The donation of 27 rare and last-copy local history books from the Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) to the Manitoba Legislative Library will make these important resources available for public research. This announcement was made by Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection Minister Ron Lemieux.
“The ability to preserve history is essential to ensure future generations see first-hand how our ancestors lived,” Minister Lemieux said. “Through the preservation of these local histories in one of Manitoba’s oldest libraries, we are keeping our collective history accessible to Manitobans and others interested in our diverse and vibrant past.”
Since 2009, the MHS has worked closely with the Manitoba Legislative Library in making copies of local histories available to researchers around the world through the website www.Manitobia.ca. More than 300 local histories of towns and municipalities have been digitized and made available for free online. It is hoped that several hundred more local histories will be added in the next five years, the minister noted.
“The Manitoba Historical Society has a proud tradition of collecting historically significant objects and we are pleased to entrust these books to the care of the province,” said Harry Duckworth, president, MHS. “Our books and artifacts help document and chronicle the history of our province and we are pleased to see that history will be preserved and available for future generations to study and learn from.”
These latest additions to the Legislative Library, published between 1910 and 2005, include histories of communities such as Winnipegosis, Minto, Oakburn and Riverside, as well as histories of Winnipeg communities including St. Norbert and East Kildonan-Transcona.
Some of the books will replace existing copies that no longer meet the standard for preservation or accessibility, while 14 have never been available in the library before. They will become part of the Local History Collection at the Legislative Library’s reference room at 200 Vaughan St., which is open to the public.
“I encourage all Manitobans to explore their heritage and the unique stories that shaped Manitoba in the rich collection of the Legislative Library,” said Minister Lemieux.
