Archives Association of Ontario

07/21/2026

The Summer issue of Off the Record is here!

Issue 42.3 is full of firsts: meet the new co-editor, Jocelyn; hear from AAO’s new President, Holly Barclay; and get an update from the new Archeion Coordinator, Connor White.

In this issue, Marisa Kelly at TMU walks us through a fascinating and useful case study on unsticking gelatin silver prints. Marina Bokovay shares her experience with the Canadian Archive of Women in STEM portal, and reflects on the challenges of maintaining archival aggregators. This summer, OTR spotlights Jae Kim, recent graduate, curator of Of Kin and Other Impossible Homes at The ArQuives, and the Archives Assistant at the AGO's Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives. From the AAO community, we have an update from the Communications and Advocacy Committee and the Toronto Area Archivists' Group.

If your committee or group is interested in submitting an update, please reach out to [email protected]! The issue is available to AAO members here: https://www.aao-archivists.ca/otr-current-issues.

(Cover image: Bolton Camp, Caledon, 1960, Digital Archive Ontario, TS-2-124-GO-152.)

06/26/2026

Call for Conference Committee Volunteers! 📣 The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) Annual Conference will be held virtually in late spring of 2027.

This year's Conference Committee has the flexibility to be formed by archivists across Ontario. If you've wanted to work on the AAO Conference in the past but were unable due to travel requirements, this could be an excellent opportunity for you!

Duties of the Conference Committee:
✅ Select the theme of the 2027 AAO Virtual Conference. As the conference isn’t bound to a particular area or predetermined theme, Conference Committee members will play an active role in shaping the message and direction of the conference.
✅ Oversee planning for the programming of the conference: call for papers, building the agenda, selecting virtual tour hosts and social activities, etc.
✅ Select moderators and keynote speakers.
✅ Provide support for participants alongside AAO office staff and virtual event vendor contacts during the conference.
✅ Write the Post-Conference final report.

Who we are looking for:
⭐ Archivists from across Ontario are welcome to volunteer - perfect for people who might live/work in remote areas and would otherwise be unlikely to be able to coordinate an in-person conference.
⭐ Experience with planning events and conferences is not required. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to gain experience in conference planning.

If you are interested in joining the 2027 Conference Committee or have any questions about the work involved in organizing the AAO Virtual Conference, please contact Natalie Mitchell, AAO Vice President, at [email protected] by Friday, July 2, 2026.

06/19/2026

Are you a student, an emerging or seasoned information professional looking to connect with fellow archivists and help shape the future of Ontario's archival community? 📢

The AAO is looking for volunteers to help support our mission of furthering the education of Ontario’s records and information professionals and advocating for the interests of the province’s community of archives, heritage organizations, and records institutions.

We're currently recruiting for the following committees:

💻 Members for the 2027 Virtual Conference Committee
🎓 Chair of the Student and New Professional Outreach Committee (SNPOC)
📝 Chair of the Advancement Committee
🏛 Chair of the Institutional Development Committee (IDC)

Detailed committee descriptions and current membership are available on the AAO website. https://aao-archivists.ca/Committees.

Interested in getting involved or learning? Please reach out to AAO President, Holly Barclay at [email protected] by June 26, 2026.

We'd love to hear from you and hope you'll consider volunteering with us! 👋💫

05/04/2026

Have you seen our Conference program at-a-glance? It’s packed with a broad range of brilliant presentations. There’s truly something for everyone at AAO 2026, so make sure you plan ahead for what you most want to see. Learn more about the Conference here: https://aao-archivists.ca/2026-Conference.

Day 1, May 6:
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Pre-Conference Workshop A (register in advance)
12:00 pm Conference Registration Check-In Opens (ends at 6pm)
12:00 pm Students and New Professionals Outreach Committee, Lunch event
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Pre-Conference Workshop B (register in advance)
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Afternoon Tours (register in advance)
4:30 pm -5:20 pm Safe Spaces Session - Records Professionals with Disabilities, Chronic Illnesses, and the Neurodivergent (register in advance)
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm Opening Reception

Day 2, May 7:
8:30 - 4:00 pm Conference registration check-in
9:00 am - 9:30 am Conference welcome and opening
9:30 am - 10:30 am Opening Keynote - Dr. Cheryl Thompson
10:30 am - 10:45 am Break
10:45 am - 11:45 am Concurrent Session 1
11:45 am - 1:00 pm Lunch (Explore the Toronto food scene!)
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Safe Spaces Session - BIPOC Records Professionals (register in advance)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Concurrent Session 2
2:00 pm - 2:15 pm Break
2:15 pm - 3:45 pm Concurrent Session 3
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm Break
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Afternoon Tours (register in advance)
4:00 pm - 4:50 pm Safe Spaces Session - LGBTQ2S+ Records Professionals (register in advance)
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Pub Night

Day 3, May 8:
8:30 am - 4:00 pm Conference Registration Check-In
9:00 am - 10:00 am Closing Keynote - Dr. Jennifer Bonnell
10:00 am - 10:15 am Break
10:15 am - 11:15 am Concurrent Session 5
11:30 am - 12:30 pm AAO Annual General Meeting
12:45 pm - 2:15 pm AAO Awards Lunch (register in advance)
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Concurrent Session 6a-6b.
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm Session 6c. at City of Toronto Archives
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm Break
3:45 pm - 5:15 pm Concurrent Session 7

04/30/2026

Join the AAO for its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 8 at 11:30 am in Alumni Hall, Room 400 at the University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto. All AAO members are invited to attend the AGM!

The AGM will be in-person only during the upcoming AAO Conference. If you are not attending and wish to vote, per section 10.9-10.10 of the AAO Constitution, you may appoint a proxy using the attached form (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GqYsOFeOi6REckZ7wn9xpNM82r_JWYoh/view).
Please submit the form to the Secretary-Treasurer via email prior to the AGM at [email protected].

We will be accepting nominations from the floor during the AGM for all open Board of Directors positions: Vice-President/President Elect, Director Without Portfolio (2 positions), Chapter and Special Interest Group Stakeholder, and the Chair of the Institutional Development Committee (IDC).

Full descriptions of the Board positions can be found on our website: https://aao-archivists.ca/Board-of-Directors.

04/28/2026

Discover Toronto through visits to different Archives and Museums during the 2026 AAO Conference!

Mackenzie House Museum - Wednesday May 6, 3-4pm (82 Bond St), $5
Discover the history, politics, and activism of 19th century Toronto journalism at Mackenzie House Museum! Learn the art of letterpress printing in the recreated printing office and take home a personalized souvenir created with the 1840s printing press. Conference Attendees can Register here: https://aao-archivists.ca/event-6594797.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library & University of Toronto Archives - Thursday May 7, 4:00-5:00pm (120 St. George St), FREE
Discover treasures in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at this event highlighting selected materials from its two departments—Rare Books and Special Collections, and the University of Toronto Archives. The Fisher Library is one of the largest repositories of publicly accessible rare books, archives and manuscripts in Canada! Conference attendees can register here: https://aao-archivists.ca/event-6594813.

Spadina Museum - Thursday May 7, 4:30-5:30pm (285 Spadina Rd), $5
Explore the triumphs and tribulations of Toronto from 1900 to the 1930s through the dazzling mansion that is Spadina Museum! Get a glimpse into this era through the perspective of the affluent Austin family and the people who worked in service within their home. Conference attendees can register here: https://aao-archivists.ca/event-6594813.

04/28/2026

The Spring 2026 issue of Off the Record is now available! Spring often brings new beginnings and OTR is no exception: this will be Simon Vickers’ last issue after two years as co-editor. But fear not, OTR is in good hands! Starting with the Summer issue the very capable Jocelyn Oprzedek will be formally taking over from Simon as co-editor.

In this issue you will find an excellent submission from Alexandra H***e about building a broad coalition of community partners to develop the recently launched Illuminate Black exhibit at the Archives of Ontario. OTR Editor Isobel Carnegie writes about the recent surge of genealogical inquiries following the Federal government’s amendment to the Citizenship Act, which removed the first-generation limit to passing on citizenship for people born abroad. Lara Morrison of the Simcoe County Archives walks us through re-describing private collections, from the project history and process to results. The issue also includes an update from the AAO East/Est chapter.

The issue is available to AAO members here: https://www.aao-archivists.ca/otr-current-issues.

(Cover image: An aerial view of the Argonauts Rowing Club Junior eight-man boat by John Boyd, Toronto, Ontario, ca. 1925, Archives of Ontario.)

04/15/2026

04/10/2026

As we wrap up 2026 Archives Awareness Week, be sure to visit our website to read all our submissions about this year's theme "Archives Activism: Advocating for Archives Survival." https://aao-archivists.ca/2026-Story-submissions.

Story submitted by submitted by Tyler Cox, Manager, Legislative Services, City of Ottawa : Archives do not survive on buildings, budgets, or policies alone—they survive through relationships. Strong, trusted relationships with leadership, communities, partner institutions, and the public are the foundation that allows archives to remain relevant, resilient, and visible.

For more than ten years, the City of Ottawa Archives has reported to me. During that time, I have seen from close up the leadership of City Archivist Paul Henry and the work of a deeply committed team of archivists and conservators.

The survival of the City of Ottawa Archives is made possible by tremendous support from City leadership, including the elected Mayor and City Council, the City Manager, and the Senior Leadership Team.

Through inclusive collecting, ethical description, community centred partnerships, and equitable access to records, the Archives contributes directly to the City’s strategic goals around openness, representation, and public trust.

Supported by City leadership, guided by the City Archivist’s expertise, and sustained by trusted partnerships with institutions and communities, the Archives demonstrates what surviving and thriving looks like in practice.

Full story here: https://aao-archivists.ca/2026-Story-submissions.

Captions: 1 Ottawa: George Elliott Clarke, Don Kwan, Allison Everett, and City Archivist Paul Henry. Ottawa’s Tapestry: Building diversity in the Archives. Project launched on November 17, 2022. 2 Ottawa: City Archivist Paul Henry at the Tapestry project launch. 3 Ottawa: November 25, 2025 Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Gilbert Whiteduck (Kitigan Zibi Cultural Centre), and City Archivist Paul Henry cut the ribbon at the new "Cultivating Community: Agriculture Rooted in Ottawa’s History" exhibit at Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, Ottawa City Hall. 4. Tapestry presents: Stories from Ottawa’s Chinese-Canadian Community, 2024.

04/10/2026

As we wrap up 2026 Archives Awareness Week, be sure to check out all the story submissions about this year's theme "Archives Activism: Advocating for Archives Survival." https://aao-archivists.ca/2026-Story-submissions.

Story submitted by Christopher Hogendoorn, Reference & Outreach Archivist at the United Church of Canada Archives: For this activism-focused Archives Awareness Week, the UCC Archives would like to spotlight one particular instantiation of the church’s activist activities, the records of which demonstrate a large impact using traditional and unconventional methods.

F4041 – The Taskforce on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility fonds contains a little over 12 m of textual records, a handful of photographs, nearly 50 cassette tapes, and boasts a 45-page finding aid with great detail of its contents. The Taskforce on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility (TCCR – pronounced “ticker”) was established in 1975 as an ecumenical coalition of Canadian churches and religious organizations that were looking for a way to express the social teachings of Christianity in a way relevant to the modern world. The Taskforce focused on promoting corporate responsibility and encouraged churches and other organizations to both invest ethically and divest from corporations having a negative effect on the environment, human rights, and social justice issues.

Captions: 1. 2018.238C/8-1 Photograph of a protest held in opposition to Canadian investment in Chile under Augusto Pinochet, specifically Noranda Mines. 2. 2004.099P/1 Photograph proof sheet from a protest held in opposition to Canadian investment in Chile under Augusto Pinochet, specifically Noranda Mines. 3. 2004.099P/3 Brochures and literature publicizing Canada’s investment in Chile under Augusto Pinochet, and what people can do to stop it. 4. 2018.238C/20-13 Correspondence between TCCR and the Hudson’s Bay Company regarding their operations in Namibia, specifically the working conditions of Karakul farmers. 5. 2004.099C/10-7 Bench Marks: Principles for Global Corporate Responsibility, jointly published by TCCR.

Full story here: https://aao-archivists.ca/2026-Story-submissions.