This collection consists of materials related to early British Columbia history in the years when BC was still a British colony, prior to joining Canada in 1871. The collection consists of colonial government documents (proclamations, messages, acts, and rules and regulations) effecting the daily life of British Columbians. These include real estate titles, road works, railways, local, legal and financial matters, labour, and infrastructure. The collection includes proclamations by James Douglas, who was the first governor of BC and served from 1858-1864.

The fonds consists of 1,398 glass plate negatives, glass lantern slides, celluloid prints and celluloid negatives, the majority of which were taken by Lilian Bland. The photographs reflect the varied and unique life of Lilian Bland and her family. The fonds includes several photographs of the Mayfly, the bi-plane Lilian famously designed, constructed, and flew. Other photographic subjects include horse-riding and horse-racing, Lilian's fathers' artwork, her husbands' travels in China, family photographs, birds and bird-watching, her travels in Europe, California, and British Columbia, and photographs documenting her years spent as a settler living on the Quatsino Sound in Vancouver Island and in California with her family.
Other record types in the fonds include Lilian Bland’s unpublished memoir, and the original enclosures for the photographs including boxes, envelopes, and box lists.
The finding aid for the fonds, attached as a PDF, includes a spreadsheet of images as they were received upon donation to Rare Books and Special Collections. A brief description created by the donor is available for each image in the finding aid.

The collection contains three binders of 198 cards from a variety of First Nations Northwest Coast artists, predominantly Robert Davidson, but also including Bill Reid, Roy Henry Vickers, Arthur Thompson, Joe David, David Seymour, Ron Hamilton, Stan Greene, Freda Diesing, Ken Mowatt, Richard Hunt, and others. The cards were collected by the MacDonalds starting in the 1960s. Many of the cards were intended by the artists for use in local potlatches, weddings, housewarmings, graduations, births, funerals, and other major life events and include inscriptions and/or notes from the artists to the MacDonalds.

The fonds consists of records pertaining to the NDP and CCF in B.C. Included are notices and agendas, minutes, correspondence, membership lists, financial records, policy, policy committees, maps, photographs, convention proceedings, geographical materials and constituency records. Also included are films and sound recordings.

The fonds consists of reports from the annual meetings of the Club, which include minutes, treasurer's reports, financial records and lists of book selections (1946-1984). The fonds also includes minutes of meetings of the Book Club and related material for the period 1946 to 1984.

The fonds consists of press releases, correspondence, cassette tapes of poetry readings, newsletters, forms, membership lists, statements, agendas, minutes, circulars, journals, a constitution, pamphlets, and floppy disks.

The fonds consists of records reflecting McDonald's career with the Greater Vancouver Regional Planning Board. It includes subject files, press clippings, and printed material. The fonds also includes records relating to planning the development of Kitimat, B.C. and in the province, in general.

The fonds consists primarily of correspondence with accompanying newspaper clippings, diaries and photographs. Fonds includes school notes and correspondence of his daughter, lieutenant colonel June Whaun.

Fonds consists of over 4,600 photographic prints, negatives, glass lantern slides, and postcards, the majority of which were either taken or collected by Robinson. Many of the photographs relate to Robinson’s work as an Anglican missionary in Japan in the 1890’s through the 1920’s. These photographs document a unique time in the Japan’s history: the Meiji-Taisho period when the country was transitioning away from being a feudal society and beginning to open up to the West. This collection is one of the few comprehensive records of this time period. Subject matter of the photographs includes everyday life, work, and scenery in Japan, as well as the lives and works of missionaries.

Also included in the collection are photographs from Canada and the Robinson family’s travels around the world, as well as reproductions of missionary and religious texts or graphics.

While many of the photographs were taken by Robinson, others were taken by his children, professional photographers, or unidentified individuals.

The fonds also includes 10 maps of Japan used during Robinson’s missionary work, some with annotations of proposed Canadian jurisdictions in Japan.

Personal and professional records of Kustaa Adolf Ketola, including personal documents, correspondence, International Woodworkers of America pamphlets, newspapers, and magazines. The personal documents include his passport and his military service pass. Correspondence consists of Christmas postcards from his family in Finland and letters from his sisters, friends, and family friends describing their lives in Finland, which provides context about the impact that World War II had upon Finland and Finnish migrants to Canada. I.W.A. pamphlets describe the values, goals, and struggles of union workers in 1940s North America. Fonds also contains small pocket calendars or planners written in Finnish and denoting important holidays, metric conversions, and information about the United States.

The fonds reflects Winch's various interests in the cause of humanity ranging from capital punishment to the protection of fur-bearing animals. The files also contain much valuable information on the activities of the C.C.F. and his role within the party. To a lesser extent, the files contain information on his earlier activities within the labour movement and events during the depression of the 1930's.

The fonds consists of financial records, correspondence, sound recordings, photographs, subject files and related printed material pertaining to their activities such as workshops, readings, fundraising, and publishing. Most of the files relate to general administration, funding, publications and author subject files that include unpublished manuscripts.

The Lumber Inspectors' Union fonds' consists of records necessary for the union to carry out its everyday operations, such as office files, minutes, financial records, correspondence etc. It also includes papers directly relating to the position of the financial secretary. Record types include correspondence, minutes of meetings, agreements, booklets, policies, reports, constitutions, information on other unions , booklets, financial and operating statements, ledgers, particulars on union members, manuals, arbitration cases, and reference material. The bulk of the records fall in the active period of the Union, which was between 1945 and 1980 ; a few records dealing with winding up the Union were also created in 1981 . The fonds has nine series: Operational files ; Minute books ; Financial records ; Financial ledgers ; Application, dues payment, and transfer records ; Arbitration cases reference files ; Register of attendance at meetings ; General information binder; and General reference material . The fonds also contains the Financial Secretary's sous-fonds, which has five series.

The fonds consists of materials pertaining to Stanton's career as a lawyer representing a broad spectrum of industrial unions such as the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers (Canada), International Woodworkers of America and the Marine Workers and Boilermakers Industrial Union as well as individual cases relating to the workplace. There are also articles relating to the foundation and activities of various unions, the ILWU in particular, as well as copies of union constitutions and by-laws. There are case records of the ILWU vs. Nissho and Pacific Coast Hydrocarbons, and correspondence pertaining to Harold Pritchett, in particular dealing with his entry into the United States and documents relating to the "Greenhill Park" disaster of 1945. There are also files created by Stanton in representing his clients that formed the basis for his published autobiography "Never Say Die".

Fonds consists of material related to Kogawa's writing projects, her participation in literary, cultural, and human rights conferences and events, her involvement in community organizations, and her personal life. Fonds also includes some material accumulated by Kogawa's parents, the Rev. Gordon Goichi and Lois Kogawa. The fonds is arranged generally into series regarding Kogawa's written works; correspondence; documents related to conferences, speeches, organizations, and interviews; teaching materials; personal and legal records; family documents, other people's works; sound recordings; videocassette recordings; publications; subject files; and photographs.

The fonds consists of correspondence, autographed poems, photographs, programms, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia of Eastman and of her friends (including Bliss Carman, George Fallis, Ernest Fewster, and Noel Robinson), many of whom were connected with the Vancouver Poetry Society.

The fonds consists of personal files of the president of the BCTF (1981-1984) which chronicle both the Federation's activity as well as Kuehn's involvement with the labour Solidarity Coalition. More broadly, the fonds documents various aspects of provincial government cutbacks in education.

The fonds consists of correspondence, speeches, clippings, briefs and submissions, pamphlets, maps, addresses, copies of legislation, personal notes, receipts, memorabilia and subject files (1915-1969). The majority of the fonds focuses on Ladner's involvement with the federal Progressive Conservative party, Columbia River Power and the Royal Commission on Energy (1950-1969).

The fonds consists of correspondence and subject files pertaining to various locals of the International Association of Machinists. Also included is material from the B.C. Federation of Labour, Canadian Congress of Labour (1970-1984), Ontario Federation of Labour (1972- 1977), the provincial and federal CCF and NDP, as well as other material pertaining to labour and politics. There are also tapes of radio broadcasts and material relating to Thayer's personal interests.

The fonds consists of photographs, correspondence, printed material and notes gathered and generated by Wilkins pertaining to the early development of television in Great Britain.

The fonds consists of professional and personal records (1942-1965) as well as records of the Canadian Olympic Association (1969-1980), the Canadian Field Hockey Association (1963-1972), the Committee Organisateur de les Jeux Olympique (1970-1976), and the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (1952-1976).

The fonds consists of hand-written and undated poetry and prose written by W.R. Black from various locations including Whaleton and Squirrel Cove. Black's prose consisted mainly of editorial essays on various moral and religous issues as well as the Scottish people, and short stories.

The fonds consists of plans of fishing vessels built by W.R. Menchions for various companies and individuals including a seine patrol and towboat (1914-1915), cannery tender (1924-1926), seine boat (1925), and specifications and contracts for gasoline boats, seine boats and fishing boats (1914-1935). The fonds also includes one photograph of the vessel Frieda of the Kakiak Fishing Co.

The fonds consists of records reflecting the activities of the Guild as representative of seamen working on the west coast, hiring agency, collective bargaining body, and lobby group. The fonds includes minutes of Guild meetings, an extensive group of subject files, business records, and personal office files of Guild officers reflect the organization's active involvement in marine education, safety regulation development, marine standards, and open representation.

The fonds consists of photographs of mines, mining activities, and mining personnel created and collected for use in the Western Miner and its predecessor publications, The Miner and the British Columbia Miner. Images include aerial views as well as ground level shots of mine sites, buildings, townsites, mining, milling, smelting and other mineral processing operations. The photographs include exteriors and interiors of mines and buildings, crews at work, and a collection of portraits of company executives, staff and Canadian politicians. Mining equipment is featured including excavators, diamond drills, continuous miners, loaders, shuttle cars, muckers, ore conveyors, and drilling rigs.

The fonds consists largely of print samples of commercial work produced by Hudson throughout his career as a fine printer. Print samples include commerical notices, leaflets, stationary, greeting cards, invitations, memorial notices, broadsides, cover proofs,etc. The samples include work for Gallelry Tantalus (Powell River), Alcuin Society, and the University of British Columbia.

The fonds consists of drafts of a long version and a short version of an unpublished manuscript, "Running Scared", as well as notebooks and subject files dealing with the consequences of dieselization of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the Revelstoke Division betweek 1957 and 1984. Powell collected extensive documentation from the relevant unions, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen and the United Transportation Union, in response to this event and it is included in the fonds.

The fonds consists of correspondence, business documents, and miscellany (1843-1875) from the Fort Garry Hudson's Bay Post, which focuses primarily on the business conducted at the fort , such as trading and organizing supply trips to other posts.

The fonds consists of a number of typewritten manuscripts for short articles by Dr. Walkem as well as clippings of published articles. The fonds also includes Walkem's incomplete autobiography, a scrapbook of clippings relating to his experiences as a MLA and photographs.

The fonds consists of convention reports (1963-1969), some correspondence, a script for a CBC broadcast (1953), two essays, an article and scrapbooks of clippings (1938-1960).

The fonds consists of correspondence, much of it by or addressed to Sheila Young, concerning various international issues. Among the addressees are Prime Ministers Trudeau, Pearson, and Diefenbaker; various cabinet ministers; international heads-of-state; the United Nations; newspapers, commissions and organizations; government departments and agencies, and businesses. The fonds includes records of the 11th, 13th-18th, and 20th International Congresses of the W.I.L.P.F., as well as printed material on military expenditures, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, peace, and the polar regions, and also contains evidential records pertaining to W.I.L.P.F. operations. An accrual was added in 2007 containing printed material, minutes, correspondence from 1988-1997, financial and other operations records, ephemera, and records relating to the creation of the Canadian section and the drafting of its constitution. An additional accrual was added in 2015 including video recordings of W.I.L.P.F. and affiliated organizations events, and other organizational records.

The fonds consists of sixty-six letters (1962-1975) between Bradbrook and several individuals pertaining to the life of Malcolm Lowry. Also included are Bradbrook's notes on conversations with Wilfred Lowry and Russel Lowry, information on Lowry from a number of sources, and a list of Lowry's contributions to The Fortnightly.

The fonds consists of three bird sighting notebooks (1923-1966), and 54 bird census books (1940-1966), mainly relating to the Crescent Beach and Surrey areas, as well as miscellaneous notebooks about birds and bird census (1950-1955).

The fonds consists of records of the Personnel, Safety, and Physical Plant and Maintenance departments of the Canadian White Pine Division of MacMillan Bloedel Limited, as well as some records of the Division's Manager and other divisions. The fonds includes administrative, personnel, project, and subject files containing correspondence, memoranda, reports, statistics, financial records, statements, organizational charts, brochures, newsletters, and other records. The fonds also includes many plans, photographs and slides and some artifacts. It has been arranged into the following series: Personnel Department records (1923-1997, predominantly 1941-1989); Records of the Manager (1938-1946, 1968-1974); Safety Department records (1938-1978, predominantly 1952-1976); Physical Plant and Maintenance Department records (1920-1998, predominantly 1946-1982); and general photographs (1940-1981).

The fonds consists of research material gathered by Lowe for his biography of Claire Culhane. In addition to the textual material, there are also sound recordings and photographs.

The collection consists of photocopied correspondence, class lists and course outlines from the Northern Workers' Education Association and the University of Sudbury Extension Department, and photographs and interviews with Western Canadian leaders of the IUMMSW. The material was used in the preparation of his 1985 history of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers (Canada). Fonds includes sound cassettes of interviews regarding union history.

The fonds consists of correspondence (1960-1983), scrapbooks (1970- 1977) and diaries (1962-1976). In addition there are eight sound recordings (1971) with Japanese-Canadian pioneers about their early experiences in this province and the period of the Japanese evacuation during World War II.

The fonds consists of correspondence carried with peers and publishers, manuscripts of works both published and unpublished, and critics' reviews of published material. Correspondence with Derek Healey and Tibor Serly provide the framework for collaborations created, primarily by mail, with each person. Fonds includes revisions to "A Leviathon" and "The White Man from the Sea".

The fonds consists primarily of material generated by Edward Odlum (1850-1935). It includes drafts of Edward Odlum's A Dictionary of Classical Antiquity, references to the Israelite movement and material he wrote and collected about Japan (1888-1927). It also includes editorial cartoons (1939-1943) which were collected [by Victor?] after Edward's death.

The fonds consists of a B.C. Forest Branch report (1913) and photographs and maps relating to the development of Kitimat as part of the Alcan, B.C. Project.

The fonds consists of incoming and outgoing letters (1958-1976), including letters from well-known Canadian poets, as well as incoming greeting cards (undated), financial records, and memorabilia. Included also are manuscripts of poetry, prose (titled and untitled short stories), prose poetry, an unfinished and untitled novel, essays, plays and printed poetry. The fonds also includes a 1971 notebook, notes, reviews (1970-1977), photographs, drawings and printed material.

The Penkill collection consists of records of William Bell Scott, Alice Boyd and Margaret Courtenay. The collection includes five hundred letters from Scott to Alice Boyd, and a large number of letters to Scott and Boyd from other artists and writers. Also in the collection are the letters from Arthur Hughes and letters concerning the 1872 illness of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The collection also includes the diaries of W.B. Scott, Alice Boyd and Margaret Courtenay.

The fonds consists of correspondence, financial records, receipts, invoices, printed material, and related items pertaining to the activities of the Pitt Meadows Japanese Farmers' Association (1937-1942) and the Canadian Japanese Association in Vancouver. There are references to the Japanese Language School and the town of Mission, as well as printed material pertaining to the Sino-Japanese War.

The fonds consists of company minutes (1924-1963), repair orders (1927-1959), annual reports, working plans and drawings for various pieces of machinery and machine parts.

The fonds consists of records relating to issues such as amnesty, selective service and Canadian aid groups for draft resistors. Included is correspondence from the Vancouver Committee to Aid American War Objectors (1968-1975), questionnaires, related information and analysis (1969/70), interview transcripts, clippings, notes and printed material. The material was created during the writing of Kasinsky's book entitled, "Refugees from Militarism: Draft-Age Americans in Canada".

The fonds consists of records relating to the railroad transportation industry and the role of the Canadian Shopcraft Union and railway workers. The correspondence, legal records, union data, reports, newsletters, and other printed material focuses upon the labour movement and the divergent paths between Canadian and American organized labour in the 1980's.

Fonds consists of Crosse's research notes, journals and annotated photocopies regarding the marine history of British Columbia. This material was primarily generated by Crosse in the course of his research activities from 1985-2006, but the fonds also contains annotated reproductions of numerous rare maps created in the late 1700s. The textual and photographic records have been arranged by Crosse primarily according to the subjects of his research. There are three series of cartographic material which are roughly arranged according to geographical area.
The first accrual relates to Crosse's research into early explorations of British Columbia’s coast. Accrual contains research notes, maps, photographs and correspondence. Two series are accruals to series in the first accession: they are the Manby research material series and the Narvaez research material series. Accrual also contains the Research papers and archival material series, the Miscellaneous research maps and oversized items series and the Panoramic photographs series.
Second and third accruals relate to the late eighteenth century exploration of the coast of British Columbia and the Northwestern United States, as well as information on Imperial Spain, the British Empire, and sailing ships in general. Records incorporated into Narvaez research materials series and research papers and archival material series. New series created include Alaska series, Nootka series, Columbia river exploration series, and correspondence series. Records include photocopies of primary source maps, charts, illustrations, letters, logs, and journals. Materials also include book chapters from secondary source materials, photographs of sailing trips that followed the course of the Narvaez expedition, correspondence with other researchers or persons relevant to Crosse's areas of interest, and charts produced between 1980 and 2000.

The fonds consists of club ledger books (1957-1969), minutes of the CCF Vancouver Centre District Council (1945-1946), membership file (ca. 1966), an undated historical sketch of the club and other collected materials.

The fonds consists of minutes of Council No. 7 (1902-1921, 1938-1951), minutes of Council No. 4 (n.d.), financial records, agreements, membership and attendance records, towboat grievances, printed material, credit union material, all relating to the NAME. Also included are Ladies' Auxiliary records and L.H. Charlton's correspondence.

The fonds consists of Kurihara's photographs of Japanese-Canadian fishermen, their families, and daily life in the fishing community of Steveston, B.C.