The fonds consists of ranching records (1896-1985): correspondence, agreements, inventories, appraisals, financial statements, ledgers, maps, purchases and brand records; oil records (1911-1953): correspondence, leases and oil company prospectuses; legal records (1882-1959): mortgages, agreements and leases; investment records (1896-1955): correspondence, mortgages and agreements; records of Burns' companies (1898-1981): correspondence, ledgers, memorandum of association, financial statements and minutes; real estate records (1942-1973): correspondence, reports and maps; records of Burns' estate (1932-1983): will, reports, correspondence, minutes of executors' meetings and ledgers; personal account ledgers (1912-1936); share certificates (1903-1941); and collected samples of Metis scrip and North-West Mounted Police veterans' land scrip (1880-1911). Includes photographs of Alberta oil wells, Burns' ranches, the meat industry, and aerial views of Bow River Valley and Fish Creek.

The collection consists of correspondence, reports, memoranda, etc., related to Alberta's oil and gas industries.

• The fonds consists of minute books, correspondence and cashbooks of the school districts which were consolidated into the Berry Creek Division. Also includes divisional correspondence (1934-1935).

• The fonds consists of constitution and rules (1911); minutes (1913-1924, 1927-1928, 1947-1957, 1959-1964, 1970-1999); correspondence (1913-1921); office files (1952-1958, 1978-2007); financial records (1954-1990); scrapbooks (1950-1983); and photographs (1921-1970).