The Archives of Ontario building on Grenville Street in Toronto has been deteriorating for many years. Inadequate and unsafe housing of existing historical collections has already caused records to be lost. The provincial government's reluctance to provide a purpose-built archival facility will lead to even greater losses. At risk is the tangible evidence of the province's history, as well as all the archives of interest to genealogists.
Problems with the existing building include:
- inadequate fire protection
- upper floors sagging
- other structural issues
- mould infestation
- lack of additional capacity
- inadequate flood protection
Much has already been lost. More will be lost if prompt action to relocate into a safe facility designed for archival collections is not taken.
Rick Roberts of the Global Genealogy & History Shoppe has written an article that describes a possible solution. If you have an interest in Ontario records, you need to read Rick's article on the Global Gazette web site.
