The
Ontario government is moving forward in acquiring a new facility for
the Archives of Ontario by releasing a Request for Qualification,
announced Minister of Government Services, Gerry Phillips, on November
22, 2005.
"Today marks an important milestone in providing Ontarians better
access to the history of their province," noted Phillips. "Our
government is committed to ensuring the documentary history of Ontario
is properly protected and the public has access to it."
A Request for Prospals will be issued later in 2006 and the procurement
process will conclude with the selection of a developer capable of
building and financing the new facility and entering into a long-term
lease with the government.
The Archives of Ontario is the largest provincial archives in Canada,
with a collection valued at $400 million. The procurement aims to
secure about 90,000 square feet in the city of Toronto to be used as
the archives' main public service facility.
It responsible for preserving the documentary history of the province
and is an important source of research for the police, courts,
historians, and genealogists.
"The government is committed to delivering the archives on time and on budget," said Phillips.
