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Throwback: Not a good place to store Delta's history

Now demolished, the building turned out to be unsuitable for archival materials
old-delta-archives
Pictured in this 1979 photo are Len DeLozier, B.C. Archives advisor, (left), archivist Mary Nickel (middle) and Julian Gardener, director of the archives.

It was the new repository for the documentary heritage of Delta but turned out to be a major headache which threatened the collection.

In 1979 the Delta Museum’s new archives opened for the public.

It was located behind the main museum on Delta Street.

The building would end up with a plethora of problems throughout the years.

The entire collection for a time was in danger due to water damage, prompting the municipality to undertake repairs to the building's envelope.

While that immediate danger was stopped, the old archives building continued to have a myriad of other issues, including a lack of climate control and not being easily accessible for the disabled or seniors.

In 2011, the archives finally moved into the renovated former courthouse in the civic precinct in Ladner, a purpose-built facility ideal for the storage of archival documents, photos and other records.

Called the Delta Archives and Edgar Dunning Reading Room, the facility is directly attached to the new Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre, the home of Delta’s new museum,