127. RG 23 Ontario Provincial Police.
250 linear feet.
BACKGROUND.
The Ontario Provincial Police was formed in 1909 to deal
with reports of violence in the Cobalt silver mining camp
of Northern Ontario. As a result, the early operations of
the force relate primarily to rural and Northern Ontario.
Joseph Edwin Rogers (1858-1939) was the first Superintendent.
CONTENT.
There are large gaps in this material, due to selective
destruction of records. Because policing of unorganized
territories and First Nation Reserves was not a provincial
responsibility -- at least in early years -- researchers
interested in these topics should also check the records
of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (NA RG 18) at the National
Archives of Canada, and published reports of the R.C.M.P.
in Canada Sessional Papers. Specific documents dealing with
policing of Reserves are in RG 23 Series H-8A (see below).
There are also scattered individual files throughout the
collection, but researchers require at least some prior
knowledge as to names of individuals or communities in order
to find them. Some examples are provided below.
FINDING AID. See the RG 23 Inventory.
ACCESS
Records less than 75 years old are subject to the restrictions
of the FOI/P Act.
128. RG 23 Series B-1.
Administration and Management. General Correspondence
and Subject Files. - 1909-1940. - 17 linear feet (35 boxes).
BACKGROUND.
These files are a consolidation of smaller series of General
Headquarters files. Many, especially for the earlier period,
contain material on criminal investigations not filed in
RG 23 Series E below.
CONTENT.
Though there are no entries in the index for "Indians",
researchers should check files for areas with known concentrations
of Aboriginal people. It also helps to know the names and
jurisdiction of particular police officers, since much of
the correspondence is indexed by personal name. Inspector
Gordon McCurdy, for example, was based in Fort William (Thunder
Bay), and patrolled as far north as Sioux Lookout. In this
regard, see:
Box 6 File 6.12. Crown Attorneys, Lambton County (Sarnia),
F.W. Wilson 1916-1920
Contains a few reports by Police Inspector Stringer of
visits to Walpole Island Reserve in the St. Clair River.
Box 11 File 11.9. Force Members: McCurdy, Gordon 1917-1920
Includes letters of 12 July and 30 September 1917 from
Inspector McCurdy to Superintendent Rogers, dealing with
the appointment of an Ojibwa Indian from the Lac Seul
Reserve named Charles Tucoshegan or Attonance as a Special
Provincial Constable. The Dominion government had agreed
to pay his salary.
FINDING AID.
See the RG 23 Inventory, Appendix A.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
129. RG 23 Series C-6b.
Personnel and Training. Complaints, External and
Internal. - [ca. 1969]-1975. - 12 linear feet (26 Boxes).
BACKGROUND.
This series consists of complaint files respecting the behaviour
of individual members of the O.P.P.
CONTENT.
Many of the boxes contain complaints from Aboriginal people
throughout Ontario. Researchers should note that the place
of origin is not always identified.
Box 4 File 4.15 Harold Sault 1970.
One letter in file. Complainant protests O.P.P. presence
on Lake Helen Indian Reserve near Lake Nipigon.
Box 13 File 13.3. Linda S. Henry, Kettle Point Indian Reserve
1972.
Box 20 File 20.6. Maurice Mishibinijima 1974.
Complainant from Wikwemikong Reserve on Manitoulin Island.
FINDING AID.
See the RG 23 Inventory, Appendix B for a detailed file
listing.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
130. RG 23 Series C-6b.
Personnel and Training. Complaints External and
Internal. - 1979-1980. - 1 linear inch (7 files). UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
Basically a continuation of previous series, this includes
various files reporting complaints against regular O.P.P.
officers or Indian Reserve Police.
FINDING AID. None.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
131. RG 23 Series E. Group I.
Criminal Investigations Records and Reports. Criminal
Investigation Bureau (Old Series). - 1909-1921.
BACKGROUND.
This is the first part of the enormous RG 23 Series E holdings
of individual files relating to criminal investigations.
CONTENT.
The sub-series are arranged by type of alleged crime. Again,
there are many references to Native people. Researchers
should be aware that the files generally contain very little
written material. Some examples include:
Group I Sub-series E-44 (Attempted Murder and Shootings)
1910-1921 Box 1 File 1.9
An Indian resident of Walpole Island Reserve, accused
of shooting the local Indian constable Charles Peters
1916-1917.
Group I Sub-series E-57 (Assault and Blackmail) 1913-1921
Box 1 File 1.9
Alleged assault by a Dominion railway constable and a
provincial game warden on Cree Indian Private Chum of
the 226th Battalion who was in Hearst recruiting for the
Canadian Expeditionary Force 1916.
FINDING AID.
See the RG 23 Inventory. Researchers may find additional
material on these files in RG 4 Attorney-General or RG 22
Court Records.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS
Records less than 75 years old are subject to the FOI/P
Act.
132. RG 23 Series E. Group II.
Criminal Investigation Bureau (New Series). -
1922-1957.
BACKGROUND.
These files represent a continuation of Group I.
CONTENT.
Researchers should check the finding aid carefully for aboriginal
names, of which there are several. See, for example:
Group II Sub-series E-93 (Deaths) 1923-1957 Box 2 File
2.5
A Native person from Dunwich Twp. in Elgin County accused
of murdering a relative 1935.
Group II Sub-series E-100 (Murder Suspected) 1925-1944
Box 1 File 1.8
Human skeletons Pickering Twp. - possible Indian burial
1944
FINDING AID.
See the file list in the RG 23 Inventory.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
133. RG 23 Series E. Group III.
General Headquarters. Selected Investigation Files.
- 1958-1970.
BACKGROUND.
This group is the last in the series. Most files for this
period, however, have been destroyed.
CONTENT.
As with the previous two groups, researchers should check
the file list for relevant titles. These include the following:
Group III Sub-series E-118 (Abduction) 1951-1966 Box 1
File 1.51
Alleged confinement of two women from Pickerel River
Indian Reserve on Georgian Bay 1957-1958. Five men from
Sudbury area charged.
FINDING AID. See the RG 23 Inventory.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
134. RG 23 Series F.
O.P.P. Members Diaries and Notebooks. - [ca. 1925]-1976.
- 37 linear feet (121 Boxes).
BACKGROUND.
These hard-bound daily diaries and soft-bound notebooks
were kept by select members of the force.
CONTENT.
To use this series with any profit, researchers would need
to know the name of particular constables whose duties involved
them with Aboriginal people. Researchers should also be
aware that diaries of a few members have been selected for
retention, with the rest being destroyed.
FINDING AID.
See the RG 23 Inventory, Appendix I where the diaries and
notebooks are arranged alphabetically by name. There is
no subject guide or other index to the series. Given the
present FOI/P Act, an inventory is not a high priority of
Archives of Ontario staff.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
135. RG 23 Series F.
Members' Notebooks and Diaries. - 1975-1979. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
A continuation of the previous entry. Again, researchers
would need to know the name of a particular officer in order
to find these notebooks and diaries -- which have also been
subjected to culling.
FINDING AID. None.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
136. RG 23 Series H-8A.
Other Police Activities. Policing National and
Federal Areas. Indian Reservations. - 1914-1966. - 2 linear
inches (1 Box).
BACKGROUND.
Since the First World War, the O.P.P. has patrolled some
First Nation Reserves with the consent -- and financial
support -- of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development and (more recently) of Native people themselves.
CONTENT.
This series contains relevant correspondence on several
subjects, including the following examples:
Box 1 File 1.1 Dept of Indian Affairs 1914-1920.
Provincial Police recover costs from Indian Department
for search and burial of eight Aboriginal people who died
in the bush west of Cochrane, apparently of influenza
or starvation, October-November 1918.
Box 1 File 1.2
Druggist living adjacent to reserve of Moravians of the
Thames charged with selling "Beef Iron and Wine"
and rubbing alcohol to Indians 1928-1929.
Box 1 File 1.5
Extensive reports and federal-provincial correspondence
regarding policing of Walpole Island Reserve 1949-1960.
Box 1 File 1.11
Patrol of Northern Indian Reservations 1965-1966, mainly
in Kenora and Central Patricia Districts.
FINDING AID. See the RG 23 Inventory.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
137. RG 23 Series H-8A.
Indian Reservation Policing files. - 1959-1978.
- 2 linear feet; Indian Policing Records (old System). -
1966-1979 - 7 linear feet; Policing Services, Indian Reserves.
- 1982. - 1 linear foot. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
The titles from the transfer schedule file list are self-explanatory.
The contents represent a continuation of the preceding entry.
FINDING AID.
None. Researchers should consult the portfolio archivist
for further information.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
138. RG 23 Series I.
Major Occurrence Reports. Microfilms. - 1969-1975.
BACKGROUND.
Members of the O.P.P. are required to file reports of all
major "occurrences" with which they deal.
CONTENT.
To make full use of this very important series, researchers
would need to already know the name of the Indian person
or institution involved in the occurrence, as well as an
approximate date.
FINDING AID.
The Archives holds Index cards to Major occurrence reports
1969-1983 (75,000 cards). These are arranged by both personal
name and corporate or institutional name. The cards give
name, location, occurrence report number and date, file
number and frame number on film. There are also Index cards
to major occurrence reports 1975-1983 (15,000 cards), which
are arranged by year and surname. The cards give personal
name, sex, age or date of birth, detachment reporting, occurrence
report number, type and date of occurrence and film number
and frame number on film.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE?
The Archives now holds the master negatives of this series
as well as positive copies from the master negatives.
ACCESS Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions. |
