Fonds consists of textual records (correspondence, party lists and invitations to social events, fan mail, articles written by and about Pierre Berton, and newspaper clippings), photographs from 1886-2002, clothing and various other artifacts, awards and certificates, and publicity posters.

The Janet Berton fonds spans the years 1837-2013 with the majority of the records originating from 1950 to 2004. The fonds reflects the different roles that Janet played throughout her life as well as the various activities and functions she performed throughout the community. She was an avid historian with a strong sense of community and her interests were both varied and diverse. Arrangement thus reflects the organization and activities of Janet Berton and the various roles she played throughout her life, from mother of eight to cookbook publisher to president and active volunteer of various local organizations and charities. Thus, the fonds is arranged into five series and then various subseries, all of which reflect Janet’s diverse activities.
The majority of the records are textual (i.e. minutes, reports, correspondence, published material, newspapers, etc.) although there is also a sizable photograph collection as well as some maps and plans and even artwork.
Parts of the fonds were in poor physical condition upon arrival at the City Archives as they had been sitting in the Berton family’s cellar, garage, and basement. It is surmised that at some point a fire broke out (some records were burned) and that the boxes were subsequently dowsed with water. Mould thus formed and was found in great amounts especially on the Shaw ledgers which were thus segregated from the rest of the fonds. Some files and records had to be thrown out as mould was too widespread and rodents had eaten the files to point of illegibility. To that point, rodent droppings and seeds were found within the boxes and files. Thankfully, rehousing the records took care of most of the odour.
Very little original order remained upon arrival of the fonds at the City of Vaughan Archives. For the most part, files, books, and individual papers were piled in boxes in a very haphazard way. Thus, an order had to be imposed upon the fonds. However, every effort was made to respect provenance and to duplicate the creator’s original organization and thought patterns. In some cases, however, such as in the travel and magazine and daily planner subseries, only samples of material were selected and kept in order to conserve space.

The fonds consists of Turner's correspondence files as surveyor, including correspondence with the Department of Transport, Registrars of Shipping and others concerning surveying and tonnage specifications. Fonds includes correspondence and plans with Yarrows Ltd., plans by Raymond H. Richards, Naval Architect, and plans of the oil fuel float for the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. Photographs are general views of salvage of tugs and salvage operations. Painting is of the tug Sudbury II.

The fonds consists of the steamship and engineer's logbook for the sealing schooner Fawn as kept by W. Hughes for a sealing hunt in the Bering Sea (1897).

The fonds consists of a log book of the sealing schooner Dora Sieward, owned and mastered by H.F. Sieward, detailing crew, activities on board and sealing catch (1898).

The fonds consists of photographs of HMC and HM ships, Commander Hose, sealing schooners and other ships and views. Fonds includes articles written by Longstaff and newsclippings.

The fonds consists of an accounting ledger (1896) of the Victoria Sealing and Trading Company detailing purchases of vessels from William Munsie, payments of ships' crews and costs of sundries.

The fonds consists of certificates of service for the Royal Navy (1894-1909), Certificate of Service in the Naval Service of Canada (1910-1912), and a Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve Certificate (1917-1919). Fonds includes a letter of reference and volunteer sign-up sheet, demobilization certificate, station cards, and two postcards of unidentified people and objects.

The fonds consists of partial log book from the SS Tees (1899-1900), signed by J. Gosse as master, and account ledger for payment of crew and outfitting of hunters for the sealing schooner Otto for 1898.

The fonds consists of Grant's papers as able seaman and hunter in sealing vessels operating out of Victoria, B.C. Fonds includes items such as wages for seal skins, itemized list of purchases for sealing trips, correspondence, and lists of vessels, position and dates of service.