Blog Archives

Ontario Jewish Archives

Conservation / Preservation:

The OJA has worked in partnership with Heritage Toronto on an initiative that saw 14 sites of Jewish importance recognized in the city with official heritage plaques. In the summer of 2015, the OJA worked to ensure the safe removal of the Mandel’s Creamery glass window at 29 Baldwin Street that featured original Yiddish writing, saving this historic remnant of Yiddish culture in the Kensington Market area from destruction.

Archives

The archives contains over 1,670 linear metres of textual records documenting the activities of Jewish organizations, institutions and individuals; over 60,000 photographs; 400 oral histories; 2,000 blueprints and drawings created by some of Ontario’s most notable Jewish architects; unpublished histories of Jewish communities in Ontario; Yiddish, Hebrew, and English language newspapers; and the Toronto and London Jewish Directories.

Some of the larger fonds include:

    • Act to End Violence Against Women (formerly Jewish Women International)
    • Benjamin Brown (architect)
    • Board of Jewish Education (Toronto)
    • Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
    • Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region
    • Canadian Jewish News
    • Jewish Community Centre of Toronto
    • Jewish Family and Child
    • Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto
    • Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto
    • Men’s Clothing Manufacturers’ Association of Ontario
    • National Council of Jewish Women of Canada
    • Rabbi Nachman Shemen
    • Toronto Haddasah-WIZO
    • United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto
    • Zionist Organization of Canada

Other fonds relate to synagogues, families, politicians, and photographers’ collections.

Public Programming:

Educational programming

Works in collaboration with university departments at York University and University of Toronto on research assignments. Provides information literacy sessions to school groups from elementary to university level.

Exhibitions

Occasional exhibits dedicated to telling the history of Jewish communities and prominent Jewish individuals in Ontario.

Public Lectures

PowerPoint presentations and workshops about various aspects of Ontario’s Jewish history, given to historical societies, clubs and lodges, student groups and sometimes to coincide with an exhibition, intended for wide circulation.

Tours

Regular historical walking tours of Kensington Market and Pape Avenue Cemetery.

Virtual Museum of Canada

Conservation/Preservation:

Online Exhibitions

Virtual exhibits and interactive learning resources on numerous subjects, created by Canadian museums and galleries. Local history exhibits that capture Canadian community memories, drawn from the collections of small museums and local memories and treasures are also available.  Organized by museum, name or subject, the themes of Aboriginal Art, Culture and Tradition, Arts in Canada, Canada at War, Canadian Musical Traditions, Canadian Women, Science and Medicine and Vancouver 2010 make up the bulk of the collection.

Image Gallery

Showcases thousands of artefacts, photos, paintings and objects from Canadian museums. Amongst others, it contains the works of the Group of Seven, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Emily Carr, and many other artists. 

Quaker Archives and Library of Canada

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

The Canadian Yearly Meeting Archives:

The collection consists of the business and genealogical records of the Yearly Meeting and its constituent half-yearly, quarterly, monthly, and preparative meetings and their various committees from 1798 onwards. It also includes photographs of places, persons, and events, the personal papers of various Canadian Quakers, as well as ephemera from pottery to traditional Quaker bonnets. The archival collection of the Sharon Temple Museum Society is also stored here.

Library

The Arthur Garratt Dorland Reference Library:

This library contains thousands of non-circulating books, journals, newspapers, and pamphlets dating from the late 1600s to today. Subjects range from Quakers in the arts to history, biography, and theology. Contained within the library is the Rendall Rhodes Discipline Collection, which is both geographically and chronologically the most complete collection of Quaker Books of Discipline (books of church organisation and rules) in the world.

Costume Society of Ontario

Public Programming:

Events

A variety of lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips, and publications for members only.

Past symposiums include topics such as “Dancing Through Time: Toronto’s Dance History from 1900-1980” and “Eternal Style: Ancient Egyptian Influence in Modern Times”.

Canadian National Exhibition Archives

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives & Artefacts

Records and artefacts relating to the CNE Association, the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place, The Warriors’ Day Parade Council, the Canadian International Air Show and Exhibition Place grounds, in the form of textual records, photographs, film, audio recordings, and printed materials.

Private papers and artefacts that relate specifically to the history of Exhibition Place and previous events held on the grounds.

Public Programming:

Exhibits

Seasonal; open to the public during Canadian National Exhibit (mid-August to Labour Day) revolving around archival and artefactual holdings

Casa Loma

Conservation/Preservation:

Architecture

Preservation of the castle provides visitors with access to fully decorated suites, secret passages, an 800-foot tunnel, towers, and stables.

Public Programming:

Events

Various seasonal events (e.g., Free Garden Access Days, documentary film screenings concerning the history of Toronto and Casa Loma). Calendar available on website.

Online

Virtual tours of the castle and grounds available on website, self-guided multimedia tours are available on site. 

Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation

Conservation/Preservation:

Artefacts

Conservation and preservation of a collection of four vintage models of Canadian transit buses.

Public Programming:

Events

Provides special events typically involving the chartering of vintage transit buses for enthusiasts and members.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Photographic exhibits, records of tournament results as well as club histories are available for viewing.

Tours

Variety of tour centered educational programs for school groups, group events, service clubs, and community organizations.

A self-guided tour of the museum is geared to a variety of grades and curricula. Students are provided with a scorecard to work their way around the Hall of Fame “discovering” the answers to a variety of math, science, language, and social science questions.

Hands-on activities include putting with two hundred year old style equipment, equipment assembly, and golf course design.

Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

Some archival material is held off-site. Before visiting the archives you will be required to send an email listing in detail the topics and sources that you wish to consult.

Archival records include:

  • Personal and organizational records of prominent Canadian gay and lesbian persons
  • Vertical files containing information about events, individuals and organizations of interest
  • Photograph collection, moving images (primarily Canadian gay and lesbian erotica), posters, audiotapes
  • Cartographic and architectural plans

Artefacts

T-shirts, posters, banners, flags and buttons (concerning historical slogans, events, etc.), leathers, uniforms.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Various rotating annual exhibits. (e.g. “Lez Con: An Exhibition by Onya Hogan-Finlay[2011]; The National Portrait Gallery [2010]).

Tours

Provides tours of the Jared Sessions House, moving tours of Toronto’s LGBTQ historical neighborhoods.

education

Provides presentations related to the archival collections.