Glenbow Archives

Glenbow Archives
Name	Glenbow Archives
Established	1955
Location	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Type	archives
Collection size	millions of documents, photographs, maps, audio-visual recordings
Director	(varies)
Website	(see external resources)

Glenbow Archives Glenbow Archives is a major archival repository in Calgary, Alberta, housing extensive primary-source materials on Western Canadian history, Indigenous nations, corporate enterprises, cultural organizations, and military formations. The Archives supports scholarship on subjects ranging from the Hudson's Bay Company and Canadian Pacific Railway to the Treaty 7 signatory nations and the cultural output of Calgary Stampede, offering materials used by researchers studying figures such as John A. Macdonald, Louis Riel, Emily Murphy, J.S. Woodsworth, and Pierre Trudeau. Holdings document interactions among entities like the Royal North-West Mounted Police, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Alberta Historic Sites Service, Canadian Pacific Railway Company, Imperial Oil, and numerous First Nations, Métis, and Inuit organizations.

History

The Archives originated from the private collections of Norman L. Bowen’s contemporaries and the philanthropic initiatives of Eric Lafferty Harvie, who established the Glenbow Foundation in 1955. Early provenance includes donations from entities such as the Hudson's Bay Company archives, corporate records from Canadian Pacific Railway and Imperial Oil, and personal papers of politicians including R. B. Bennett, Peter Lougheed, and Allan Patrick McKinnon. Institutional milestones intersect with provincial developments involving the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, municipal collections from the City of Calgary, and partnerships with museums like the Royal Alberta Museum and cultural organizations such as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Calgary Board of Education.

Collections

Holdings comprise business archives from Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian National Railway, Imperial Oil, and family firms like the Barrett family; Indigenous records relating to Blackfoot Confederacy, Siksika Nation, Piikani Nation, Kainai Nation, Métis Nation of Alberta; political papers of figures including John Diefenbaker, Lester B. Pearson, and Wilfrid Laurier; military materials from Canadian Expeditionary Force units, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; cultural and arts records for groups such as the Calgary Stampede, Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Calgary Opera, and artists like Frida Kahlo (via collections), A. Y. Jackson, and Lawren Harris. The photographic collection features images tied to events such as the Klondike Gold Rush, the Calgary Flood of 2013, and the development of the Alberta oil sands, plus maps, architectural drawings, oral histories with figures from Fort Macleod and Fort Edmonton, and audiovisual recordings of performances at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

Services and Access

Researchers consult archival finding aids, special collections, and reference files related to subjects including Treaty 6, Treaty 7, Treaty 8, and commissions such as the Miller Inquiry. Public services include on-site reading rooms accommodating scholars from universities like the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and University of Alberta; inter-institutional loans with the Library and Archives Canada; and copying services for materials governed by legal frameworks such as the Canadian Copyright Act and privacy provisions invoked by Indigenous communities. Outreach includes exhibitions in collaboration with institutions like the Glenbow Museum (partners), the Royal Ontario Museum, and touring displays for festivals such as Heritage Day and Doors Open Calgary.

Digitization and Online Resources

Digitization initiatives prioritize high-use collections such as photographic series documenting the Alberta oil sands development, corporate records of Imperial Oil, and Indigenous treaties. Online catalogs cross-reference entries with databases maintained by partners like Archives Canada and the National Film Board of Canada collections, and link digitized items to educational projects developed with the Calgary Board of Education and academic teams from the University of Calgary and Concordia University. Digital preservation strategies align with international standards promoted by organizations such as the International Council on Archives and the Digital Preservation Coalition.

Governance and Funding

Governance structures reflect charitable frameworks associated with the founding foundation and board oversight including representatives from institutions such as the City of Calgary, Province of Alberta, University of Calgary, and philanthropic bodies like the Canada Council for the Arts and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Funding sources combine endowments, grants from agencies including Canadian Heritage, project support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, corporate sponsorship by companies like Suncor Energy and Enbridge, and private donations from families and estates such as the McDougall family donor records. Compliance and accountability involve reporting to municipal and provincial bodies and alignment with standards from the Association of Canadian Archivists.

Research and Outreach

The Archives supports academic research projects on subjects including the Klondike Gold Rush, Prairie settlement, oil industry, and Indigenous legal histories arising from cases like Calder v British Columbia (Attorney General) and the implications of Treaty 8. Staff collaborate with scholars from University of Calgary, University of Alberta, Simon Fraser University, and community historians from the Alberta Historical Society, producing exhibitions, lectures, and educational materials used in curricula alongside museums such as the Glenbow Museum and the Royal Alberta Museum. Public programming has featured partnerships with cultural festivals including the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Wordfest, and historical commemorations tied to Remembrance Day.

Facilities and Preservation

Preservation facilities include climate-controlled repositories designed to standards advocated by the Canadian Conservation Institute and the International Council on Archives. Conservation labs perform work on paper, photograph, and audiovisual media, collaborating with specialists from the National Archives of Canada and private conservators. Emergency preparedness plans address risks demonstrated by events like the Calgary flood of 2013 and wildfires affecting sites in Fort McMurray and northern Alberta, coordinating with emergency management agencies such as Alberta Emergency Management Agency.

Category:Archives in Canada Category:Culture of Calgary