA is an excellent way to network with archivists, build skills, and shape the future of archives in Manitoba. If you are interested, please contact the Chair, or a committee chair, at one of the email addresses listed on this page https://mbarchives.ca/contact