The Bruce County Archives is opening its doors to the public in a special way this week, offering free access and a behind-the-scenes look at the region’s history as part of Ontario’s Archives Awareness Week.
Running from April 7 to 11, the week highlights the importance of preserving local stories, something Archivist Deb Sturtevant said is at the heart of what the archives does every day.
"Archives is what we think of as where our community memory lives," she explained. "So we preserve diverse voices from the earliest days of settlement to the present day."
Located inside the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre, the archives house a wide range of materials and go far beyond what some might expect.
“Many people think of like an archives as just outdated volumes, but here, they're very much alive and relevant," Sturtevant said. "We've got photographs, films, oral histories, digital records, diaries, and letters like furniture factory catalogues. And a lot more that people come in and use to learn more about Bruce County."
This year’s theme is Marine Heritage, reflecting the region’s deep connection to the water, and some special items will be on display.
"We've got an 1870s ship’s log from Captain Spence’s family, who sailed up and down the Bruce coastline from the peninsula, all the way down to Detroit, delivering lumber there for roads and taking goods back for the stores in Bruce County," Sturtevant shared.
The exhibits also touch on one of the area’s most well-known historical features — shipwrecks.
"The shipwrecks may sound dramatic, but they actually tell really human stories about work and trade and travel and survival," Sturtevant noted.
With hundreds of wrecks along the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay shoreline, marine history continues to spark strong interest in the community.
Beyond showcasing the past, the archives also look toward the future, encouraging residents to contribute their own pieces of history.
"We rely on community members to help contribute to our collection and share and preserve our stories," Sturtevant noted, adding that items like photographs, business records, or materials connected to shipping and fishing can help build a more complete record.
She also emphasized that the archives is accessible to everyone, not just historians.
"You don’t need to be a historian to have a really positive experience in the archives. You just need to be a little bit curious, and you will probably leave with a deeper appreciation of Bruce County and those who came before us," she said.
In addition to free admission throughout the week, there’s also a behind‑the‑scenes tour of the Research Room and archival storage area on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. to give visitors a rare look at how thousands of records are preserved and protected for future generations.
