Members of the archival community may have missed this announcement from
late December (a plogies for cross posting)
December 18, 2006
York University provides new home for the Archives of Ontario
Ontario government and university work together to improve access to
province’s documentary heritage
http://www.gov.on.ca/MGS/en/News/108293.html
TORONTO – The Ontario government is partnering with York University to
create a new home for the Archives of Ontario, Minister of Government
Services Gerry Phillips announced today.
A new and modern facility for the Archives will be built on the main
York University campus, at 4700 Keele Street, in Toronto. Over the next
two years the Ontario government, in partnership with York University,
will oversee the construction of a new archival facility that will
provide better public services and enhance access to the province’s
history.
“Partnering with an educational institution of international renown such
as York University to build a new archival facility is an innovative and
cost-effective way of protecting our province’s information legacy,”
said Phillips. “Our government recognizes the importance of protecting
Ontario’s documentary heritage and the need to provide easier access to
the province’s largest information asset.”
The new building, about 98,000 square feet in the heart of the York
University main campus, will more than double the size of the current
public reference area. The new, self-contained facility will meet
international archival standards and make it easier to showcase some of
the Archives’ most valuable collections by serving a broader clientele,
including school groups and delegations.
As part of the government’s commitment to creating and promoting a
culture of conservation in Ontario, the new archives building will meet
the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) silver
certification, a nationally accepted benchmark for the design,
construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
“I am looking forward to working with York University to create a new
home for the Archives of Ontario. This partnership will go a long way
to ensure our collections are properly preserved so we can leave a more
secure and prosperous legacy for future generations,” said Archivist of
Ontario Miriam McTiernan.
The Archives of Ontario, which entered a long-term lease agreement with
York University, is the largest provincial archives in Canada, with a
collection valued at more than $400 million. It is responsible for
preserving the documentary history of the province and is an important
source of research for the police, courts, historians and genealogists.
“We are very excited to be able to work with the Ontario government to
create a custom-designed building that will protect important public
assets and have opportunities for collaboration on educational, research
and related activities,” said York University President and
Vice-Chancellor Lorna Marsden.
The project has been proceeding under ReNew Ontario, the government’s
five-year, $30-billion infrastructure renewal plan to build strong and
prosperous communities. It was implemented according to the principles
of the Building a Better Tomorrow Framework for planning, financing and
procuring public infrastructure, which protect the public interest and
ensure that processes are fair, transparent and efficient.
The new Archives facility is expected to open in 2009.
Contacts:
Paul de Zara
Minister’s Office
416-327-3072 - office
647-388-9671 - cell
Jason Wesley
Ministry of Government Services
416-325-8659
http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/Release.asp?Release=1186
New Archives of Ontario building to be located at York University's
Keele campus
TORONTO, December 18, 2006 -- York University President and
Vice-Chancellor Lorna R. Marsden enthusiastically welcomed today’s
decision by the Ontario government and the Ontario Realty Corporation to
locate its new Archives of Ontario building at York University’s Keele
campus.
This move is a part of a larger project that will bring together two
significant provincial infrastructure investments – the other being the
extension of the York-Spadina subway line – into a single project, as
well as expanding and connecting to the existing York Lanes building.
“We are absolutely delighted by the decision which will provide a
first-class home for the Archives at the heart of an expanding GTA,”
said Marsden. “The addition of the new subway line through the
University to York Region will make this location even more convenient
for Ontarians. This new ‘green’ building is also a perfect complement to
our academic mission and adds much-needed research and academic space.”
The new Archives of Ontario is an integrated, multi-use three-storey
290,000-square-foot podium building picking up on the scale of York’s
inner core buildings. It will contain the archives and an expansion of
existing retail, as well as incorporate access to the new subway. A
seven-storey “research tower” will be set back on the podium, containing
an additional 120,000 square feet of academic and research space.
The archives themselves require secure and environmentally sensitive
vaults to keep them in their optimum state. As such, the archives
design will meet LEED Silver Certification (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design Green Building Rating System TM) specifications,
the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and
operation of high-performance green buildings.
“This project is unique and forward-thinking in both its design and
sustainability,” said York University’s Vice-President of Finance and
Administration Gary Brewer. “Having secured an independent consortium
through an independent procurement process ensures a no-risk financial
option for York to build the Archives facility. At the same time, York
is demonstrating an ahead-of-the-curve vision when it comes to future
development of public transit and expanded academic possibilities for
our University.”
The estimated cost of the entire project will be $100 million. The new
Archives of Ontario is scheduled to be completed in March 2009, which
coincides with the University’s 50th anniversary.
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching
university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the
undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international
city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a
dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and
staff, as well as 190,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 23
research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is
interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This
distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the
future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world
challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
-30-
Contact:
Alex Bilyk
Director, Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-5603
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