Talking to your candidate

How can you persuade your local city council candidate to support a new home for the City of Winnipeg Archives? It helps to give a clear explanation of the issues, and identify actions that should be taken.  You can share the backgrounder with candidates. We have also put together this short list of talking points for your conversations with candidates.

1. There is an urgent need to protect the archives and to make them accessible in order to safeguard our history. Currently, they are housed in a totally inadequate building. We want to ensure that the archives finds a safe new home soon  — a place where researchers, educators, and students can learn about our city’s past.

2. The fate of the archives has fallen down the City’s priority list, and we are asking candidates to pledge to change that by making the archives an immediate priority after the election. 

3. The City has gone as far as developing concrete options as recently as 2016, when it issued an internal report, but has not yet shown the commitment necessary for action on the matter. Action is needed, now.

4. We are not advocating a particular option for the future location of the archives (because we aren’t qualified to make that decision). We DO need a champion who will work with us to see results.