April 4: Conservation of old books, paper and photographs

Do you have fragile family treasures that you are worried about preserving?

The City of Ottawa Archives, and the Friends of the City of Ottawa Archives are proud to sponsor two workshops that will give you the knowledge and skills to protect your valuable papers and photographs.

Location: 111 Sussex Drive, Cafeteria, Terrace Level, Bytown Pavilion. Signage in the building will direct you to the room. Free parking is provided underground. The entrance for the parking is located on Sussex Drive.

Registration Fee: $45.00 for one session, or $85.00 for both. Participants will receive conservation tool-kit. Participants registered for a full day will served a light lunch. The lecturers are: Kyla Ubbink of Ubbink Book & Paper Conservation, and Greg Hill of Hill Conservation Services.

To register: send the application form and registration fee — cheque only, made out to the “Friends of the City of Ottawa Archives” — to the address below. Receipts will be issued.  For additional information, contact David Bullock at 613-839-2479 or by e-mail at bullocknunn@rogers.com   Please note that workshops will be given in English only.

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April 26 & May 9: Tours of Local Archives

The first tour is on Sunday, April 26, 2009, from 12:30 to 4:30. 

The tour will start at the Archives Deschâtelets (Oblates' records), 175 Main Street, beside Saint Paul's University, and go on to the Anglican Diocese Archives at Christ Church Cathedral.  The tour will then visit the Jewish Archives on Nadolny Sachs Private, and participants will be offered a ride back to the starting point. Cost $20. Participants must pre-register: contact cvb@magma.ca.

The second tour is on Saturday, May 9, 2009, from 12:30 to 4:30. 

The tour will start at the Archives of the University of Ottawa, 100 Marie Curie (in the basement), and go on to the Archives and Special Collections at the U. of Ottawa (including Canadian Women's Movement Archives and Rare Books). This will be followed by a walking tour of historical elements of the campus. Cost $20. Participants must pre-register: contact cvb@magma.ca.

Registering for both tours together will cost $35.  Register early -- the number of participants is limited to 20. Make your cheque out to FCOA, and send to C. von Baeyer, 131 Sunnyside Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 0R2.

Both tours will be predominantly in English, and will not be suitable for wheelchairs. (Future tours are planned in French, and for full wheelchair access.)

At each archive, you will meet the archivist and get an overview of the collection.  Questions welcome!  The tours are being organized by the Friends of the City of Ottawa Archives, together with the Eastern Ontario Chapter of the Archives Association of Ontario. Both organizations will have representatives on each tour.  Proceeds will go to the special archival projects of the Friends of the City of Ottawa Archives, in particular the Photo Collection Project.

May 3: "Booze and Banter" -- A History of Alcohol in Ottawa

A panel discussion by spirited authors and historians

Date: Sunday May 3rd, 2009, 2-4 p.m.

Location:  Minglewoods in the Market, 14 Waller, corner of Rideau, 2nd Floor

Cost: $10 at the door

Speaker Biographies:

Phil Jenkins

A local author and supporter of heritage in the community, Jenkins’ first book, Fields of Vision (1991) on Canada’s farming families, was a national bestseller. Born in England, he spent many years working between both Ottawa and Liverpool, England.  For many years he was a freelance writer for magazines such as The National Geographic and Harrowsmith, as well as a books columnist for The Ottawa Citizen.  His second book, An Acre of Time (1996) won the Canadian Author’s Association Lela Common Award for History and was nominated for a Governor General’s award.  He also published River Song: Sailing the History of the St. Lawrence (2001), and Beneath My Feet: The Memoirs of George Mercer Dawson (2007). Not only does Jenkins have a passion for history, but for music too. As a singer and songwriter with the band Riverbend, in 2003 they produced a CD entitled, ‘CarTunes’.  Lecture topic: “Bottle Openers”.

Bruce S. Elliot

History professor at Carleton University and prolific local author, Bruce S. Elliot is a strong promoter of heritage in Ottawa. A few of his research interests are English emigration to Canada from 1760-1870, as well as the history of March Township, originally part of Carleton County. Elliot was inducted into the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa Hall of Fame in 2005. His most recent publication, Letters Across Borders: The Epistolary Practices of International Migrants (2006), interprets gender, age and ethnicity through the examination of immigrant letters.  Lecture topic: “Battling to Ban the Bar in Early Nepean”.

Larry D. Cotton

Previously a teacher and municipal planner, and now a historian and author, Larry D. Cotton has published several books on local area pub history. Currently a resident of Lanark County, his experiences in teaching and municipal planning in Eastern Ontario developed his passion for writing local history. His Whiskey and Wickedness series provide a wealth of information on pioneer’s early settlement life and the role of taverns, more importantly, whiskey. Referred to as the ‘Curse of Canada’ by Cotton, whiskey flowed in great supply and was a major cause of crime within the region’s pioneer history.  Four editions detail the Ottawa Valley while an additional five books are on the Georgian Bay area. The most recently released edition, Whiskey and Wickedness, Vol. 4, (2008) highlights Renfrew County from 1825 to 1900.  Lecture topic: “Join Me For A Beer - The Social History of Alcohol in Early Downtown”.

Further Reading

For those of you who enjoyed our Booze and Banter event, and for others interested in the history of alcohol in the region, please note a recent acquisition by the City of Ottawa Archives Reference Library: Whiskey and Wickedness, vols. 1-3 by Larry D. Cotton.  

Come in and visit the City of Ottawa Archives -- for for information on the location, hours, etc., see their website

November 15: Transport in the Air and on Steel – Ottawa's Story

The Friends together with the City Archives invite you to hear a talk entitled “Time Flies: Aviation at Uplands” by public historian Julie Harris and former archivist Dave Bullock. After a short Annual General Meeting of the Friends, get a guided tour of the new City Archives exhibit on Ottawa’s railways and streetcars entitled “Track Changes: 150 Years of Rail Transportation in Ottawa”.  Refreshments will be served.  No charge; donations welcome.

WHEN: Sunday, 15 November, from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Colonel By Room, City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West (at Elgin Street).  Parking in the underground garage is $3.75 on Sunday.

NOTE: In the Annual Meeting, you will hear from the FCOA Board and City Archives staff about the exciting prospects provided by the new facilities about to be constructed at Centrepointe.  FCOA members are encouraged to bring guests who might be interested in becoming involved.  Five of the nine Board member positions are up for election to two-year terms. We are also looking for help in our projects related to the preservation of the City Archives vast collection of photographs.

To RSVP, or to signal your intention to stand for election, or to find out how you can help, please contact John Heney, FCOA President, at jjheney@netrover.com or 613-224-6888.

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