Saskatchewan Archives Board
Encyclopedia
The Saskatchewan Archives Board is an arms-length
government agency with offices in Saskatoon and Regina
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
. The archives holds public and private records which include audio tapes, video, photographs, maps, publications and other material.
professor
at the University of Saskatchewan
in Saskatoon was a leading figure in heritage preservation in Saskatchewan. He became head of the department of history at the university as well as university librarian
in 1914, just prior to the outbreak of World War I
. During the war, he travelled throughout Saskatchewan, teaching university extension classes to rural communities. It was during these travels that he became aware of the urgent need to acquire and preserve Saskatchewan's documentary heritage.
Efforts were made by a number of professors at the University of Saskatchewan to develop an archival program. Government inaction and limited support stymied most of the efforts. During World War I, a provision was made for an archives branch of the Legislative Library, but the position of archivist was allowed to lapse after the death of Assistant Librarian and archivist William Trant in 1924. Meanwhile, the Legislature was overflowing with inactive government records. The solution to the overflow was to feed the records to the fires of the powerhouse nearby. The first statute to deal with the retention or disposal of archival records, the Preservation of Public Documents Act of 1920, did little to transfer documents of historic significance to the archives.
The Historical Public Records Office (HPRO) set up at the University of Saskatchewan in 1937 was the precursor to the present day Saskatchewan Archives Board (SAB). Morton modelled the HPRO on the English Public Record Office
. He felt it was important to make a distinction between government archives and archives containing general historic material. He was solely concerned with the preservation of government records in the early years. He spent the next seven years pursuing inactive federal government records and records of farm organizations with the aim of developing a leading research facility for prairie
history. He pushed for an archives Act to create a public records policy for the province.
In March 1945, the Archives Act was passed and the Saskatchewan Archives Board was formed. Morton was not alive to see the passing of the act - he had died in January 1945. The Archives Act formalized the relationship between the University of Saskatchewan and the provincial government. A board of five was created, two members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, two by the Board of Governors of the university. The fifth member was to be the Legislative librarian, while the Provincial Archivist sat as Secretary of the Board.
The archives offers reference services to individuals wishing to use the archives in person or from a distance. While genealogists
comprise nearly half of the users of the archives, students, professors, historians, lawyers, journalists, artists and government organizations also utilize the facilities.
Arm's length principle
The arm's length principle is the condition or the fact that the parties to a transaction are independent and on an equal footing. Such a transaction is known as an "arm's-length transaction"...
government agency with offices in Saskatoon and Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The archives holds public and private records which include audio tapes, video, photographs, maps, publications and other material.
History
A.S. Morton, a historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
in Saskatoon was a leading figure in heritage preservation in Saskatchewan. He became head of the department of history at the university as well as university librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
in 1914, just prior to the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During the war, he travelled throughout Saskatchewan, teaching university extension classes to rural communities. It was during these travels that he became aware of the urgent need to acquire and preserve Saskatchewan's documentary heritage.
Efforts were made by a number of professors at the University of Saskatchewan to develop an archival program. Government inaction and limited support stymied most of the efforts. During World War I, a provision was made for an archives branch of the Legislative Library, but the position of archivist was allowed to lapse after the death of Assistant Librarian and archivist William Trant in 1924. Meanwhile, the Legislature was overflowing with inactive government records. The solution to the overflow was to feed the records to the fires of the powerhouse nearby. The first statute to deal with the retention or disposal of archival records, the Preservation of Public Documents Act of 1920, did little to transfer documents of historic significance to the archives.
The Historical Public Records Office (HPRO) set up at the University of Saskatchewan in 1937 was the precursor to the present day Saskatchewan Archives Board (SAB). Morton modelled the HPRO on the English Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
. He felt it was important to make a distinction between government archives and archives containing general historic material. He was solely concerned with the preservation of government records in the early years. He spent the next seven years pursuing inactive federal government records and records of farm organizations with the aim of developing a leading research facility for prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
history. He pushed for an archives Act to create a public records policy for the province.
In March 1945, the Archives Act was passed and the Saskatchewan Archives Board was formed. Morton was not alive to see the passing of the act - he had died in January 1945. The Archives Act formalized the relationship between the University of Saskatchewan and the provincial government. A board of five was created, two members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, two by the Board of Governors of the university. The fifth member was to be the Legislative librarian, while the Provincial Archivist sat as Secretary of the Board.
About the Archives
The Saskatchewan Archives is a unique situation - it has two offices located in Saskatoon and Regina. No other provincial archives in Canada has offices in two cities. It has provided residents of the province with greater access to archival sources. Saskatchewan Archives hold government records, private records, business records, maps, audio tapes, photographs, moving images, architectural drawings, newspapers, and microfilm. Some archival records date back to the mid 19th century. The archival holdings document the lives of all residents of Saskatchewan - from the political, social and economic elite to the ordinary citizen.The archives offers reference services to individuals wishing to use the archives in person or from a distance. While genealogists
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
comprise nearly half of the users of the archives, students, professors, historians, lawyers, journalists, artists and government organizations also utilize the facilities.