Category Archives: Archivist

Written by Dan Pon, Archives Manager at grunt gallery

View Dan’s letter here

Written by Anna Tidlund, Archivist at Western Front, and Susan Gibb, Executive Director at Western Front

Dear Ms. Kwan, M.P.

We are writing to express deep concern regarding the cancellation of the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP), administered by Library and Archives Canada (LAC), following recent federal budget cuts.

The DHCP grant has been an essential source of support for community archives across Canada, enabling organizations to preserve and provide access to histories that are often absent from larger archival collections. By funding archival preservation, digitization, and cultural labour, the program has supported community-led stewardship of documentary heritage and strengthened public access to Canada’s diverse cultural memory. The cancellation of this program will have serious consequences for archives nationwide, particularly for small, rural, Indigenous, artist-run, and equity-driven organizations that already operate with limited resources. Without sustained support, many important audiovisual, paper-based, and born-digital records risk permanent loss.

LAC is mandated under section 7(f) and 8(i) of the Library of Archives of Canada Act, to fund and support community archives. Community archives play a vital role in this ecosystem by preserving histories, perspectives, and cultural practices that are not otherwise represented within national, provincial, or municipal institutions.

We are writing from Western Front, an artist-run centre in Mount Pleasant that has supported multidisciplinary contemporary art production and presentation for more than 53 years. Through DHCP support, we have been able to digitize and preserve our nationally significant archive of performance documentation stored on at-risk and obsolete media formats. This work requires ongoing technical expertise, specialized equipment, long-term stewardship, and sustained public investment.

The program’s impact has extended far beyond preservation alone. DHCP funding has created cultural sector employment, expanded public access to archival materials, and enabled us to share knowledge, tools, and digitization resources with other organizations undertaking similar preservation efforts. The need for this support continues to grow as archives expand and media formats deteriorate.

While we have been fortunate to access this funding, the program’s broader potential remains far from fully realized. Across Canada, heritage societies, artist-run centres, Indigenous and community-led organizations, activist archives, and educational initiatives rely on programs like the DHCP to preserve documentary heritage and advance reconciliation, self-determination, and community memory. Its loss disproportionately affects communities with the fewest alternative funding options.

We respectfully ask for your support in advocating for the restoration of the Documentary Heritage Communities Program and for renewed federal commitment to community-based archival preservation. We would also welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue further and hear your thoughts on how this work can continue to be supported.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Tidlund

Archivist, Western Front

Susan Gibb

Executive Director, Western Front