The Brian McKenna fonds provides detailed background on a large number of current events, issues, and personages of the second half of the twentieth century.

It consists of materials in a variety of formats accumulated by Brian McKenna in the course of research for, and production of, The Fifth Estate films and other projects. It includes research notes and materials for his articles and books, and documents his involvement as the Max Bell Fellowship visiting professor at the University of Regina School of Journalism, as well as his involvement with the Committee for Investigative Journalism. It also provides information on McKenna Purcell Productions Inc.

The fonds contains research notes, scripts, manuscripts, galley proofs, raw and final videotapes, transcripts of interviews and court hearings, and clippings related to most of the documentaries and film projects.

The fonds is organized into the following series:

P0112/A Personal records and student activities
P0112/B Journalist
P0112/C Involvement in the journalistic community
P0112/D Speeches
P0112/E Awards
P0112/F Administration and personnel
P0112/G Documentaries
The largest series is Documentaries P0112/G It is organized alphabetically according to the name of the series (e.g., The Fifth Estate) for which each proposed or actual documentary was intended.

The fonds documents Daniel Feist’s work as a freelance broadcaster, journalist, musician and teacher, including his travels and participation in events such as Montreal’s Nuits d’Afrique festival, the United Nations Conference on Racism, music awards, and others. The material mainly covers the genre of world-beat music (also known as world music) in the period from 1990 to 2005. Some sound recordings of music performances include interviews with the artists.

The fonds includes without limitations biographies of artists, drafts of articles, consulting reports, teaching material, correspondence, books, sound recordings (digital audio tapes, reel-to-reel tapes, cassette tapes, and CDs), newspaper clippings, notes, and photographs (on CD-ROM and printed out in black and white).

The fonds is organized in the following series:

P0203/A. – Personal life.

P0203/B. – Broadcasting.

P0203/C. – Radio consulting.

P0203/D. – Print journalism.

P0203/E. – Teaching.

P0203/F. – Resource materials.

The fonds is witness to the management and growth of a Montreal AM and FM radio station from the 1930s to the 1990s, and to the professional and community activities of owner Jack Tietolman.

The fonds consists mainly of administrative and financial records, advertising sales records, broadcasting records, and personal records and memorabilia.

The fonds is organized into the following series:

P0113/A Personal records
P0113/B Radio stations management

Fonds consists of research material and oral history interviews conducted by Merrily Weisbord for the writing of The Strangest Dream. The interviews cover various aspects of the evolution of the Communist Party of Canada (renamed the Labour Progressive Party in 1943) and the life of some of its Quebec members.

Fonds includes more than 20 hours of sound recordings consisting of interviews with about fifteen individuals who were members of the party between the 1930s and the 1950s, such as Lea Roback, Irene Kon, Gilles Hénault and Fred Taylor. All the players, from the upper middle class intellectual Stanley Ryerson to the working class lumber camp labour organizer, Gérard Fortin, are included. There is also a 15 minute recorded message by Paul Robeson urging Montreal voters to reelect Fred Rose in 1945. Fonds also includes interview notes and transcriptions, correspondence, and printed materials.