If all goes according to plan, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will open a second preservation centre in 2022, next to the existing one in Gatineau, Quebec.
LAC announced yesterday it has begun negotiations with Plenary PCL Properties Gatineau to build an ultra-modern preservation facility. Subject to internal approvals and successful negotiations with this “preferred proponent,” an agreement will be signed by spring 2019.
The project will result in the construction of the first “net zero carbon” building dedicated to the preservation of archives in the Americas, the first Government of Canada building built to the requirements of Canada’s Greening Government Strategy, and the world’s largest preservation facility equipped with the advanced technology of an automated storage and retrieval system for archival materials.
The vaults within the existing Preservation Centre will also be reconfigured as part of this project to further optimize LAC’s collection storage capacity.
The proposal from Plenary PCL Properties Gatineau was selected because it meets all of the technical requirements and can be carried out at the lowest cost for taxpayers.
