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Government records

PAMA is the official repository for the archival records of the Region of Peel, the City of Mississauga, the City of Brampton, and the Town of Caledon, as well as the municipalities which predated them.

Municipal government records provide evidence of the decisions, policies, and activities of elected representatives and the municipal public service. They include council and committee minutes and reports, by-laws, land and property records, maps and plans, correspondence and working files, voters’ lists, photographs, and a wealth of other material.

Current municipalities (dating from 1974 to the present) include:

  • Region of Peel
  • Town of Caledon, City of Brampton, City of Mississauga

Former municipalities include:

  • County of Peel
  • Townships of Albion, Caledon, Chinguacousy, Toronto, Toronto Gore
  • Towns of Brampton, Streetsville, Port Credit
  • Villages of Brampton, Bolton, Caledon East, Port Credit, Streetsville

Significant groups of government records exist back to the 1840s, with a much smaller amount going back to 1805.

Many government records contain information protected under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). As a result, records will sometimes need to be reviewed by an archivist before they can be accessed. Please feel free to contact the Archives if you have any questions about the process when seeking access to government records.

Frequently used records

Council minutes and associated records

Much of the work of government is reflected in council and committee minutes, and associated reports containing recommendations to council. Minutes are kept to document decisions, rationales, discussions and plans, and to ensure accountability to the public. While reports to council do not always survive, their reception should be reflected in minutes.

Councils may maintain committees to oversee particular functions. Such committees also record minutes and compile reports. For example, at the Region of Peel standard committees usually include Administration & Finance, Public Works, Planning, Social Services, and Transit. A municipal council will often decide to create other committees or sub-committees to address specific issues or concerns like waste management, budgets, and emergency measures.

Coverage: The Archives holds council minutes for most of the municipalities under our jurisdiction running from about the mid-19th century to mid-to-late 20th century, depending on the municipality. Coverage can be fragmented.

Council minutes may not be indexed or digitally searchable, especially for earlier periods. This can make finding particular topics challenging if you do not have a date or particular meeting in mind. Contact us for help.

By-laws

In general, by-laws are rules or laws passed by an organization to regulate itself. Municipal government by-laws refer to laws passed by a municipal council to approve its operating and capital budgets and to regulate land use (zoning), animal control, traffic and parking, infrastructure projects, emergency planning, public gatherings, and other issues of municipal concern.

By-laws are also passed to confirm the proceedings of council, to appoint civic officials, and to amend or repeal (cancel) earlier by-laws.

Coverage: The Archives holds by-laws for many of the municipalities under our jurisdiction running from about the mid-19th century to mid-to-late 20th century, depending on the municipality. Coverage can be fragmented.

Some sets of by-laws are indexed by title, number, and date. However, not all by-laws are indexed or digitally searchable. Contact us for help.

Land records

Governments keep a variety of records that shed light on the way land is owned, administered and used. You can learn more about some the Archives’ most commonly used land records in our Property Research guide.

Online resources and links

A small selection of government records relating to Peel are available online.

We provide links to external sources as a courtesy, but please note that we are not responsible for the content or functionality of non-regional sources.