Ontario Marine History & Underwater Archaeology Research Centre

Individuals, organizations, and public agencies may contribute materials to the Research Centre.  The BCM&CC welcomes donations of books, photographs, and other records related to marine history and underwater archaeology across Ontario.  Once received, these items are stored in a secure storage area with environmental controls suited to long-term preservation.  They are also accessible to researchers to view in the Research Room.

During the donation process, the BCM&CC may require an inventory of items, with enough detail to: 

• demonstrate the relevance of the items to Ontario marine history, and  
• enable the identification of duplication within the Collection.   

When reviewing a potential donation, other factors that may be discussed include:  

• Legal ownership 
• Donor restrictions 
• Resources to properly store and care for an item 

Donated materials become the property of the BCM&CC through the completion of a Deed of Gift. 

Please schedule an appointment with the Archivist, Deb Sturdevant, by emailing archives@brucecounty.on.ca or calling 226-909-2426.    

Tax receipts may be available upon request at the time of donation.  To receive a tax receipt for donations exceeding $1,000, the donation must be accompanied by an appraisal from an accredited source at the donor’s expense.   

The Ontario Marine Heritage and Underwater Archaeological Research Centre will ultimately become an important destination for divers, historians, researchers, students at all levels, as well as the general public from Bruce County, Ontario, and beyond. 

As new donations are received through the Research Centre, descriptions will be added to Online Collections, with links added here. 

The first donation received as part of the Centre is the:

• Arthur Amos shipwreck research collection (Download a general inventory here)

The processing of the Arthur Amos Shipwreck Research Collection is in process.  More detailed descriptions of some of the items are available in Online Collections:

• Arthur Amos Shipwreck Research Collection Item Descriptions

All processed items specifically designated as part of the Ontario Marine History and Underwater Archaeology Research Centre:

• Ontario Marine History and Underwater Archaeology Research Centre

Many more marine-related resources in the Collection are related to Bruce County, and are not all included in the link above.  Some may be explored through the links below. 

• Books about local marine history 
• Books about ships and shipwrecks 
• Books about lighthouses
• Drawings of ships used in archaeological research
• Lighthouse Keepers logs  
• Magazines, journals and newsletters related to marine history 
• Marine Heritage scrapbooks 
• Marine navigation items 
• Nautical charts
• Ontario Marine Heritage Committee collection
• Photographs of ships 
• Photographs of lighthouses 
• Photographs of harbours 
• Shipwreck-related artefacts and lifesaving medals (part of the BCM&CC Collection)