ADO Diocesan Archives

The Diocesan Archives’ collection policy provides for the acquisition of parish and Diocesan records that include:

• Parish registers; records of births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths and burials
• Vestry records; including annual reports, attendance records, minutes and related papers from meetings
• Service registers; also called Vestry Books
• Records of committees and organizations; including minutes, reports and correspondence of groups such as building committees, choirs, Sunday schools, parish councils, men’s groups, women’s organizations, and youth groups
• Financial records
• Property records; including contracts, deeds, architectural plans, building permits, indentures, petitions for consecration, etc
• Service bulletins and leaflets; for regular and special events
• Correspondence; including parish mailings
• Parish newsletters
• Historical information; books, booklets and news clippings
• Photographs: identified as completely as possible by view, date, event and persons depicted
• Guest books, parish lists and photo directories
• Special collections and informational materials; usually identified by source and by topic, including scrapbooks

The Archives’ collection also includes the following Diocesan records:

• Bishops’ papers
• Episcopal Office records
• Synod journals
• Diocesan Council records
• Governance and Communications Committee records
• Financial Affairs Committee records
• Parish Ministry Development Committee records
• Risk and Audit Committee records
• Diocesan newspapers
• Papers of prominent clergy and laypeople

* The Diocesan Archives does not purchase archived materials.

* Parish registered for these locations are in the collection of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa Archives. Access is subject to provisions of the Privacy Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronics Documents Act.

• Certificate (or certified transcript) of baptism, confirmation, marriage or burial* $30 each
• Preliminary genealogical research requests (taking up to half an hour to carry out)* $20
• Professional genealogical research* $40 per hour
• Access to Parish registers by visitors* $3 per vol.
• Access to Parish registers on official church business* No charge
• Searching online database of 800,000 baptisms, marriages, burials $5 per hour; $2 for 20 minutes
• Photocopies 20 cents per page
• Subject to privacy/confidentiality/conservation/size of request restrictions
• Photocopying and photographing parish registers is not permitted under any circumstances

The Diocese of Ottawa has some 222 churches and parishes listed at the Archeion website of the Archives Association of Ontario. Find out about the extent and variety of records in the Diocesan Archives for any parish and congregation by browsing the Archeion database.