“To collect, arrange, describe, preserve and provide access to any documents, manuscripts, newspapers, books, graphic and audio-visual materials pertaining to the history and activities of The Anglican Church of Canada.”
— Mission of the General Synod Archives
The General Synod Archives operating under Canon V acquires, preserves and provides access to the records of enduring value created by the General Synod, it’s committees, councils, boards and commissions and includes the official papers of the Primate, the General Secretary and all other officers and employees of the General Synod. To this end the GSA also provides record management services and archival appraisal to the national office departments. The General Synod Archives forms part of the Office of the General Secretary.
The General Synod Archives are also the repository for records created by organizations and individuals affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada and who are of historical significance to the national Church. This includes the Archives of the Diocese of the Arctic and the former Diocese of Keewatin which are on deposit at the GSA. The Archives has actively acquired publications and other media productions that document the history of the Anglican Church of Canada.
The collection at the General Synod Archives includes:
400 metres of General Synod records
155 metres of private textual records
20,000 photographs
2,000 plus sound and moving image materials
171 reels of microfilm
255 church periodicals
5,000 volumes in Historical Reference Library
Thomas R. Millman Historical Reference Library
Along with archival holdings, the General Synod Archives (GSA) has a historical reference library. The library offers contextual support to the GSA’s archival holdings. The Thomas R. Millman Historical Reference Library holds approximately 5 000 books, pamphlets, and booklets on a variety of topics supporting the GSA’s mandate of preserving the documentary heritage of the Anglican Church of Canada. Particular strengths in the collection are parish histories, biographies of clergy and bishops, annual reports of missionary societies, history of First Nations people of Canada and native language materials.