Thanks in part to Library and Archives Canada’s Documentary Heritage Communities Program, the archives has been able to preserve, arrange, and describe the majority of the annals from the Congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Pembroke, Hamilton, and London!
These annals are written logs documenting the day-to-day activities of the Sisters while fulfilling various ministries across Canada and abroad. Many of the annals also include photographs, news clippings, and ephemera from the missions.
The finding aid for the Pembroke annals is available on Archeion, Ontario’s Archival Information Network. Keep an eye on our Archeion page as we work to upload the finding aids for the annals of London and Hamilton.
Preserving and caring for records of enduring value means that the legacy of a person or community is kept for future generations. This is the mission of our archives. We hope this short video captures this.
Did you know that the Society of American Archivists has a special section to advocate for and support religious archivists? It is the Archivists of Religious Collections Section and they provide valuable training support and resources to religious archivists.
From August to October, I had the pleasure of working with Mary Grace Kosta, Congregational Archivist, and Noelle Tangredi, eLearning Developer/Graphic Designer and caretaker of the St. Joseph’s Health Care Medical Artifacts Collection, to create an exhibit highlighting Mother Ignatia Campbell and the Sisters of St. Joseph’s first endeavours in healthcare in London. I had previously assisted with in-house exhibits and a traveling exhibit, so I was excited to put my newly learned skills to work.
The Monsignor W. T. Flannery Radio and Television Broadcasts, known as the “School of Christ,” was a radio and television program that aired from 1939 to 1963.
In 1868, shortly after their arrival in London, Ontario, the Sisters of St. Joseph founded Mount Hope to provide a home for Sisters, the elderly and orphans. It was renamed House of Providence, and continued to provide care for the elderly until 1966.
In 1971, a group of citizens in London met to discuss setting up a detoxification clinic. Sr. Mary Doyle, of the Sisters of St. Joseph, chaired the group which included representatives from hospitals, social service agencies, the Addiction Research Foundation, the police, the Salvation Army, and Mission Services.
The Associates had their official beginning in 1987 when Chapter approved the movement toward having an Associates program. In 1988, Sr. Doreen Kraemer was appointed by Council to be the Director of Associates.
Although in the 21st century differences between different Christian denominations are mostly no longer a source of antagonism, these differences had a significant impact on the young town of Peterborough toward the end of the 19th century.
In recognition of the 170 years since the Hamilton foundation, I was asked to reflect on why Mother Martha is so significant to the Hamilton sisters. Her story is poignant and instructive, and its meaning is still unfolding.
Since 2016, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada Consolidated Archives has participated in the medical artifacts cataloguing project with St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ontario.
On April 19, 1852, at the request of the Very Rev. E. Gordon, Vicar General of Hamilton and with the approval of Bishop de Charbonnel, the only Bishop in western Ontario at that time, three Sisters of St. Joseph came to Hamilton from Toronto.
On December 10, each year for the past ten years, the Sisters of St. Joseph have helped to protect human rights around the world by taking part in Amnesty International's global write-a-thon, Write for Rights.
There are many reasons to like old houses--the architecture, the decorative details and high ceilings. but many old home lovers feel a connection to the history of their old home. Every house has its story.
Recently there has been an explosion of interest in the field of family history research (otherwise known as genealogy). One reason could be the uncertainty of tomorrow’s future,...
This year marks one hundred years since the Sisters of St. Joseph formed a community in Pembroke, Ontario. This slideshow celebrates their century of service in the Ottawa Valley.
Rolled materials are of concern to archivists because they become fragile and very difficult to open and view without damage. Tape presents another problem because it defaces an archival item, and cannot be easily removed without damage to the original material. It becomes yellow with age, and may dry out and fall off leaving a sticky residue behind.
We had seven boxes of rolled materials when we consolidated our archives, and so we sought help from our local conservator who is skilled in book and paper repair. She humidified the materials to flatten them. Then she removed the tape from a large map that had been badly torn from being rolled, and removed the sticky residue. After this, she repaired the torn areas using the reversible method we use in archival work, which is applying Japanese mulberry or kozo paper over the tear using wheat paste. This method is safe and should always be used when any material is torn.
Thank you to Jennifer Robertson of Book and Paper Conservation Services in London, Ontario for her expert work and for the photographs.
Rolled graphic materials before conservation treatment
Graphic materials after conservation treatment
This drawing and photographs were rolled. One photograph had to be removed from the cardboard canister shown in this photo.
Rolled and torn map before humidification
Rolled and torn map before conservation treatment
Detail of rolled and torn map before conservation treatment
Rolled map - tape removal
Rolled map - adhesive residue removal
Map after conservation treatment
This large map was rolled and torn. The map was humidified to flatten it, and then tape was removed, and the torn areas repaired with kozo paper and wheat paste.
