Gerry Segger Heritage Collection Resources: Home

Gerry Segger Heritage Collection

Vision

The Gerry Segger Heritage Collection is a research centre that collects historical materials related to the Dutch-Canadian experience as well as materials associated with the traditions of Reformed Christianity in Canada (including German Reformed). 

Mandate

While The King’s University  has been and remains non-denominational, a preponderance of support for its creation came from western Canadian congregations in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), a denomination comprised primarily of Dutch immigrants the majority of whom arrived in Canada after the Second World War.  The University represents the fruition of the dreams and plans of this community that began in the late 1950’s. In recent decades the CRC has become more ethnically diverse, but nonetheless the Dutch heritage remains important to the heritage of the University.  Many of the Dutch CRC postwar arrivals had been deeply influenced by the ideas of Dutch politician and theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), who argued that Christians should engage society by creating faith-based organizations of all kinds—churches, schools, universities, labour unions, farmer’s associations, and the like.  King’s is a direct outgrowth of that impulse.

The vision for a Dutch and German Canadian research collection is therefore in part an expression of gratitude to our founders.  Every year King’s receives requests from Dutch immigrants or the families of Dutch immigrants regarding the University's interest in donations of books, personal papers, and other archival materials.  The existence of the Heritage Collection will enable us to receive donations that are significant for research and preservation purposes. Currently there is no Canadian research collection/archive devoted to the subject of Dutch and German Reformed immigration or the Dutch and German Reformed experience in Canada.

Scope of Holdings

The Gerry Segger Heritage Collection will be a substantial collection of published materials, personal papers, and other archival materials that bear witness primarily to the Dutch-Canadian experience and the Reformed tradition in Canada. King’s has secured a major gift to fund the creation of this Heritage Collection.

The archive will seek to acquire materials such as:

• Archival materials (personal papers, letters, diaries, photographs, business records, etc.) pertaining to the Dutch-Canadian experience broadly understood.
• Archival materials related to the traditions of Reformed Christianity in Canada (churches, community groups, cultural organizations, etc.).
• Oral histories from members of these communities.
• Books, journals, periodicals, documentary films, and other secondary materials relating to the collection parameters.
• Rare or out-of-print Dutch-language or German-language books relating to the collection parameters.

Ownership of records

Records donated, bequeathed or otherwise deposited are the property of The King’s University. The King’s University will develop and implement regulations concerning the use and daily operations of the Gerry Segger Heritage Collection.