About
We keep LGBTQ2+ stories alive for future generations.
The ArQuives is Canada’s largest and most important LGBTQ2+ archival institution with a growing and well-used collection as well as engaging research and programming. It was established to aid in the recovery and preservation of LGBTQ2+ histories. Our mandate is to collect, preserve, and share materials by and about LGBTQ2+ people. Over the past 50 years, it has grown from an activist-driven storehouse of LGBTQ2+ material culture to a professionally-run and academically credible, public-facing organization.
Each year, The ArQuives serves over 75,000 people and provides access to over 200,000 items in our collection to imembers of the public, volunteers, researchers, educators, and cultural producers. The ArQuives engages a wide range of communities through exhibits, educational materials, workshops, tours, and programming partnerships.
The ArQuives holds unique archival, library, and artifact collections of national and international importance, providing resources for those who strive for a future world where the diverse lived experiences of LGBTQ2+ people are valued and celebrated.
The ArQuives operates with the support of members of the LGBTQ2+ community and its allies and friends.
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Our Impact
As one of the largest LGBTQ2+ history collections in the world, we are an important resource for Canadians and international LGBTQ2+ communities. Each year, we help tens of thousands of people across Canada and the world connect to LGBTQ2+ stories and history.
We are truly passionate about keeping our stories alive!
As a result of our recent work expanding our collection, requests to access materials has grown more than 40% in the past three years. Facing the challenges of pandemic closures, we have created a plan to help connect LGBTQ2+ community members with their heritage and Canadians with LGBTQ2+ history. This plan will ensure more material from our collections becomes publicly accessible via our Online Collections Portal and Digital Exhibitions.
Access to our collections drives LGBTQ2+ community engagement, with lasting and measurable impact on these communities. By encouraging individuals and groups to donate their own materials, and by making more of these resources available online, we can create more Online Exhibits and other resources to share the full breadth of our collection of LGBTQ2+ stories and history available to people anywhere across Canada and the rest of the world.
