Eye on the Esplanade: Archives connecting with community organizations

By Medicine Hat News on November 9, 2018.

Medicine Hat has always been home to numerous clubs and organizations. These service clubs, fraternities, sororities, labour organizations, advocates, enthusiasts, and other groups are an integral part of the social and cultural fabric of our community.

Over the past decades, dozens of groups have donated records to the Esplanade Archives to preserve their history and share their stories. Often records have disappeared over the years as executives changed and organizations moved. This does not diminish the value of what remains available. Groups may discover that the Archives has related records from former members, and missing records may resurface in the future.

Occasionally we hear from organizations as they are preparing to cease operations, sometimes after more than a century. One of their last meeting motions is to transfer records to the Archives, which offers a secure and safe place for their legacy.

Optimally, we work closely with organizations to ensure that the appropriate records are deposited so that the organization and its membership are informed and comfortable. This can happen through conversations with individual representatives, presentations to the executive, as well as tours of our facility for the membership.

Organizations also access the holdings of the Archives, often as they are preparing to recognize and celebrate their history. Having the records organized and accessible in one place can make the task of piecing the story together that much easier.

Being transparent and accountable are good reasons to maintain records. A club may access records to understand a decision made in the past and the circumstances under which an action was taken. An organization may also want to determine if its mandate has shifted over time, and if the organization is meeting its original objectives.

The Archives collects and makes accessible the record of our region. We aim to represent the community through the documents and the stories they tell. When an organization’s records come to the Archives they become both the history of the smaller community of the organization, and part of the story of the broader community. Staff may be able to help researchers make unexpected connections and discoveries.

People who are not directly involved with an organization are also often interested in the records. They may be curious members of the public, students doing research projects, authors, historians, or people interested in how a community need was addressed in the past as they look for modern solutions.

The Archives is always interested in discussing possibilities, whether speaking with a representative, the executive, or the membership as a whole. We look forward to making connections and working with the community.

Visit the Archives at the Esplanade and see what we are about.

Philip Pype is Esplanade Archivist.

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