Other Types of Records

Documentary Art

The Provincial Archives has a small documentary art collection which reflects – in its own, unique way – the history of Saskatchewan.  The documentary art collection includes items such as political and editorial cartoons, paintings, drawings, etchings, lithographs, and posters.

Moving Images

The Provincial Archives’ sizable moving image collection consists of film and video tape items. The Archives is the official repository for government film materials which constitute about 50% of our moving image holdings. The remainder of the collection has been acquired from corporate bodies, private organizations and individuals. Several thousand television news items produced by CFQC Saskatoon, CKCK Regina and CBKT (CBC) Regina, 1956-1979, are also held by the Archives. The greater portion of the film collection is 16 mm safety print stock from the 1950s to the 1970s. There are, however, many significant items, such as those found in the John Poole Collection, from the 1920s through to the 1940s. Shot at Fort San in 1935, Fight Tuberculosis is the oldest surviving talkie in the collection.

Video recordings date from the 1970s to the present and include the proceedings of the Saskatchewan Legislature since 1982, productions of the Departments of Education, Agriculture, Tourism and SaskMedia. Also available are off-air recordings of the evening news of CKCK Regina (1983-present); CBKT Regina (1984-present); Global Regina (formerly STV, 1987-present); and CBKT Saskatoon (1986-1992).

Recorded Sound

The Provincial Archives’ recorded sound collection consists of recordings created by government, private and public radio stations, and individuals. The Archive's primary goal in this area is to collect recorded sound documents that enrich and complement written, printed and visual materials. Recordings date from the 1940s and the collection is one of the largest in Canada.

Currently there are tens of thousands of recorded sound documents which have been collected and preserved by the Provincial Archives. While the genre of the material is quite eclectic, the largest segment is the oral history collection. Interviews have been recorded with farmers, soldiers, trappers, miners, activists, politicians, clerics, members of ethnic groups, and indigenous peoples, to name a few. Oral history recordings possess many qualities not found in textual form. Tape recorded documents capture emotions, accents, dialects and other language idiosyncrasies of the interviewees. These qualities may be useful not only to the historian but also to the linguist, ethnographer, folklorist or genealogist.

The Archives has also undertaken to preserve radio programming considered to be of historical value. Recordings in this collection include programming from radio stations across the province, which reflect various aspects of the life and development of Saskatchewan society.

Other recorded sound documents which are available to researchers include: the tape recorded Debates and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan; political addresses and campaign speeches; press conferences; public hearings and inquiries; and recordings of special events. The Archives also holds selections of music and songs which draw their inspiration from the land and people of Saskatchewan. These include Francophone folk songs, Doukhobor hymns, old-time fiddle music, Department of Education music lessons and many other rare and interesting recordings.