Address: 465 East 16th Street (Hill Park Learning Centre), Hamilton, ON L9A 4K6 Directions
Phone: 905.527.5092 ext.4585 | Email: hhillgre@hwdsb.on.ca
Hal Hillgren Manager / Educational Archives & Heritage Centre
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJb176R26y0RRvuSPno95EA
Instagram: @hwdsbedarchives
Visitors are welcome at the Hill Park Learning Centre on East 16th Street on Hamilton’s Central Mountain.
While the building is shared with other organizations, the Archives occupies several rooms and is frequently updating displays of artifacts and materials of interest to everyone, especially those who attend (or taught in) a school in Hamilton-Wentworth area.
Hours of Operation
We are currently still in the process of migrating our collection from our old location at the former Vincent Massey Elementary School to our new space in the Hill Park Learning Centre, and as such are currently open only by appointment. Please contact us by phone or email for answers to any further questions.
F.A.Q.
I’d like a copy of my transcript – do you have it?
The Archives does not retain student transcripts. Former students requiring transcripts who’ve graduated recently can contact Student Records.
I’m looking for information on the schools I attended Pre-2004, or those of direct relatives/ancestors. Do you have this?
The Archives does offer information regarding student attendance records as part of our Research Services. Individuals are asked to contact by phone or email and be able to provide enough information to start with (i.e. full names, date of birth, home address at time of attendance, etc). Please note that while our collection is extensive, it is by no means complete, and on occasion we simply do not have the requested information available.
I’m looking for information on the schools I attended Post-2004. Do you have this?
If you are looking for more recent information, we ask that you instead contact Student Records.
I have historical items (photos/media/documents/artifacts/etc) from my time as a student/teacher – can I donate them to the Archives?
By all means! We’re always open to donations of relevant items that can be integrated into our existing collections. In addition, if you have items that you feel we might be interested in but that you’d still like to retain, we can make copies or scans for ourselves.
Are there items that the Archives wouldn’t want?
Occasionally, we do get items that are deemed superfluous or irrelevant to our criteria. This could include artworks from schools that are mere commercial reproductions vs original works, candid photos of students with no I.D. and/or visible connection to a specific school or photos/media too damaged to decipher or preserve. Generally speaking, if you have an item and aren’t sure, please contact us first and we can come to a decision.
I’m looking for class pictures or yearbooks from when I was a student. Do you have them?
The short answer is: maybe. Although it’s easy to assume that these types of materials are always retained by schools and passed down to us, this is unfortunately not the case. Time, changing staff and school closures often result in items becoming lost or destroyed, and what remains is often down to the foresight and planning of select individuals. In the meantime, we work hard to collect, save and preserve what we can, and thanks to the efforts of our staff and the public our collection continues to grow, so there’s always a possibility for something new turning up.
Do you loan items out?
On a case-to-case basis, yes. General loan requests include Alumni reunions or school anniversaries and closing ceremonies. For individuals, we generally offer copies/scans of items vs loans, depending on the material in question.
I’m interested in volunteering – how can I apply?
We’re always happy to meet with people interested in volunteering. For more information contact us by phone or email.