Active History draws attention to the historians' protest in Quebec over the closing of the Archives of the Sulpician religious order in Montreal. Since the Sulpicians were present at the founding of Montreal and owned much of the island of Montreal well into the 19th century, their records are fundamental to a great deal of Quebec history. As the petitioners note, the shrinking of the Catholic Church presence in Quebec leaves many aspects of its cultural legacy under-supported and in danger. But they rightly see the closure of this archives as a cultural crisis for Quebec.
Many of us regret archives that have to be closed and more or less inaccessible during pandemic lockdown -- and appreciate what the archivists are doing to assist online access. I guess we were assuming the archives would reopen when they can
