The Montreal newspaper Le Devoir ran an article last week about the Archives de Montréal’s move to a new location, where they will stay for three years while city hall undergoes extensive renovations that could cost upwards of $140 million.
More than 11,000 boxes of archival records have already been moved to the new location at 5800 rue Saint-Denis where researchers can consult the archives by appointment. The second phase of the move will take place January 28, which will include transferring city minutes going back to 1833 and assessment rolls from as early as 1847.
This is the first time in 100 years the archives have been removed from their vaults that were in the basement of city hall in Old Montreal.
The Archives de Montréal moves out of city hall for three years. Photo: Erik Dunham, Wikimedia Commons.
The archival collections and staff, along with all of the other occupants of city hall are expected to return to the original site in 2022.
One person who will probably not return to city hall is the head of the Archives de Montréal, Mario Robert, who has worked there since 1991. He plans to retire in a couple of years. He told Le Devoir in French, “I have books to write and historical research to do.”
