Showing 117 results

This series consists of a variety of records created by various provincial mental health institutions from 1872 to 2008. Records relate to the administration and operation of Riverview Hospital and related mental health facilities at the Essondale site in Coquitlam, as well as other facilities across the province. These mental health institutions include: Victoria Asylum, New Westminster Provincial Asylum (later Public Hospital for the Insane or Provincial Hospital for the Insane), Home for the Aged Coquitlam (later Valleyview), Home for the Aged Terrace (later Skeenaview), Home for the Aged Vernon (later Dellview), Crease Clinic, Colony Farm, Colquitz, Woodlands School, Tranquille and other medical facilities.

The names and administrative structure of these institutions changed over time. Mental health functions were originally part of the Provincial Secretary’s mandate; they were transferred to Mental Health Services when it was created in 1950.

These government records were collected by the Riverview Historical Society and include a wide variety of subject matter and media. This includes subjects such as: early development of the Essondale lands and Colony Farm; the construction and expansion of the facility; admissions, transfers, and discharges of patients; administration of patient care; administration of therapy programs; patient and staff recreation; staff and nurse training; operation of the audiovisual department; library services; research into new medical and therapeutic practices; research by staff regarding mental health practices at Riverview and further afield; community involvement; volunteer activity; policy development; the redevelopment of the Riverview lands; general administration; and, administration of other services at the site such as postal, food, laundry, banking, transportation and safety services.

The collection has been arranged into the following series based on record types:

GR-3924 - record books
GR-3925 - operational records
GR-3926 - newsletters
GR-3927 - photographs and other graphic material
GR-3928 - films and videos

Classified as 20000-20 in Operational Records Classification System (ORCS) schedule 144007.

The series consists of volumes of indexes to Orders in Council (OIC) created between 1872 and 1984. The indexes relate to GR-0113 Orders in Council. The oversize volumes were maintained by the Provincial Secretary's office prior to the introduction of an automated indexing system in 1985 and digitization of the records, now available on the BC Laws website: http://www.bclaws.ca/. In most instances, OICs are indexed under the name of the statutes to which they relate. The series also includes ledgers recording documents issued under the Great Seal. The ledgers are arranged by Act name and list the relevant OIC as well as the name and address of the appointee mentioned in the OIC.

This series consists of correspondence and reports concerning laws, statutes, titles, and emblems. Records include files regarding the Provincial Elections Act, Engineering Profession Act, Daylight Saving Act, Public Documents Disposal Act, and Historic Objects Preservation Act. Records also concern the authorized use of the name "British Columbia", provincial coat-of-arms, and royal styles and titles. Additional files concern Court mourning observances and Princess Margaret's Portland Island. These records were originally part of a larger series, transferred separately to the PABC and catalogued as GR-1661.

The series consists of miscellaneous films (some original footage and some composite prints) and videocassettes about British Columbia. It includes films about the BC Pavilion in Osaka (1970), British Columbia House in San Francisco (ca. 1965) as well as the opening of the 1971 BC International Trade fair, a film about lumbering in British Columbia (1925) and Crown Zellerbach lumber activities (1966) and a reel from ca. 1970 about sailing activities.

The series also includes two video copies of BBC films, one about lumbering activities and one about a search and rescue operation.

The photographs and at least some of the films were formerly held by British Columbia House in San Francisco. Some of the films are composite prints; F1984:10/002 appears to be original footage.

This series contains general correspondence files of the Minister's office, Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Travel Industry. The first series (B06231-B06239) relates to the Provincial Secretary component and the second series (B06240-B06246) relates to the Travel Industry component of the ministry. Many of the files deal with tourism promotion and other travel industry-related topics.

This series consists of 28 volumes of proclamations. Contemporary indexes are located in volume 28.

This series consists of a typed document entitled "Notes on Indian Land Question, British Columbia" Prepared by David Borthwick. Consists of 3 typescripts, one with annotations.

This series includes notes, reports, and correspondence concerning appeals to Cabinet pursuant to the Civil Service Act and to the Private Detectives' Licensing Act.

This series consists of 22 volumes of registers of documents issued under the Great Seal and administered by the Provincial Secretary by authority of the Provincial Secretary's Act, 1953-1974.

The series consists of Dept. of the Provincial Secretary general office files, 1964-1974. It contains records with subjects relating to protocol and routine operations of government.

This series contains correspondence, reports, and miscellaneous documents regarding financial grants to the City of Victoria Centennial Celebrations (1962), British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame (1968-1973), and the Vancouver Indian Centre Society (1963-1969).

This series contains correspondence, memoranda, and newspaper cuttings pertaining to the appointment and tenure of Lieutenant Governor the Honourable George R. Pearkes, V.C. Includes beribboned oath of allegiance and oaths of office, 13 October 1960.

This series consists of correspondence relating to the issuance of commissions to members of the Executive Council, to the oath of allegiance taken by cabinet ministers, and to royal toasts; index and registers of oaths of office and oaths of allegiance of members of the Executive Council.

This series contains commemorative certificates, cartoons and momentos presented to Deputy Provincial Secretary L.J. Wallace by various organizations and community groups to mark centennial celebrations of 1966, 1967, and 1971.

Agreement between George Griffith Aitken and John L. Colbert and the Trustees of the Civil Service War Memorial Fund, 1930; bank savings and chequing accounts, 1932 - 1970.

The series consists of records created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1957 and 1963 with regard to the reconstruction of Government House. The records include correspondence with donors, suppliers and government agencies regarding the rebuilding and refurnishing of Government House after the fire of 1957, including the redesign of the gardens. There are six photographs showing a donated silk carpet, artwork and chairs. The series also includes six plans showing aspects of the house and gardens (including layout and names of plants). The plans have been given the following registration numbers: 24112B, 24113B, 24115B, 24117B, 24114C and 24116C.

The series consists of general office files created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1951 and 1962 with their card indexes.

This series consists of a List of names of persons invited to various government functions, 1960.

The series consists of records with regard to Royal visits created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1939 and 1959. The records include correspondence, circulars, programmes, press releases, menus, etc. concerning the visit to British Columbia by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, 1939. Also includes programmes re: 1958 visit of the Princess Margaret and the visit of H.M. the Queen and Prince Philip in 1959.

The series also contains 2 photographs of paintings and some maps.

This series consists of a list summarizing the amount of grants to charitable and other associations, 1911-1959.

This series consists of correspondence with nominal lists relating to the appointments of various Agents-General, 1957.

This series consists of a record of documents to which the Great Seal of British Columbia has been affixed and a memoranda on the history of the Great Seal of the province.

The records include correspondence inward and outward of the Provincial Secretary related to the subject of design and registration of the British Columbia Coat of Arms. The correspondence is arranged chronologically and interfiled with the correspondence are reports, drawings of the crest and coat of arms, rubbings, and clippings. Some letters are typescript copies. Correspondents include: Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works; High Commissioner for Canada, Agent-General for British Columbia, Herald's College, Provincial Secretary, Deputy Provincial Secretary, Premier of British Columbia, Under Secretary of State and the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. This appears to be a collection of records, taken from a number of different files, and gathered together because they relate to a single subject.

This series consists of record of appeals heard by the Executive Council.

This series consists of reports of inquests, juries of inquiry submitted by provincial coroners as required by the Coroners Act, 1954.

This series consists of a record of commissions issued under various provincial statutes.

This series contains miscellaneous correspondence and reports. These records were originally a part of the Provincial Secretary's central registry but, for reasons unknown, became separated from the department's main files. A wide variety of subjects are addressed in these records.

Many of the records in this unit concern investigations carried out under the authority of the Departmental Inquiries Act and the Public Inquiries Act. Many relate to conditions in public institutions and activities of government employees. Many inquiries relate to hospitals and schools in the province, including Vernon Mental Hospital, Tranquille Sanatorium, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and Provincial Mental Hospital at Essondale. Other inquiries and Commissions include bribery of the Liquor Control Board, the Beban Mine disaster, Royal Commission on Dominion Provincial Relations, Inquiry into the death of John Meredith Sweeney and the state and management of the Quartermaster Stores of the Provincial Police Force.

The records also relate to child welfare programs, including the general management of the Provincial Industrial School for Boys and to the Girls' Industrial School, ca. 1930-1945. Additional documents in this collection relate to subjects such as squatters' claims at the Granville Townsite [Vancouver (1887)], to the Fraser River Flood Relief programme (1894), applications for seed, the Victoria Consolidated Hydraulic Mining Co., government perquisites, legislation, estates, and to proposed sites for the University of British Columbia (1910). "Anti-Oriental" petitions and voting returns of the 1924 beer-by-the-glass plebiscite also included.

The series consists of correspondence of the Superintendent of Neglected Children, the Deputy Superintendent of Neglected Children and the Superintendent of Welfare relating to Doukhobor children. The files contain correspondence, lists of children, case files for some of the children and a 1950 thesis. The bulk of the material relates to the period 1929 1935.

This series consists of incomplete correspondence files from the Department of the Provincial Secretary, 1942-1949. File subjects include miscellaneous, legislation, elections, government progress, and by-elections held in Vancouver, Rossland-Trail, South Okanagan, Cariboo and Saanich.

This series consists of the records of John B.B. Shaw, Executive Assistant to the Provincial Secretary, 1946-1948.