The Prince Rupert City & Regional Archives have once again found a new home in town, its seventh in 30 years.
Now located in the basement of City Hall on the east side of the building (where community policing used to be), the archives officially opened for business once again on September 6 after a short hiatus during the move from its former home, the Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District building.
“People are surprised that we moved,” said archivist Jean Eiers-Page (pictured above). She said the archives moved because the regional district building was recently sold by the City, and the new landlords were going to increase the rent by an amount they couldn’t afford. The archives has an annual budget of $76,000, she said.
The archives’ new home has 400 more square feet than the regional district home, and Eiers-Page expects more tourists to come through the door because of its central location.
There’s also a larger storage area, which is a benefit because there are more materials coming in every year, as more donations are sent to the archives, said Eiers-Page.
“Right now, it’s working out really well,” she said, adding that she’s trying to reduce the temperature and humidity to ensure the records are preserved properly.
While it’s too soon to say how much longer the archives will be at its new location, the length of its new lease with the City is five years.
~Written by Chris Armstrong