Archives populaires de Pointe-Saint-Charles is a community archive for the Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood in Montreal. In February of this year it was decided by the organization that they would transfer the fonds (archival collections) to the McGill University Archives. The McGill University Archives has agreed to keep the fonds open so that community groups can still contribute archival material to the collection.
Source: Musée Virtual Canada.
About the Archives populaires de Pointe-Saint-Charles
This archive has several functions. It is the archives of community organizations in the neighbourhood. It documents community events, oral history, visual history, and it acts as a resource for popular/community education and researchers.
The archive has several fonds (archival collections): Saint-Columba House fonds, Carrefour d’éducation populaire fonds, and the Clinique communautaire de Pointe Saint-Charles. The documents have been collected since the early 1960s. The fonds contain maps, films and videos, photographs, sound recordings, posters, textual documents and much more. One of the most valuable parts of this archival collection are recordings and transcriptions of interviews of people from the neighbourhood: workers, activists, feminists, and residents.
In 2001, the folk at the Archives populaires de Pointe-Saint-Charles started to write a book on the community history (1950-2000s) of the Point. This book documents the activisim and lives of ten women from the neighbourhood. It was published in 2006 by Les Éditions Remue-ménage.
In addition, the Archives populaires de Pointe-Saint-Charles developed a virtual exhibition in conjunction with the Virtual Museum Canada. You can view this great collection of photos, pamphlets, posters and other paraphernalia online: with Flash or without Flash.
Accessing the Educational Resources and the Fonds
As mentioned earlier, the archival collection has moved out of Pointe-Saint-Charles, but there are still many popular educational resources available to the folk of the Point. These guides and learning tools are available by contacting Action-Gardien at 514-509-0795 or email info@actiongardien.org.
For more information on how to access or contribute to this archival collection you can consult the Archives populaires‘ website at: www.archivespopulaires.ca.tc/. You can also contact the McGill University Archives: www.mcgill.ca/archives/.
Short Bibliography
- Archives populaires de Pointe-Saint-Charles. http://www.archivespopulaires.ca.tc/
- Collectif CourtePointe. Pointe-Saint-Charles: un quartier, des femmes, une histoire communautaire. Montreal: Remue-ménage, 2006. <http://www.editions-remuemenage.qc.ca/consulter.php?titre=226>
- “Dissolution des Archives populaires – un signe des temps ?”. La pointe libertaire. February 14, 2007. http://lapointelibertaire.org/node/146.
- Pointe Saint-Charles : fierté, solidarité, organisation (virtual exhibit without Flash). http://www.museevirtuel.ca/pm.php?id=exhibit_home&fl=0&lg=Francais&ex=00000297
- Pointe Saint-Charles : fierté, solidarité, organisation (virtual exhibit with Flash). http://www.museevirtuel.ca/Francais/CommunityMemories/flashDisplayer.php?exNum=00000297
