The ArQuives is the only institution dedicated exclusively to the collection, preservation, and public access of LGBTQ2+ Canadian life and history. The ArQuives is one of the largest LGBTQ2+ archives in the world and has become so thanks to the support of the LGBTQ2+ community, who have provided 100% of our operational budget and nearly all collection donations.
We acknowledge the work of LGBTQ2+ archival organizations in Canada dedicated to collecting and preserving LGBTQ2+ history and to various collections within provincial, city, and educational institutions that collect, preserve, and make accessible LGBTQ2+ history. We acknowledge that The ArQuives is not always the right repository for collections and that local access should take precedence if that is the desire of the community or donor.
To facilitate access to other collections around the country, we have created this page to facilitate researchers’ knowledge of the various collections that exist. The list has been divided into two different sections “Libraries, Archives, and Museums” and “Archival Projects.”
Libraries, Archives, and Museums
In an effort to make some of the other collections more visible to researchers, we have created a list of repositories. If you are a library, archive, or museum with accessible LGBTQ2+ collections and are not on the list, please reach out to have your institution added.
Archival Projects
Many important LGBTQ2+ archival projects are underway around the country, and we have created a list of projects that are currently accessible. If you have an LGBTQ2+ archival project that you would like to add, please fill out this form to have your project added.