Welcome to the Transcribimus Homepage. Transcribimus is a network of volunteer transcribers who take hand written documents of our early Vancouver history and transcribe them into a searchable state available for free to the general public and researchers.
This entire initiative would not be possible without our volunteer transcribers and our sponsors who are also critical to the success of the project. We thank them!
What’s New?
Transcribimus has transcribed 5,669 pages of Vancouver’s handwritten history: 775 sets of Vancouver City Council minutes plus by-laws, committee reports and private correspondence.
April 2023
new transcriber Sheila Kirkby | Meeting Adjourned to the Next Day – September 12, 1898 |
Lynn Shane | Stempel Fire Extinguishers offered to Council for sale – October 3, 1898 |
Krystyna Richards | Curfew Bell Contemplated for Vancouver – November 14, 1898 |
Darlene Ochotta | Polling By-Law & Water Works Loan By-Laws Complete – January 3, 1899 |
new transcriber Barbara Kearney-Copan | Lease of Deadman’s Island Debated – April 25, 1899 |
March 2023
February 2023
Transcribimus volunteers share some of their favourite historical links and resources on our Facebook Page
From Marie-Claude: BC Was Awesome – Camels in the Cariboo
January 2023
January 18, 2023 – Transcribimus volunteers have just finished transcribing all the City Council minutes from 1897! City Council minutes continued to be hand written until the middle of 1911, so we still have plenty more discoveries to come.
Transcribimus was so pleased to be featured in the Vancouver Sun & Vancouver Provice in John Mackie’s recent article “Handwritten History Online

Vancouver Sun | 4 Nov 2022 | JOHN MACKIE
“The City of Vancouver’s operating budget for 2022 was $1.747 billion. In 1897, it was $363,937. How do we know? Because volunteers for local website Transcribimus have gone through the original handwritten documents at the City of Vancouver Archives, transcribed them and mounted them online.”
Transcribimus founder and former mayor Sam Sullivan displays handwritten budget minutes from 1897 inside the Vancouver Archives.
Volunteer Transcribers
Perhaps you might consider becoming a volunteer yourself. Together our remarkable volunteers have contributed 742 transcriptions of early Vancouver City Council minutes and other documents, as follows:
Master Scribes (more than 50 sets of minutes):
Global Civic Policy Society | 231 |
Gerald Soon | 119 |
Darrin Pezer/Proactive Building Maintenance | 87 |
Joanne McCormick | 71 |
Journeyman Scribes (25-50 sets of minutes):
Chris Stephenson | 45 |
Krystyna Richards | 27 |
Working Scribes (5-24 sets of minutes):
Donna Kynaston | 24 |
Lynn Shane | 17 |
Leah Minuk | 15 |
Martha Hazevoet | 12 |
Carole Wilson | 11 |
L. Ellema | 9 |
Darlene Ochotta | 9 |
Bronwyn Cripps | 7 |
Christine Cathcart | 7 |
Rachel Amanda Hennessy | 7 |
Hal Bell-Irving | 7 |
Cathy Harmer | 6 |
Chris Mizzoni – Nitzy’s Hockey Den | 6 |
Susan M. Willows | 6 |
YVR Mike | 6 |
David Laing | 5 |
Mary Ann Capistrano | 5 |
Marie-Claude Tremblay | 5 |
Apprentice Scribes (1-4 sets of minutes):
Brenda Chapman | 3 |
Sandra Robinson | 3 |
Gent Ng | 2 |
Leesa Poffenroth | 2 |
Lesley H. | 2 |
Sharon Mowat | 2 |
Sue Bryant | 2 |
Zak Bennett | 2 |
Anita Dos Santos | 1 |
Cinda Jong | 1 |
Devon Harlos | 1 |
Jane Edmonds | 1 |
Janny P. | 1 |
Jenn Ashton | 1 |
Jordan Cripps | 1 |
John Belshaw – Vancouver Historical Society | 1 |
Judy Lam Maxwell – Historical Chinatown Tours | 1 |
Lynne Jambor | 1 |
Maria Klukova | 1 |
Mary Norris | 1 |
Michelle C. | 1 |
Sara Keay | 1 |
Siobhan Devlin | 1 |
Tegbir Kaur | 1 |
Ovi | 1 |