The ArQuives

The ArQuives

Address:
34 Isabella Street,
Toronto, Ontario,
M4Y1N1, Canada

Website
Social Media: @thearquives

About the archive

The ArQuives-Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives is one of the largest independent 2SLGBTQIA+ archives in the world. Founded to preserve the histories that dominant institutions overlooked or erased, The ArQuives is dedicated to acquiring, organizing, and safeguarding materials created by and about 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada. Its mandate extends beyond preservation: through public programming, community partnerships, and accessible research services, The ArQuives works to expand awareness of 2SLGBTQIA+people and to support scholarship, activism, and cultural production. The organization is committed to addressing systemic marginalization within archival practices.

The materials are separated into four collections:

• The James Fraser Library contains over 29.000 Canadian and international titles, including monographs, periodicals and zines. 
• The archival collection holds photographs, A/V material, posters, journals and diaries, and ephemera primarily from 1960-2000s from community groups, activists, businesses, and collectives across the country. 
• The artifacts and artwork collection has 8500 three-dimensional objects such ast‑shirts, buttons, matchbooks, costumes, leather items, trophies, toys, and flags, alongside artworks in media ranging from sketches and watercolors to acrylics and oils. This includes the National Portrait Collection.
• Lastly, various reference materials, from newspapers clippings to vertical files.

 

Focus & Research

The ArQuives centers 2SLGBTQIA+ histories and community stories from across Canada. What guides their research can be summarized by a quote from Ed Jackson: “A conspiracy of silence has robbed gay people of their history. A sense of continuity which derives from the knowledge of a shared heritage is essential for the building of self-confidence in a community. It is a necessary tool in the struggle for social change.”

Residency details

Available period for archive visits: September 2026 to May 2027
Duration on location: 4 to 6 weeks

What the archive offers:

Access to archival materials, databases, and catalogues; digital resources; scanners; technical and research support, curatorial guidance and creative input; introductions to the collection and its contexts; and other forms of assistance depending on the project needs.

Workspace:

Reading room

Accessibility

• Elevator access
• Support for visually or hearing‑impaired visitors
• Quiet and low‑sensory spaces suitable for neurodiverse researchers

Detailed information about elevators, stairs, and bathrooms is available on their website.