November 22, 2000 For Immediate Release

The preservation of northern BC's history is the primary mission of the Northern British Columbia Archives, which officially opened today at UNBC.

Located on the second floor of the Geoffrey Weller Library at UNBC, the Archives already holds a number of significant collections including a genealogical history of Carrier-Sekani families, historical slides and descriptions of northern BC plants, and the entire historical record of the Cassiar mining community.

The opening ceremony also recognized the Archives' inaugural donors, who have contributed to the creation of an endowment fund for the ongoing operation of the Archives. The largest donor to date has been the Royal Bank, with a contribution of $100,000. "The Royal Bank has conducted business in northern BC for more than 90 years, so it's fitting that we support this venture to collect and preserve the region's history," says Art Robin, a Royal Bank Vice-President for the BC Interior, North and Yukon. "This donation augments our previous contribution of $150,000 for the UNBC Library, bringing Royal Bank's total investment in UNBC to a quarter-of-a-million dollars."
CN, meanwhile, is contributing $25,000 to the Archives, adding to their 1994 donation of $150,000 for student scholarships and distance learning initiatives.

"CN is pleased to again be a corporate donor of UNBC," says Daryl Barnett, CN Superintendent, BC North. "Maintaining this legacy of northern BC is a tremendous project that will benefit us and future generations."

Other donors include longtime local resident Daphne Baldwin and Vancouver resident Janis Hamilton.

The University is aiming to raise a $1.5 million endowment for the ongoing operation of the Archives. The interest from the endowment could support a variety of annual projects including outreach into First Nations communities, an interactive website, a travelling exhibit of northern BC artifacts, public courses on documenting local history, and cataloging important personal or institutional collections.