[URBAN NOTE] "Toronto's gay archive getting an upgrade"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC News' Michael Smee reports on the impending new renovations of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives.

The world's largest independent lesbian and gay archive — which happens to be right here in Toronto — is about to get a little bit larger.

At its last council meeting before the Christmas break, councillors voted to free up about $50-thousand to renovate the century old building on Isabella Street so that it's accessible.

That means adding ramps, bigger bathroom spaces and a working elevator.

But improvements to the building aside, the collection itself — which includes everything from political buttons to posters, to the shorts worn by Olympic boxer Mark Leduc — is getting bigger all the time.

Aside from the standard archival fare — clippings, photos and periodicals — the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives also includes less traditional artifacts.

"We've got buttons, we've got tee-shirts, we've got banners from organizations," says archive president Dennis Findlay. "We've got peoples' diaries; tiaras, gowns, leather material. The list goes on and on."

Comments

[dewline]

Good to see this.