2024 digitization project

You can help save precious CNE memories with your financial gift.

We are pleased to advise that the CNE Foundation has once again been approved for funding for its CNE Archives Project through the Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program.

Through the upcoming Q1 2024 project, the Foundation will provide meaningful employment opportunities to two masters students in a related field of study and aim to save approximately 5,500 at-risk negatives from the CNE’s Alexandra Studio archival collection. It is a win-win!

Please consider a gift today in any amount in support of this important work as the project grant funds a portion of the student wages. One hundred per cent of your tax deductible donation will be directed to this digitization work. Thank you kindly for your support.

To learn more about our CNE Archives Project, please click here.

2022 joint project with Canadian Heritage Photography Foundation

This year, we are thrilled to work in partnership with the Canadian Heritage Photography Foundation (CHPF) on a joint project: Preserving the Legacy of the Canadian National Exhibition: Digitizing Photography from the Alexandra Studio Collection 1977-79.

This joint initiative will enable the digitization and preservation of 8,000 at-risk archival photo negatives from the CNE’s Alexandra Studio collection. Public access to the images will be available through both foundations following completion of the project.

The CNE portion of the Alexandra Studio Fond consists of 109,032 cellulose acetate photo negatives and captures a visual record of the iconic Canadian National Exhibition event through the years 1947 to 1983. The CNE Foundation and CHPF project focuses on a selection of the images, from the years 1977 to 1979.

We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the CHPF team to save CNE memories for future generations.

This project has been made possible in part by Library and Archives Canada’s Documentary Heritage Communities Program.

Please click here to view the media release.

2021 summer digitization project

In 2021, we officially launched the CNE Foundation’s “CNE Archives Project” – an initiative aimed to digitize and preserve more than 64,000 at-risk archival photo negatives in the Alexandra Studio collection.

Through funding and individual donations received, we were able to bring on two archives digitization interns last summer. During their time with us, the team scanned and rehoused thousands and thousands of photo negatives in the CNE archival collection that were at risk due to Vinegar Syndrome. This causes them to crack and lose their content. In total, the team scanned 4,389 negatives and rehoused 8,566 negatives.

We are grateful for the financial contributions from funders and individual donors, which enabled this important work.