Welcome to Oak Bay Archives!

Oak Bay Archives collects, preserves and provides access to Oak Bay's historical records. Oak Bay Archives was established by the District of Oak Bay in 1994 and serves as the central repository of the community's historical records.

Location: on the lower level of the Oak Bay Municipal Hall.

Oak Bay Archives serves the community by:

• Collecting and preserving Oak Bay's documentary heritage, including historic community records and municipal corporate records
• Providing public access to corporate and community records
• Raising awareness of Oak Bay's history through public education and outreach programs

Donating personal, family, business, or organizational papers:

Please contact the Archivist to discuss potential donations of original historic photographs, family albums, personal papers and other documents relating to the history of Oak Bay and its residents, buildings, businesses and community organizations.

Enquiries & Planning a Visit

The Archives at Municipal Hall (lower level) are open to visitors & researchers in person by appointment in advance during staffed hours, normally on Tuesdays and Fridays 9.30-4.

Drop-in hours: Tuesdays 10-1, via side Archives entrance (facing Fairway Market) or Hall main reception.

Appointments are always advisable – why?

• The number of readers who can be accommodated on any one day is very small; by arranging your visit in advance, you will be sure of a seat and can plan your time.
• If two people are working together we will try to schedule them at a time when other researchers will not be disturbed by conversation and so that they have a table large enough to be seated together.
• Pre-ordered items will be ready for you when you arrive, maximising your research time.
• In addition, staff will be able to
  1. advise you on other relevant collections
  2. provide finding aids in advance
  3. notify you of any materials which are not available for consultation

Researchers should be aware that arranging to visit a small archive is more like requesting a meeting than browsing at the public library. Archive material is kept in locked stacks and must be requested and signed for – because nearly all of it is old, original, unique, and irreplaceable. The only browsable resources are the reference library and local history cuttings files.

Enquiries are also welcome any time by email, phone and post. For all archives enquiries and appointment requests:

Email: archives@oakbay.ca

Tel: 250-598-3290

Post & in person:

Oak Bay Archives

Municipal Hall

2167 Oak Bay Avenue

Victoria, British Columbia V8R 1G2

Archivist: Anna Sander, BA, MPhil, MScEcon

What’s in the Archives?

Community records

Records of Oak Bay individuals, families, houses, schools, businesses, and organizations, e.g. letters, diaries/journals, photographs, sketch books and drawings, household accounts, meeting minutes. Our community holdings include, e.g. records of local schools, the Oak Bay Tea Party, authors and historians, and many local families.

Corporate records

Historic (not current) tax appraisal cards for many properties in Oak Bay: usually include date of construction, builder, additions, floor plan. Some have an exterior photograph.

Building permit ledgers 1909-1971

Fire insurance plans showing building and street development, published 1925, updated to 1950

More at oakbay.ca/archives/collections

To request access to current corporate records, see Records Access & Freedom of Information requests

To request access to records of an Oak Bay house that you own

Reference collections

Local studies reference works about Oak Bay, Greater Victoria, Vancouver Island and BC history, and Oak Bay’s heritage buildings. Greater Victoria city directories 1960s-1998. Online catalogue of published works:

librarything.com/profile/OakBayArchives

Services

Research assistance: the archivist and volunteers can help you identify, locate, access, and understand the records you need, both remotely and in person. Access: we answer questions about the records, create finding aids (catalogues and research guides), and digitize items from the collections (especially photographs). We are working to post more of our digitized photos and other records online. Outreach: We work with teachers to provide history and archives content for local schools, and create physical and online displays from the collections in the foyer at Municipal Hall and online via Connect.

Volunteering in the Archives

Volunteers assist the Archivist to:

• help researchers and visitors to use and understand archival and reference material
• respond to enquiries
• digitize archival materials and process digital images
• transcribe sound recordings and handwritten documents
• enrich archival descriptions
• create physical and online displays
• create physical and digital resources for school & community outreach

And many more tasks and projects! The Archivist works with each volunteer to match the individual with work that suits their skills, experience, and interests.

Most volunteers like to work on site in the archives 2-3 hours per week, but remote projects and other schedules can be arranged. Volunteers’ on site shifts are scheduled during the archivist’s working hours on Tuesdays or Fridays.

The archivist is always happy to receive expressions of interest from potential volunteers and career prep/work placement students.

More online

Blog: connect.oakbay.ca/archives

Photos 1: oakbay.ca/archives/photographs

Photos 2: flickr.com/oakbayarchives/

www: oakbay.ca/archives

Download this leaflet in letter size reading view format (PDF)

Download this leaflet in bifold format (PDF)