Ellen Millar is used to working with history, but now the local archivist has made history herself.
Millar, who works as the corporate and municipal records archivist at the Simcoe County Archives, was recently awarded the Alexander Fraser Award at the 2023 Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) Awards Awards and annual general meeting.
The award, which is named after the first Archivist of Ontario, is given to individuals who have contributed in a significant way to the advancement of the archival community in Ontario. Achievements may range from written and visual work to involvement in organizations or participation in projects, and is designated to recognize cumulative contributions rather than any single activity.
Millar’s involvement with the archival community began as an undergraduate volunteer at the Trent University Archives. After graduating, she was one of only 12 applicants accepted into the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) archival studies graduate program in 1993.
Millar explained how her colleagues had mentioned their intention of nominating her for the award, but she thought they may wait a few more years until she was closer to retirement. So she was actually “pleased” and surprised when she was informed she had been selected unanimously for the 2023 Alexander Fraser Award.
“It’s always special when your colleagues recognize what you have been doing. Archivists tend to work in relative obscurity," she said. "People don’t know about us until they need something and then they come out to the archives. It was really quite an honour.”
Millar has spent her entire career at the Simcoe County Archives, starting only 11 days after graduating from her master's program in June 1995.
As for why she’s stuck around so long, Millar’s answer was simple: it’s home. She grew up in what was then called Oro Township.
Millar said she feels as though she was almost “destined” for this type of a career. Her mother has deep roots in the area, and could often be found working on projects to dig up more information on the family’s history, while her father has a lifelong love of history and geography.
“I had some great teachers in both high school and public school so I went on and got a history degree … but then there’s the what do you do with a history degree when you graduate,” she said.
A friend of the family, and an archivist at the Presbyterian Church of Canada archives, suggested she consider a career in that line of work. The conversation prompted Millar to pursue her master's degree in the field.
Millar says she has enjoyed having the chance to delve into the history of “home” over the last nearly three decades.
“There’s so much history here in Simcoe County that people just don’t realize … and it’s home,” she said, adding she also knew she didn’t have much interest in working in a larger archives, so when the opportunity presented itself, she knew it would be the perfect fit.
During her tenure, the Simcoe County Archives has grown to six staff members and now also boasts 18,000 square feet of space.
She has also seen the types of items the archives received change drastically.
“In the early days, we might get 20 volumes and two boxes full of file folders from a municipal office. Now those numbers have changed… we might get 20 boxes of files and two books," she said.
One of Millar’s greatest contributions to local heritage preservation, according to the AAO Awards committee write-up, has been through her development of the Simcoe County Remembers database, which was launched in 2018 and serves as a digital memorial roll of more than 1,000 war dead connected to Simcoe County.
“The extremely well-used resource was the result of approximately 10 years of research. According to her nominators, 'the database is a remarkable achievement, and perfectly illustrates Ellen’s work ethic and selfless dedication to her profession and community.'”
Millar has also been an active member of the AAO, serving as secretary of the Municipal Archives Interest Group from 2003 to 2008 and was the founding editor of MAIGazine, the annual newsletter of the group.
She has has also been involved with several local societies and heritage organizations, having served as the recording secretary for the Simcoe County Historical Association from 2002 to 2012, chair of the Cemeteries Committee for the Simcoe County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and as an external reviewer for the Friends of the OPP Museum Heritage Awards Committee from 2014 to 2022.
According to the colleagues who nominated her, even when visited upon by literal plague, flood and fire – as she has in the past few years – Millar has managed each challenge with “grace, determination and unwavering dedication to professional standards."
“Over the course of her career, Ellen has worked quietly and diligently to uphold and raise the profile of the archival profession in Ontario… and through her written work, involvement in heritage organizations, and general advocacy, she has left a lasting, positive impact on the archival profession in Ontario,” they wrote in their nomination letter.
