Recent news updates have announced that the rehabilitation of the former Carnegie Library at 380 William has risen in price over the past few years. Thankfully, the city is willing to meet these needs.

The plan is to convert the city’s first public library into a state-of-the-art archival facility for Winnipeg’s historic documents. The rising costs are due to inflation, refined estimates, unexpected asbestos removal and protected heritage elements. The city will also be putting $3,000-$5,000 towards repairing important documents that have been damaged while being stored in a warehouse at 50 Myrtle Street since 2014. Construction on the building will begin sometime in 2025 and is likely to be finished by 2027.

We are pleased to see that the City of Winnipeg is dedicated to the preservation of this important historic building and the protection and accessibility of our City Archives. We look forward to following up on the capital project.

Source:

“Increased cost of storing city archives worth it: mayor” Joyanne Pursaga, Winnipeg Free Press, 17 January 2025

Past articles on 380 William Avenue:

July 18th, 2024: “Winnipeg Archives to Return to Carnegie Library”

November 12th, 2021: “City of Winnipeg Archives One Step Closer to Returning Home”