Some good news for researchers and history buffs in Kamloops – the archives at the Kamloops Museum and Archives are set to reopen next month.

Shut down since September due to a lack of a resident archivist, Museum Supervisor Julia Cyr says the archives are likely to reopen sometime in mid-to-late April.

“That means they’d be open 1:15 to 4 o’clock to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s you can book an appointment,” noted Cyr.  “It’s so critical. I can’t tell you how much of a gem these archives are.”

Cyr says they’re able to reopen now that a new archivist from Montreal has arrived.

“We wouldn’t just want to allow anyone to go in without being able to have that archivist there to help guide [people] through, so we had to close them,” noted Cyr.  “But now we have a new archivist.”

The Kamloops archives are sought after by historians and researchers, as well as local history buffs.

“It’s the Kamloops community’s records. It’s yours. All the artifacts in this museum, every archival thing has been donated. This is all for you,” said Cyr.  “We just want to strive and work so hard to ensure that you have as much access to it as possible.”

They include a wide range of materials that describe, depict, and interpret life in Kamloops through the years, including photographs, books, papers, maps, architectural drawings, and newspapers.

Some of the materials included in the archives date back to the 19th century and the formation of Kamloops as a settlement.