Fonds consists of a wide variety of materials collected or created by Dr. Greg MacLeod, mostly written documents, but also videos and cassette tapes, many of which have been digitized. The written documents cover a wide range of genres such as correspondence, memos, financial reports, updates, feasibility studies, newspaper clippings, and minutes of meetings. These records have a date range beginning in the 1950's when Dr. MacLeod was in school in Sydney Mines (though there is one family document from 1899) and ending around 2004. The range of materials found here derives from his association with a number of organizations starting in the early 1970's, many of which he played a founding influence, such as Metropolitan Alliance For Development, Cape Breton School of Crafts, Island Housing Association, and the Cape Breton Association for Co Op Development, which itself would morph into New Dawn Enterprises. His social-economic interests continued with his involvement in the Tompkins Institute from its founding in 1974 and his close association with the university's Centre for Community Economic Development from its founding in 1986. Another large set of documents involves the founding of BCA Group in 1989 and its progress, and the various projects that were supported by it. Based on these associations, the fonds is arranged with the following series: Tompkins Institute; BCA Group; Centre for Community Economic Development, Audio Files, Video Files, New Dawn Enterprises, Economic Reports and Studies, and Autobiographical Materials. Each of these series (and some contain sub-series) will be composed of multiple files (some files with multiple folios) with each file containing many individual items.

Fonds consists of photographs, maps, correspondence, and textual records related to John Bernard Croak and his military service.

Fonds consists of James D. Day's certificate of military service, 1914-1923.

Fonds consists of a speech that was delivered by Mary Belle MacNeil concerning her nursing career, with particular attention to her time spent nursing during war years.

Fonds consists of a notebook kept by Hill while completing training for the Canadian Engineers unit.

Fonds consists of papers organized in two sections, those of Francis Stevens' family and his own material. It includes three of Stevens' diaries written during World War 1.

Fonds consists of the writings of Weldon Patton, a selection of newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, family genealogy and two case books from his medical practice, concerning men who had served in World War 1 and were seeking medical proof of disability

Fonds consists of a poem written by Charles MacLean titled "Do You Remember?"

Fonds represents over seven decades of photography by the owners and staff of Abbass Studios Ltd.. The studio operated a portrait studio, as well as accepted contracts from newspapers and covered local events. The photographs in the fonds reflect the diverse economic, political and cultural heritage of Cape Breton.

The negatives are organized into seven series: A,B,C,D,N, DOSCO, and Portraiture (P). The N series includes the earliest images including the nitrate film negatives. The A,B,C, and D series continue chronologically until 2001 with the Portraiture ending in 2004. The DOSCO series includes photographs taken of the Dominion Steel and Coal Company during the 1950s.

Fonds consists of textual records, graphic material, sound recordings, and moving images created and accumulated by Helen Creighton documenting her private life and professional career as folklorist and author. The fonds includes an extensive collection of folk songs and folk tales which Creighton actively acquired over a sixty year period, and which document the diverse ethnic groups and cultural traditions of Nova Scotia and also New Brunswick. Fonds consists of three series: Photographs depicting Creighton's life and career; Sound recordings and moving images made and accumulated by Creighton; and Correspondence and other material.