HALIFAX -- Parks Canada says it has decided to continue leasing a facility in a Halifax-area business park for an archeology lab that houses artifacts from the Atlantic region.

Treasury Board President Scott Brison tweeted Wednesday evening that the Liberal government was keeping the facility going, saying it "meets conservation and security standards."

The previous Conservative government had announced in 2012 that the lab was closing as part of a consolidation of six labs, and the artifacts were scheduled to be moved.

In a brief email, a Parks Canada spokeswoman confirmed Brison's tweeted message.

A number of local archeologists had criticized the Harper government's plans to close the facility, saying it was both a valued storage facility and a source of expertise to researchers.