It’s been a record-setting year at the Stratford-Perth Archives.

Staff and summer students have worked to preserve the region’s history while opening new avenues for public access. County council will hear the full update on September 4, when the latest activities report comes forward for review. Staff have already handled 1,357 queries this year as of mid-August. The requests came from municipal governments, local organizations, the media, and residents searching for family history. 

This summer proved especially productive thanks to two student employees, Rory Drygas and Ashley Staines, who helped expand drop-in hours to Saturdays and tackled digitization projects. Between May and mid-August, the pair scanned more than 40,000 newspaper pages from nearly 5,000 issues, setting a new seasonal record. 

Beyond digitization, the archives accepted 42 donations of records in 2025, including Rotary Club of Stratford documents, Women’s Institute programs, and a collection of historic photographs from the Adolph family of Listowel. Staff also completed their annual inspection of more than 12,000 archival boxes, cleaning and checking for mould or pests. Only one box required minor follow-up.

The archives also took part in Stratford’s “History Alive” cultural pop-up event in July, where staff showcased local history through photographs and displays. Roughly 150 people visited their booth in just a few hours.

County council will be asked to receive the report and forward it to the municipal shared services committee meeting on September 18.