Association for Manitoba Archives

HIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN DESIGNED AS A RESEARCH AID for those seeking the location of the surviving records of Manitoba Child-Care Institutions and of Child Immigration Agencies that placed children within Manitoba. The need for such a Guide was first recognised by the Religious Archives Special Interest Group of the Association for Manitoba Archives and they initiated this project.

Records may include lists of names and client files containing identifying information as well as administrative files and such items as promotional literature and photographs. This document also directs researchers to some other useful resources including lists of names and collections of information compiled by academic and other researchers as well as non-profit agencies engaged in family reunification who are willing to share their expertise and data. Users should keep in mind that archiving practises in these agencies have not always been thorough or consistent. As a result surviving records are often incomplete and contain large gaps.

The Aid to the Location of Surviving Records and other Research Resources consists of two parts:

1) A Database of Manitoba's Child-Care Institutions & Child Immigration Agencies
This section includes information about each institution or agency's location and dates of operation, the type and location of surviving records (records for an institution may be scattered in several locations) and other relevant information that may help explain the records. This database is arranged alphabetically by institution. Many of the child-care institutions included here are described as 'Orphanages'. Not all the children who were resident in these institutions were orphans, however. The absence of day care and long working hours forced many single parents (male and female) to place their children in an institution for varying lengths of time. If their parents could not afford to pay their board, children could be 'placed out' to farm labour or domestic service. This practise is sometimes incorrectly identified as adoption and it continued well into the twentieth century. Institutions which operated solely as correctional or treatment facilities, or as hospitals, are not included in this research aid but maternity homes have been included since these served expectant single mothers. Working women's hostels have been included as, until the 1930s, they often counted among their clientele immigrant girls between the ages of fourteen and eighteen.

Although Manitoba's various Children's Aid Societies often placed children in many of the institutions mentioned here, they are not themselves listed in this research aid. Access to all records pertaining to Temporary and Permanent Wards of Manitoba's Children's Aid Societies (regardless of the institution in which the child was placed) is by application to The Director, Child Protection and Support Services, Manitoba Family Services and Housing. Likewise, access to any information pertaining to adoption is only available by application to the Post-Adoption Registry (Manitoba). Please see the database of Records Custodians and Research Resources for contact information.

2) A Database of Records Custodians and Research Resources
This section includes contact information for each record location or research resource mentioned in the Database of Child-Care Institutions & Child immigration Agencies. Older records are frequently located in an archival facility but may be found elsewhere. These are arranged in alphabetical order by Records Custodian/Research Resource.

Access to the records described herein may be subject to regulation depending on where the record was created and where it is currently housed. Regulation may also be dependent upon the type of information contained in the record and the nature of the collecting body.

In Manitoba, The Child and Family Services Act, S.M. 1985-86, c.8-Cap. C80 prohibits disclosure or communication of information of any record made under the Act. This Act may also cover records that were made under previous legislation. The Adoption Act, S.M. 1997, c.47-Cap. A2 prohibits disclosure of records relating to the granting of an order of an adoption. This legislation covers records made under this Act as well as under previous legislation. Access to some Manitoba government records (such as Community Services and Correction Ward files or Children's Aid Society of Winnipeg office files) may be subject to The Freedom of lnformation and Protection of Privacy Act, S.M. 1997, c. 50-Cap. F175. However, The Child and Family Services Act provisions regarding confidentiality of a record prevails over any possible access under the former Act.

Some records may also be subject to the provisions of The Personal Health Information Act, S.M. 1997, c.51-Cap. P33.5. The Personal Health lnformation Act provisions also prevail over freedom of information legislation.

As a result of the foregoing legislation, information contained in records referred to in this Guide may be considered confidential and therefore may not be available for review except by the persons who are the subject of the record.

The Association for Manitoba Archives would like to take this opportunity to thank all those archivists, record managers and others who have made time in their busy schedules to patiently explain the records of their organisations. The writer would also like to thank all those who assisted with the editing and proof-reading of this document.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented in this guide is accurate and complete. However, given the era of many of the institutions included here it is impossible to guarantee that no errors have been made. In many cases the various sources disagree. The Association asks that users of the Guide notify us regarding any inaccuracies at the address below:

Association for Manitoba Archives
Box 26005, Westminster Post Office
Winnipeg, MB
R3C 4K9

Tel. 204/942-3491, Fax 204/942-3492
E-mail ama1@mts.net

This project was made possible by the generous funding provided by the Canadian Council of Archives and Manitoba Heritage Grants.