Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 5:00pm (Staff assistance until 4:45pm)
Location: 1150 Chestnut St., Vancouver, BC, V6J 3J9
Contact: archives@vancouver.ca 604-736-8561
Access: Researchers must present photo identification and fill out a registration form upon arrival
Website: http://vancouver.ca/your-government/city-of-vancouver-archives.aspx
The City of Vancouver Archives contains over 1,000 linear metres of City Government records dating from Vancouver’s incorporation in 1886 to the present day. City Government records include the records of the various city departments, such as the Vancouver Health Department, and their subordinate agencies, committees, and bodies.
The Archives also maintains private records of individuals, corporations, and organizations such as pioneer families, politicians, social activists, entrepreneurs, and community organizations which document the social, economic, political, and cultural history of Vancouver. The Archives’ photograph collections consist of more than 1,000,000 images from public and private sources from the 1860s to the present day. The Archives also contains more than 4,000 maps and plans from the late 1700s to the present day. This includes fire insurance plans from 1885 to the 1960s, architectural plans from 1910 to the 1960s, and ship’s plans from the late 1700s to 1980. The Archives holdings also include pamphlets such as brochures, programs, advertising broadsheets, political commentaries, calling cards, and menus from 1860 to the present; newspaper clippings from the 1920s to the present, 2,000 works of art; and a library of 2,500 books from the late 1700s to the present.
The City of Vancouver Archives contains several significant collections related to the history of medicine. The Vancouver General Hospital (1888-1980) fonds consists of 8.89 linear metres of textual records and 150 microfilm reels including annual reports, minutes from board and committee meetings, statistical reports, and other items. Other collections related to the Vancouver General Hospital include the Women’s Auxiliary to the Vancouver General Hospital (1904-2002) fonds which consists of 1.85 linear metres of textual records, the Women’s Auxiliary to the Health Centre for Children of the Vancouver General Hospital (1920-1982) fonds which consists of 0.6 linear metres of textual records, and the records of William Orson Banfield (1897-1983) who served as a trustee of the Vancouver General Hospital.
The Children’s Hospital Society (1923-1989) fonds consists of 2 linear metres of textual records and 3,000 photographs documenting the development, operation, and evolution of the Children’s Hospital. The Pro-choice (1960-2007) records consists of 2.68 linear metres of textual records and 72 audio cassettes relating to the pro-choice and anti-abortion movements in Vancouver. Other collections related to the history of medicine include the records of nurse Emily E. Edwardes (1898-1916); the records of architectural firm Townley, Matheson and Partners who designed numerous hospitals in Vancouver and British Columbia; the records of the Vancouver City Creche (1912-1932), a daycare centre for the children of working women; the records of pioneer doctor Henri Evariste Langis (1884-1904); the records of pharmacist Emery Bertram (1897-1971); the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society B.C. Division (1942-1984) fonds; and the Vancouver Unit of the Nursing Sisters’ Association of Canada (1927-2002) fonds.
The Archives has digitized and made available online nearly 90,000 items from its collections. This includes more than 88,000 images, 554 textual records (primarily city council minutes), 533 videos, and 223 audio recordings. The Archives has also digitized the catalogue for hardware store McLennan, McFeeley & Co Ltd for the years 1908-1914 and Major James Skitt Matthews’ seven-volume history Early Vancouver, written between 1931 and 1956.
The Archives has also created a series of online reference guides for some of the Archives’ most frequently requested records. These guides are: city directories, City of Vancouver annual reports, environmental site assessments, fire insurance and sectional maps, maritime history, neighbourhoods, and research buildings and houses.