Saskatchewan Archives Board: ANNUAL REPORT

2007/2008

Table of Contents•

i

EpBlel|(|story of the

?Role of the Saskatchewan; Archives. '-.-^'.^..i^

ilji|i|;l||ission and

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Information

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Records;;JPjrocellin.g

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Suppiirlent9ry;:lnform

Letters of Transmittal

The Honourable Dr. Gordon BarnhartLieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan

Your Honour:

I have the honour of submitting the annual reportof the Saskatchewan Archives Board for the periodApril 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008.

Respectfully submitted

Honourable Christine TellMinister Responsible forthe Saskatchewan Archives Board

Honourable Christine TellMinister Responsible forthe Saskatchewan Archives Board

Madam:

I have the honour of submitting the annual reportof the Saskatchewan Archives Board for the periodApril 1 , 2007 to March 31 , 2008.

Respectfully submitted

Merrilee RasmussenChairSaskatchewan Archives Board

A Brief History of theSaskatchewan Archives

The Saskatchewestablished asagency under legj|jWhile .7776 Archiyj>$:Acj['i was i passed in thatyear, steps. had peenrtaken much earlier to

iipf :th0|jfstprical record. Through the worklnndividuals, historical materials

1^e!ldii]jbraries were built up andere marked. While citizens were

enthusiastically engaged in preserving records Ifrom private sources, successive governmentswere much slower to act in ensuring that thepublic record was preserved. The LegislativeLibrary had been collecting historical IIdocuments since the province was established;- f:but it acquired very few records of government.;Without an official repository or archivist, iKliinevitably many valuable public records were .';'?;destroyed or lost. : : ; : ; • ; ; . - hllll'M;!:]' '.';•;

lt.:was largelySi I v e i Morton of .tihjj E:y ip iyersity1p||ll If j| i[f i li||!| ;' ' f if ;:

Gpyernrnent of ^askaf§h;ewari j|p'preseirye'|l3l I ;records;: was \u g ht to W\e f orefrpn€W;Vv itfi'lfigl I \:pf the Canadian Historical Asspclatiph,;

Morton pushed for thgicreatipn of a provincial;:!;;:;archives under theppntroi pf-an archivist,:':.! hj|;[University's generous i offer to: provide ;spac§J;||c|;;appoint an archivist and cover operatipnai];1i|:|S||;::

met with a favourable response, from a ";:;|:|cash-strapped provincial government1 Irvl §37^ |l

:; a Historical Public Record Office was : ' : ; \jU ; : |p|'established at the University with Morton 1 1assuming the title and responsibility of Keeper :of the Public Record.

1(1 ij|.the mid-1940s, a more formal and stable

• ''ing arrangement for the archives wasuired. Morton's call for legislation and public

'inanciMsupport met with approval from thejiewIy-eJected .CCF government;whiqh.was , .Interested :in estabjishirig a puBfle|[;ecpir;d§; ii:::|;l:: \y for the province;;1; As welf:i&;rp|m§li|ir|g: ; j ,

.Ih© spirit of co-operation between .gwernrriin||||tand university, thefl| arms-length Board representative of the i Vestablished parties already engaged indocumenting .Saskatchewan's archivalheritage: university, government and the •Legislative^ Library, n , •

Whereas;the;f-Jistprjgaf Public Record Office's;acquisitipns;had.beeh; limited to public recgrds,

;pt;thp;;hew Saskatchewan nil;;:;:vy^s;;proadenedE:tp;incIudj;!MII: 111

rffjslpJpcprdsTrpm both public; and priyafe :\S for a professipriai;ar§psyjst :

all public and private;;'r§6prdi!lanB toAppraise:and select those records|pfE;lnistorical :y lU lor preservation. It set up;ajysterrtqf:y; Inlgecsuiitabilityfor information created "andlTl'Irfiaiintaiined by government which cEaljed:fp:r!all:;|objic records to be scheduled arifJ^all records:;sehec!ules to be approved by committees?•!;;;Sofriprised of officials and elected/ ijl ;?;!:'::;:;;;; 1representatives. For several decades, I ; ; ; ; 1 • ; ; ;;;Saskatc;hewan's archival legislation :stood the;:||stp;liEme and served as a model'for other-;-.|;|||fi||ictipns, . '.nl:: HI l';::r

SBesideptsirole in'managing^public records, the^Saskatchewan Archiyes; has; been active in;documenting;;alj;:facets;pf provincial life. Most:people or; groups createi;etfecQrd of theiractivities, whether in the; form of letters, e-mail,diaries, minutes, financial records,photographs, film and video, maps andarchitectural drawings, memoirs, spokentraditions, or sound recordings,

From the oral accounts of First• the written record kept by settlers, ;t0:[the : ; ill;varied yet precarious physical forrriats;pf!thel!:l!r:^efftyZl® century office or home; all sucHl:|;t|eEjgrd|;vvhieh:;gatriefedjtpgether provide anjirSWj!||iii:f :'arjd;Unique;spurce;of information onthe fhb'ugn'fs,rSspirations;Mnd ;work ofSaskatchewan people. The wide rangingmandate of the Saskatchewan Archiyes has; i;;;;allowed for the development of pne;'bi;the;;rri6stcomprehensive provincial archives collectionsin all of Canada. Jj

Over the years the Saskatchewan Arch WeFhaslained a reputation forjgachlng out to the"7Cm-e^®fr Was Participated in marking major provincial milestones such as the «1 anniversaries as well as the North-West Centennial, through the publication ofhistories the development of exhibitions, and the research and writing1 of local and famW1

.The Archives^has entered into arrangements with the University of Saskatchewan, severa_J and other organ.zat.ons, to establish archives which in time have become independent andMoving members of the provincial archival community; •• •

|H 1348, th6:award-w1nning journal, Saskatchewan History, has provided a forum for the.publication of articles and resources relating to the history of the province, ^conjunction with Individuals and groups, the Saskatchewan Archives has taken the initiative to document th": tol

tradition of the;F,rst Nations and Metis people, the settlement era Sf the province and theS!!lU,ltUra!"?Ure °! Proincial society..:More recently, the:Archives has been using digital -technology to bnng its holdings to a wider public through means of the intefnet and 1 website, I

- = -: : : :: :! : i: - iMl I . ^ '- "•: '' '~\ ]\\' ' ': '' ' '\ , -.- H H 1 E! • : : : : : : 1 E :

With the passage of access to information and priyacylegislation in the past the •from n ?hitWaanH fS has bel%askued fo P^y a greater role in the.management of informationfrom pubjiaand pnvate sources; Furthermore, the institution is .playing a lead role in impimentinaJfie new government-wide privacy initiative,.,. :,,yj;::;-v;:: :';!:;:; *J ro^m:implementing.:v

The new Archives legislatioH;'?&Archives Act, 2004, confirmsjhe mandate of the SaskatchewanArphives and gives greater responsibility and. authority to the institution in carrying out its centalto mS ZCt'°nH fot;gov®r^merlt'v As!Saskatchewan enters a new century, the Archives is preparedto meet the needs of modern government and the people it serve^;;; •

Role of theSaskatchewan Archives

The Saskatchewan Archives plays an important role in preserving the culturalresources of the province. It acquires and preserves records essential not just forself-knowledge, but also for the protection of our rights, individually and collectively.To maximize accountability and efficiency, the Saskatchewan Archives alsoprovides information and records management for the Government ofSaskatchewan. Through acquisition, preservation and provision of access to officialrecords, the Archives enable the Government of Saskatchewan to fulfill its publictrust.

Vision, Mission and Constitutive Values

VisionThe vision of the Saskatchewan Archives is to facilitate for all levels of government,and society in general, the identification, public access and preservation of theprovince's documentary heritage. This vision is rooted in a far-reaching communityapproach that advances shared responsibility, co-operation and equitable access.The Archives recognizes that individual and collective rights, as well as culturalidentity, are supported through an informed dialogue with the past.

The1 Saskatchewan Archives envisions a future in which: : ; :

; *" iiThe documentary records of the province are efficiently• ; ; managed and made available to all interested individuals and

organizations;

plifRlecords that document government, institutions, orglamMtipns,societies and individuals are presetved; JjJJ|

• The collective identity of Saskatchewan people, as document !!llflfhrough public and associatiGriailjiJpOand artistic and cultural|i Jactivities, is preserved, as well as the diversity of the

contributions of the First Nations and the many differentiflhnocultural groups|vho have chosen Saskatchewan as theirhome. ; : : : :

> . . , „ •

ill

MissionThe Saskatchewan Archives serves as the flagship for the archival network inSaskatchewan, diligently working with its partners to preserve the collective memory ofthe province.

The mandate of the Saskatchewan Archives is to select, acquire, preserve, arrangeand describe, make accessible and encourage the use of documentary records in allmedia, from official and private sources, bearing on all aspects of the history ofSaskatchewan, and to facilitate the management of the records of governmentinstitutions. Archives, as institutions, reflect times past, examine the present and lookto the future.

The;missbn of the SaskatchewaffiviteWves is to:

Ensure that the essential; public-records of •Saskatchewan are preserved; f| 11 j

ontinuing access to -essential evidencedocuments the rights of Saskatchewan

people, the actions of government officials andelectee! representatives and the Saskatchewan

|Hji||¥e:the public and pjivate:records thatpi||llji|ie. diversity of SatsRaichewan's past;:l|l|Ple;ntral agencyTOSfto^ : • - . - : .-goyefntjent records management, providinggovernment with an effective ;§njcj accountablemanagement system responsivelto the:necessity for timely identification and :disposition of:;records; . ::':=^L: lp|l:;-:iEi:slUjpitate research and reference services toUliMiduals and organizaiions,:.iBa imizingiimJaBility to sources thrpughjarchiival findingJj||s||nsultations and;guldance|iii::|;;:; '••,,••• ^^^ lialeadershijpii lil ^^^gilh :-: :, . .

archival cornmunjtyiiiiH|Qrcls':::and pres^watioS|IllIr;--V::h::' . '

i:|§i|i|i||andern with provineiaL:an:c{::national.::::;...;:|ilpj tend heritage communities.M: the'e'Mhange of knowledge through professionalarjliifthical approaches to our task; and(|clserve records in the most appropriateIlilllfor the retention of and aecess to the

Constitutive ValuesThe rights and responsibilities of a democratic society empower us to carry out our archivalmission.

;!% carrying out our archival mission, we are guided by the following values:

>jf The responsibility we are given to serve the people and the Government ofSaskatchewan and we dedicate our efforts to ensure that a knowledge of theprovince's past is preserved;

• The effective management of government records, and the contribution we rnak%t§,that system;

• The historical records entrusted to our care;

• Our relationship with the university comrnunity and its use of the record tocontribute toward a understanding of society and its efforts; |

• The contribution of individuals, loca! history and heritage organizations in theirefforts to document the past;

« The benefits of decentralized archival facilities to ensure that peopjpfch all partsof the province have access to our collections and services;

• The dedicated staffc| |heir contributions to the development and delivery ofarchival services; and

• The archives must be accessible to all citizens for the public good.

Structure and ReportingRelationships

Unlike most other provincial archives across Canada which are part of a linedepartment, Saskatchewan's provincial archives is situated at arms-length fromgovernment, allowing it to exercise independent initiative, judgment and service incarrying out its mandate of appraisal, acquisition, preservation, access and facilitatingthe management of records of government institutions.

The Archives Act,- 2^ffri^des for aactivities of the; SasMchewan Archives.for; ! j;mllllli;:y;': •

•eethej| responsible

* Appo:in|irjg, renewing and workinglvvith the1 Settinpproad policy objectives arid I guidelines; Hlltlflfi Jill

specif ic management -lecisions; -.^.^liSP1" HlfHthe autonomy ;|n |;fitegrity of the instifution and its

; V

Representing the institution to government :d|E the widercommunity. JJIP .y|i| ,j|]p«

The legislation states that representatives of the two universities and the public serviceshall be appointed to the Board. Mr. Don Herperger, Provincial Archivist, serves asSecretary of the Board.

Being a corporate entity, the Board reports directly to the Minister of Tourism, Parks,Culture and Sport. To conduct its operations, the Saskatchewan Archives relies on anannual grant voted under the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Estimates.Space for the office and storage facilities is leased through Government Services.

The University of Saskatchewan provides office and storage space without cost for theSaskatoon operation. It also provides accounting, out-of-scope payroll and purchasingservices at a nominal fee to the Archives. With the signing of a Collective Agreement,the handling of personnel matters for in-scope employees was transferred from theUniversity Human Resources Department to the Ministry of Finance. EffectiveJanuary 1, 2003, the Ministry of Finance undertook the provision of payroll services forin-scope staff.

Organization

A significant reorganization was introduced in early 2007. Two branches becameseven function-based units. Despite some growing pains, an institution-wide surveyconducted in late 2007 indicated overall satisfaction with the new function-basedorganizational structure.

Following the retirement of Trevor Powell in March 2006, Don Herperger wasappointed acting Provincial Archivist while the Board undertook a national searchfor a new Provincial Archivist. Following this search, Don was appointed ProvincialArchivist effective October 1, 2006. Don has been an employee of the SAB since1978 occupying a number of progressively more responsible positions includingDirector of the Government Records Branch and Financial Management.

Saskatchewan Archives Board

DIRECTORArchival

Management

PROVINCIALARCHIVIST

MANAGERHuman Resources& Administration!"

legislativeComplianceand Access

is as follows;

Ms. Merrilee Rasmusieif^Q.&i!;(Chair);H|i Laura Hanowski, Certified JJj

^Saskatchewan genealogy researcher

,: Sessional

University of• Catherine Littlejohn, Friplancehistorian, researcher, writer Mric|:|};;

' consultant; ;!:!l;hlDr>.ii[ homas Mesmith, Associate || f§lsi;iri:Masters;.Programrne in 'ri

IPI Ken Ring,, law C]eBC;|;l|i !. : :

i : i Parliamentary Counseiy';0||i|lativeAssem bly; and : - : . :';; f IBf |f yi •

1 Dr. William Waiser, Prof es^rlf ;:; ;-•History, University of SaskataHeJwan

||)representative from the Universfy of'°"jfia:ppsitipri on the Board Is. vacant. |

,.-~,.,:; ^™

Appraisal and Acquisition

The Appraisal and Acquisition Unites ;:|||i|responsible fdr;:appraisals, acquisitions, |0;

donor relatiops;and agreement :Hyff luJiK;negotiations; for private and public "recordsfor both the; Regina and Saskatoon offices.The Appraisal Archivists in trie-Unit reviewdisposal requests and conduct appraisalson public (government) records that havemet theirprequired retentiofi periodsto determine whether the;;fecords havesufficient historical significance to transferto the Archives. 4These Archivists also •appraise records offered to the Archives;from private individuals, businesses, p;;;Pp;associations.and clubs, . 'MM jjjj W\-

The appraisal backlog for public recordsremains significant with Wore than 1,900 1metres/of recordsSwaiting a detailed 11physical appraisa'l|I;>The large volume ofrff1records request^ for disposal each:yejr

;and the insufficient number of staffresponsible for 'appraisal resujtsjin1 a ! 1significant increase in the backlog each

Pyear. .^y- | ;v.:MiiIil!' | :,

In 20Q7/2008, J;704 metres of pubjic,:a0d :

private records; iwe re apprais§dj: i^/ith; 700hmetres of those records held:for a more

: detailed physical appraisalJ

A of 265: metres of textual recordswere physically reviewed .and 250 metreswere ide.otifjed as archival.PiAs well, over10,800^DBcial media items were identifiedas historically significant and will |||eventually be transferred to the |Saskatchewan Archives. Special mediaincludes photographs/and graphicP

:;;materials; maps and architectural:'drawings, sound and moving Images and :

microfilm. :.!:jE;;7;: •• •

Of the that have; been appraisedand selected for retention, only 186 metreswere transferred to th^lArchives due to a

; lack of storage.spiaeey!! Insufficient storage^iSpace at the Archives has been; a problem1;for a number of years, and there are nowmore thar :9;8Q metres of archival recordscurrentlyjbeing stored:at:v;aridu:s storagefadiitiesfand in governrnent office storagespace throughout the province. Retaining

[irjiqprds, often cdhtaining personali;V . •! information, in;;;rriinistries and;agencies ; •works against the government-wide JBprivacy initiative which calls for scheduledrecqrdsjfo be transferred to the y;

: Saskatchewan Archives, or destroyed, j|j*once they have been appraised by j|lArchives staff.:,|;Nevertheless|iintil •additional;!space is made Bailable to: theSaskatchewan Archiyes^itHis situation |must continue. uil:l1!:: : .:«::pn• • .::i:^:

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Some of the more noteworthy acquisitions in 2007/2008 were:

• Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. This collection consists of 160 DVD recordingsof the proceedings of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly, 3rd session of the 25th

Legislature and Standing Committees, 2007.

• Executive Council, Cabinet Secretariat and Clerk of the Executive Council.Orders-in-Council from 1970-1979 (numbers 1 to 2,161). The Saskatchewan ArchivesBoard now holds Orders-in-Council from the North West Territories and Saskatchewanfrom 1892 to 1979.

• Crown Investment Corporation (CIC), Office of the President. A large andcomprehensive collection of records from the Office of the President dating from thelate 1940's to the early 1990's. Includes Board of Directors' agendas and meetingminutes, Management Committee meeting minutes, and details concerning CIC'sfinancial involvement and commitment to the Prince Albert Pulp Company (PAPCO)and SaskOil.

• Premier Lome Calvert/Executive Council. A variety of public records from 1991 to2007 relating to Mr. Calvert's term as MLA and as Premier of Saskatchewan.

• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS). An extensive andsignificant collection of material, dating from the late 1950's and the early 1960's,detailing the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan analysis,involvement with and contributions to the 1962 implementation of Medicare inSaskatchewan.

• Grand Orange Lodge of Saskatchewan, 1888-2003. The Alberta Grand OrangeLodge donated the Saskatchewan component of its holdings to the SaskatchewanArchives Board. This includes membership and minute books for various Lodges inSaskatchewan, as well as annual proceedings, warrants for the establishment ofseveral lodges, charters for individual members, photos of Lodge members and groupgatherings, proclamations, and miscellaneous items.

• Helen (Toews) Penner Diary, 1938-1972. As the Great Depression was coming to anend, 31-year old Helen Penner, who farmed with her family in the Herbert area, beganrecording her feelings and observations of rural life. The resultant diary discusses thedaily life of a farm wife during the late 1930s, throughout the War Years, and then intothe recovery period of the late 1940s and 50s. It continues through the 1960s, andends in 1972 - at a time when the future of farming in the province looks quiteoptimistic. The diary records daily activities and events, and reflects on how theseevents affect the Penner farm and family during that era. The donation also includesextensive explanatory notes by the family on the contents of the diary.

• Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils, 1967-2007. Commonly referred to asOSAC, this umbrella cultural organization has overseen the development ofSaskatchewan's various Arts Councils for over 40 years. This donation documentshow OSAC was established, and what activities it has promoted and supported duringthe latter decades of the 20th century. The collection includes an extensive collection ofOSAC's administrative and operational records.

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Genealogical Society of Utah Project

In the interests of encouraging genealogical research, the Genealogical Society of Utah(GSU) actively seeks out and digitizes a variety of records useful for family research (vitalstatistics, church records, census records, probate and estate files, etc.).

Currently, the GSU has a contract with the Saskatchewan Archives which allows them tomake digital images of a portion of the court records in our collection. The project includesthe digitization of the civil court records of the Supreme Court of the North-West Territories(prior to 1905), the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan (1905 to 1907) and the Court of King'sBench (1918 to 1931).

The Supreme Court of the NWT and the Supreme Court of Saskatchewan had jurisdictionover all civil matters. Records include estate information (probate), foreclosure proceedings,builder's liens actions, personal injury claims and debt collection. This court was alsoresponsible for hearing appeals prior to the creation of the Court of Appeal.

The Court of King's Bench was established in 1918 and assumed responsibility over all civilmatters. This court also became responsible for family jurisdiction (matters arising from thefederal Divorce Act). These records include divorce proceedings, child custody andmaintenance issues, spousal support and division of matrimonial property.

has agreed to provide office accommodation for the camerawell as supplies such as file folders, boxes, etc.

The GSU provides volunteerswho prepare the records fordigitization. The records areunfolded and placed in filefolders with case numbersand placed in the propernumerical order. Any missingcases are also identified. Thiswill be invaluable for retrievalof these records in the future,especially as theSaskatchewan Archivesresources for processingrecords is currently quitelimited. The Archives will alsoreceive a copy of the recordson DVD.

The Saskatchewan Archivesoperator and the volunteers, as

The project began in July 2006 and is approximately one-third completed. The original timeassessment was 3.5 years and they now estimate another 2.5 years (this is partiallydependant on the number of volunteers available to prepare the records).

As soon as resources permit, the digital copies of these records will be available on theSaskatchewan Archives Board website.

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Collection Management andPreservation

The Collection Management and Preservation Unit (CMPU) undertakes collection and preservationmanagement activities to protect and extend the life of the archival record and to ensure it survivesfor future generations of researchers.

During this fiscal year Micrographicsstaff were largely involved in theorganization and microfilming of 100weekly Saskatchewan newspapers.During this same period, the Soundand Moving Image staff memberwas largely assigned to a collectionsmanagement role while continuingsome public reference,conservation/preservation andsound and moving image equipmentmaintenance responsibilities.

The employment of the full-timePreservation Management Archivistfacilitated the commencement ofmany new institutional preservationinitiatives and permitted the continuation of other duties which had previously been performed on apart-time basis by a staff member working in the area for a few days per month.

Preservation initiatives;

Updating and re-issuing of the Regina Office Disaster Response PlanInitiation of a Vinegar Syndrome testing process for the extensive film collectionContinuation of on-going institutional environmental monitoring through the use ofdataloggers, insect traps and site visitsCompletion and approval of a Canadian Conservation Institute (CC!) disaster responsetraining workshop scheduled for June 2008Hands-on fire extinguisher training for many Regina staff ••••

management evaluation of the Saskatoon Office facilitiesPreparation of a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) bar code research reportCommencement of the review and re-editing of the Hillsdale Safety ManualResearch and purchase of mouldy records handling kits for all Saskatchewan Archiveslocations :::Creation of an interim mouldy, records handling policy

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Corporate Services

The Corporate Services Unit provides administration, human resource and financialmanagement and IT support for the Saskatchewan Archives Board. Staff vacancies withinthe Unit throughout the year created considerable challenges which were met admirably byremaining staff. The roles and responsibilities of the Unit will continue to be developed andstrengthened over the next year.

InformationTechnology Unit

The InformationTechnology Unit (ITU) isresponsible for themaintenance, upgrades,inventory control,management anddisposition of all hardwareand software with theSaskatchewan Archives.

The ITU completed amuch needed upgrade tothe server core. Theinstallation of bladeservers, creation of a fibreStorage Area Network(SAN) and preliminarywork on a conceptualbusiness case relating todigital archives initiativeround out the majorprojects of this unit.

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InformationManagement

The iinformation created by the Government. of

^'Saskatchewan provides numerous challenges forthose responsible fp5j|s::management In carryingout:lhis central agency functton^^g^asftlf^hevyanArchives works closely with ministries, agenclisflfboards, commissions and Crown corporations toimprove theiiaccountabiilrtyLMnd efficiencyjgf theprocesses for the creation and :mSnS§e'mehtfbl:;yji,information. . . •"" Wf

The primary . tool "used injicjentifying, andndef iEnirig; records -and in determining how1SH§:iSdh tpe'islMrecord must be retained to meet administrative, ::fiscal and iegalj quirei eritsjs the recordsretention :and::disp6saT!s!c:nSintegrates a record classification IpMrhrreWHfiQfj;;;l|and disposal .procedures into one process. The ":|'w?

result prdm'afes'grealiRaccQuntability for;information as required under Pf^edprrjJ^lpyjyivn,Information E and Protection ofijjl the same time; It insures, greater efficiency and 1 !

economy which is importantitdithe overallgovernment; strategy of reducingj;adminisfratiyeL :

costs, the Scheduling, appraisal an!Hdisp6^Mfl';iy:||||process is alsb;'a;; key element in the government- ! f :

wide privacy initiative: launched in the fall of 2003,

The Archives Act, 2004 sblidifiedjand ;artic!ulated 1 1 ,the role of jthe Saskatchewan Archives Board initfjefmanagementpf government information in the mprovince. Tnis-hasjesultedJnjn ongoing demandon the services prbyided^by the; Informal jori: .; • ; ; ; :

^Management Unit, in the areas p rec rSslllifiillj;:;;::;;dispositibrv:ScheduIe development and recbrds'!|;1|ll!|managemenf:Idy|ce.: .,. • 1 r>':n

the Public : R d s Comji|t|g;:|l3RC}:;conti:n:i||d'its;!work, with a re'new0d-e.ijjipKisiI;Bj|ijjreviewing andiapproving OperatiohairRecords!;i:il|Systems (OR§)||or government. ! The PRO; met il'June, Septemberfilind I December, and approved a !p

total of || brancH-s'pecifiCjrOprational schedules Ifrom various institutions in :pv"ernmerjt,;|:||i|luding; ||

'Ministry of Government ServicesJiSpKtfcNgwan ;rLegal AfdCprnrnjssion, Saskatchewan:Autd'frlS|i;lf ,,;!Injury AppealsiCbriirnjssipn, Saskatchewan [Transportation Cdrti;pa"n^y|iMinjstry of COrrectionsplIand Public Safety, Saskafctevw^n Power . : ; : I : (1Corporation, Ministry of Educafi(jQ|;|||fi(S ;of the j

etc, Inforrnation;l li|i||li3ipnt :

the co-operationiW:|||i||||7i Clientinstitutionsldeveloped, researcheS|f l|i,,i : 1 :

l :;:;.• •' '•

• ; >

prepared and presented the schedule!? for approval|by;j|if; bprriiftie,: The approval of the 1;;3;; ;''schedules'is'In keeping'y/ith ihe.average niim'ber.ofschedules that are typically approved in any given E E ;

i,year,.!T^e Archivists in the Unit are to be:igmmiHdid:ibrlEfrieir:highjuality of work,; in theface of staffing shortages;! :in:;bringing theschedules through to completion, ihyj;;;:;

iUhNi1-: ":-:^S£lM]MUbH- ":^:iiU;.- = : = ? = . ' ' ^';'-i:! '~':i\ ii v .: -=

'f RSlSSKeilewlfi; Archives continued the traininginitiative started in 2006/20Q7:;by;delivering seven :;full-day training sessions in spring 2007,; A total ofji|§§,e;rrip(p^es:fr9m executive govern merit and:.'Brown cbrbbratibfis'iniReglriajrtd Saskatoon :E':'LF::

participated in day-long training sessions which •covered, records management basids'lPAnj,;;.;,:.,|gddi|b!|;i§li;sey fi';;[ial|--day training sessions' delating:iyi!riebrds'ldisposal were;ldeliyered to 167 :;|;nparticipants in Regina and Saskatbpn. Training will'continue to. be offered In 2008/2009ras;§taffing

Archivists in the inforrnatioh'tvlahagement Unit : :; ::E

continued to consult with and advise government 1. .•employees, on a wide range of records'^ffi:im\. The Unit responded to ajj

heavy demand for1 records; management advice^and assistance with the development of ORS. In ;.addition to the 13 schedules approved by thepublic|;;records;committee, an additional 35|phi||jule§:;are:Burrently in various stages of ":udevelopment. Staff; conducted in excess of 24 jjjpresentations and training'sessions, responded toover 500 requests for advice.iand attended in I;:!xcess;pf 180 meetings with various;;g:byernment '!;;||p;nneli||3 irrently, archivists are wbr|'(ih!g with 85

JrancHes aHd 'aigencies to provide O RS | • •development suppbrtijand Eadvice on other records

issuesi.t!'ir"!|p;ij!!!i!i;i;pi|t; . •.

!;;C)thjfiJiynit activities during the 2007/2008 fiscal;i|flI||j|SJ;udfdjthe ongoing review of records''iiispbsallreqjJpts ;to determine eligibility fC5:r;destruction or trahsfer;to:the Saskatchewan^;, IArchives. In total,1 E646!disposal;requests were'^i^.^reviewed; 2,005 metres of records: were authorized |

:;|or disposal while a further 573; nhi'etres were held;;i|gnding'archival appraisal. From Creation to | ::|]:li||bjs|12|he:entire records scheciuling and ;?:I;M!

'ppislP||§ce$s;:eEnsures that records.'whichihave:bntiriuih91yiStue;:arii||tained and records that no

longer possess administrative, legal or fiscal/Valueare destroyed. This process resup in subitantial 1savings in storage cosfs while atljthe same time,:.-:-!!|'!-''maintaininq accountabilitv for information, II

15

Legislative Compliance and AccessThe Legislative Compliance and Access Unit (LCAU) is responsible for institution-wide access andprivacy compliance for both the public and private records in the Saskatchewan Archives' permanentcollection. The Unit develops institutional policy relating to access and privacy and advises otherArchives staff on these issues as required.

The Unit is staffed by a Legislative Compliance and Access Officer, with assistance from one full-timestaff member.

While the Saskatchewan Archives is legislated to preserve and make available to the public thehistorical record of Saskatchewan, it must balance the public's right to access, against an individual'srights to privacy. Obligations to protect the privacy of individuals are set out in provincial legislation andgovernment policy. These requirements apply to both the administrative and operational records of theorganization as well as records thatmake up the permanent collection.

As a government institution theSaskatchewan Archives is bound bythe provisions of The Freedom ofInformation and Protection of PrivacyAct(FO\PP). The Archives canreceive formal access requests underthe Act, but the Act also allows theArchives to continue accessprocedures in place before FOIPPwas proclaimed. In practice thismeans that researchers may apply foraccess to restricted records in theArchives' permanent collection withoutmaking a formal FOIPP request, andpaying the fees associated with it.

The Saskatchewan Archives must still apply the legislation to requests for access. If we deny aresearcher access to records and he or she disputes our decision, a formal appeal requesting a reviewof the Archives' decision may be made to Saskatchewan's Information and Privacy Commissioner.Researcher access to the Archives' permanent collection is also governed by the privacy provisions ofThe Health Information Protection Act (HIPA) and other statutes exempted by The Freedom ofInformation and Protection of Privacy Act that require different or more stringent access requirements.

Access requests to records in the Saskatchewan Archives' permanent collection can be divided intofour broad categories: family history, academic, legal and general research. Family historyresearchers are looking for information about specific family members. Academic researchers includestudents working on graduate theses and university professors working on research projects for booksor articles. Their topics vary and they typically request large volumes of records. Legal researchersrequest information relating to matters before the courts. The cases often involve complex legalissues. General research includes local history projects, background research for fiction writers andhistory books and articles by non-academic writers. Each type of request brings with it different legalrequirements and different requirements for staff time. This past year we received 31 access requests,resulting in the review of approximately 16 metres of paper records.

Records ProcessingDescriptive Standards Activity

During the year, staff in this Unit was involved in the implementation of a newsoftware program used for the description of archival holdings. Staff involved in theMinisis implementation project held meetings and discussions with all units todevelop policy, procedures and best practices associated with the installation anduse of the software. As well, project staff identified customization needs andmanaged the conversion of records from 14 existing databases resulting in theoperational launch of the new system for internal use in January 2008.

The system, named "Threshold", held at the time of conversion:

• A total of 21,713 public and private acquisitions received since 1945from five accession databases

• An estimated 170,212 descriptions at various levels for records of allmedia moved from nine media-specific databases

• Upper level descriptions (private fonds and government series) for 362SAFA guides and 63 government agency descriptions

Over the months that followed, staff in the Records Processing Unit conducted post-conversion reviews and verification of accession and description records and testedthe new system.

Work began late in the fiscal year on developing tools to assist staff with theapplication of descriptive standards, including revisions and updates to theinstitution's Archival Description Manual (2004). The resumption of full descriptionactivity within Threshold is anticipated early in the new fiscal year. Followingdevelopment of a website, public access to the database descriptions will beavailable via the Internet.

HiQifniTFifcrtf' j 'f

Arrangement and Description of HoldingsStaff continued to address the significant backlogin records processing, retro-conversion, and guidepreparation for our Regiria and Saskatoonholdings. |||||

ffecord descriptions made available for referenceservices included the following:

Cabinet Decision Items (Devine Government)series ;:;^::: . . : . '';:HMCanadian Petroleum Association, SaskatchewanDivision fonds | l !Lomond Rural Municipality No. 37 fonds ; ;Morris Shumiatcher fonds (accrual)Ray Crone fonds (accrual)hlelen Penner fondsJerry Burianyk fonds fjBrett Bell fonds ^ l i l :

Jin} fankiw fonds

A total of 14 new Saskatchewan Archives FindingAids (SAFA) guides were released for reference ;use during the fiscal year. Additions reflectingaccruals to our existing collection and revisions : ;were made to another 51 guides. As well, severalagency descriptions related to government recordswere added to the reference guides system.Electronic scans of i TO older guides in ourholdings were created to assist with descriptionwork and with responding to researcher requests.

; Five fonds were appraised for monetary value fortax credit in the 2007 calendar year for a combinedlvalue of $65,635. Cultural property certification; applications were submitted for two of these fonds.

Historical Photographs Index Project (HPI): Workcontinued on the automation of the Reginaphotograph card catalogue, a project that began inJuly 2005. As of November 2007 a total of 30,495entries had been made into the photographsdatabase from an estimated 82,400 cards. Theserecords are now located in Threshold.

Saskatchewan Homestead Records Post-1930series: Staff continued the work that was started inJune 2006 involving the physical housing of post-;1930 homestead records and the data entry of"additional names to the existing SaskatchewanHomestead Index (SHI) database. This project,now expected to conclude in the spring of 2009,will provide genealogists and researchers withname access to records of homesteads throughoutthe province previously available only through landdescriptions. At the end of March 2008approximately 28,800 name entries had beenadded to the database from 12,983 of theestimated 16,000 files in the series. The additionalentries to the SHI database as well as further \n on the records will be made available

to the public on our website at the conclusion of theproject •

Records Arranged and Described - By Media 2007/2008*Type of RecordTextual Records : ;

• Ministerial/Political :

• Individuals and Organizations ;:4l;:J• Government** : :M; ; : ; ;

Total textual records ;

Architectural Drawings III! IS!Photographic/Graphic MaterialsSound Recordings H ,Moving Images : ;u

Total

none18.51 metres65. 97 metres

84.5 linear metres

475 sets823 items52 items jj|629 items jjj

*New description activity in the Unit was suspended in November 2007 to allow for the conversion of recordsfrom existing media databases into Threshold.

"Government records include the Cabinet Decision Items (Devine Government) series.

18

public at large. These services are primarily provided through public reference service facilities inthe Archives' Regina and Saskatoon offices and the provision of mail, telephone and e-mail servicesto distant users and website services. Staff also participate in external education and trainingactivities and serve as volunteers in a number of professional organizations.

Reference Services

The Saskatchewan Archives' collection continues to fulfil a wide variety of important public purposesby preserving and making available a broad range of official and private archival documents andinformation relating to the governmental, corporate, institutional, legal and societal evolution of theprovince and its people. These holdings encompass various categories of archival materials whichrequire a range of sophisticated professional archival staff expertise to make them available toresearchers in a helpful, timely and responsible fashion. These skills include the proper handlingand treatment of fragile materials, the determination of privacy and access issues with regard torestricted materials, the assessment of copyright issues and the exercise of a host of other publicservice attributes requiring the continuing application of judgment, tact and kjjj||ledge. Dedicatedand capable archival staff meet the widely varying research needs of a

Typical archival users include the following:;:-!

• Family and local historians* Uniyejfify scholars ' : : : ' - M / ;

Publif|ers andrbraadcastersEnvironmentalIndividuds.s%ekinggro3:of:3gflnd other information forlegal or •

|S|jr |es;:ii|Ip":MlGr: •• |p ,.;;j|ii ' .;lpigJ|awyerS;;;siekjng to departm|ntal or other;;;

* ^Architects a;ni!engfs&r seeking building and site .informationschool resolutinesearchers

^rj^ii^^rf^ -" l Msf#

•f •; i ,-. ••;;•• - - S,s«!«&:;sEM;:!Ei;.;;-M \\f\ := := i .,'. -.-- -= - . ; . . . : : ; .

: ''mS!*™5

In 2007/2008, there was a moderate increase in demand on the resources and services of the Referenceand Outreach Unit in Regina and Saskatoon. Staff continued to provide reference assistance to in-person and distance researchers, to retrieve significant volumes of archival records, and to facilitate thereproduction of materials. (See statistics in "Patron Use of Reference Services" table below ) Staff inboth offices gave tours and presentations to elementary and high school classes, to the SaskatchewanTeachers' Federation Showcase 2008 conference, to university classes, to community and culturalgroups (for example, the Zichydorf Village Association, and individuals from the Sakimay First Nation)and to genealogy groups throughout the fiscal year.

During the 2007/2008 fiscal year, Saskatchewan Archives established or continued working partnershipswith organizations including: CBC, CTV, Global TV, the Western Development Museum and the Societehistonque de la Saskatchewan. Staff also continued working with the University of SaskatchewanArchives on the development of their Explorations of Aboriginal Life website, the Saskatchewan Councilof Archivists and Archives, and with Sandra Rollings-Magnusson related to her continuing sociologyproject examining homestead files and other documentary sources related to female homesteaders

Patron Use of Reference Services

Personal visits

Written enquiries(mail, e-mail and fax)

telephone enquiries

Interlibrary loansof microfilm

Tours/presentationsifj^of participants)

Total visits/contacts

Documents retrievedfor research (numberof;contatners/items)

items reproduced"^Warcri _____ j

Regina | Saskatoon2006/07 ! 2007/08

2200

1390

1763

32

(1 OZ)

5,537

24,912

39,365

2394

1389

1886

_J9J156)

' 5871

1 Ji 9,680

33,573 \|

JIB 1

610 :t;

375 :

I

(76) ;:' 2,183

9,317

•18,731

TOTAL2007/08 | 2006/07 •-

1298

826

468 1

16 ;

10(103)

2511

;r24,767

3,307

2,000jjl

I 2,138

' 47

228

7,720

34,229

58,086

2007/08

3,692

2,015

2,354

60

259

8,382

32,666

58,340

The Saskatchewan Archives Website(www.saskarchives.com)

Time Period

April - June

July - September

October 1 December

January - March;

TOTALS :

• ; ' Pages Viewed

: 2006/07

; : 108,297

104,942

116,316

433,677

2007/08

112,877

102,691

\j\7

•;::il8,220

450,795

' ; ' - • Total Visits (Sessions)

2006/07 ; ~^

; : ; : . : : : 23,370

; ; ; 22,904

27?941

28,404 : I

102,619 ; H : ; ; : i

2007/08

P:;:;W 30,029 :f:;

; 24,876 §[

-22,721

22,126

99,752

The Saskatchewan Archives website's most visited page continues to be the Home page; however theSearch page and Family History Research pages are heavily used. The Saskatchewan Historydownloadable pdf file containing the fall 2006 issue of the magazine continues to be a very popularpage.

The most common countries of origin for visitors to the site were Canada (60.41% of visitors) and theUnited States (29.42% of visitors). Within North America, most visits to the site were fromSaskatchewan (32.82%), but there were also significant numbers of visitors from California (10.86%),Alberta (6.03%), Ontario (5.85%), and British Columbia (2.82%).

A continuing interest in genealogy is reflected in the websites which referred visitors to theSaskatchewan Archives website, including: the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, CollectionsCanada (Library and Archives Canada), Rootsweb, and from Saskatchewan Archives' own sisterwebsite, the Saskatchewan Homestead Index.

Overall, these statistics demonstrate that the website continues to serve as an effective tool forpromoting the institution and its holdings to a wide researcher public.

Community OutreachJournee patrimoine /Heritage Days,Societe historique de la Saskatchewan

A bilingual display was set up and staff were in attendance at the Western Development Museum inNorth Battleford for the 2007 Journee patrimoine/Heritage Days sponsored by the Societe historiquede la Saskatchewan, September 21-22, 2007. The first day included visits from hundreds ofelementary school children, and the second day was geared toward the general public.

Archives Week, February 4-10, 2008

From February 4 through 10, 2008, archival institutions all across Saskatchewan celebrated ArchivesWeek, and the Saskatchewan Archives Board was actively involved in a number of events aimed atbringing a greater awareness about the work of archives to the community. At similar events held inboth Saskatoon and Regina, celebrity readers read from original archival documents found incollections from various provincial archival repositories.

The celebrity readers who' helped celebrate ArchivesjW/l|k:included; |,:, |||

I*!]1!1 TKS:l-JfllHourab||i.:Dr,: Gordon L. Barnharf, Lieutenant Governor161 Sask:a^fitiewan;M, I

» Writer and performer Brenda BaKer;'':!' :M'-:Hy|yi!!ifci:!:!ii,:A,, . ' '-'-W

illjibhlorroir'SrernlgLof; Saskatchewan, the Honourable Allan BlateHSyfl'i'fBllfciihy^:: J)(j

• I Author and

%ii||t :pp||}lKi , ^ ||ra| of the CTV News in SasKatTOfilyL;;;:.,,;,.;: :::

• Yann Mattel, autnolian^.Ma.nBpokgrliRnze^jnnerfor The LifeWPi;lfM>i *

>;^:Hfhe Honourable Christine Tell, Minister for Tourismji:!|ai1<s,.Culture

I Fred Clipsharfj, Regina City Councillor; . :n%;;:

• I Country and westerri musiciajig jTex £rnery,;:E*auI McCorriston :ari; :Brpclie Moninger; !:"

» GflfsHiMadhur, Manager of Community Programming;at;: Access Commu:nicfflynsj;:;nM

f « - : . CBC radio1 host, Jenniferpibson; and. : . . 'i1:;;:!::. J| .. :li:;;,

«1i1:tlythSmiIlie, Artistic^ • i fjlk,:;;; •

Saskatchewan Archives staff also organized an archival film screening event and a genealogy openhouse in Regina, and participated in the annual Saskatoon Heritage Festival.

Displays and Exhibits

Saskatchewan Archives staff set up exhibits at the Regina Buffalo Days Exhibition, and at theSaskatoon Heritage Festival.

Saskatchewan HistoryLed by a dedicated Advisory Board and Editor, this well-respected journal continued to generate acareful blend of original scholarly and popular articles, heritage news, book reviews and audio-visualproductions relating to the history of the province.

i 1 : ' :

Some of the more notable articles published during the pastyear included: ' : ; -« "Was Eckhardt Kastendieck one of Saskatchewan's most

Nazis?" by Grant Grams (Spring 2007),• "Treaty 8 and Northern Saskatchewan," by Christine Srnillie

(Spring 2007).• "Karloff in Saskatchewan," by Stephen Jacobs (Spring 2007),• "Father Louis Pierre Gravel and the Settlement of the

Gravelbourg Area," by Beckey Hamilton (Fall 2007)• "The Saskatoon Quakers: The Rise and Fall of Community

Hockey Heroes," by Lynn Perras (Fall 2007).• The Hyas Doukhobor Settlement," by Jonathan Kalmakoff (Fall

2007),Valley Echo: Two Decades of Prose, Poetry and Cartoons

Related to the Role and Image of Saskatchewan Nurses, 1923-JIJl 943," by Sandra Bassendowski (Fall 2007).

: • • • • III

Saskatchewan History Advisory Board

The following members of the Saskatchewan History Advisory Board ; : ; ; . ; : ! :

;?oyer:see the journal's direction and operation: :

jt- JIBeorge Hoffman, Sessional Lecturer, Department of History, University ofRegina (Chair);

• Prof. William Brennan, Department of History, University of Regina;• : Prof. Keith Carlson, Department of History, University of Saskatchewan;

: »;-.;; Prof. Brenda Macclougall, Department of Native Studies, University of ||Saskatchewan; ; :; Illlillll™

| Carl Krause, representing Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society(resigned Fall 2007);

» Pat Wagner, representing Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society (effectiveSpring 2008); ... j

• Ray Robertson, Hegina;« Jason Zorbas, Editor;« Don Herperger, General Manager; :

• Nadine Charabin.' Administrative Officer, ::: ;

Saskatchewan History Sales and Circulation

Paid subscriptions:« General• Libraries« Schools• Gifts

TOTAL PAIDExchange and complimentaryDistributed to staff, authors, reviewers, the editor, and (onconsignment) to book storesTOTAL CIRCULATION

As of March 2007

•1925

• ,, 43210949

see-

As of March 2008

222144

1121

39810647

SIT;,

23

Digital Archives InitiativeThe mandate of the Saskatchewan Archives Board as defined in The Archives Act, 2004, is to select,acquire, preserve, arrange and describe, make accessible and encourage the use of documentaryrecords in all media, from government and private sources, bearing on all aspects of the history ofSaskatchewan, and as importantly, to facilitate the effective management of records withingovernment institutions. These responsibilities have been diligently carried out since the Archives'inception in 1945.

Nonetheless, this long history of public service, one that began to protect and provide the record, isnow in danger of being compromised by the very thing it is meant to safeguard. Records createddigitally are being lost, and continue to be lost at an accelerating rate.

This situation is due to several factors, both internal and external to our organization. Improperrecords management practices, unregulated destruction, negligent and often non-existentpreservation practices has resulted in a significant portion of digital records being lost prior to anyopportunity of the Saskatchewan Archives to acquire them. While some of this is being methodicallyaddressed through education and the establishment of authorized records management systemsthere still exists the problem that the Archives itself has no capacity, both in personnel orinfrastructure, to effectively acquire, process, and make available digital records.

The implications of risk arising from the loss of record is not limited to the Saskatchewan ArchivesBoard, but to all of government and to private interests as well. As a result, it has become imperativethat the Saskatchewan Archives acquire the capacity to manage and preserve the digital recordbefore the situation results in a catastrophic breach of trust and a collapse in due diligence.

In September 2007 the Saskatchewan Archives Board presented to the Business Advisory Council(BAG) a conceptual business case to grapple with the challenge of acquiring, managing andpreserving digital archival records for the province of Saskatchewan.

That business case identifies several activities that will inform Saskatchewan Archives to a reasonedand responsible implementation of a digital records preservation solution.

IThe;»

to the conceptualization are tof |;Create, process mapping of current workflow and internal: business procedures^, : ;

»!:|l|;;CreatfH|f}d!/or refine policies and procedures and build a:'reporting framework Based .,pn findings:•

Establish proclisgsiit&l ^^ j,mi;i, "I;Document business: q^edS;!:tQ:'suppbrtth:|jprpcesses and polic'^ramg^o'rkicreated. I 1Conduct an intragovernm'ehtal digital objlqtsutt digitalrecords currently being created and held by igpvefqrinient units, 'fflP; I" • ' mm 1 JJPerform ajurisdictional scan with the aid of an outside comultant-^diseover what changes (interms of "policy, process, and internal structures and systems) are required to facilitate digitalrecords." Th§ Ijurisdictionalscan will focus on jurisdictions' ]! archiving functions that are m :

;; roughly the iHrpe;;' scale' as the; Saskatchewan Archives, :m|,m ,; , i J ; , . . - . i!ii,,Conduct a rtequejfjffinljnform^ to idenlify pQtlfvtiaJjapproaches ojm |sqjutjpns to support;;iii|i "nip; ! ;fPf!;|;:|[|m : jj

With the knowledge and experience gained from this conceptual phase the Saskatchewan ArchivesBoard will be better able to implement a realistic, pragmatic and effective solution to the acquisitionand preservation of digital records.

Funding for the first phase of the initiative was received and it is expected that the conceptualizationphase will be completed by March 2009.

24

Report of Management

The accompanying financial statements are the responsibility of management and have beenapproved in principle by the Saskatchewan Archives' Board of Directors. The financial statementshave been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

Management maintains an appropriate system of internal control, including policies and procedures,which provide reasonable assurances that the Saskatchewan Archives' assets are safeguarded andthat financial records are relevant and reliable.

The Board of Directors carries out its responsibility for the financial statements and for overseeingmanagement's financial reporting responsibilities by meeting with management to discuss and reviewfinancial matters. The Provincial Auditor has full and open access to the Board of Directors.

The Provincial Auditor conducts an independent audit of the financial statements. Their examinationis conducted in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and includes testsand other procedures which allow them to report on the fairness of the financial statements. TheAuditor's Report outlines the scope of their audit and their opinion.

On behalf of management

Christal LintottManager, Human Resources & Administration(Responsible for financial administration)

25

26

SASKATCHEWAN ARCHIVES BOARD

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the Year Ended March 31, 2008

27

Provincial Auditor Saskatchewan

1500 Chateau Tower1920 Broad StreetRegina, SaskatchewanS4P 3V2

Phone: (306) 787-6398Fax: (306) 787-6383

Web site: www.auditor.sk.caInternet E-mail: info@auditor.sk.ca

SASKATCHEWAN

AUDITOR'S REPORT

To the Members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan

I have audited the statement of financial position of the Saskatchewan Archives Board as atMarch 31, 2008 and the statements of operations, change in net financial assets, and cash flowfor the year then ended. The Board's management is responsible for preparing these financialstatements for Treasury Board's approval. My responsibility is to express an opinion on thesefinancial statements based on my audit.

I conducted my audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards.Those standards require that I plan and perform an audit to obtain reasonable assurancewhether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includesexamining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financialstatements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significantestimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statementpresentation.

In my opinion, these financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financialposition of the Saskatchewan Archives Board as at March 31, 2008 and the results of itsoperations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian generallyaccepted accounting principles.

Regina, SaskatchewanSeptember 10, 2008

Fred Wendel, CMA, CAProvincial Auditor

28

SASKATCHEWAN ARCHIVES BOARDSTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

As at March 31

Statement 1

Financial assets:

Due from University of Saskatchewan (note 3) $Due from General Revenue Fund (note 4)Investments (note 2 and 5)Grant receivable - General Revenue FundAccounts receivable

2008

596,503 $156,48776,128

3,392

2007

403,702216,83179,391200,000

960

832.510 900.884

Liabilities:

Accounts payable and accrued liabilitiesAccrued vacation payAccrued salaries and benefitsDeferred revenue (note 6)

Net financial assets (Statement 3)

Non-financial assetsTangible capital assets (note 7)Prepaid expenses

Accumulated Surplus (Statement 2)

176,07247,468163,664

387,204

445,306

315,8226,226

322,048

$ 767.354 $

143,62956,750145,92550,000

396,304

504,580

284,21714,906

299,123

803.703

(See accompanying notes to the financial statements)

29

SASKATCHEWAN ARCHIVES BOARDSTATEMENT OF OPERATIONSFor the year Ended March 31

Statement 2

Budget2008

Revenue:

Grants - General Revenue FundOther contributions

Photocopy salesMagazine salesInvestment income (loss)Miscellaneous

Expenses:

Salaries and benefitsAdministrative servicesPrinting and postageAmortization of tangible capital assetsMaterials and supplies

(Deficit)Surplus for the year

Accumulated surplus - beginning of year

Accumulated surplus, end of year - to Statement 1

(Note 11)

$ 3,572,000

3,572,000

50,0009,0003,000

3003,634.300

2,676,437981,94826,500

26.500

3.711.385

$ (77.085^

Actual2008

$ 3,372,00050,710

3,422,710

45,0308,147(3,263)30,485

3,503,109

2,473,727919,61325,01089,42031,688

3,539,458

(36,349)

803,703

$ 767.354

Actual2007

$ 3,572,0006,407

3,578,407

59,3567,6648,535524

3,654,486

2,321,651887,61839,23081,32767,175

3,397,001

257,485

546,218

$ 803.703

(See accompanying notes to the financial statements)

30

Statement 3

SASKATCHEWAN ARCHIVES BOARDSTATEMENT OF CHANGE IN NET FINANCIAL ASSETS

For the Year Ended March 31

(Deficit) Surplus for the year

Acquisition of tangible capital assetsAmortization of tangible capital assetsWrite off of tangible capital assets

Changes in prepaid expense

(Decrease) Increase in net financial assets

Net financial assets, beginning of year

Net financial assets, end of year - to Statement 1

2008

(31.605)

8.680

(59,274)

504.580

445.306 $_

2007

$ (36,349) $ 257,485

(121,256) (137,230)89,420 81,327

231(55.903)

(4.600)

196,982

307.598

504.580

(See accompanying notes to the financial statements)

31

SASKATCHEWAN ARCHIVES BOARDSTATEMENT OF CASH FLOWFor the Year Ended March 31

Statement 4

Operating transactions(Deficit)Surplus for the year

Items not affecting cash:Amortization of tangible capital assetsLoss on disposal of tangible capital assetsUnrealized loss (gain) on investments

Change in non-cash balances relating to operations:Accounts receivableGrant receivable - General Revenue FundPrepaid expensesAccounts payable and accrued liabilitiesAccrued vacation payAccrued salary and benefitsDeferred revenue

Cash provided by operating transactions

Investing TransactionsAcquisition of tangible capital assets

Cash used in investing transactions

Net increase in cash

Cash, beginning of year

Cash, end of year

Cash includes the following:Due from the University of SaskatchewanDue from General Revenue Fund

$

$

$

$

2008

(36,349) $

89,420231

3,263

(2,432)200,0008,68032,443(9,282)17,739(50,000)253,713

(121,256)(121,256)

132,457

620,533

752.990 $

596,503 $156,487

752.990 $

2007

257,485

81 ,327

(5,103)

1,024(200,000)(4,600)55,04012,176(16,159)50,000231,190

(137,230)(137,230)

93,960

526,573

620.533

403,702216,831

620.533

(See accompanying notes to the financial statements)

32

SASKATCHEWAN ARCHIVES BOARDNOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

March 31, 2008

1. Authority

The Saskatchewan Archives Board (Board) was established under the authority of TheArchives Act, 2004 for the purpose of acquiring and preserving historical documents relatingto the history of Saskatchewan and providing these documents to the public for researchpurposes.

2. Accounting Policies

The financial statements are prepared in accordance with Canadian generally acceptedaccounting principles as recommended by the Public Sector Accounting Board of theCanadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. The following accounting policies aresignificant.

a) Tangible Capital Assets

Purchased tangible capital assets are recorded at cost. Amortization is provided on astraight-line basis over the assets' estimated useful lives as follows:

Computer hardware 3 yearsComputer software 3 yearsEquipment 5-10 yearsFurniture 5-20 years

The Board has placed a nil value on the permanent collection of archivalmaterials for financial statement purposes.

The cost of materials used to preserve the archival collection is expensed.

b) Investments

Investments are comprised of units in a pooled fund held by the University ofSaskatchewan. Units in the pooled fund are valued at market and anyincrease/decrease in the value of the fund is accounted for in the statement ofoperations as investment income.

c) Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with Canadian generallyaccepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates andassumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of thefinancial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during theyear. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

33

3. Due from University of Saskatchewan

The University administers cash on behalf of the Board. The Board does not receiveinterest on its cash on deposit with the University and it is not charged for interest on anoverdraft.

4. Due from General Revenue Fund

The Board's bank account is included in the Consolidated Offset Bank Concentrationarrangement for the Government of Saskatchewan. During the year, the General RevenueFund did not pay interest on the Board's bank account.

5. Evelyn Eager Estate

In July 1992, the Board received a bequest of $40,000. It received an additional $7,371 inSeptember 1994. The Board has restricted $47,371 indefinitely with the income earned onthe related investment applied to the costs of publishing the Saskatchewan Historymagazine.

6. Deferred Revenue

In November 2006, the Board received a restricted donation of $50,000 for thedevelopment of an automated archive database. The donation has been recognized asrevenue in the current year since the archive database equipment has been acquired.

7. Tangible Capital Assets

2008 2007Accumulated Net Book Net Book

Cost Amortization Value ValueOffice Furniture and Equipment $ 527,604 $ 379,752 $ 147,852 $ 165,607Computer Hardware and

Software 694,049 526.079 167,970 118,610$1,221,653 $ 905,831 $ 315,822 $ 284,217

8. Related Party Transactions

These financial statements include transactions with related parties. The Board is related toall Saskatchewan Crown agencies such as ministries, corporations, boards andcommissions under the common control of the Government of Saskatchewan. Also, theBoard is related to non-Crown enterprises that the Government jointly controls orsignificantly influences.

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8. Related Party Transactions (Continued)

Certain administrative services are provided at no charge to the Board by the University ofRegina. The Board is charged a fee for administrative services by the University ofSaskatchewan.

Routine operating transactions with related parties are recorded at the rates charged by thoseorganizations and are settled on normal trade terms. Included in expenses is related partytransactions of $1,065,113 (2007 - $1,043,522) of which $205,210 (2007 - $116,953) was payableat March 31, 2008.

In addition, the Board pays Provincial Sales Tax to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance on allits taxable purchases. Taxes paid are recorded as part of the cost of those purchases.

Other transactions with related parties and amounts due to/from them are described separately inthe financial statements and the notes thereto.

9. Pension Plan

Substantially all of the Board's employees participate in the Public Employees Pension Plan (arelated party) which is a defined contribution plan. The Board's financial obligation to the plan islimited to making required payments to match amounts contributed by employees for currentservices. Included in salaries and benefits is pension expense for the year of $146,100 (2007 -$119,624).

10. Financial Instruments

The Board's financial instruments include due from University of Saskatchewan, due from GeneralRevenue Fund, investments, receivables, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, accrued vacationpay and accrued salaries and benefits. The carrying amount of these instruments approximate fairvalue due to their immediate or short-term maturity. These instruments do not have significantinterest rate or credit risk.

11. Budget

These amounts are included in the annual budget approved by the Saskatchewan ArchivesBoard.

12. Comparative Figures

Certain prior year balances have been reclassified to conform with the current year's financialstatement presentation.

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Additional Supplementary Information2007/2008 SUPPLIER PAYMENTS

Listed are payees who received $20,000 or more for the provision of goods andservices, including office supplies, advertising, contracts, and equipment.

Ministry of Finance $ 205,744Ministry of Government Services $ 762,153Saskatchewan Telecommunications $ 73,147University of Saskatchewan $ 22,529CCSI Technology Solutions Co. $ 40,450Minisis Inc. $ 72,582Payees under $20,000 $ 222,848

2007/2008 PERSONAL SERVICES

Listed are individuals (excluding unionized employees) who received payments forsalaries, wages and honorariums, etc. which total $2,500 or more.

Lintott, Christal $ 38,004Davidson, Ann $ 39,917Herperger, Don $ 119,026Toth, Lenora $ 90,608Zorbas, Jason $ 6,000Unionized employees $ 1,871,338

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Photo Descriptions(All photos are from the Saskatchewan Archives Board collection.)

Reference #

R-B477

R-A7748

R-PS76-1 497-08

R-PS63-734-01

R-D132

R-PS59-845-12

R-PS81-1381-56

R-B218

R-PS-56-447-04

R-A2321

R-A4996-1

R-A5882-2

R-A7413

R-A26133-2

R-B 170-3

R-B2631-3

R-B3021

R-B2475-1

R-A1 1507-1

R-B 154

R-B9116-1

R-B8853-3

R-B8902

R-B7117

R-B9785

Photo description

Regina Railways. Train hauling agricultural machinery

Dalton W. Fisher, c. 1930. Police Motorcycle

October 1976. Winnipeg vs. Saskatchewan at Taylor Field in Regina

Robert Taylor, November 1963. Saskatchewan Pool Elevator which was moved from Brora to Pinkie, Sask.

First Nations Leader

Cal Dean, February, 1960. Young Hockey Players "Face-off' during a hockey game at St. Joseph's Rink inRegina

M. Fieguth, August 1 981 . Aerial view of farm in west central Saskatchewan near North Battleford

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, June 30, 1912. Regina Tornado (Book of photos of the tornado)

Les Robinson, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), November 1956. A view of two damaged curlingrocks which are covered by a SGI Policy

Ed Shafer, amateur photographer, originally from Minnesota, winter, 1909. Homesteader between Youngand Plunkett

Christine MacDonald, Allan Turner, Saskatchewan Archives office, Regina. Identifying pictures in the historicphotograph collection

Regina North, 1935. Shaping finished mixture of gravel sand, silt and clay

Photo by Alex B. Parley, Moffat, Sask. 1910. C.P.R. bridge, Loon Creek, Markinich, (built c.1906)

Thomas Battersby, World War I

Legislative Building, Facing North West, Regina, Saskatchewan, c. 1920

Regina, November 1954. Construction of the Museum of Natural History, Albert St. and College Ave.

St. Luke district. Clearing of Land

Harold Edward Sheard, Saskatchewan Archives Board, Regina Office. Archives Microphotography

November 1959. Balfour Technical School students working in a radio and television repair class

Part of staff of Department of Agriculture, Saskatchewan government. Mrs. B. C. Leitch (Accountant)Standing at desk. Mr. F. Mindeaft (Brand Recorder and Chief Clerk) standing at counter, c. 191 1

Maple Creek, Railway Station

Walter W. Weston. Harvest Machinery

Regina Fire Department

Major Pyman of the "Red Saskatchewanians" (in foreground), questions a prisoner on the front line

Cree man at Maple Creek N.W.T. (Saskatchewan). 1884

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For More InformationVisit our website at www.saskarchives.com.

For specific inquiries concerning this report please contact:

Christal LintottManager, Human Resources and Administration306-787-8686clintott @ archives.qov.sk.ca

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