The City of Edmonton Archives are the City's official repository of permanent records. We also acquire archival material from Edmontonians, organizations and businesses.
Discover our holdings in our online catalogue!
Looking for information on records restricted by the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA)?
Civic Government Records
The City of Edmonton Archives acquires, preserves, arranges and describes, and makes accessible civic government records with permanent legal, administrative, financial, and historic value. A significant number of these records date from Edmonton’s incorporation as a town in 1892. Annual deposits continue to grow as a result of the City’s active corporate records management program.
Private Records
Donations of personal records from individuals, organizations and businesses ensure that Edmonton’s social, political, and cultural history is preserved. We have over 700 private records fonds and collections. Among these are records from:
- H.M.E. Evans
- Edna Kells
- Richard Secord
- John Walter
- Edmonton Horticultural Society
- Northern Alberta Pioneers and Descendants Association
Finding aids to these fonds and collections are available in our online catalogue and in our reference room.
Types of Records
Although we are not an art gallery, and we do not publicly display art, we have artworks by 49 Edmonton artists in our collection. This includes work by Margaret Chappelle, Ella May Walker and George Weber. This material is usually donated to the Archives as part of a donation of records, the personal records of the artist, for example.
The majority of our blueprints are for commercial properties, but we do have a small number of residential blueprints. To see if we have a blueprint of a building, contact us with the address at 780-496-8711 or cms.archives@edmonton.ca. Please note, you may be asked for identification or written permissions before gaining access to certain blueprints.
We can make copies of blueprints; see our order form for details. We highly recommend viewing the blueprints prior to ordering.
We have many other resources available if you are interested in the history of a building or property.
The Archives has a small non-lending library of books, catalogues and pamphlets.
We have over 700 maps of Edmonton and area starting from 1882. These maps provide a unique geographic guide to Edmonton’s development. A large number have been copied and are available in the Archives’ reference room (original maps can be retrieved upon request). Copies of maps are available for purchase. See our order form for details.
We have many Edmonton newspapers on microfilm:
- Numerous small newspapers dating from 1878 to the 1970s
- The Edmonton Bulletin: 1880 – 1951
- The Edmonton Journal, though there is a gap in our collection which we are filling as funding permits. We currently have:
- November 1903 – December 1975
- January 1982 – most recently available (usually within the last 3 months)
We maintain an extensive collection of newspaper clippings files, dating from the 1920s. Clippings files are an excellent place to start your research; many questions can be answered from them, and they are a source of keywords and names to enhance your search.
We have a large number of catalogued photographs dating back to the 1880s. Reference copies are available in our reference room and many are digitized and available in our online catalogue (and we’re working to add more). High quality copies are also available for purchase.
One of our larger collection of photographs was donated by the Northern Alberta Pioneer and Oldtimers’ Association (MS-56) and we have several collections from individual photographers, most notably longtime Edmonton photographer, Hubert Hollingworth.
Other types of records you’ll find at the City of Edmonton Archives include:
- Audio/visual materials
- Diaries
- Correspondence
- Contracts
- Posters and calendars
- Reports
Records Restricted by POPA
The City of Edmonton Archives houses records created by the City of Edmonton, as well as some of its agencies, boards, and commissions. These records contain material that is protected in alignment with the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA), and some material may be restricted in alignment with this Act. Access to these records is guided in alignment with the Access to Information (ATIA) Act.
Access to information is one of the core tenets of archives, and is one of the pillars of democracy.
The Protection of Privacy Act is meant to control the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by a public body.
The Access to Information Act is meant to allow people the right to access records in the custody of a public body. It is your right under this legislation to request records held by the City subject to limited and specific exceptions as set out under the Act.
These Acts were introduced by the Province of Alberta on July 11, 2025, and replaced the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIP).
All corporate records received by the City of Edmonton Archives since June 2025 are subject to POPA and ATIA.
Restrictions to access under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act remain. This includes all corporate records received by the City of Edmonton Archives since October 1999, as well as corporate records not routinely available prior to October 1999.
The following types of records are not subject to POPA and ATIA:
- All records created by private individuals or groups outside of government or other local public bodies
- Any records routinely available at the Archives prior to October 1999
- Any records routinely available prior to coming to the Archives
Despite not being subject to the POPA or ATIA, internal restrictions may be placed on records due to conservation concerns, sensitivity of information, or to reflect restrictions requested by the donor.
If you would like to see records in the Archives' collection that are restricted in alignment with POPA, please email the reference desk at cms.archives@edmonton.ca. An archivist will work with you to identify records of interest, and to determine if the files can be made available or if redactions are needed.
Subject to our workload, and in sensitivity to yours, we will endeavour to review the material as quickly as possible, though this could be up to a week or more depending on the amount of material requested. In certain circumstances, inquiries will require a formal Request to Access Information, which can be done through the City’s Corporate Access and Privacy (CAP) Office.
Hubert A. Hollingworth
Hubert Hollingworth was one of Edmonton's most outstanding photographers and was a founding member of the Edmonton Camera Club. By the age of twenty, Mr. Hollingworth was a seasoned photographer having won several awards for his photographs. He volunteered at the City of Edmonton Archives for many years.
Hubert Hollingworth fonds
The Hubert Hollingworth fonds consist of materials collected or created by Hollingworth between 1914 and 1974. Mr. Hollingworth donated some textual items such as souvenir programs, a post card album, and high school newsletters, but the main focus of his fonds is photography.
Photographs
The fonds include over 3,000 of Mr. Hollingworth's photographs which depict life in Edmonton during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. In 2002, most of the photographs were digitized and are available in our online catalogue. View Hubert Hollingworth photographs.
Glass Slides
A major portion of the Hubert Hollingworth fonds is the Hubert Hollingworth Glass Slide Collection. In 2004, the collection was digitized with financial assistance from the Archives Society of Alberta and is available through our online catalogue. View Hubert Hollingworth Glass Slides.
The glass slides in the Hubert Hollingworth fonds were created by many people. They consist of various subjects, including missionary work in Northern British Columbia and Alberta, China, Afghanistan, Africa, and India; Pre-World War II England; World War II; archaeology and anatomy.
Resources for Researching Your Building
Henderson's Directories list home and building occupants. Trace the occupants alphabetically in another section of the directory to find out what type of business was there, or in the case of a house, the occupation, marital, and ownership status of past occupants.
Henderson's may not list every occupant, spouse, occupation or ownership status, but they can indicate who has owned or lived in a particular home, a rough estimate for when the home was built, and a hint as to the structure's current status (for example, whether it still stands).
Henderson's Directories may also lead to another source. A complete listing of occupants may lead to further biographical or relevant information from City correspondence file or newspaper clipping files.
Many Henderson's Directories are available online at Henderson's Directories: A Directory of Prairie Life, University of Alberta.
City of Edmonton building permits were issued on a first come, first served basis. There is no index for these permits, so this type of search can be labour-intensive. Building permits may offer information on the original homeowner, builder, architect and estimated cost.
The Archives has thousands of original building and house plans. However, plans do not exist for every home in the city. Blueprints can provide detailed information on building construction, and they may also name the architect and/or builder.
The Archives has over 250 maps, and almost 150 are of the Edmonton area exclusively. These maps visually record the growth and change of the city over the course of a century, spanning the 1880s to the 1980s. They are easily accessible for research and photocopying.
Fire Insurance maps from 1912, 1925, and 1953-1966 are also held by the Archives. These maps detail the location, lot position, building materials, and lot numbers of buildings and property in Edmonton.
The Archives does not have a photograph for every house and building. However, photos of prominent streets, historical buildings, and neighbourhood landmarks are available. Many of these photographs are featured in a joint City of Edmonton Archives and Edmonton Public Library project — the Lost Buildings photo collection.
The Archives has an extensive collection of newspaper clipping files about Edmonton businesses, events, and people. These files provide an excellent source of biographical information or histories of streets, buildings or neighbourhoods.
Contact Us
City of Edmonton Archives
Prince of Wales Armouries, 2nd floor
10440 108 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
Email cms.archives@edmonton.ca
Phone 780-496-8711
Link Online Catalogue