Researching the history of Bird Protection Quebec?
Bird Protect Quebec was founded in 1917 as the Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds (PQSPB). It is one of the oldest, and still active, conservation organizations in the Province of Quebec. If you would like to know more about the origins of BPQ, or consult old annual reports, minutes and other documents, there are several options.
The Official History of Bird Protection Quebec – A Bird in the Bush by Margaret Pye Arnaudin
Margaret Arnaudin’s book, A Bird in the Bush, documents the history of BPQ from its inception to 2002. It civers the Society’s early activities and leadership, set against a back drop of bird conservation and development issues in the Province of Quebec. The book is available for purchase through the Society. Various libraries also have the book in their collections.
McCord Museum of Canadian History
In 2009, the PQSPB transferred its archives to the McCord Museum of Canadian History in Montreal. This donation was comprised of 3 and half meters of textual material that documents the history of the Society through minutes, newsletters, annual reports, correspondence, publications etc. The Fonds can be consulted by appointment at the McCord Museum in downtown Montreal. A description of the PQSPB Fonds can be found here or search the list of “Fonds” in the online description of the Museum’s collections: https://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collections/
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BANQ)
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BANQ) has material in its circulating collection and its archives. A Bird in the Bush, Birdfinding in the Montreal Area (in English and French), some back issues of the Society’s newsletter (The Song Sparrow) and various issues of the annual report (which is called Tchebec). Some of this material is held at the “Collection nationale” where it can be consulted onsite, but not borrowed. Visiting hours are friendly!
Search the BANQ website: www.banq.qc.ca/accueil using the term “Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds”, though other search terms may also bear fruit (e.g. authors’ names for some publications).
McGill University
McGill University (www.mcgill.ca) has various newsletters and annual reports of the PQSPB in its collection. Search the McGill library’s holdings to determine whether the collection includes what you are looking for.
Do you have material about Bird Protection Quebec looking for a home?
If you have material about BPQ that you would like to offer us please contact Helen Meredith (currently a director of BPQ). The PQSPB Fonds at the McCord Museum is considered to be “open” with the understanding that selected material can be added to it (but not more often than every 5 years). Our collection of newsletters, minutes, and annual reports is reasonably complete – but we do welcome offers of free material. You can email Helen (helen.meredith@sympatico.ca) and tell her what you have (type of document, year published, author etc) and she can tell you whether we need it in the BPQ archives.