Annual Report 2021
Annual Report 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover: Fraser Mills Townsite during 1948 Flood, Linda Price Collection (C15.003)
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Above: Family sitting on steps to Brewer House, ca.1940 Hoy-Scott Watershed Society fonds (F45-S4-F02-F45.006)]
Exhibits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Opposite page: Archives front entrance
Staff News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Outreach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Acquisition Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Reference Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Arrangement and Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Digitization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Plans for 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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INTRODUCTION
2021 was a challenging year as the global pandemic continued to impact our daily working lives. As the year began, staff worked remotely and from the office while adapting to the shifting realities of COVID-19. Working from home gave staff the opportunity to focus on database descriptions. Additional access points were added to existing descriptions, making material more accessible for online researchers. Staff continued to provide reference services to the public who were unable to visit the Archives and spent additional time answering emails and phone calls, and digitizing and preparing research requests. Throughout the year, staff digitized photographs and documents, and hundreds of descriptions were added to Quest as records were acquired and processed. Outreach activities included a series of popular online exhibits that highlighted the records in our holdings. As the year came to end, a full complement of staff was back working physically at the Archives, becoming experts at social distancing and hand sanitizing; while providing the full range of archival services by drop-in and appointment.
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STAFF NEWS | EXHIBITS
Left: Kristin Simmonds, Archives and Records Officer
Staff News
Middle: Jamie Sanford, City Archivist
Assistant Archivist, Andrea Tarnawsky, departed in May after nearly three years at the archives. We wish her well in her new role as the Digital and Outreach Archivist at Simon Fraser University’s Rare Book’s and Special Collections. We thank her for all her fine work.
Right: Fraser Mills Flood 1948 (Coquitlam 100 Years Collection C6-S01-C6.538)
2021 was a year of change at the archives.
In June, Archives and Records Officer, Leah Rae, was the successful candidate for the Assistant Archivist position. In August, Kristin Simmons joined the team as the new Archives and Records Officer, with a City records focus. Kristin recently graduated from UBC with a Master of Archival Studies (MAS) and Master of Library & Information Studies (MLIS). Prior to her appointment at the City, Kristin supplemented her experience in academic libraries by gaining experience with archival research and reference at the Alma Mater Society of UBC Archives, the student union’s records centre. Kristin is thrilled to be handling records through all stages of their life cycle and loves learning something new about Coquitlam’s history every day. In July, City Archivist, Emily Lonie accepted a position as the Executive Director of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation. Emily was hired in Coquitlam in 2013 and is responsible for building the Archives program from the ground up. Emily’s hard work, dedication and infectious enthusiasm will be sorely missed. She can be immensely proud of her legacy at City of Coquitlam and the role she has played in preserving and documenting Coquitlam’s history and making it accessible for future generations. Jamie Sanford joined the team as the new City Archivist in October 2021. Originally from England, Jamie has called Canada home over 20 years. Jamie has a Masters in Archival Studies from UBC and a BA (Hons) in history from Simon Fraser University. He has over ten years of experience of
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working as an Archivist and has worked for the City of Richmond Archives, Library and Archives Canada and the City of Vancouver Archives. He is a huge Whitecaps fan and enjoys taking his daughters to games. He is very excited to join the City of Coquitlam Archives team.
Exhibits Online Exhibits The Archives continued with its series of online exhibits in 2021 to showcase the City’s holdings and explore and celebrate various aspects of Coquitlam’s history. The exhibits were highlighted on the City’s social media channels and garnered much attention. The first online exhibit of the year, Rising Water: The Great Flood of 1948, was prepared by City Archivist, Emily Lonie. This exhibit highlighted the great flood’s impact on Coquitlam and the Lower Mainland as Fraser River burst its banks. The exhibit showcased some striking archival photos of Fraser Mills and Colony Farm. The second online exhibit was prepared by Assistant Archivist, Andrea Tarnawsky. Accession to Access: The Art of Archival Processing, demonstrated how Archivists process records, using the example of the recently completed Arts Connect, Tri Cities Arts Council fonds. This instructive exhibit helped to walk the reader through this labour intensive process, with the aim of demystifying archival processing. The exhibit garnered much positive feedback. The final online exhibit of the year was prepared by Records and Archives Officer, Leah Rae. Catch the Spirit! the 1991 B.C. Summer Games in Coquitlam, discusses how the BC Summer Games came to be held in Coquitlam. The exhibit illustrated how the Games success contributed to the City’s development and the extent to which its enduring legacy remains.
OUTREACH
Physical Exhibits In the summer, Records and Archives Officer, Leah Rae, curated an exhibit of Barb Wood materials at the Poirier branch of the Coquitlam Public Library. Barb Wood was a wellknown local artist with a very distinctive style. The drawings where commissioned by the City in the early 2000s and were donated to the archives in 2021.
Outreach #TBT – Throwback Thursday The ever-popular Throwback Thursday social media posts continued with aplomb on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The weekly posts highlight the City’s archival holding and engage both City staff and the general public. Since its inception, staff have posted more than 350 throwback posts and it generates regular positive feedback. Stay tuned for more in 2022.
Professional Associations and Local Organizations In 2021, the City of Coquitlam Archives continued to be an active and engaged member of the archival community in British Columbia and across the country. This activity ensures that staff remain updated on professional best practices and emerging trends, so they can better serve the public. • In June, City Archivist, Emily Lonie, served as a Virtual Host on the Program Committee for the annual conference of the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA). For the second year running the conference was held virtually. • Emily Lonie continued to serve as the Chair and Secretary for the Lower Mainland Municipal Archivists forum which met virtually throughout 2021, with Jamie Sanford attending the fall meeting.
• Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Legislative Services, Jay Gilbert, contributed his archival expertise as a member of the External Advisory Committee for Library and Archives Canada’s Documentary Heritage Communities Program, which provides funding to eligible organizations across the country.
Conferences and Professional Development • In March, Archives staff attended the Association of Canadian Archivists conference (ACA@UBC) hosted by UBC students and faculty. The conference took the form of virtual panels where international archives experts shared best practices from diverse perspectives • In June, all staff attended the ACA annual conference that was hosted virtually. The multi-day event keeps staff abreast with the latest developments and trends in archival theory and practice. • The pandemic gave staff the opportunity to work on professional development as they attended a number of online workshops, forums and seminars.
Presentations and Workshops Despite the limitations of the pandemic, City Archivist, Emily Lonie, delivered several virtual presentations in 2021. These included presentations to the Coquitlam Teacher’s Association, Douglas College, Coquitlam Heritage and a workshop on partnership with BC Heritage.
• Jamie Sanford continued to serve as a member of the ACA Membership Committee and in his capacity as the ACA Mentorship Program Coordinator.
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Top left: Final processed state of the ArtsConnect fonds from Accession to Access: The Art of Archival Processing online exhibit Top right: Construction of Town Centre Stadium - Don Cunnings fonds, F12.152 Below and botom: Facebook Post Re: Street Names
ACQUISITION HIGHLIGHTS | REFERENCE SERVICES
Above: Barb Wood Collection
Acquisition Highlights 1.
Accrual to The Hoy Scott Watershed Society fonds The first accession of the year was an accrual to the Hoy Scott Watershed Society fonds. The accrual consists of the society’s minutes.
2.
Burquitlam Community Association fonds accrual Accrual to the Burquitlam Community Association fonds. The accrual consists of two banker’s boxes of material which includes financial and administrative records.
3.
4.
5.
Barb Wood collection Barb Wood was a renowned local artist with a distinctive style. The donation consists of several pen and ink prints, concept drawings and mock-ups that feature Coquitlam. The work was commissioned by the City of Coquitlam. Canadian Federation of University Women Coquitlam fonds accrual The Archives was pleased to receive an accrual to the Canadian Federation of University Women fonds. The accrual consists of the minutes (2013-2018) of the voluntary, non-profit, self-funded organization that offers a forum for educated women to meet for camaraderie, intellectual curiosity, involvement and service to the community. Dr. Thomas G. Gaunt fonds Early in the year, the Archives was fortunate to receive the records of Dr. Thomas Gaunt. The records consist of two scrapbooks that document Gaunt’s career (1934-1970) at the Crease Clinic and the Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale.
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6.
Ken Haywood’s Westwood Racetrack Collection The collection consists of records (1964-1969) created by the Sports Car Club of BC and collected by Ken Haywood. The records include copies of the Year Books & Rosters from 1966 to 1969; two editions of the “Pit Pass” newsletter from 1968 and 1969; several Westwood Park passes for guests, drivers, and paddock; and a pocket calendar of 1966 race dates for Westwood.
7.
Accruals to the Craig Hodge fonds Councillor Craig Hodge spent many years as a photographer for a number of newspapers in the region, covering events and locations in Coquitlam. These two accruals consist of additional photographs.
8.
City Records The Archives facilitated the transfer of a number of records from from the City of Coquitlam’s Planning and Development Department. These included plans, notebooks and reports.
Reference Services The City of Coquitlam Archives provides online access to digital content and descriptions of holdings through Quest, the Archives online search portal. New content is continually being added as our holdings grow. In 2021 Quest traffic increased by 58%. This rise is likely attributed to the pandemic with increased interest in historical projects. Since its inception, Quest has received more than 280,000 page views by over 31,000 unique viewers. In 2021 Quest received 60,671 page views, from 11,320 viewers, who viewed an average of 4.41 pages per session. Viewers came from Canada, America, United Kingdom, India, Brazil and Australia.
ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION
In 2021, members of the public and city staff made over 200 reference requests and Archives welcomed 29 researchers to review archival material at the Archives. As of November 2021, the Archives was open for drop-ins, Tuesday to Thursday 12-4 pm.
Arrangement and Description Twenty-three accessions were received in 2021 and 572 archival descriptions were added to Quest. Given the limitations of the pandemic in the first part of the year, staff worked on enhancing and refining existing descriptions to make them more discoverable. Arrangement and description is a core activity for the Archives. It is the stage where the materials are brought under intellectual and physical control for the purposes of providing future access. This involves determining appropriate levels of description, establishing intellectual arrangement and creating finding aids. The following fonds and collections were and arranged and described in 2021 and are available in Quest: Top left: Barb Wood Collection
• ArtsConnect Tri-Cities Arts Council fonds • Burquitlam Community Association fonds
Top right: Coquitlam Archives Reference Room
• Community Planning Library collection
Above: Coquitlam Football Club, Winners, ca. 1910. Irene McMillan collection (C19-C19.002)
• Dr. Thomas G. Caunt fonds • Hoy Scott Watershed Society fonds • Irene McMillan collection
Left: Scrapbook, ca. 1970, from the Dr. Thomas G. Caunt fonds
• Ken Haywood Westwood Racetrack collection • Shyla Seller collection • Walter Bruce MacDonald collection
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DIGITIZATION | PLANS FOR 2022
Left: Certificate recognizing R.C. MacDonald for his part in the official opening of the Municipal Hall, 1971, Walter Donald Bruce Collection (C18-S02-F05-F05_002) Centre:Westwood Racetrack Year Book and Roster, 1966, Ken Haywood Westwood Race Track Collection (C21-F01-C21.001) Right: Fraser River Raft Race, Craig Hodge fonds ca. 1974 (F20-S03-F04-F20.C058)
Digitization
Plans for 2022
Staff continued to digitize textual records and photographs from the holdings and upload to Quest so they are accessible for researchers wherever they might be located.
Acquisitions
Records from the following collections and fonds were digitized in 2021: • Arts Connect Tri-City fonds • Craig Hodge fonds • Hoy Scott Watershed Society • External Digitization of Clerk’s Microfilm • External Digitization of Council Minutes 1891 to 1954 • Ken Haywood Westwood Race Track Collection • Riverview Historical Society Collection • Rescanned Council Minutes added to Quest 1891 to 2012 • Walter Donald Bruce Collection
• Continuing to capitalize on the Archives’ increased storage capacity by developing relationships with community groups to promote the transfer of historical records. • Continuing to work with City Clerk’s Office to identify and transfer City records with archival value.
Preservation • Implementing a digital preservation program to ensure digital records can be preserved over the long term. • Identifying and digitizing collections with preservation concerns. • Assessing and addressing the conservation needs of the holdings.
Access • Digitizing records and making them available online via Quest. • Continuing to accession new donations. • Continuing to provide reference services to the public and City staff. • Continuing to arrange and describe archival holdings.
Outreach • Producing online exhibits that highlight Archives’ work and work being done by other archives domestically and internationally • Continuing and further enhancing the Archives social media presence.
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CONCLUSION
The City of Coquitlam Archives was founded in 2013, with the mandate to
Left: The Vault
preserve and make accessible the records of enduring value of the City of
Right: Archive Vault – closed stacks
Coquitlam and its predecessor administrative bodies. The Archives also acquires, preserves and makes accessible the records of businesses, organizations and private individuals that are of significance to the municipality and deemed worthy of long-term preservation. Archives’ staff continue to ensure these records are preserved so that future researchers, historians or anyone interested in the story of Coquitlam can access these valuable community resources. City of Coquitlam Archives Team City Archivist: Emily Lonie (Jan-July) City Archivist: Jamie Sanford (October-December) Assistant Archivist: Andrea Tarnawsky (January-May) Records and Archives Officer: Leah Rae Records and Archives Officer: Kristin Simmons (September-December)
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City of Coquitlam Archives 1171 Pinetree Way Coquitlam, BC, V3B 7N2
| coquitlam.ca/cityarchives 12 CITY OF COQUITLAM | ARCHIVES
