The year before I entered my Master's degree I worked at the Ottawa City Archives, in Ottawa, Ontario. I was a summer student there, and did a variety of tasks, from acquisitions to helping genealogists find their family members. But one information request really sticks out for me. The local police force asked the archives to research an officer that had been killed in the line of duty during the 1960's. They were having a memorial created (or something like that) and lacked any personal information on this officer. All we had to go on was a name, rank, and an idea of when he was born. I found enough information through obituaries and news stories of his death (among other things) to piece together a snapshot of this man's life. This is the impact of archives - bringing to life a forgotten hero and respecting his sacrifice. It was also the most fun task I had ever undertaken. I felt like a Detective myself.
Jennifer-Lynn Draper
Digital Archives Information Specialist

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