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