Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Building inventory files
General material designation
- textual record
- graphic material
- architectural drawing
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on Accommodation and Real Estate Services ORCS and on the contents of the series.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1947-2007 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
19 m of textual records, architectural drawings, and photographs
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The British Columbia Buildings Corporation was established as a Crown corporation on June 30 1976 in accordance with the British Columbia Buildings Corporation Act. The Corporation was frequently referred to as the province’s largest landlord. Its mandate was to “identify the…accommodation…service requirements of the British Columbia Government, and to satisfy those needs in a responsive and cost-effective manner” as well as to provide a “system of accountabilities for the planning and providing of accommodation.” The first President and Chief Executive Officer was appointed May 1977 and official operations commenced on April 1, 1978. The fiscal agent of the corporation was the Minister of Finance.
The BCBC was to consist of no more than nine directors appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The President reported to the Board of Directors, who in turn reported to the relevant Minister. By 1992, five groups (Marketing and Client Services, Project Development, Real Estate, Property Management, and Administration) reported to the President. These groups developed from the four established in 1988 (Planning and Client Services, Development, Real Estate, and Administration)
The BCBC operated several regional offices across the province with a head office in Victoria. The original regional offices were located in Burnaby, Kamloops, and Prince George, although by 1983 the duties of the Kamloops office had been transferred to the Prince George location. At the same time, two of twenty Building Management Units were eliminated, which was followed by a further three the following year when Cranbrook combined with Nelson, Dawson Creek with Prince George, and Tranquille with Kamloops.
By 1997, the organization had grown to include eight administrative districts with 70 service centres and remote offices. The administrative districts included Victoria, Vancouver Island/North, Vancouver, Burnaby/New Westminster/Tri Cities, Fraser, Thompson/Okanagan/Cariboo, Kootenay/Columbia Boundary, Skeena/Central Interior/Peace.
By the early 1990s, BCBC chaired the Crown Management Group’s Environment Committee and was a member of the Capital Regional District Round Table on the Environment. By 1994, the BCBC had a portfolio of more than 3,400 buildings.
The Corporation was dissolved in 2006 under section 9 of the Public Agency Accommodation Act. Its assets, properties, and rights were transferred to the provincial government and as of 2016 they were administered by Accommodation and Real Estate Services within the Ministry of Technology, Innovation, and Citizens’ Services.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Accommodation and Real Estate Services (ARES) is the successor body to the British Columbia Buildings Corporation. It was created by the Public Agency Accommodation Act, which received assent on March 28, 2006. As of 2016, ARES operates within the Ministry of Technology Innovation and Citizens' Services.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The series consists of operational records documenting the British Columbia Buildings Corporation‘s portfolio management activities. Files include architectural drawings, correspondence, photographs, move forms, site plans, accommodation proposals, and requests for appropriation for a variety of properties managed by the BCBC. The majority of files were compiled between the early 1980s and the mid 2000s for properties province-wide, and provide physical information about buildings. Types of properties covered by the records include highway sheds, medical buildings, office spaces, and residences for government employees.
The files are arranged within each accession by building (“B”), land (“N”), or complex number (“X”). The numbers are generally arranged in ascending numerical and alphabetical order, although records in accession 95-4260 were received out of order. In many cases, different files pertaining to the same property were transferred in different accessions. Many files contain material that predates the official file open date, including copies of land titles and photographs. Oversized architectural drawings are arranged by project number.
Files contain interfiled architectural drawings and photographs, although photographs in accession 93-7948 were maintained separately in envelopes based on building number. When the accessioned was transferred to the Archives, a number of images were loose in the box. These photographs have been placed into files based on building number.
Photograph albums of Forests site construction projects (in containers 969981-0003 and 969981-0004) were originally created by the Ministry of Forests. However, these albums were later transferred to Accommodation and Real Estate Services and and managed as building inventory files.
This series is covered by the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Accommodation and Real Estate Services ORCS (schedule 140666, ORCS 76400-20).
Notes area
Physical condition
Photographs in containers 969981-0001 to 969981-0005 were originally housed in photograph albums. For preservation reasons, these photographs have been removed from the albums and placed in acid-free envelopes. The relevant information from the photograph album has been transferred onto each envelope. Photographs have B- numbers listed.
Immediate source of acquisition
Accession 95-2277 transferred May 2017 from Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services. Accession 96-9981 was transferred in March 2017 from the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
These records are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or other acts and access may be restricted. Please contact the BC Archives to determine the access status of these records.
Prints from accession 93-7948 may be in cool or cold storage
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A file list is available. http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Document/Finding_Aids_AtoM/GR-3001_to_GR-3500/GR-3451.pdf
Containers 969981-0001 to 969981-0004 contain detailed indexes inside each box. These are indexes are arranged by photograph album name (this information has been transferred to folders and envelopes) and provide information on the title of the album, the date the photograph was taken, the building number if known, a brief description of the property, whether the photo is black and white or colour, the building address and the tenure as known by BCBC.
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): 93-8486, 93-9006, 93-9080, 93-9996, 93-5760, 93-7594, 93-7948, 93-8244, 94-1023, 94-1061, 94-2175, 94-4837, 94-6219, 94-8964, 95-0403, 95-1548, 95-1862, 95-2277, 95-2941, 95-3207, 95-3592, 95-4260, 95-7085, 96-9981
General note
Information on B,N, and X numbers provided by the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services
Physical description
Includes 323 oversize architectural drawings and ca. 2000 photographs not interfiled in inventory files.