Together with heritage organizations across Canada, and supported by a generous $1 million gift from distinguished alumni and friends, the University of Ottawa Library is linking researchers with original materials on the history of the women’s movement in Canada.
The University of Ottawa Women’s Archives preserve the stories, voices, and activism of generations of women who shaped Canada’s social and political landscape. Home to hundreds of archival collections documenting the feminist movement since the 1960s, the archives reveal how newsletters, posters, letters, photographs, banners, buttons, and grassroots publications became powerful tools for organizing communities and advocating for change.
Communication is at the heart of every collection. Long before email and social media, activists built national networks through handwritten correspondence, printed newsletters, public demonstrations, and community organizing. These records show how ideas travelled across provinces, connected diverse communities, and inspired collective action on issues including equal pay, childcare, reproductive rights, violence against women, immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Today, visitors can explore these preserved voices through exhibitions, archival collections, and digital resources that continue to connect past movements with present conversations. The Women’s Archives remind us that communication is more than exchanging information—it is how communities preserve memory, share experiences, and work together to create lasting change.
This listing was uploaded by Amber Collins, Special Projects Assistant at the National Trust for Canada, on Monday July 22, 2026.
Please confirm details at the site’s own website before planning your visit. Are you the owner/operator of this historic place? Would you like to make changes to this listing? Please contact us at historicplacesday@nationaltrustcanada.ca
