Archives
At the City of Saskatoon Archives, we work to preserve and provide access to the historical records of the City of Saskatoon, as well as to those of historically significant individuals, organizations and groups in Saskatoon.
Reference services are available in-person, by post, by email, or over the telephone. Access to the Archives is currently through Door No. 3, off the north parking lot. Visitors, we recommend you call us ahead of time to let us know you're coming.
Archives Holdings
The City Archives contain records from the City of Saskatoon and its predecessor bodies dating back to 1902, and includes maps, plans, letters, reports, agreements, contracts, minutes, and directories documenting the history and growth of our city and the decisions made by the civic government and administration.
Our holdings database is available in-house only. Digital versions of our holdings are not available online. Finding aids for selected collections and series can be searched through the MemorySask database, hosted by the Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists.
Records available for research include:
- City Council and committee minutes (1902 - 1990)
- City bylaws (1903-1985)
- Engineering reports
- Fire Insurance Maps (1907-1963)
- Reports to Council
- Town of Sutherland records (1910-1956)
- Tax Assessment Rolls (selected, from 1906-1955)
- Aerial photographs (1927-1987)
- City maps, street and subdivision plans
- Building plans
- Burial records
- Voters lists (1909-1988)
- Henderson directories and telephone books (1908-2000)
- Municipal Manuals and annual reports
Private collections at the City Archives include the Saskatoon Star Phoenix photograph collection (400,000 images dating from 1946-1999), the Meewasin Valley Authority, Jeux Canada Games, the papers of several mayors and many more. For more information, contact the Archives.
Donating Records to the Archives
The City Archives accepts donations of historical records relating to Saskatoon and its people, for example:
- Photographs and documents relating to city staff, departments and officials, civic structures and facilities, and civic-related events
- Records of businesses, families and individuals with strong ties to Saskatoon
- Photographs of Saskatoon and its people
- Letters, diaries, and other material relevant to the history of Saskatoon and its people
- Photographs and records relating to the Town of Sutherland before 1956
- Photographs and records relating to the RM of Cory and to the early history of Montgomery Place
- Maps and aerial photographs of Saskatoon and area
- Other related material
For more information about how you can help to improve the documentary heritage of our city, please contact us.
Moving the Archives
In the spring of 2024, staff at the City Archives began the arduous process of moving the collection from its previous location, a leased office building near the airport, to a new, permanent home in the City-owned Civic Square East (CSE) building, previously the Saskatoon Post Office, at 202 – 4th Avenue North.
Preparations began in January 2024, with the Archives closing to the public in early April. The actual move took place over three days in mid-May as more than 90 pallets worth of boxes, books, shelving and supplies were loaded onto trucks and moved to the new space. After that came the job of putting it all back together again. That process is more-or-less complete. For the time being, we still recommend that visitors to the Archives call ahead to let us know they’re coming
News Release April 3, 2024: Out with the old, into the new: City Archives on the move
