[3] The petition was strongly endorsed by the Canadian Library Committee and was transfer to the Minister of Agriculture who at the time was responsible for arts and manufactures.

Brymner, given the task of creating a Canadian Archives and was allocated, as reported later, an empty room and vague instructions; in starting, there was no single document with any description.

Brymner approached his new position with much enthusiasm though and in his first year visited Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Saint John and Fredericton,[4] reporting on the state of various accumulations of government records.

After spending time in Britain, and Paris from 1881 to 1883,[9] Brymner became influenced by the European archival system and sent memorandum on government records in Europe.

Later, in a report for the American Historical Association, he wrote "My ambition aims at the establishment of a great storehouse of the history of the colony and colonists in their political, ecclesiastical, industrial, domestic, in a work every aspect of their lives.