National Heritage Digitization Strategy (NHDS) Announces Recipients of $1 Million in Funding

October 16, 2018

Martha Whitehead, Chair, National Heritage Digitization Strategy (NHDS), today announced the winning projects of the Digitizing Canadian Collections funding call.

The one-time funding opportunity of $1 million was made possible by the generosity of a private donor.

The following 21 projects will be funded by the NHDS:

• Colony, Confederation and Country: Accessing the National Story Through the Lens of Prince Edward Island’s Historical Newspapers (Robertson Library, University of Prince Edward Island), Charlottetown, Prince Eward Island ($45,685)
• The Robin Collection: Digitization, Access and Preservation (Musée de la Gaspésie), Gaspé, Quebec ($43,742)
• Early Photographs of the Innu and Atikamekw Peoples (Université Laval Library), Québec, Quebec ($28,742)
• Forging Fur-ways: the North West Company Fur Trade Collection (McGill University Library) Montréal, Quebec ($15,963)
• Set of 146 Early Books in Indigenous Languages (1556-1900) (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec), Montréal, Quebec ($22,511)
• Digitizing Past Issues of Bulletin d’histoire politique (Association québécoise d’histoire politique), Montréal, Quebec ($6,525)
• Le Son des Français d’Amérique : Mixed Traces and Memories of Continents (Cinémathèque québécoise), Montréal, Quebec ($86,812)
• Digitizing and Publishing Heritage Collections on Canadian History (Document Management and Archives Division, Université de Montréal), Montréal, Quebec ($81,141)
• Discovering the Heritage of the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (1910–1990): A Living Memory! (Centre for Research on French Canadian Culture, University of Ottawa), Ottawa, Ontario ($86,805)
• Digital John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (Queen’s University Library), Kingston, Ontario ($65,033)
• The MacGregor Collection (The Canadian Canoe Museum), Peterborough, Ontario ($9,925)
• Digitizing Inuit Artistic Heritage (Inuit Art Foundation), Toronto, Ontario ($80,786)
  Healing and Education Through Digital Access (Algoma University), Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario ($86,890)
• First Nations and Métis Oral History Digitization Project (Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan), Regina, Saskatchewan ($8,700)
• Indian History Film Project Digitization (First Nations University of Canada), Regina, Saskatchewan ($19,414)
• The Idea of the North: Exploring Evidence of Resilience and Change (University of Saskatchewan), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ($83,058)
• Smoke Signals, Satellites and Servers: Digitizing the ANCS Television Archive (Sound Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta), Edmonton, Alberta ($36,744)
• Chambermaids to Whistle Punks: The Labour and Lives of B.C. Women, 1890–1970 (Satellite Video Exchange Society), Vancouver, British Columbia ($16,098)
• BC Gay and Lesbian Archives Audiovisual and Graphic Material Digitization Project (City of Vancouver Archives), Vancouver, British Columbia ($71,015)
• What Becomes Canada: Digitizing Narratives of Exploration, Settlement, and Contact (Vancouver Island University Library), Nanaimo, British Columbia ($17,015)
• Native Communications Society Digitization Project (Northwest Territories Archives), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories ($86,796)

National Heritage Digitization Strategy: 21 projects approved for funding across Canada

VANCOUVER, Oct. 16, 2018 – The National Heritage Digitization Strategy (NHDS) is providing $1 million to support 21 projects by archives, libraries and documentary heritage institutions throughout Canada. The recipients of the Digitization Canadian Collection funding call were announced today in an event held at the Vancouver Public Library.

This opportunity was made possible thanks to a generous gift from a private foundation.

The following 21 projects will be funded by the NHDS:

• Colony, Confederation and Country: Accessing the National Story Through the Lens of Prince Edward Island’s Historical Newspapers (Robertson Library, University of Prince Edward Island), Charlottetown, Prince Eward Island ($45,685)
• The Robin Collection: Digitization, Access and Preservation (Musée de la Gaspésie), Gaspé, Quebec ($43,742)
• Early Photographs of the Innu and Atikamekw Peoples (Université Laval Library), Québec, Quebec ($28,742)
• Forging Fur-ways: the North West Company Fur Trade Collection (McGill University Library) Montréal, Quebec ($15,963)
• Set of 146 Early Books in Indigenous Languages (1556-1900) (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec), Montréal, Quebec ($22,511)
• Digitizing Past Issues of Bulletin d’histoire politique (Association québécoise d’histoire politique), Montréal, Quebec ($6,525)
• Le Son des Français d’Amérique : Mixed Traces and Memories of Continents (Cinémathèque québécoise), Montréal, Quebec ($86,812)
• Digitizing and Publishing Heritage Collections on Canadian History (Document Management and Archives Division, Université de Montréal), Montréal, Quebec ($81,141)
• Discovering the Heritage of the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (1910–1990): A Living Memory! (Centre for Research on French Canadian Culture, University of Ottawa), Ottawa, Ontario ($86,805)
• Digital John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (Queen’s University Library), Kingston, Ontario ($65,033)
• The MacGregor Collection (The Canadian Canoe Museum), Peterborough, Ontario ($9,925)
• Digitizing Inuit Artistic Heritage (Inuit Art Foundation), Toronto, Ontario ($80,786)
  Healing and Education Through Digital Access (Algoma University), Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario ($86,890)
• First Nations and Métis Oral History Digitization Project (Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan), Regina, Saskatchewan ($8,700)
• Indian History Film Project Digitization (First Nations University of Canada), Regina, Saskatchewan ($19,414)
• The Idea of the North: Exploring Evidence of Resilience and Change (University of Saskatchewan), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ($83,058)
• Smoke Signals, Satellites and Servers: Digitizing the ANCS Television Archive (Sound Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta), Edmonton, Alberta ($36,744)
• Chambermaids to Whistle Punks: The Labour and Lives of B.C. Women, 1890–1970 (Satellite Video Exchange Society), Vancouver, British Columbia ($16,098)
• BC Gay and Lesbian Archives Audiovisual and Graphic Material Digitization Project (City of Vancouver Archives), Vancouver, British Columbia ($71,015)
• What Becomes Canada: Digitizing Narratives of Exploration, Settlement, and Contact (Vancouver Island University Library), Nanaimo, British Columbia ($17,015)
• Native Communications Society Digitization Project (Northwest Territories Archives), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories ($86,796)

Quick facts

• The NHDS envisions a future in which digital access to Canada’s diverse documentary heritage is comprehensive, ubiquitous and has a profound impact on our country’s culture, education, research and innovation.
• Launched in 2016, the NHDS engages Canadian memory institutions and Canadian creators in leveraging expertise and resources to facilitate the digitization, preservation and discovery of Canadian documentary heritage.
• Archives, libraries, historical societies, Indigenous organizations and governments, genealogical organizations, universities and colleges, professional library and archival associations, and museums with an archival component were eligible to apply for funding.
• Eligibility criteria for the funding call were developed by the NHDS Steering Committee, and the proposals were evaluated by an independent advisory committee of nine experts from  academic and documentary institutions in Canada and abroad
• Library and Archives Canada (LAC) provides secretariat support to the NHDS and administered the funding call on behalf of the NHDS.

Quotes
“The NHDS was thrilled to have this opportunity to support the digitization of Canadian documentary heritage. Thanks to this funding, Canadian memory institutions will better protect their collections, and Canadians will have greater access to stories that reflect the depth and diversity of our country.”
– Martha Whitehead, Chair, National Heritage Digitization Strategy

“With this funding, we will be able to preserve and make accessible the text documents of one of the largest companies in the history of Canada. We will also be able to reveal some previously unreleased content, which will contribute to our understanding of an area of Canadian history that is still largely unknown.”
– Nathalie Spooner, Director General, Musée de la Gaspésie

“The City of Vancouver Archives will use its NHDS funding to increase the profile and accessibility of the recently-donated BC Gay and Lesbian Archives collection. Over 7400 photographs, 2000 posters and 150 audiovisual works will be digitized and made freely available online as a result of this funding.”
– Heather Gordon, City Archivist, City of Vancouver Archives

Related links

• National Heritage Digitization Strategy
• NHDS National Steering Committee
• Digitizing Canadian Collections funding call advisory committee
• Librarian and Archivist of Canada announces National Heritage Digitization Strategy collaboration

About the National Heritage Digitization Strategy
The National Heritage Digitization Strategy is a growing coalition of memory institutions working together to leverage expertise and resources to support the digitization, preservation and discovery of Canadian documentary heritage.