Two New Canadian Entries to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register

November 7, 2017

Following its meeting last month, the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MoW) Programme recommended the addition of 78 new nominations for the Memory of the World International Register, including two from Canada:

• Marshall McLuhan: The Archives of the Future
• Mixed Traces and Memories of the continents – The Sound of the French people of America (Le son des Français d’Amérique)

The Memory of the World Register lists documentary heritage which has been recommended by the International Advisory Committee, and endorsed by the Director-General of UNESCO, as corresponding to the selection criteria regarding world significance and outstanding universal value.

Marshall McLuhan: The Archives of the Future

The nomination for the inclusion of Marshall McLuhan’s legacy into the Memory of the World Register was made jointly by Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) with the support of Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO). The documentary heritage that will become part of the Memory of the World is comprised of his archival collection preserved at LAC and his research library held at UTL. Dating from the time of McLuhan’s undergraduate studies to his death, the documents include a wealth of correspondence and manuscripts of writings: books, articles, essays, and lectures.

More information: News Release – Library and Archives Canada, University of Toronto Libraries, and Canadian Commission for UNESCO applaud addition of Marshall McLuhan documents to Memory of the World Register

Mixed Traces and Memories of the continents – The Sound of the French people of America (Le son des Français d’Amérique)

Nominated by the Cinémathèque québécoise, Le son des Français d’Amérique, 27 30-minute films directed by Michel Brault and André Gladu between 1974 and 1980, documents the traditional music practices of American Francophone communities.

According to Christina Cameron, the President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, “This documentary series vividly demonstrates the importance of the role played by the arts, language and traditions in the shaping of our societies, and starkly illustrates the need to preserve them for the researchers of today and future generations.”

More information: News Release – Le son des Français d’Amérique Inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register

They join four previous entries in the Register:

• Hudson’s Bay Company Archival records
• Neighbours, animated, directed and produced by Norman McLaren in 1952
• Quebec Seminary Collection, 1623-1800 (17th-19th centuries)
• The Discovery of Insulin and its Worldwide Impact