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History

Established in 1975 and incorporated in 1978, the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) evolved from the Archives Section of the Canadian Historical Association (CHA). For a listing of past Board members and award recipients, click here.

Accomplishments over Time

1975 ACA constitution ratified at the last meeting of the Archives Section of the CHA in Edmonton
1976 Published first issue of Archivaria, edited by Peter Bower
  • Published first issue of Archives Bulletin, edited by Linda Johnson
  • Held first annual conference in Quebec City
  • Co-founded the Bureau of Canadian Archivists with the AAQ
  • A Guidelines Toward a Curriculum for a Master’s Degree in Archival Science@ prepared by Hugh Taylor and Edwin Welch
1977 Published the Directory of Canadian records and manuscript repositories
  • Tradition of dancing at the ACA banquet begins in Fredericton with a square dance
1978 ACA incorporated
  • First east-west baseball game played at the annual conference
1979 Awarded first honorary membership to W. Kaye Lamb
  • The Archives Bulletin becomes the ACA Bulletin
1980 Presented brief to the Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee
1983 Awarded the first W. Kaye Lamb Prize to Ian E. Wilson for the best article in Archivaria, with Dr. Lamb in attendance
1985 Special Interest Sections created for University and College Archives and Religious Archives
  • Supported the creation of the Canadian Council of Archives
1986 Distributed the first ACA Membership Directory
  • ACA hires its first Office Manager, Gina Meacoe. It marked a significant milestone in the maturing of the association (and profession), and could no longer afford to have Board members' energies spent processing memberships on their kitchen tables after the dishes were done.
1990 Annual conference in Victoria is the last held as part of the meetings of the ALearned Societies
  • Produced Guidelines for the Development of a two-year Curriculum for a Master of Archival Studies
  • Collaborated with the Canadian archival community in the development and publication of Rules for Archival Description
1991 Produced Guidelines for the Development of Post-Appointment and Continuing Education and Training Programmes
1992 Published The Archival Imagination: Essays in Honour of Hugh A. Taylor, edited by Barbara Craig
  • Developed the Education Programme and Plan
  • Special Interest Section on Electronic Records formed
1993 Collaborated with the SAA in the publication of Canadian Archives and the Rediscovery of Provenance, edited by Tom Nesmith.
1996 Annual conference held north of 60° in Whitehorse, Yukon
  • ACA web site launched, co-edited by Catherine Bailey and Paul Marsden
1997 Special Interest Section on Aboriginal Archives formed
1999 Terry Cook and Barbara Craig lead the first ACA Institute in London
2001 AGM passes a unanimous resolution supporting the release of historical federal census records
  • Special Interest Section on Personal Archives formed
2003 Mentorship pilot program launched in cooperation with the AABC
  • Collaborated with the SAA in the publication of Imagining Archives: Essays and Reflections by Hugh A. Taylor, edited by Terry Cook and Gordon Dodds
  • Membership grows to over 600 members
  • ACA moves into shared offices with the CCA
2004 First Student Chapter formed at the University of British Columbia (SLAIS)
  • Archivaria 56 published, special edition containing a 396-page index, a testament and guide to Canadian archival scholarship
2005 Engaging and exciting conference held in Saskatoon, SK
  • Review & Renewal project launched with survey of members & non-members
2006 Engaging and exciting conference held in St. John’s, NL
  • ACA digitizes the entire collection of Archivaria issues & posted on the web
2007 e-Archivaria formally launched with its Main & Reserve Collections
  • Canadian Archivist digitized and posted on the web
  • Engaging and exciting conference held at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON
2008 reviewed General Bylaw (from R&R recommendations) approved at AGM
  • Engaging and exciting conference held in Fredericton, NB