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This series includes a suggested draft for the 1872 Public Schools Act by Thomas Nicholson (1871), correspondence regarding the school at Burton's Prairie (1882) and correspondence regarding a request for an additional teacher at New Westminster High School (1889).

The series consists of a scrapbook created by the Dept. of Provincial Secretary from 1911 to 912. It contains accounts submitted by provincial newspapers for payment of advertisements of government notices.

The series consists of correspondence of the Deputy Minister and minutes pertaining to the federal Advisory Committee on Mental Health, 1947-1966; report on mental health legislation in B.C., by the Faculty of Law, U.B.C., May 1959; and correspondence and position papers of the province at various federal-provincial conferences and for various Royal Commissions.

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.

The British Columbia Centennial '71 Committee was established by the British Columbia Centennial '71 Celebration Act of 1969 [SBC 1969 c.2]. Its mandate was to make and carry out "all arrangements necessary for organizing a celebration of the centenary of British Columbia joining Canada." As had been the case in the centennial celebrations of 1958 and 1966-1967, the Deputy Provincial Secretary, L.J. Wallace, was primarily responsible for overseeing the organization of the 1971 celebration. Following a tradition established with the earlier centennials, the provincial government offered per capita grants to assist communities with local events and projects. The government - through the Centennial '71 Committee - also organized and helped to finance a large number of major events and programmes. Events included a Provincial Festival of Sports and a Royal Visit by HM the Queen. Educational, cultural and historical programmes included the Queen Elizabeth II scholarships, Stop of Interest plaques, and a large number of school pageants. In addition to the above, the Centennial Committee presented pioneer medallions to B.C. residents who were either born in Canada or were a resident of Canada prior to 1897. Applications for medallions may be found in GR-1490. Records include administrative and sub-committee files (dealing with particular events and activities) and project files (dealing with commemorative building projects undertaken by local communities throughout the province). Boxes 1-12 (Files A-A-1 to A-W-3) contain Administrative files, Boxes 13-44 Project files, and Boxes 30-47 Local Committee files. .

This series consists of registers and indexes of individuals appointed to positions in the government service, 1871-1919.

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.

This series contains Native Indians' Participation Sub-Committee files. The records include correspondence and reports regarding carving commemorative totem poles.

This item is a telegram register volume. The telegrams date from 1877-1878 and appears to include correspondence in and correspondence out. The volume was likely maintained by the Department of the Provincial Secretary, though the creator is unconfirmed. The volume includes telegrams sent by a wide variety of government employees located in the capital and around the province, including positions such as Ministers and Government Agents. The volume records the date, name of sender, name of recipient, location, and the full contents of the telegram.

This series consists of a variety of records related to hospitals, including voucher books; records of salaries; and an index to hospitals, with correspondence relating to the disbursement of grants to hospitals under the terms of the Hospital Act, 1902.

This series contains letters inward to the Department of the Provincial Secretary, 1892-1917. During the period covered by GR-1330 (1892-1917) the Provincial Secretary was variously responsible for the departments of Mines, Education and Immigration. Within these departments he was responsible for the Legislative Library and Archives, the Queen's Printer, the Bureau of Statistics, the Civil Service Commission, and various agencies concerned with health and social welfare. The multiplicity of his duties accounts for the range and diversity of the records in GR-1330.

Among the records are correspondence to, and from, the Lieutenant-Governor and the Executive Council, correspondence from Dominion officials concerning colonization and settlement, applications from organizations wishing to register under the Benevolent Societies Act, memoranda of association from businesses seeking to be incorporated under the provincial Companies Act, petitions from community groups requesting schools and improved municipal services, plus letters from private persons applying for appointments in the civil service. Also included are records arising from the administration of the provincial elections, hospitals, and asylums.

As part of Canada's 1967 Centennial celebrations, commemorative medallions were presented to B.C. residents who were either born in Canada or who were living in the country prior to 1 January 1892.

GR-1489 consists of application forms for these medallions. The forms provide the names of applicants, date and place of birth, names of applicants' fathers, maiden names of applicants' wives and mothers, names of applicants' brothers and sisters, and other genealogical details.

The forms were originally distributed by local centennial committees throughout the province. Completed forms were then forwarded to the Deputy Provincial Secretary, who acted as chairman of the province's Canadian Confederation Committee. The forms were filed in duplicate: one set was filed alphabetically, by the name of the community in which the applicant resided (Boxes 1-18); a second set was filed by the name of the applicant (Boxes 19-33).

PERIOD COVERED: ;1952;-;1954 RECORDED: Nanaimo (B.C.), 1954 SUMMARY: A speech by Hon. Wesley D. Black, Provincial Secretary, to the Provincial Government Employees Association in Nanaimo B.C., 1954. Response by Carl Hauck, president of the BCGEA.;

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1979 SUMMARY: An oral history interview with Richard Bird, the Assistant Deputy Provincial Secretary. [No content summaries available.];

In 1971, to commemorate the centennial of British Columbia's entry into Confederation, the provincial government presented pioneer medallions to B.C. residents who were either born in Canada or were living in Canada prior to 1 January 1897. Persons who were eligible for the medallions were requested to make application through their local centennial committees. The four-part application forms were then forwarded to the office of the Deputy Provincial Secretary who was responsible for distributing the medallions to thousands of pioneers throughout the province.

GR-1490 consists of copies of the medallion application forms. These forms provide the pioneers' names, date and place of birth, and their occupation before retirement. In addition, the forms give the names of applicant's parents, maiden names of wives and mothers, names of brothers and sisters, and other genealogical details. One set of is filed alphabetically by name of community, a second set by name of individual applicant. There is also a file of forms for centenarians as well as chronological lists of pioneers born between 1860 and 1879.

The collection consists of records generated by the Joint Reserve Commission, predominantly from 1876-1878. The
collection includes correspondence inward and outward, memoranda, and reports. Many of the records were sent from Commissioners to representatives of the Canadian and British Columbia governments, such as the Provincial Secretary and the Department of Indian Affairs.

This series consists of Joint Indian Reserve Commission records, 1877-1878. Records include correspondence inward and outward and memoranda between Commissioners G.M. Sproat, A. McKinlay and A.C. Anderson and the Provincial Secretary and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

Papers of J.S. Helmcken and members of his family, including correspondence, 1848-1920, account books, 1871-1903, deeds, contracts, certificates, 1825-1890, medical notebooks, case books and account books, 1845-1890, notes and papers concerning the Beacon Hill Park Bowling Club, 1898-1914, rough notes and drafts for articles in newspapers, speeches, and reminiscences. Account books pertaining to the estate of Arthur Thomas Bushby, 1875-1901. Papers of Harry Dallas Helmcken, 1866-1894, and William Ralph Higgins, 1890-1903. J.S. Helmcken's confederation diary and reminiscences are also on microfilm. John Sebastian Helmcken was born in Spitalfields, London on 5 June 1824, the fourth child and eldest son of Claus Helmcken and Catherine Mittler. After attending St. George's German and English school from 1828 to 1839 Helmcken apprenticed himself to Dr. W.H. Graves as a chemist and druggist. On 2 October 1844, Helmcken registered as a student at Guy's Hospital, London, and in March 1848 was admitted as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. Two months later he was serving as surgeon aboard the Malacca until, on 12 October 1849, he received an appointment from the Hudson's Bay Company as surgeon and clerk for a five year term. Helmcken arrived at Esquimalt on 24 March 1850 and was first posted to Fort Rupert before being ordered to return to Fort Victoria in December 1850. On 27 December 1852 he married Cecilia Douglas, eldest daughter of Governor James Douglas. In 1856 Helmcken was elected to represent Esquimalt and Victoria District in the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island and served as Speaker of the Assembly until union with British Columbia in 1866. Governor Musgrave appointed Helmcken to the Executive Council of British Columbia in December 1869 while he was also serving as a member of the Legislative Council of B.C., and in the summer of 1870 he travelled to Ottawa as one of three confederation delegates from the colony. With the entry of British Columbia into Confederation in 1871, Helmcken retired from active politics. Helmcken also served as president of the Board of Directors of the Royal Hospital, remained physician to Victoria's jail until 1910, and contributed numerous articles on the early history of Vancouver Island in his later life. Dr. Helmcken died on 1 September 1920. The records include the papers of J.S. Helmcken and members of his family: correspondence, 1848-1920, account books, 1871-1903, deeds, contracts, certificates, 1825-1890, medical notebooks, casebooks and account books, 1845-1890, notes and papers concerning the Beacon Hill Park Bowling Club, 1898-1914, rough notes and drafts for articles in newspapers, speeches and reminiscences. There are also account books pertaining to the estate of Arthur Thomas Bushby, 1875-1901, and papers of Harry Dallas Helmcken, 1866-1894, and William Ralph Higgins, 1890-1903. J.S. Helmcken's Confederation diary and reminiscences are also on microfilm [A00810]. An index to the records is available as part of the hard copy finding aid kept in the reference room.

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 104 volumes of letter book copies of correspondence outward from the Provincial Secretary, 1873-1918. The index to correspondence missing.

This series consists of correspondence from the Department of the Provincial Secretary regarding government employees on military service, record of government employees on military service, 1914-1919.

This series consists of a variety of newsletters created for hospital patients and the public from 1947-2008. These records were created by Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale (later Riverview) and Crease Clinic staff and patients. Patient newsletters provide an account of the events and activities which occurred at Riverview from a patient perspective. These newsletters provide valuable insights into patient life at Riverview from a non-clinical perspective. Several different newsletters are included:

The Leader was a weekly publication of the provincial mental hospital and Crease clinic, Essondale BC. Prepared by the Department of Recreational Therapy and other hospital staff with the help of patients. In later years the newsletter was primarily created by patients. Drawings and articles were contributed by patients throughout the years. The size and content varies over time, but often includes information on recreational activities available to patients, weekly movies, outings, church information, puzzles, new additions to the library, updates for each ward, some photos and articles on a variety of topics. Dates range from 1947 to 1976.

The Riverview Reporter, New Horizons and Penn Hall Chronicles include writing, poems and art from patients, as well as general information for patients on health, wellness and hospital amenities. Dates range from the 1980s to early 2000s.

Riverview Hospital Connections is a more public facing newsletter providing information on the operations of the hospital, staff spotlights, and research being done. Dates range from 1993 to 2002.

The series consists of general files created by the Indian Advisory Committee and the Director, Indian Advisory Act, between 1947 and 1979 and consist of correspondence, committee member files, minutes, reports and subject files on various organizations and events relating to Indigenous people in the province.
The earliest files, 1947 to 1969, date from the time the Committee, often called the "Indian Inquiry Committee" or the "Provincial Advisory Committee" reported to the Minister of Labour via the Director, Indian Advisory Act. By 1957 the name of the Committee was established as the "Indian Advisory Committee" and by 1962 it was reporting to the Provincial Secretary.
The files contain correspondence, memorandums, news clippings, photographs, publications, maps and other records.

In addition there are files from 1969 to 1983 about the First Citizens' Fund, including meeting minutes and general files around projects supported by the Fund. These include ca. 325 photographs from 1970 to 1983, which were originally part of First Citizens' Fund project files (removed from the files before destruction in 1993) which have been maintained under their original project titles.

The series consists of Unemployment Relief Committee files kept by the Provincial Secretary from 1931 to 1933. The files contain records regarding the provision of direct relief for unemployed men and include: organization charts, financial information, circulars, copies of registration forms, correspondence between Provincial departments as well as intergovernmental correspondence between the Provincial and Federal or Municipal governments. There are also memoranda prepared for the Provincial Secretary and reports and requests for information from the Provincial Police, Government Agents, District Engineers and other groups.

This series consists of a clipping book containing prospectus, scrip certificates and various newspaper advertisements announcing a stock issue of the Government of the Province of British Columbia for a 4 1/2% loan.

This series consists of correspondence from the Provincial Secretary concerning the Guarantee Insurance Company of North America, 1895-1916.

This series consists of correspondence inward, 1908-1909.

This series consists of a manual containing memoranda, correspondence and forms pertaining to the administration of policy by officials in the Provincial Secretary's Department, 1940-1950.