About us
The Naval Marine Archive - The Canadian Collection is a totally unique library, archive and cultural collection of over 350,000 publicly catalogued items. Our holdings constitute the largest grouping of naval and marine titles in a single building anywhere in Canada, augmented with a growing number of aviation titles.
Our mandate is oriented towards the conservation and dissemination of maritime and related history, achieved through the following guiding principles:
Our Vision is to contribute to broad understanding of how mankind's interaction with seafaring and flight shapes human society.
Our Mission is to create for people of all backgrounds the most comprehensive Canadian centre for knowledge and archival research in maritime and aeronautical history.
- creativity and innovation in the use of our resources to generate new insights and knowledge;
- inclusivity and respect of diversity so that we can provide opportunities for anyone to participate in our work while welcoming different perspectives;
- collaboration in our approach and openness to communities of all kinds and all locations;
- accountability for the use and deployment of our resources, honour in our commitments and transparency in our acts to earn trust.
Our Motto "Futurum ex præterito" (Saint Augustine) translates as the future from the past.
The Naval Marine Archive – The Canadian Collection is governed by bylaws and is managed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership. Our privacy statement can be found here. We have an active on-line social media presence through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Originally established as the Archives and Collections Society, we are a federally incorporated charity under Letters Patent 367302-2 of 21 October 1999. In 2003, the Canadian Society of Marine Artists, a not for profit corporation founded in 1983, became wholly controlled by us. We then changed our name in 2011 to better describe the scope of our activities, to the Naval Marine Archive – The Canadian Collection as published in the Canada Gazette after application for supplementary letters patent.
As a Registered Charity, we welcome the help of members, friends, donors, sponsors and benefactors to help us expand our collections and better serve our educational and conservational aims. Various details of donations, including Tax Receipts, and sales to us are explained here. We would also ask you to consider sponsoring the Naval Marine Archive – The Canadian Collection by planned or deferred giving, or by Corporate gifts. We are also happy to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Located in Prince Edward County, on the Canadian shores of Lake Ontario, in the heritage Customs House and Post Office building in Picton, Ontario, which we re-named The Victory. We are open 10am to 6pm, seven days a week, all year round (closed Christmas Day.) Entry is free for everyone (occasional exceptions are made for special events) but we do encourage membership to help support our activities. Members and visitors can enjoy the full facilities of our reading room area on the main floor, the second floor and our gardens.
Most of our documents, books, magazines, charts, etc are available for consultation in our reading room area. A selection of our de-accessioned holdings (primarily surplus books) is available for sale. A large part of our main floor is given over to a gallery exposition of our larger artefacts, and as the home of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists.
If you are unable to visit the Society's reading room and research centre, our main library catalogue is accessible on-line, or we may be able to carry out some research on your behalf at a modest fee. A fuller listing of our in-house and on-line services is available here.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details.
