New Launch: The Muslims in Canada Archives website and digital collections!

Since its inception, the Muslims in Canada Archives (MiCA) has worked to build the infrastructure for creative ways to both document and share the history of Muslims across Canada. We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new and improved website, including a rich and user-friendly archival database. This new platform offers unprecedented access to an archival database showcasing records and stories of diverse Muslim communities across the country.

Our database is a research tool. We hope this tool is used to further the important work of preserving and sharing the legacy of Muslims in Canada. From young learners to journalists to community elders, from educators to history enthusiasts and everyone in between — we invite you to explore the collections, reflect upon the history of Muslim communities across the country, and look towards the future of Muslim life in Canada.This is just the beginning!
The digitized records on the MiCA database are a small window into our vast and ever-growing collection. That means not everything in our collection is online. The materials available in the catalogue today are digitized print records that come from two important collections housed at MiCA generously donated by Naseer (Irfan) Syed and the Sahin family. Many more records will be added from these collections and from others on a regular basis. We will also be adding more descriptive information about each item and additional features to improve public access and search-ability. Gradually audio, optical media, and physical objects will be added as well!\

We hope these materials offer a starting point for your research and discovery. As always, we invite you to contact us if you are interested in further exploring our collection in-person.Our website is a work in progress
This large scale project is years in the making — made possible by collaboration between archivists, designers, and thinkers invested in memory, heritage, and digital humanities. We're already working on the next wave of improvements to the website and experience. If you experience any issues, feel free to let us know! We value your feedback as we make these exciting records publicly available for the first time.

We extend a special thanks to the team at Performant Software for developing this specialized platform.

Users may search by term, by publisher, and by place!
The database also offers a unique ability to visualize the records: zoom in, zoom out, and connect with related items!Archival material, new interactions
Archival material like meeting minutes and letters are seemingly static objects, oftentimes relegated to the past. Through digital interactions with our collection, we hope to connect these items to people who make meaning of them in our present moment, offering a new life to these invaluable stories of Muslim life in Canada.  We invite you to begin your exploration today.

As we expand the scope of our digital archival collection, we continue to seek contributions to the archive. If you have materials that may be relevant to the Muslims in Canada Archives, please visit our website to learn more about contributing to MiCA.