From dusty papers to archival treasures, Canadian Municipal Archives, the City of Winnipeg Archives, and the Records of Winnipeg City Council, 1874-1971

Abstract

This thesis discusses a number of things. The first chapter sets the stage for the rest of the thesis with a discussion of the development of archives in Canada generally and municipal archives specifically. The reasons why municipal archives have been created as well as why, for the most part, they remain underdeveloped will be discussed in detail. Examples of various municipal archives are used to illustrate the various causes of municipal archival development. An overview of the development of the City of Winnipeg Archives and Records Control Branch is presented in chapter two. It will illustrate how this archives has developed and presents reasons for its slow progress towards a full archival program. To date, the City of Winnipeg still does not have a full archival program in place with, for example, a complete description of its records. The third chapter opens with a brief overview of the theoretical underpinnings of archival description in what is often called the contextual approach to archival administration. The importance and use of standardized archival description (such as RAD) are also discussed. The final chapter of the thesis concludes with a preliminary description using RAD of the City of Winnipeg Council Fonds and its components (1874-1971). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)