As part of Winnipeg’s initial 2023 budget capital investment plan, the city plans to restore the property, which has been vacant for a decade.
The city archives are stored in a warehouse on Myrtle Street. But that may soon change with funds in the city’s preliminary budget to bring the records home to the Carnegie Library.
The library was gutted in 2013 when a windstorm damaged the roof. Over a century’s worth of documents such as maps, council minutes and photographs were moved to the Myrtle Street Warehouse.
“When they had to move temporarily, we didn’t know what temporary meant, but it didn’t mean seven or eight years because it jeopardizes the records, if it’s vacant then also endangers the building.” puts it in,” said Cindy Tugwell with Heritage Winnipeg.
It was the city’s first library and became home to the archives in the 90s. The new proposed budget provides $12.6 million to restore the building and return the records.
Christian Cassidy is a local history blogger who regularly uses the archives to conduct research, but he hasn’t been doing so since they were moved to the warehouse.
“Since the archives moved there, I’ve rarely been there. It’s not the greatest of places in there for them themselves because you have to store the stuff in a heat-controlled building with humidity control and things like that.
Winnipeg 2023 proposed city budget includes higher property taxes, street upgrades and transit safety
Part of the Sun breaks apart and creates a strange vortex, scientists are amazed
Cassidy hopes to be able to access the documents again in a popular public space.
“The decision to refurbish this building, and to move the archival collection back, takes care of two problems at once.”
In 2021, the City released a report that found keeping the old library in the archives was the cheapest option, but Tugwell said seeing it in this year’s budget finally made it possible.
“To have $12.6 million committed in the capital budget, you know, especially with Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary, to say that archives are important, our history, our records are important.”
“So is the former Carnegie Library that was built for Winnipeggers by a provincial architect.”
Tugwell said it’s going to mean something to Winnipeggers.
“They’re going to come back bigger and better and it’s such a beautiful building that I think once it reopens, people will love going into the archives and saying, I can’t imagine not being in this building.” Can.”
However, the amount is only earmarked in the preliminary budget, so it is not yet determined. Global News reached out to the city for comment and said it was too early to comment at this time.
, With files from Iris Dyke of Global
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.