The Private Archive Service of the Sherbrooke Historical Society received accreditation from the Ministère des Affaires culturelles in 1990. This certification attests to the professional quality of the services provided to users.

The mission of the Archive Service is to conserve and complete archival collections, and make them accessible to the public and researchers.

The Archive Service offers assistance from competent staff and rapid access to collections via a computer system.

The archives contain metres upon metres of text documents, more than 110 000 photographs, maps, plans, films and audio material -- tangible aspects of the history of Sherbrooke and the Eastern Townships. Every year, the Archive Service is the recipient of about 24 linear metres of new documents, which are processed as soon as possible.

The Archive department has more than 450 archival groups. Some of them come from Eastern Townships historians (Maurice O’Bready, Albert Gravel, Jean Mercier, Andrée Désilets, Jean-Pierre Kesteman, and others); others contain documents created or collected by individuals who have strong feelings for the region (Léonidas Bachand, Louis-Philippe Demers, John Hayes, …); and yet others are valued for the quality of the pictures they contain (Gérard Auray, Desmond McKeon, Clovis Roy, Mrs. W. F. Steele, Frederick James Sangster, …).

At the Historical Society, the Archive Service team offers a historical research service. Want to know more about a park, factory, bridge, street, church or even your ancestral home? Contact archivist Hélène Liard at 819-821-5406 or helene.liard@histoiresherbrooke.com

The Sherbrooke Historical Society’s Archive Service has a remarkable collection of local and regional newspapers.

The most important newspapers in the collection are: La Tribune and its special supplements, 1910 to date The Sherbrooke Daily Record – The Record, 1897 to date La Nouvelle, Sherbrooke edition, 1977 to date Visages, 1996 to date Le Progrès de Coaticook, 1953 to date Fusion, 1995 to 1999 Le Progrès de Magog, 1950 to 1998 (on deposit at the Magog Historical Society) La Tribune rose (for children), from 1944 to 1959 Coaticook Observer, 1939 to 1948 Le Messager de Saint-Michel, 1917 to 1969 The Sherbrooke Telegram, 1932 to 1945 Le Progrès de l’Est, 1883 to 1917 The Sherbrooke News, 1873 to 1878 Le Progrès (Sherbrooke), 1874 to 1878 Le Pionnier de Sherbrooke, 1866 to 1901 The Stanstead Journal, 1854 to 1977 (in part)

The Sherbrooke Historical Society’s Archive Service is indexing all of its French- and English-language newspapers, an ongoing process. The period indexed to date covers the years 1866 to 1982. Recent editions of La Tribune (1997 to date) may be consulted on CD.

Do you have photographs, post cards, office records and other papers taking up space in your filing cabinet at home or the office? Why not make them available to the community by giving them to the Sherbrooke Historical Society? These documents may unveil aspects of the history of the city or the region that are currently unknown. The Archive Service is authorized to issue income tax receipts for archival groups and collections donated to it.

CContact archivist at 819 821-5406 or helene.liard@histoiresherbrooke.com