Archives Mandate:

The purpose of the Archives of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is to collect, arrange, describe and preserve the permanent records and related papers of the Diocese, at the termination of their active life, and make them avail­able as required. This includes all records that were created within the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island by any person while performing official or quasi-official duties. Where a schedule for deposit or disposal has been established, this should be adhered to, any queries being directed to the Records Manager and/or the Diocesan Archivist.

NOTE: Because of limited space the Archives reserves the right to decline material that does not fit its man­date.

Available Services:

  • We have a small workspace that is shared between conservation, technical services, and research, so please call or write ahead of time to make an appointment to do research or to consult with the Archivist.
  • The Archivist will answer requests from the public, from the groups and associations of the Diocese, and from the Synod office, clergy, parish staff and parishioners needing information in the Diocesan Archives’ holdings.
  • If you have questions concerning the preservation and management of your records, or the policies and procedures of the Archives, please see the pamphlets and documents posted on this page, designed to be downloaded and printed for use in the parishes. This list will grow as we continue to research topics of interest to our diocesan family in its efforts to preserve its recorded history and heritage.
  • The Diocesan Archives is the place of deposit for all records of the Diocese of NS and PEI, its regions and parishes, its clergy, institutions and societies.
  • The Diocesan Archives does not do genealogical requests or research, but can help direct your search to institutions holding microfilm of Anglican records and other genealogical resources.

If you are outside of the Diocese, we ask that you submit your request electronically using this form - Archival Records Request Information FORM

This form is for requests related to Anglican parish records that are more than 100 years old and held in the Diocesan Archives. If the record you are seeking is less than 100 years old, please contact the parish where the record was originally created.

A fee of $50.00 (CDN) applies to all archival record requests and must be paid before a search can be conducted. Please note that this fee covers the time and resources required to perform the archival search and is not a guarantee that a record will be located. The fee is for the search itself and is generally non-refundable once the search has been completed.

Before submitting a request, please ensure that the individual or event you are researching is associated with an Anglican parish. We are unable to locate records from other denominations, such as Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, United, Baptist, or other churches. Confirming the denomination in advance may help avoid unnecessary delays and costs.

In some cases, the Diocese may not hold the record being sought. If our search indicates that the record is not in our custody and may instead be held by the Nova Scotia Archives or another repository, we will advise you accordingly. Where no search has been undertaken, any applicable refund will be processed in accordance with Diocesan policy.

For Parishes

The purpose of this booklet is to familiarize parish clergy and personnel with the Diocesan Archives Policies and procedures regarding public access to parish records and to outline what we currently consider best practice to minimize, or eliminate, the risks that have been identified involving the process of providing personal information from the contents of parish records.

Contact us:

Diocesan Archivist, Mark Picco - archives@nspeidiocese.ca 902-406-8982 (direct)
Diocesan Archives 1340 Cathedral Lane, Halifax, NS B3H 2Z1

Wednesday and Thursdays, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Acquisitions Policy:

Archival materials are generally acquired through donations and deposit required by Canon Law. Normally the Diocesan Archives does not pur­chase archival material.

Canon 40 states that baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials and service registers must be kept, and if they cannot be protected in the parish by a dry, fireproof vault in a secure room or facility, they should be “sent to the Registrar of the Diocese for safekeeping”. Today the Archives’ vault serves this purpose.

For Access Policies and Preservation Strategies, See the “Archives Policies”

The Diocesan Archives collects:

  • Records of the Diocese , its Ecclesiastical Regions and Parishes; Minutes, ledgers, documents and registers, specifically;
  • Parish Records : Registers of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Burial, Vestry books (registers of services), minute books, ledgers, and documents, specifically;
  • Parish documents: Deeds, mortgages, and other property documents, boundary descriptions, petitions and sentences of consecration, decrees of formation and division, annual reports. (Parish office files, weeded and arranged, may be deposited in the event of a church closing.)
  • Church related photographs, maps and plans;
  • The personal papers, diaries, letters, manuscripts of Diocesan Bishops, clergy, layper­ sons, institutions and societies;
  • Parish histories , published, collected, or manuscript;
  • Clerical biographies and significant publications by Diocesan clergy and lay people;
  • Records of church related institutions, societies, organizations and clubs;
  • Diocesan and General Synod publications ; serials relating to the Church of England, the Church of England in Canada and periodical journals of related societies and church history.
  • Oral histories

The Diocesan Archives does not collect Bibles, prayer books or hymnbooks at this time, with the exception of a rare edition or an historically dedicated volume.

Because of limited space, the Diocesan Archives does not collect artifacts.

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Diocesan Canons governing the Archives are located at: https://nspeidiocese.ascendsetup.com/pages/acts-constituton-canons

    • Canon 40 -- Parish Records
    • Canon 23 -- Archivist
    • Canon 24 -- Archives