About Us

Manitoba's rich documentary past is accessible to you at the Archives of Manitoba. You will discover a treasure of information about Manitobans and their history.

• About our Holdings
• Our Mandate and Mission

About our Holdings

The holdings of the Archives of Manitoba are a rich resource for the study of the history of Manitoba and its people, as well as the history of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). There are three primary centres of acquisition at the Archives, these being Government Records, Private Records and the Hudson's Bay Company Archives (HBCA). The Archives of Manitoba belongs to the people and the province, but serves an ever-expanding national and international clientele. We invite you to take advantage of the resources we offer.

The Archives of Manitoba acquires records of all media, including textual records, still images, sound and moving images, documentary art, cartographic records and architectural records. Search the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database for descriptions of records from all three centres and of all media.

• The Government Records Office facilitates access to archival records of the Manitoba government, municipalities and school divisions. Since Manitoba became a province in 1870, public officials have created and received records in the course of carrying out their duties. Some of these records have permanent value and are preserved in the Archives of Manitoba as part of the archival heritage of the province. They document political and legal decisions, the evolution of provincial administration, the interaction between the government and its citizens, and provide key evidence of the rights and responsibilities of Manitobans.
  
  
• Private Records acquires and preserves the records of individuals, organizations and community groups in Manitoba to ensure that a primary record of the province's history will be available for current and future generations. Through its programs, Private Records strives to present a balanced picture of the Manitoba experience. The holdings, which date from the Red River Settlement days to the present, include correspondence, journals and diaries, organizational records, photographs, posters and documentary art, moving image and sound recordings, cartographic and architectural plans.
  
  
• The Hudson's Bay Company Archives (HBCA) is the official repository for the records of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Founded by Royal Charter in 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) is the oldest chartered trading company in the world. Meticulous records were kept, leaving a legacy of information of tremendous significance documenting the growth and expansion of the Hudson's Bay Company in the vast territories of Rupert's Land, through the fur trade and exploration and the later development of a retail empire.

Our Mandate and Mission

The Archives of Manitoba is a leader in promoting good recordkeeping, and in preserving and providing access to records of enduring value.
Under the authority of The Archives and Recordkeeping Act, the Archives of Manitoba has the exclusive mandate to preserve the archival records of the government and its agencies, the courts and the legislature. The legislation provides for the acquisition of archival records of organizations and individuals in the Manitoba private sector and local public bodies. We are proud to be the repository of the world-renowned Hudson's Bay Company Archives.

The Archives of Manitoba preserves recorded information of all media, and provides access to that information. Our mission is to protect information of fundamental significance to community identities, well being and individual and collective self-knowledge. The Archives documents the mutual rights and obligations entered into by society and those whom the people choose to govern.