Keystone Archives Descriptive Database Help

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1. Keyword Search

  • Search the database using a keyword relating to a topic, person or place.  See search tips below.
  • Limit your search to records that have been digitized by checking the box.
  • What do my search results mean?
  • What can I do with my search results?

Keyword Search Tips

  • Truncate your search using *. This will locate words that have a common stem.
    • Example: Entering farm* will match farm, farming, farmer, farmers etc.
  • Common words will be ignored. These include: the, a, an, in, of, and, these.
  • Select “All of these keywords” to get hits that contain all of the keywords that you have chosen.
    • Example: entering the keywords “dog” and “cat” will return descriptions that include both of these words.
  • Select “Any of these keywords” to get hits that contain any of the keywords chosen.
    • Example: entering the keywords “dog” and “cat” will return descriptions that include either or both of these words.
  • Select “Exact Phrase” to get hits that contain your keywords in the order you have entered them.
    • Example: entering the keywords “human rights” will return descriptions including that exact phrase.

Advanced Search

Please note:

  • Keystone is not a complete inventory of our holdings. New information is added regularly to the database. However, for many of our records, finding aids in the Archives Research Room must be consulted. Contact the Archives for more information.
  • A small portion of records held by the Archives of Manitoba have been digitized and can be found in the Keystone database.  Read more about our digitization program.
  • The Keystone database will not answer most genealogical research enquiries.
  • Archival records are organized by the Manitoba public body, Hudson's Bay Company body, person, or private sector organization that created or accumulated them. Knowing a bit more about how archival records are organized may help you to search the database more effectively. See How Archival Records Are Organized for more information.

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