New space for Archives being build on the south side of VST. Melanie Wallace photo

After a wet and windy winter, construction on the new archives at the Vancouver School of Theology is well underway.

The archives are being built to jointly house the historical records of the Anglican and United churches as well as VST. The Anglican Church portion of the archives includes records of the Diocese of New Westminster, the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and Yukon, and the former Diocese of Cariboo.

The archives assists researchers from all facets and walks of life - from PhD and Masters thesis writers, to authors, genealogists and parish historians.

With the new building well on its way, it's a good time to start asking how the archives might serve you and your parish.

In the next ten years, 24 parishes in this Diocese will be celebrating 100 or 150 year anniversaries.

The parishes that will celebrate 150 years within the next decade are Holy Trinity Cathedral (1859), St. John Maple Ridge (1859), St. Mary Sapperton (1862), Christ Church Hope (1862), and All Saints Agassiz (1866).

Celebrating their Centennials will be St. Alban Martyr Burnaby (1907), St. Augustine (1908), All Saints Ladner (1908), St. Mark Vancouver (1909), St. Margaret Cedar Cottage (1909), St. Agnes (1909), St. Clement (1909), St. Columba (1909), St. John Sardis (1910), St. Helen Surrey (1910), St. George Vancouver (1911), St. Mary Kerrisdale (1911), St. Thomas), Vancouver (1911), St. Peter Rosedale (1911), St. Helen (1912), All Saints Burnaby (1913), St. Stephen West Vancouver (1913), St. John Squamish (1913), St. Stephens Burnaby (1913).

  Archival numbers

4 Number of sites where the archives' holdings are being stored until the completion of the new archives building.

5 Volunteers come in weekly to help the archivist: Doreen Stephens, Garth Walker, Pam Niblock, Pat Appavoo and Rita Baldwin.

280 Requests for information (approximately) are taken in and processed by the archives on average per year.

700 square feet of stack space will be available in the new archives space, shared with the United Church and VST archives. - Melanie Wallace

What records do you have that need a good home once the archives are complete? Do you know how long to keep certain types of records, or what the archives might want? Are you wondering what to do with photos of parish events, architectural plans, and service leaflets? Give the archives a call and let us help!

The archives are open Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-4 or by appointment, and can be reached at 604-822-9583 or anglican-archives@vst.edu.