Coquitlam Archives Annual Report 2017

City of Coquitlam | ARCHIVES

Annual Report 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Above: Mary Mackin ca. 1940s (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection)

Cover: Fraser Mills Sawmill Crane Deck, ca. 1936 (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection)

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2017 Highlights Outreach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Impact in the Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Acquisition Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Reference Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Arrangement & Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Digitization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Plans for 2018 & Beyond Permanent Accommodation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Gallery – A Year in Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

INTRODUCTION

For 2017, the theme at the City of Coquitlam Archives was access. Staff focused on finding new and exciting ways of making the Archives’ holdings accessible and finding new audiences for its collections. The scanner was busy in 2017 and the online search portal now contains over 1,000 digitized images and documents, all of which have been made available in full resolution.

This year the Archives launched a quarterly series of online exhibits, seen by hundreds of people, which highlight records from our holdings to tell the fascinating, funny and sometimes tragic stories of Coquitlam’s past.

Once again, the Archives partnered with Douglas College to introduce students to working with primary sources. The students have learned to make powerful connections to the past by accessing the records of those who came before them.

Finally, the existing holdings were supplemented this year by a number of wonderful collections, which means that more of Coquitlam’s history will be preserved and made available for generations to come.

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Above: Bob Lee, Barker Operator, date unknown (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection)

2017 HIGHLIGHTS OUTREACH

Above left top: Windram postcard no. 8 (back), 1916 (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection)

Above left bottom: Coquitlam’s original 1891 boundaries drawn on a map of New Westminster District from 1892 (Map Source: City of Vancouver Archives, AM1594-: MAP 446)

Above right: Alexander Windram in uniform, 1916 (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection)

2017 HIGHLIGHTS Outreach The Archives undertook several exciting outreach opportunities in 2017 so as to continue to build the profile of the City of Coquitlam Archives in the community.

Successful initiatives from previous years were also carried forward and these have continued to raise awareness of the program and inform residents and researchers of the work that is undertaken to preserve Coquitlam’s documentary history.

The exhibit received press coverage in the Tri-City News and members of Windram’s extended family including his greatgranddaughter reached out to the Archives to say how pleased they were that Alexander was being recognized and honoured. Windram’s postcards have also been added to the Canadian Letters and Images Project, which serves as an online archive of the Canadian war experience. canadianletters.ca

Vimy Ridge 100 – Exhibit at City Hall

Online Exhibits

2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge – a defining moment in Canada’s military history. In April, the City of Coquitlam Archives launched Vimy Ridge 100, an exhibit that explored the history of the battle and commemorated the Coquitlam soldiers who fought and those who lost their lives. The exhibit also highlighted a series of records that are preserved in the Archives from the Windram family.

Alexander Windram arrived in Coquitlam with his young family in 1910 and was employed at Fraser Mills as a Millwright. He enlisted in 1916 and was sent to the training camp in Vernon. From there, he wrote postcards to his wife and family, which are preserved by the City of Coquitlam Archives. Only a few short months later, Windram was killed on the first day of the Battle of Vimy Ridge – April 9, 1917.

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The City of Coquitlam Archives launched a series of quarterly online exhibits that showcased archival records from our holdings in order to explore and celebrate various aspects of Coquitlam’s history. All three exhibits were highlighted on the City’s social media channels and in the Tri-City News, helping to raise awareness and drive traffic to the Archives’ website.

The first exhibit – “Don’t forget your dadie”: A Coquitlam Family and the First World War – coincided with the launch of the Vimy Ridge 100 exhibit at City Hall and served as a companion piece, further highlighting the records of the Windram Family. Visitors to the online exhibit are able to read the postcards that Windram sent to his family and learn more about Windram’s war service through his military records.

2017 HIGHLIGHTS OUTREACH

In July, the Archives launched its second online exhibit, Coquitlam’s Changing Boundaries. The exhibit explores Coquitlam’s administrative history and the changes to its boundaries over time. Visitors can read the various Letters Patent that have defined Coquitlam’s borders through the years and see how Coquitlam has changed over time. The exhibit also showcases the tremendous conservation work that was undertaken in 2015 to preserve the 1894 Letters Patent.

In October, Plywood – The Material of Unlimited Uses introduced visitors to the importance of plywood in Coquitlam’s history. The Canadian Western Lumber Company Limited was the first producer of plywood in Canada, commencing production in 1913 at Fraser Mills.

The City of Coquitlam Archives holds company records such as schematics of machinery and advertising materials from the 1940s-1960s. This exhibit showcases items from this collection as well as photographs of plywood operations from the Archives’ Coquitlam Heritage Society collection.

#TBT – Throwback Thursday The popular Throwback Thursday social media posts continued in 2017 and proved to be an entertaining way of encouraging people to engage with the records preserved at the Archives. One particular post about the preparations for opening day at the Coquitlam Centre in 1979 was one of the most popular social media posts of all time for the City. The post attracted more than 6,000 reactions including comments, shares, and likes and reached more than

120,000 people. The Throwback Thursday initiative will continue in 2018.

Above left: Tri-City News coverage of online exhibits

Historypin Additional images were added to the Archives’ Historypin site, which provides an opportunity to use a present-day map to explore locations in Coquitlam as they existed in the past. The photographs on the site have been viewed over 1,200 times, contributing to greater awareness of what Coquitlam was like throughout its history. Visitors to the site can take a virtual walking tour through historic Maillardville and see many of the original houses, some of which are still standing today.

Lest We Forget In 2014, Canada marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. As part of its commemoration efforts, the City of Coquitlam Archives partnered with Douglas College to deliver an expanded version of Library and Archives Canada’s Lest We Forget Program. The program provides an opportunity for students to connect with the past and commemorate the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers and nurses during the First World War. Students learn to interpret archival military service files from Library and Archives Canada and they use the knowledge they gain to develop their own creative commemorations.

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Above right: Canadian Western Lumber Co. Ltd. Advertisement for Plywood, ca. 1950s (Reference: Fenton Family collection)

2017 HIGHLIGHTS OUTREACH

Above left: Theroux Family portrait, ca. 1906 (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection

Above right: Giant sturgeon caught

by T. Gowans, 1943 (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection)

In 2017, City Archivist Emily Lonie offered the program to the Douglas College History Department’s second level War and Society course. Students were tasked with producing a creative commemoration of their chosen soldier or nurse and asked to write a reflective paper on their experiences using the primary source documentation. Students have reported that they find the project incredibly rewarding and that it enables them to connect with the past in ways they never expected. 2018 will mark the end of the centenary commemorations of the First World War. The Lest We Forget project with Douglas College is expected to conclude after 2018.

City Events In keeping with annual tradition, the Archives participated in Coquitlam’s Canada Day celebrations at Town Centre Park. This event provides an opportunity to connect with Coquitlam residents to inform them about the services offered by the Archives. Our annual guessing contest was a challenging one this year. Participants were asked to guess the weight of a giant sturgeon caught in the Fraser River in 1943 and to guess the length of a piece of timber milled at Fraser Mills in 1936. The contest questions were popular with residents and presented a wonderful way to connect with those in attendance at the festivities.

The Archives also participated in a number of other city events including the Communities in Bloom picnic, Treefest and Welcome to Coquitlam. As part of a new initiative at Welcome to Coquitlam, participants were asked to find the

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answers to trivia questions from a number of departments.

The Archives asked newcomers to determine when the first Council meeting was held. The trivia question encouraged conversation and engagement with the Archives’ historical display.

Publications In 2017, Coquitlam’s City Archivist co-wrote an article about the experience of developing the Lest We Forget program in partnership with Dr. Ashleigh Androsoff at Douglas College.

The article entitled “Archives 101: Engaging Post-Secondary Students with Primary Sources” was published in the peerreviewed archival journal Fonds D’Archives No. 1 (2017).

Professional Associations and Local Organizations The City of Coquitlam Archives continued to be an active and engaged member of the wider archival community in British Columbia and across the country, to ensure that staff members remain up to date on professional best practices and issues facing the community.

The City Archivist continued to serve as Secretariat for the Lower Mainland Municipal Archivists Forum, which met twice in 2017 to discuss a range of common issues, share resources and best practices, and discuss areas of potential collaboration or cooperation.

Archives and Records Officer, Angeline Chirnside is currently serving a two-year term as Treasurer for the Archives Association of British Columbia. In this role, she ensures

2017 HIGHLIGHTS OUTREACH

the association’s finances are managed in accordance with relevant legislation and provides her input as a member of the Board.

Speaking Engagements and Conferences The City Archivist presented at the national conference of the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) as part of the first Pecha Kucha presentation offered at an ACA conference. Each participant was asked to effectively convey their argument using twenty slides, shown for only twenty seconds each. The resulting presentations were entertaining and efficient and the session proved incredibly popular with participants. The City of Coquitlam Archives presentation focused on the internal Throwback Thursday initiative, which has proven to be very effective for engaging City staff in the work being conducted in the Archives. There has been an increase in staff reference requests over the years, as awareness of the program has grown.

The City Archivist was asked to present at an “Archives Boot Camp” as part of the British Columbia Historical Federation’s annual conference, held at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives. Participants were encouraged to bring their archival questions to the workshop and to discuss the needs of the organizations they represent.

To this end, the City Archivist was invited to sit on a panel of archivists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for a Masters seminar on archival appraisal. Students were presented with a range of archival contexts and encouraged to ask questions.

Archives staff attended the annual conference of the Archives Association of British Columbia as well as the annual Association of Canadian Archivists conference at the University of British Columbia (ACA@UBC) hosted by students and faculty of the University of British Columbia’s School of Library, Information, and Archival Studies program. The ACA@UBC welcomes international archival experts who share best practices from diverse national perspectives.

In an effort to raise awareness of the City of Coquitlam Archives and increase the diversity of the Archives’ collection, the City Archivist spoke to the Multiculturalism Advisory Committee in April. Members of the committee were encouraged to reach out to their various communities to inform them about the Archives and encourage them to donate historical materials.

It is important for professionals to make themselves available to the next generation in order to enhance pedagogy with real world experience.

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Above left: Archives booth at Treefest Above right: Archives booth at the Communities in Bloom Picnic

2017 HIGHLIGHTS IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY

Above: Facebook Post from Coquitlam Heritage at Mackin House

Right upper: Historical photograph display at Vancity Credit Union Br. 51 - Maillardville (Source: Emily Lonie)

Right lower: 218 Begin Street (Source: City of Coquitlam)

Impact in the Community The City of Coquitlam Archives’ holdings are being used in the community in exciting ways. The Coquitlam Heritage Society regularly employs images from our holdings for physical exhibits held onsite at Mackin House. Photographs are also used to great effect on social media to highlight events, advertise exhibits and provide additional context to historical milestones.

In years past, the Caisse Populaire saw to the financial needs of Maillardville residents. Today, Vancity continues this tradition and has included many historical elements in its new branch on Brunette Street. As residents approach the service counter, they are led past a historical display showing over thirty archival photographs from the City of Coquitlam Archives depicting early Maillardville and Fraser Mills. These displays have prompted residents to contact the Archives to inquire about the images and seek additional information.

Coquitlam’s built heritage continues to be preserved as developers are provided with incentives to restore heritage homes in exchange for additional density. The process begins with research at the Archives into the history of the property. By preserving historic tax assessment rolls, family photographs and other related materials, the City of Coquitlam Archives is helping to safeguard the historic character of early Coquitlam.

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2017 HIGHLIGHTS ACQUISITION HIGHLIGHTS

Acquisition Highlights 1.

Caisse Populaire (Village Credit Union) records

the fonds consists of Board of Directors

from Vancity

annual reports from 1998 to 2006 as well as a

In 2005, Vancity Credit Union purchased

scrapbook containing photographs, programs

what was then called the Village Credit Union

and news clippings collected between 1963

(formerly Caisse Populaire Maillardville Credit

and 1980. The scrapbook has been digitized

Union). The few remaining records include

and is now available online.

banking ledgers, photographs of staff and events, and a series of collected news clippings

5.

The Tri-City News transferred a further twelve

and advertisements from the 1980s. Caisse

bound print editions of the newspaper

Populaire was an important institution in the

spanning 1997 to 2000. The Archives now has

development of the Maillardville community

print editions for 1990 to 2000 in addition to

and the donation from Vancity will ensure that

the microfilm editions from 1985 and 1986

it will be remembered.

2.

and the approximately 700,000 photographic

Archibald Moir and Co. Maps

negatives taken by staff and freelance

The City of Coquitlam’s small map collection

photographers between 1984 and 2002.

benefitted greatly from the addition of two historic maps produced by Archibald Moir and

6.

The minutes of the association from 2013

exciting as it provides information about the

to 2015 were added to the existing fonds,

early owners of particular district lots.

bringing the total extent to 3.2 metres of

Coquitlam Satellites Women’s Hockey collection Donated by a former coach, the Coquitlam

textual records.

7.

the Essondale Nursing School from 1944 to

of records pertaining to the team between

1947.

1975 and 1982. The collection includes

4.

Helen Regehr Wiebe fonds The donation consisted of four annuals from

Satellites Women’s Hockey collection consists

tournament programs, BC Winter Games

Accrual to the Northeast Coquitlam Ratepayers Association fonds

Co. The earlier map (ca. 1907) is particularly

3.

Tri-City News

8.

Sharon Cavalier fonds

programs and two scrapbooks containing news

The donation included a series of records from

clippings and ribbons. The scrapbooks have

Centennial High School’s first graduation

been digitized and are now available online.

ceremony, as well as a photograph depicting

Coquitlam Skating Club fonds Donated by the Coquitlam Skating Club,

the painting of the Centennial Totem Pole in 1967.

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Above left: Coquitlam Skating Club scrapbook, Page 4 and 5 (Reference: Coquitlam Skating Club fonds)

Above right: Aerial Photograph (BC 5062 73), 1963 (Reference: British Columbia. Dept. of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources, City of Coquitlam fonds)

2017 HIGHLIGHTS REFERENCE SERVICES, ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION, DIGITIZATION

Above left: Aerial photographs in Quest

Above right: Clydesdale horse with handler at Colony Farm, date unknown (Reference: Coquitlam 100 Years collection)

Reference Services The City of Coquitlam Archives’ provides online access to digital content and descriptions of our holdings through Quest, the Archives’ online search portal. As more digital content is added to Quest, researchers are better able to access historical records without having to approach the Archives for assistance. As a result of this shift, in 2017 the Archives saw a reduction in the number of reference requests, but conversely saw a dramatic increase in traffic to Quest.

To date, Quest has received more than 64,000 page views by over 4,400 unique users. In 2017 alone, however, Quest received more than 36,000 page views by over 1,700 unique users, who are viewing an average of 13.94 pages per session.

In 2017, members of the public made 118 reference requests and 19 on-site reference appointments. In previous years, the majority of reference requests were for historical photographs. In 2017, these types of requests were still common, but were significantly reduced because the Archives’ public domain photographic holdings have been made available online in full resolution.

Popular reference topics were similar to those in 2016 and included many requests for property information from heritage consultants and interested residents. A number of important historical properties in the City have been the subject of Heritage Revitalization Agreements (HRAs), and have benefitted from research conducted in the Archives, primarily focused on the historical tax assessment rolls.

In 2017 there were also a number of requests for access to historical newspapers and the Archives was able to fulfill these requests with access to the back issues of the Coquitlam Now/Tri-Cities Now and the Tri-City News.

During the past year, the City Archivist answered 42 staff requests and has been involved with several staff projects by providing access to records, historical information and

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professional expertise. Some highlights include: The City’s silver award for the International Communities in Bloom competition; the ongoing Street Naming Database project; providing content to Corporate Communications for use on social media; and providing historic information that has helped to inform decision-making in the planning department.

Arrangement and Description In 2017, 31 new accessions were received and 564 archival descriptions were added to Quest. This important arrangement and description work enables more efficient location of specific items and, in turn, makes the entire collection more accessible and, thus, more valuable to researchers. The work is time consuming and requires a significant percentage of the Archives’ resources. This foundational arrangement and description work will continue to be a core activity in 2018 in order to make new acquisitions available to the public as soon as possible.

Digitization Hundreds of photographs were digitized and made available online through Quest in 2017. The majority of the photographs from the Coquitlam Heritage Society collection were digitized and made available in full resolution to ensure they can be used by members of the community. These photographs are some of the oldest in the collection and help to create an understanding of what Coquitlam was like in the past.

In 2016, the Planning Department transferred hundreds of aerial photographs from 1963 to 1991. The 1963 set consists of 142 aerial photographs that cover the entire city.

These photographs are now in the public domain so the Archives was able to digitize the set in 2017 and make it available online in full resolution. These photographs help to create an understanding of how Coquitlam has evolved over time.

PLANS FOR 2018 & BEYOND PLANS FOR 2018 & BEYOND Acquisitions • Developing relationships with community groups to promote the transfer of historical material.

• Conducting a comprehensive analysis of the records produced by the City. This will inform the archival appraisal of the City’s operational records, which will eventually facilitate transfer of City records to the Archives.

Preservation • Implementing a Digital Preservation Program to ensure digital records can be preserved over the long-term.

• Digitizing important collections (e.g. tax assessment rolls).

• Assessing and addressing the conservation needs of the holdings.

• Conservation treatment of an original hand-drawn map of the Robinson Cemetery from 1937.

Access • Expanding content available online through Quest.

• Continuing the intellectual and physical processing of new and existing holdings.

• Continuing to provide detailed responses to public and staff reference requests.

Outreach • Producing quarterly online exhibits that highlight the records and the work being done in the Archives.

• Continuing outreach initiatives like Throwback Thursday, History Pin, Lest We Forget and speaking engagements.

• Developing new outreach initiatives in partnership with Douglas College, Coquitlam Heritage Society, Place des Arts, etc.

• Producing a set of historical place markers to promote awareness of the history in the community.

• Developing a historical research training course for

PERMANENT ACCOMMODATION The original 2012 proposal to establish the City Archives outlined a phased approach to the physical accommodation requirements necessary to support the Archival Program, starting with a small space in City Hall and culminating in an expansion to a larger, more permanent space after several years. The 2014 Annual Report outlined the requirements for a permanent space, including storage capacity, climate controls and consultation/research space. These requirements remain the same in the current context.

The success of the City of Coquitlam Archives program has meant that space constraints became an issue sooner than anticipated and continued to be a significant issue in 2017.

This year, the Archives was able to secure temporary storage to bridge the gap before permanent accommodation becomes available.

The current expansion plan is to make use of space that was part of the reconfiguration of the former library space at City Hall. This space is set to become available in 2019 and would provide approximately 200 m2 (2200 sqft) of dedicated storage and work space for the Archives, as well as a public reading room.

It is still believed that this is the ideal location, however, an additional consideration is that the existing expansion plan for the Archives was conceived prior to the Arts, Culture, and Heritage Strategic Plan (ACHSP). In the coming years, it will be important to explore all potential options as part of the larger ACHSP in order to identify the most suitable and cost-effective location for the long-term that would provide the necessary space and could be configured to adhere to appropriate climate controls.

The costs directly associated with establishing a permanent Archives facility will need to be assessed when a permanent location is determined. The Archives will report to Council on the capital costs associated with such an expansion well in advance of the work needing to be undertaken. These costs would include such items as: • A monitored HVAC system • High Density Mobile Shelving • Records Storage Equipment • Furniture (Offices / Reading Room)

staff.

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CONCLUSION

Above: Fraser Mills aerial, ca.

1940s (Reference: Coquitlam Heritage Society collection)

Another exciting and productive year has come to a close for the City of Coquitlam Archives.

Going forward, the Archives will continue to arrange, describe and make available the records in its holdings and those to be received in the future. The Archives will also remain committed to developing new and innovative outreach initiatives that raise awareness of the program and encourage residents to learn about their shared history.

Looking to the future, there are exciting things to come in 2018, as the Archives begins to engage with digital preservation to ensure that all records, be they analogue or digital, will be preserved and discoverable for years to come.

City of Coquitlam Archives Team City Archivist: Emily Lonie Archives and Records Officer: Angeline Chirnside Archival Assistant (limited auxiliary hours): Rachel Cormack

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GALLERY – A YEAR IN REVIEW EXHIBITS

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GALLERY – A YEAR IN REVIEW EVENTS

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GALLERY – A YEAR IN REVIEW IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY

ACQUISITIONS

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City of Coquitlam 3000 Guildford Way Coquitlam, BC V3B 7N2 coquitlam.ca/Archives