Outside the Box

Name : Mason Hausermann Position : Arts Intern, U of R Archives & Special Collections Area of Study : Bachelor of Arts (Major: History, Minor: English) Career Aspirations : I would love to work in archives, libraries or museums once I’ve completed my degree. Why did you want to do an internship at the Archives?   To gain more insight into the heritage field. I was interested to learn more about what goes into the process of collection and digitization, as this is an often-overlooked component. Another aspect that drew me to this internship was the fact that I would be interacting with records and artifacts. I spent last summer as a student at the Doukhobor Heritage Village and really enjoyed this kind of hands-on work so I was glad to have a chance to do more of it. What was your project?  The digitization of Dr. George F. Ledingham's Ornithological study records. They form part of the Dr. George F. Ledingham Herbarium at the U of R’s Faculty of Science. The Herbarium i...

From time-to-time this Blog will share stories shared from members of Friends of the Saskatchewan Archives via their "Interim Gopher" Bill Armstrong. Cheers,  Cameron "Greetings, Gopherites. The interim gopher has a mixed bag for you in this missive. First, it's always a positive thing to recognize someone who is finding creative ways to teach the young 'uns, in and out of the classroom, and especially so when it comes to teaching history, which the gopher thinks has a bad reputation in this country. So, read on..  https://www.canadashistory.ca/awards/governor-general-s-history-awards/award-recipients/2023/andre-boutin-maloney Next up, a small newspaper clipping from Allan Miller, who continues to comb through back issues of Ontario newspapers and pass on stories of folks with connections to this province. In this case, the brief article (attached) is a reminder that not all stories of those who came to Saskatchewan are success stories. As we approach winter, ...

 From time-to-time this Blog will share stories shared from members of Friends of the Saskatchewan Archives via their "Interim Gopher" Bill Armstrong. Cheers, Cameron Hello FOPASKers. The gopher's invitation to share stories about the homesteading experience brought the following story from Friend Frank Korvemaker. While not strictly about homesteading, it's a great yarn. The gopher experienced Hurricane Hazel on land, and that was more than enough, thank you very much. I can't imagine what it was like with a waterline view.  Here is a photo of me – age 7, on board the Holland America Line’s “Groote Beer” (Big Bear) on Oct. 14, 1954, in Rotterdam, about to set out for Canada.  Seven days later we were bobbing up, down and sideways on the mighty Atlantic, while Hurricane Hazel was throwing the last of her ferocity at anyone who got in her way.  We made it safely to Montreal on Oct 24 th . to begin our sojourn in Canada. Below is a photo of the “Groote Beer” - a Wor...

With the arrival of spring (soon we hope), the call for recruitment of new Board members to the SCAA Board of Directors once again enters your inbox. SCAA has openings on our Board of Directors and we always welcome a mix of people who have served in the past and those who are new to the role. Any members who would like to support archives across Saskatchewan are encouraged to nominate themselves for the Board. It’s a great opportunity to meet other archivists and learn more about the issues facing archives. Board participation also gives individuals a chance to develop (or refine) their skills relating to grant adjudication, interpretation of financial statements, application of policy and governance principles. If you don’t have experience, do not worry, the SCAA staff are always ready to help and you will be joining a Board with a mix of veterans and newcomers :-) As we start emerging from the turmoil of the past couple of years, we have begun the process of returning to face-to-...

  Greetings, fellow FOPASKers. A few days ago Friend Ron sent along a couple of photos he had discovered in his family archive, which he sent along with this request: We have this photograph of Sprucedale Farm  It appears to be in southern Saskatchewan from  the lack of trees and rolling hills. With all your connections, would you have any way of finding out where this was located? I believe the owners were Don and Kate McLaren but I have been unable to find their names anywhere. With your sleuthing abilities perhaps you might come up with something.   With great appreciation,         Ron D About the gopher's sleuthing abilities, pshaw, although I did check a couple of books of Saskatchewan place names, finding Spruce Bay and Spruce Lake, both in the parkland zone on the NorthWest side. As Ron notes, Sprucedale doesn't look like a good fit. There is also the date on the barn, 1910, when there was still land to be settled on in southern areas of th...

  Talking About If These Places Could Talk: Snapshots of Saskatchewan Crista Bradley When I was granted a one-year research sabbatical leave from the University of Regina Archives in July 2019, I was able to move forward with a project that’s been on my mind for several years.   The objective of the sabbatical was to research and write a children's book and companion educator’s guide that would help kids connect with Saskatchewan archives and further develop their understanding of our province’s diverse history. The year was rich and the pace was vigorous as I worked to review the professional literature on youth outreach and archival/historical products designed for children, identify a theme and format for the book, and investigate publishing options.   With support from a SCAA Professional Development Grant, I attended Canada History’s Historical Thinking Summer Institute, to help me frame my approach to packaging historical...