Series consists of records created and/or maintained by the Office of the Dominion Archivist. The series includes correspondence and subject files kept by Douglas Brymner, Sir Arthur Doughty and their successors.
Public Archives of Canada. Office of the Dominion Archivist : Under the terms of the National Archives Act (Statutes of Canada, Chap. 4, 1912), the Governor in Council appointed an officer called the Dominion Archivist, who had the rank and salary of a deputy head of a department, and who, under the direction of the Minister, had the care, custody and control of the National Archives. Moreover, the Dominion Archivist had the responsibility to acquire by gift, purchase or copying, "documents and other historical material of every kind, nature and description". The passing, in 1966, of the Public Records Order specified the role of the Dominion Archivist in relation to federal government records. This order assigned sole responsibility to the Archivist for the coordination, the management, the destruction and the conservation of all departments' records. With the adoption, in 1987, of the National Archives of Canada Act, the Dominion Archivist became the National Archivist. The new legislation expanded the scope of the Archivist's responsibilities, mainly in matters concerning government documents. For example, government institutions had to receive the permission of the National Archivist before destroying records. In addition, the Act provided for the transfer of records having historical or archival value to the care and control of the Archivist in accordance with agreements. RG37 General Inventory
