Locations of Archives

As of March 2022, the City of Ottawa Archives remains open to the public by appointment only (in-person or virtual). Walk-in clients may be required to wait for an available appointment.

The Central Archives is the largest branch of the City of Ottawa Archives. Located in the James K. Bartleman Centre, the Central Archives has 4 climate-controlled vaults, a conservation lab and a gallery. This state-of-the-art facility opened to the public in June 2011, and won the Ontario Association of Architects Award for Design excellence in May 2012. It received LEED Gold certification in the same year.

Researchers can search the historical collections and have access to the collections kept in the vaults; while, the reference room features a non-circulating library with books about local history and the libraries of our partner organizations.

James K. Bartleman Centre
100 Tallwood Drive (Corner of Woodroffe)
Ottawa, Ontario

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

Tel.: 613-580-2857
Fax: 613-580-2614
Email: archives@ottawa.ca

Holiday closures 2024

• March 29 to April 1
• May 18 to 20
• June 29 to July 1
• August 3 to 5
• August 31 to September 2
• September 28 to 30
• October 12 to 14
• November 9 to 11
• December 23 to January 4, 2025

Mailing address
City of Ottawa Archives c/o City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 1J1
Mail Code: 443

Accessibility information

100 Tallwood Drive
Nepean, ON

The accessibility features of this facility are detailed below. While the City of Ottawa is constantly working to improve access, please note that not all parts of every facility are necessarily 'accessible for all' as facilities were built to meet accessibility standards of their time.

Parking

• 2 designated accessible parking spaces
• Accessible path of travel from the parking lot to entrance with access aisle
• 7 metres from parking space to the door

Passenger Loading Zone

• Access isle
• Cut curb
• Hazard indicator

Entrance/Exit

• 2 accessible entrances/doors
• Accessible entrances clearly marked
• Wide door (with power door opener) for wheelchair passage
• Direct access to the main floor, lobby, elevator
• Power door operator

Interior

• Power door access to all public areas of the facility
• Public spaces are on accessible path of travel
• Ramps and elevators to all levels
• Accessible seating available

Reception desks

• Accessible counters
• Floor area for maneuvering a wheelchair
• Swipe access accessible from wheelchair
   

Floor Surfaces

• Slip resistant surfaces

Signage

• Directional signs
• Tactile signage
• High contrast signage
• “Way Finding”
• Large lettering

Washrooms

• On all floors
• Lowered sink counters
• Lowered soap dispensers
• Lowered towel dispensers
• Lowered hand dryers
• Lowered drinking fountains
• Large stalls to allow transfers

Elevator/Lift

• Access to all floors
• Located at the main entrance
• Doorway width is accessible
• Visible door opening/closing and door indicators
• Outside and inside controls have raised and Braille lettering

Telephone

• In an accessible area
• Public phone is hearing aid compatible
• Adapted with volume control

Stairs

• Continuous hand rails on both sides
• Treads have a no slip surface
• Colour contrast

Archives

• Exhibition spaces are accessible
• Videos captioned
• Program information available in different formats
• Interpretive labels/panels in large fonts and situated at an appropriate height for people using a wheelchair