Brock University Library is the new home of nearly 100 years of Niagara history as documented by the St. Catharines Standard and Niagara Falls Review newspapers.

Metroland Media Group selected the Brock Library for its expertise in archival preservation and stewardship, gifting the Library its extensive collection of clippings, photo prints and negatives, microfilm, files, notes and more.

The generous gift-in-kind is valued at more than $1.2M.

Some materials in the collection date back to the early 1900s, but the most significant portion covers local history from the 1960s to the dawn of the new millennium.

Dana Robbins, Vice President, Content, Community and Operations, Metroland Media Group; Ed Cassavoy, Director of Content Partnerships & Strategy, Torstar Corporation; and Bob Hepburn, Director, Communications and Community Relations, Torstar Corporation, get a tour of Brock’s Archives and Special Collections from David Sharron.

“Niagara’s local newspapers play a key role in keeping the community informed and engaged, as they have for decades,” says Lesley Rigg, Brock’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “We’re honoured to house these important materials at Brock, and to contribute to the preservation of Niagara’s rich history as documented by Metroland’s journalists.”

Housing the collection at Brock will ensure continued public and researcher access to the files, which offer an invaluable look at both local history as well as how news was gathered and produced in the 20th century.

“Part of ensuring the future of the Niagara Region is shoring up our past and our memories of the region as it once was,” said Neil Oliver, Chief Executive Officer and President of Metroland Media. “The donation is part of the deepening ways that Metroland is working with other great institutions in the area to create a lasting legacy for the people of the Niagara Region.”

“We are absolutely thrilled Metroland Media has entrusted us with the stewardship of this collection,” says David Sharron, Brock’s Head of Archives and Special Collections. “In addition to assisting local residents, the collection will be a real boon to researchers working to better understand life in Niagara and the history of news media across the region.”

Among the materials are more than 2,000 photos from the collection of Niagara Falls Review publisher Frank Leslie, who turned the images into popular postcards.

The Library has already launched an online exhibit featuring a selection of photos shot by reporters from both papers.

The collection will be available for public access while archives staff inventory the materials.