Allan Turner, 1923-2017, Founding Fellow 

Highlights

Archivist of Saskatchewan (1961-1974), Provincial Archivist of British Columbia (1974-1979), Western Canadian historian, historic sites advisor 

Education and Background 

Born in Midland Ontario, Allan Reamon Turner grew up in Vanguard, Saskatchewan. After serving in the Canadian Army during World War II, he received his BA (Honours) in History and Political Science from the University of Saskatchewan, and his MA in Canadian History from the University of Toronto.  

Professional Career 

After achieving his MA, Allan Turner taught high school in Saskatchewan for several years before joining the staff of the Saskatchewan Archives Board in 1953. In 1961, he became Provincial Archivist, serving in this role until 1974. During this period he also took on additional duties, serving as Acting Legislative Librarian for Saskatchewan from (1964-1966) and teaching at the University of Saskatchewan (1969-1972).  

In 1974, Turner left Saskatchewan to become Provincial Archivist of British Columbia (PABC, now part of the Royal BC Museum and Archives). In this role, he established new provenance-based descriptive standards, gradually replacing the former library-style cataloguing system to one that more accurately represented the provenance of the records. He also introduced the “total archives” concept to PABC, establishing an organizational structure based on records media to handle the ever-increasing volume of sound recordings, film, photographic materials, and cartographic records. The PABC was a very dynamic institution during his tenure: the staff (archivists, librarians, and technicians) increased and new programs were implemented. He continued to mentor the PABC when he was promoted to serve as the Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for culture and heritage in the Ministry of Provincial Secretary in 1979. He retired in 1982.  

Contributions to the Profession 

Allan Turner was one of the three Canadian delegates to the Extraordinary Congress of the UNESCO International Council on Archives (ICA) in Washington in 1966. He served on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, first as a member and then as chair for four years (1968-1972). He later served on the BC’s Archaeological Sites Advisory Board and its Historic Sites Advisory Board. Throughout his career Turner also authored numerous articles and pamphlets about western Canadian history and contributed articles to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. 

Honours, Awards and Recognition 

• Canada Centennial Medal, recognizing services to Canadian heritage, 1967 
• ACA Fellow, 1990 

Further Information 

• BC Archives PR-2174, Allan R. Turner fonds 
• BC Archives Item AAAB3873 - Allan R. Turner presentation to the BC Historical Association, sound recording: “Dust gets in your eyes: the world of archives”, 1974. 

Photo source:https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/timescolonist/name/allan-turner-obituary?id=42128937 

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