Government Records

The Provincial Archives serves as the collective memory of the Government of Saskatchewan, its ministries, crown corporations, commissions, boards, agencies and court system. The Archives also performs the same function for various local government institutions including urban and rural municipalities, and school boards and divisions.

As part of its mandate under The Archives and Public Records Management Act, the Provincial Archives provides records management services to the provincial government, reviews all government records eligible for disposal and acquires those records which possess long-term historical significance for permanent preservation. The Provincial Archives acquires records that document the activities of government institutions or that shed light on the evolution of the province and its people. Records are collected in all information formats including paper, microfilm, maps, drawings, photographs, audio, video, film, and digital.

The government records in our Collection date back to the Territorial period (1870s to 1905) when Battleford and then Regina were the capitals of the North West Territories and when the Territories included what is now Saskatchewan, Alberta and northern Manitoba. Other records document the province's more recent past.

Access to government records collections is governed by The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. As a general rule this means that access to government records is restricted for a 25 year period in the case of administrative and policy records, and longer in the case of records containing personal or health information. For more information about access to  restricted records, please click here. 

To access government records, begin your search in our online catalogue.  However, as not all of our Collection is described in the catalogue as of yet, you are also advised to contact Reference and Outreach Services.

Another useful resource related to government is the Saskatchewan Executive and Legislative Directory, which provides a convenient and authoritative historical record of the people who have been connected with public affairs in Saskatchewan as members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Assembly, as permanent heads of government ministries, and as candidates in successive elections.

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