The City of Winnipeg Archives has information about the social, political, and economic development of Winnipeg. We hold the records for all twelve municipalities that merged in 1972 to form the current City of Winnipeg. We also have the records of the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg (Metro). These records support our knowledge of Winnipeg’s history, civic government, and the development of City services.
Collection overview
Council minutes are the official, legal record of decisions made by Council. They document City governance, administration, and service delivery. They reference debates, reports, bylaws, communications, and Council decisions. Our holdings include minutes for the following:
- City of East Kildonan
- City of St. Boniface
- City of St. James-Assiniboia
- City of St. Vital
- City of Transcona
- City of West Kildonan
- City of Winnipeg
- Rural Municipality of Charleswood
- Rural Municipality of Fort Garry
- Rural Municipality of North Kildonan
- Rural Municipality of Old Kildonan
- Town of Brooklands
- Town of Tuxedo
- Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
Bylaws are municipal laws passed or amended by Council. Our holdings include bylaws for the following:
- City of East Kildonan
- City of St. Boniface
- City of St. James-Assiniboia
- City of St. Vital
- City of Transcona
- City of West Kildonan
- City of Winnipeg
- Rural Municipality of Charleswood
- Rural Municipality of Fort Garry
- Rural Municipality of North Kildonan
- Rural Municipality of Old Kildonan
- Town of Brooklands
- Town of Tuxedo
- Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
Assessment rolls relate to property tax collection. They record a property’s assessed value, owner, and legal description. Some early assessment rolls also include the name, occupation, salary, and religion of the property owner. Our holdings include assessment rolls for the following:
- City of East Kildonan
- City of St. Boniface
- City of St. James-Assiniboia
- City of St. Vital
- City of Transcona
- City of West Kildonan
- City of Winnipeg
- Rural Municipality of Charleswood
- Rural Municipality of Fort Garry
- Rural Municipality of North Kildonan
- Rural Municipality of Old Kildonan
- Town of Brooklands
- Town of Tuxedo
- Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
Election records document the processes of civic elections and related activities. Records include nomination papers (for the offices of Mayor, Councillors, and School Trustees), voters lists, posters, sample ballots, and other materials. Our holdings include election records for the following:
- City of East Kildonan
- City of St. Boniface
- City of St. James-Assiniboia
- City of St. Vital
- City of Transcona
- City of West Kildonan
- City of Winnipeg
- Rural Municipality of Charleswood
- Rural Municipality of Fort Garry
- Rural Municipality of North Kildonan
- Rural Municipality of Old Kildonan
- Town of Brooklands
- Town of Tuxedo
- Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
Our holdings include photographs and postcards of buildings, streets, and neighbourhoods. These records also show City works and operations, parks and greenspaces, civic politicians and City staff, arts and culture, and historic events. Collections that contain many photographs include:
Note: Building plans for most existing buildings are held by Central Files at the Planning, Property, and Development Department
Our holdings include a small number of building plans and technical drawings. They are mostly for demolished and heritage buildings in the city’s core. Notable plans include the Eaton's store on Portage Avenue, Merchant's Bank on Lombard Avenue, and Osborne Stadium.
Our holdings include maps of subdivisions, zoning, and area plans created by the City. These maps track changes in urban planning, land use, and the built environment.
Correspondence records communications between City officials and those with residents, businesses, and other governments. We have correspondence of Council and committees for the City of Winnipeg (1874-1971), the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg (Metro), and former municipalities.
Fire insurance plans are maps. They use colours and symbols to show detailed information about buildings. This includes their size, shape, construction material, and number of floors. Plans may also include street numbers, property lines, and fire hydrants. They track previous street names and numbers. They also show when specific areas of the city were developed. We have fire insurance plans for Winnipeg and some of the former municipalities. These include maps published and amended by:
- Charles E. Goad Company, 1895-1915
- Western Canada Fire Underwriters' Association, 1917-1964
- McPhillips Brothers, 1893-1927
The City Clerk's Library has current and historical materials. These items document the development of Winnipeg and former municipalities. They include rare reports, both published and unpublished. Many have had limited distribution.
The Archives has a small collection of audiovisual materials. Researchers can contact us for details and access.
In 1904, the City of Winnipeg published its first municipal manual. It provided residents with political and administrative information about the City. The manuals are now a valuable source of historical information on civic government and administration.
We have records of private organizations and individuals who helped shape Winnipeg. Private records include personal papers, photographs, memorabilia, and ephemera.
We hold digital records in various formats. These include Microsoft Word and PDF documents, MP4 and MOV videos, and JPG and PNG photographs. Researchers can contact us for details and access.
Visit Winnipeg in Focus to search the archives and access digital copies of records.