Access and view materials

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Planning your visit

The City of Ottawa Archives welcomes all researchers: students, genealogists, City employees and anyone with a keen interest in history. Archival research is fun, but it can be time consuming since there is no single subject index for the entire collection. Most records are available in paper format and must be consulted on-site in our Reference Room.

Before you visit

Research steps:

1. Search the Research tools section which includes the Ottawa Museums & Archives Collections online catalogue, Research Guides, Corporate resource library and access to geoOttawa.

2. Keep detailed notes about any records you would like to review. Mark down reference codes, titles and, if available, box numbers.

3. Contact the Archives by phone or email to request access to items you would like to view. We will follow-up with your request and let you know when the material is available in the Reference Room to be reviewed in person.

Hours of Operation
Tuesday to Friday: 9 am to 4 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday and Monday: Closed

4. If you were not able to locate materials related to your research, contact our reference staff who can make recommendations for records that may support your research.

5. Records coming from offsite storage may take a couple of days for delivery. It is best to order your materials two working days before you visit the Archives.

6. Vault retrievals onsite are completed three times per day from Tuesday to Friday. Requests for boxes received:

  • Before 9 am will be available to the client by 10 am
  • After 9 am, but before noon will be available by 1:30 pm
  • After noon, but before 2 pm will be available by 3 pm
  • Please note that orders over five boxes or which involve multiple media collections may require extra time to process.

7. Place your order by Friday at noon for access to documents on Saturday.

8. No new documents will be provided 30 minutes prior to closing.

9. Should you wish to access material that has been identified as restricted or may potentially have restriction, please submit a request through Reference Services.

10. Civic government records may be subject to MFIPPA or other applicable legislation, and you may be required to submit your request through the City of Ottawa’s ATIP process.

On the day of your visit

  1. Sign in at the first-floor Commissionaires’ desk.
  2. Proceed to the third-floor to Reference Services and you will be greeted by a staff member and asked to fill out a client card.
  3. You must bring personal identification as you will be asked to confirm the information on your client card.
  4. We will provide you with a key to put your personal items in a locker:
    • coats
    • bags including purses, backpacks, and laptop cases
    • food and beverages
    • umbrellas
    • pens, highlighters, and markers
  5. You may bring these items in the Reference Room:
    • USB flash drive to save your scans
    • laptop computer, tablet, and cell phone
    • pencils and paper (pens are not permitted)
    • research material

Copying Documents

  • The Archives may occasionally provide photocopying services for smaller requests and documents that need to be certified by the City Archivist.
  • The standard corporate rate will be charged for photocopies done by Archives staff.
  • For reproductions of photographic and other graphic materials see Photographs and Maps.

Please note that access to certain civic and private sector records will be restricted if they are exempt from access under various federal and provincial statutes and regulations, including the Municipal Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (MFIPPA), Personal Health Information Privacy Act (PHIPA), Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and the Vital Statistics Act. Access to some private sector records may also be restricted for specific time periods because of agreements between the Archives and the donors.

Photographs and maps

Reproductions of historic photographs and maps

The Archives have over 3 million photographs and numerous maps in our collection.  Our Reference Staff can guide you through the collection.  For the majority of the photographs in our collection the City owns the copyright and can give you permission to use them commercially.

Photo orders

To order a photograph, contact Reference Services at archives@ottawa.ca  or call 613-580-2857. 

Cost for reproductions of photographs or maps

Prices

The Archives have different rates for print and scanning orders:

Prints:

  • Up to an 8 X 10: $21.68 + HST
  • 11 X 14 or 16 X 20: $58.58 + HST
  • 20 X 24: $87.87 + HST
  • Oversize Black and White Printing: $21.68 per square foot + HST
  • Oversize Sepia or Colour Printing: $21.68 per square foot + HST

Rush service is available for select items at a premium.

Photos Archival Paper:

  • 8 x 10: $23.74 + HST
  • 11 x 14: $65.60 + HST
  • 16 x 20: $65.60 + HST
  • 20 x 24: $94.89 + HST

Scans:

  • Target Size up to 8 X 10 (100 DPI): $8.51 + HST
  • Target Size up to 4 X 5 (300 DPI): $9.29 + HST
  • Target Size up to 8 X 10 (300 DPI): $15.82 + HST
  • Target Size up to 8 X 10 (600 DPI): $41.00 + HST
  • Maps and Plans (300 DPI): $17.58 + HST
  • Blank CD or DVD: $2.93 + HST

Rush service is available for select items at a premium.

Photocopies:

  • Letter and legal size (self-serve): $0.25 + HST
  • All ledger-size photocopies: $1.00 + HST
  • Original documents photocopied by staff: $0.50 + HST

Copyright and Usage Fees:

  • Fees for commercial and internet publication, still images used in publications (books etc.) per image, non-exclusive, one-time only, single language. 
  • Fee per image – Not-For-Profit: Free 
  • Fee per image – Commercial: $51.00 +HST 

Photo order timelines

Regular service is 20 working days or less and rush service is 10 working days. However, your photos may be ready sooner than this. Special requests for photos or maps may take longer than 20 working days. Special requests include records that have not been catalogued or described into our database, large volume of reproductions, or oversize material. 

Options for reproductions of photographs or maps

Print reproductions: Matte or glossy finish

  • Print size:  4 x 6; 5 x 7; 8 x 10; 11 x 14; 16 x 20; 20 x 24; oversize

Digital scans

  • File format:  JPEG; TIFF; PDF
  • Resolution: 100, 300, 600 DPI
  • Target size (original size or same as print sizes)

Reproductions can be sent by:

  • Email or FTP site
  • Mail
  • Pick-up at 100 Tallwood Dr.

Rush service is available for select items at a premium.

Sizes and resolution

  • 100 dpi 8 x 10 JPEG for web/PowerPoint presentations
  • 300 dpi 8 x 10 JPEG for print publications
  • 300 dpi 8  x 10 TIFF for exhibitions or oversize printing

Historical information about photographs or maps

The Photo Order form will include some information on the photograph or map such as a brief description and the date the original photograph or map was created.  For further information, we encourage you to visit the Archives Reference Room.

Bylaws

City of Ottawa by-laws from 2001 to the present are available on ottawa.ca.

If you need a by-law from before 2001, please contact the Archives to obtain a copy. You must specify the municipality, topic, and by-law number if known. Please Note: By-laws for many of the former municipalities are not indexed. Due to the complexity of your request you may be asked to come to the Archives to conduct your own research.

At the City of Ottawa Archives we are happy to provide copies of by-laws, but Archives staff are not permitted to answer specific questions about by-law interpretation. If you have a question about a particular by-law please contact 311 and request to speak with a by-law officer. This way you will receive the most up to date and accurate information for your specific situation. 

Zoning

For information about current zoning and by-laws in effect, please contact 311 or any Ottawa Service desk and ask to speak to a by-law officer for interpretation. For historical built information please see Access to Building and Permit Records or email buildingrecords@ottawa.ca. For the historical zoning by-laws please contact the City Archives at 613-580-2857 or by email at archives@ottawa.ca.

Building Information

House History

The City of Ottawa Archives has a number of resources that can assist researchers who wish to learn more about the history of a particular property. From City Directories to Fire Insurance Plans staff will be happy to guide you through this process.

Consult our research guide Tracing the History of your Ottawa Property [ PDF - 1.2 MB ].

Building plans

The City Archives does have some historical building plans in our collections, but most building plans are still kept with the Building Records department. To request copies of building plans please fill out the Access to Building and Permit Records Application Form, this can be found on ottawa.ca. If you have any questions about this process please contact buildingrecords@ottawa.ca or call 311 for more information.

Street, parks and facility naming

Historically, streets can be named in a number of different ways. With some notable exceptions, streets are named by by-laws. The reason for the name change is rarely found in council minutes or by-laws. If you have a question about the naming of a particular street the City Archives has a number of resources that can assist you with your research.

Consult our research guide Street, Parks and Facility Naming: Research Guide 209 [PDF - 146 KB]