Myles Charles (left) and John Halkett view a display of photographs from the collection of Robert Keighley at the Northern Saskatchewan Archives Open House.

The Northern Saskatchewan Archives Open House drew over 100 visitors in just three short hours earlier this month.

Among those visitors was Myles Charles. As he looked closely at the display of family photographs from the collection of Robert Keighley, Charles remarked, “He’s got a history!” and then added, “We all do – but we don’t all have the resources like these photographs.”

There are over 144,000 photographs in the Northern Saskatchewan Archives that help tell the collective history of the region.

“The mission of the Archives is to preserve ‘the old stuff’ so that future generations can enjoy it,” said archival historian Graham Guest.

The Keighley collection was one of three new displays at this year’s open house in celebration of Saskatchewan Archives Week. The others were from the collections of Anne Hryniuk (Chris and Ida Olsen family) and the McKay family.

These three collections represent quite a comprehensive view of La Ronge from the 1920s to the 1960s, said Guest.

In addition to photographs, the archives has audio and video recordings and print materials. When The Northerner newspaper ceased publication last summer, a significant number of back issues were added to the archives.

Another unique feature of the recent open house was a table of Hudson Bay Company artifacts and fur trade goods from the personal collection of Chris Collins of Besnard Lake.

The Northern Saskatchewan Archives are housed in the headquarters of the Pahkisimon Nuye?áh Library System (PNLS) in Air Ronge. Over 6000 pictures and documents have been digitized.

“We are looking at a way of having an index this year and automating the index to the archives so that we can find things more easily,” said PNLS Director Audrey Mark. “At some point in the future, we’re hoping to have that available on the internet.”