Centre 200 in Grande Prairie (Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP)

By Shaun Penner

Heritage Discovery Centre

South Peace Regional Archives approved for future move to Centre 2000

Nov 3, 2020 | 1:15 PM

The Heritage Discovery Centre at Centre 2000 will eventually be the new home of the South Peace Regional Archives, as Grande Prairie City Council approved the request to relocate the Archives at Monday’s meeting.

The approval comes after months, if not years, of searching by the Archives board and staff for a new space, which will now see the organization move from the Grande Prairie Museum in Muskoseepi Park to the Visitors Information Centre, no earlier than 2023.

With the new space approved, Executive Director at the Archives Alyssa Currie says they will be able to address some issues they face at their current location.

“It’s going to address the Archives’ space requirements, which have become urgent, particularly over the last couple of years when we have experienced a few flood scares,” said Currie.

“In addition to that, it is also going to provide us with a secure and dedicated space that is going to allow us to provide better care to our collection, and better capacity to serve our communities.”

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The board of the Archives had approached the City back in February with a proposal to develop a 10,000 square foot building across from the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion, as they sought to create a space that would meet the climate control and floor weight requirements needed to properly care for the historical materials they preserve and display.

“It has to be very, very specifically done, and if you’ve got any old pictures in your basement, you know exactly what happens to them and the written documents you’ve got, they curl up and turn yellow and die,” said SPRA President Jan Shields, back in February.

However, a City Committee directed administration to continue to work with the Archives on getting the space at the Heritage Discovery Centre prepared.

Currie says not only will this space at Centre 2000 meet all the needs addressed above, but it will also help tie them in better with their other regional partners.

“It’s going to enhance the existing regional aspects, tourism and visitor info, that’s currently in that space,” said Currie.

“That’s going to allow us to better serve our regional funding partners, the County of Grande Prairie, the MD of Greenview and the MD of Spirit River, and all those who might be travelling through our community.”

Currently, the Archives utilizes 1,690 square feet at the museum, and an additional 540 sq/ft. of offsite storage (a total of 2,230 sq/ft.). The space at the Heritage Discovery Centre will allow the Archives to centralize all services and materials in a singular 7,800 sq/ft space.

Not only will the move address the issues the organization currently faces, but it will also help amplify their independence from the City of Grande Prairie.

“We obviously really appreciate our on-going relationship with the museum and City Administration, but we feel that this space is going to give us the opportunity to enhance our independent and professional status.”

The move will happen no earlier than the year 2023, as the Archives will continue to seek provincial and federal grant funding, as well as fundraise for the renovation and operational costs associated with the move.

The move will also see some of the materials housed at the Heritage Discovery Centre shifted to the current space utilized by the SPRA at the museum.

The Archives will also be approaching their other municipal partners in the coming weeks to reach a Memorandum of Understanding for the project.