Primary contact
655 Belleville Street
Victoria, British Columbia
CA
Identity area
Identifier
BCA
Authorized form of name
British Columbia Archives
Parallel form(s) of name
Other form(s) of name
Type
- Provincial/state
- Government
- Museum
Contact area
Type
Address
Street address
655 Belleville Street
Locality
Victoria
Region
British Columbia
Country name
Canada
Postal code
Telephone
Reference Room: (250) 387-1952
Fax
Reference Room: (250) 387-2072
access@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Note
Type
Mailing Address
Address
Street address
675 Belleville Street
Locality
Victoria
Region
BC
Country name
Canada
Postal code
V8W 9W2
Telephone
Fax
URL
Note
Description area
History
The BC Archives is one of the oldest archival institutions in Canada. Its origins date back to 1894 when R.E. Gosnell, the first permanent Legislative Librarian, started to collect “manuscript statements and narratives, old letters, journals, files of newspapers, books, pamphlets, reports, charts, maps, photographs, sketches” which would “illustrate the history of the North West and the Pacific Coast, and more particularly of British Columbia”. In 1908, Gosnell’s services “as archivist” were engaged marking the beginning of the Archives as a distinct identity. Gosnell is considered the first Provincial Archivist. With the exception of 1940-1946, until 1974 the Archives was administratively part of the Provincial (now Legislative) Library. The position of Provincial Archivist from 1910-1940 and 1946-1974 was held by the Provincial Librarian. In 1974 the Library and Archives were separated as well as the two positions. In 1989, the Records Management Branch (established in 1982) was merged with the Archives. In 2002 the two were separated when the BC Archives became part of the new Royal BC Museum Corporation and the records management functions were retained by government.
Geographical and cultural context
Mandates/Sources of authority
Royal BC Museum Corporation
Administrative structure
Records management and collecting policies
Holdings consist of archived records of the Government of British Columbia, and historical records of provincial significance relating to British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.
Buildings
Holdings
Total Volume: 6900 m of textual records; 5 million photographs; 10,000 art works; 68,000 cartographic and architectural items; 29,000 sound and moving holdings; 80,000 library items.
Inclusive Dates: ca. 1530 to present
Predominant Dates: 1850-1990
Finding aids, guides and publications
Website provides information on services available and conditions of use of facilities and holdings; direct e-mail provision for collection inquiries; searchable descriptions of library resources, government and non-government textual records, sound and moving images, and visual and cartographic records with a capability to view selected photographic images and maps, research guides, a list of newspapers on microfilm at the BC Archives.
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BC Archives Collection Search: http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/
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BC Archives Library Catalogue: http://voyager.library.uvic.ca:8000/vwebv/searchBasic?sk=en_US/
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Genealogy Database: http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/basicSearch/
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Research guides: https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/bc-archives/tools/guides-indexes-and-inventories
Access area
Opening times
Full Service Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 - 16:00
Partial Service Hours: Monday to Friday 16:00 - 20:00; Saturday, 13:00-17:00.
Access conditions and requirements
Accessibility
Services area
Research services
Reproduction services
Public areas
Control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Revised
Level of detail
Full
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Revised November 2009.
Updated by BCANS Coordinator, January 10, 2016.