CANADA’S 150TH BIRTHDAY ‘GIFT’:
MUSEUM OF CANADIAN HISTORY
By Alex P. Vidal
OTTAWA, Ontario – As one of the many measures in
preparation for Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, the Canadian
federal government has announced that it is creating a Museum of Canadian
History.
The government will introduce legislation to give the
Canadian Museum of Civilization both a new name and a new mandate, reported Susan
Munroe of About.com Guide. “The Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation
manages the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum, although
the Canadian War Museum has its own building at a different location,” she
added.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is located in
Gatineau, Quebec, across the Ottawa River, overlooking the Canadian Parliament
Buildings in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. The museum grounds cover about 9.6
hectares (24 acres). The current museum building was opened in 1989, and has
about 1.3 million visitors every year.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization was the Canadian
Museum of Man before 1989, and its mandate includes the responsibility for
increasing interest, knowledge and understanding of human cultural
achievements, with a special, but not exclusive, reference to Canada.
In
announcing the changes, James Moore, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, said
that “Canadians deserve a national museum of history that tells our stories and
presents our country’s treasures to the world.” About 50,000 square feet of
public gallery space will be renovated to highlight Canadian achievements,
accomplishments and artefacts that have shaped the Canadian identity. The new
emphasis will come at the expense of some international exhibitions and a more
general emphasis on anthropology. The First Peoples Hall and the Canadian
Children’s Museum will remain.
NETWORKING WITH MUSEUMS ACROSS CANADA
The new museum will also be working on a new process
to link the network of history museums across Canada to the Museum of Canadian
History, so Canadians in all regions will have better access to our history. It
will mean developing partnerships for exchanges that work two ways.
LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM CANADIANS
The government will be looking for input from
Canadians across the country on the major themes, events, and accomplishments
that have shaped Canada.
An online forum called My History Museum has been set
up to gather suggestions. You can take the quick survey, and you are also asked
to offer suggestions in six key areas: What is the Canadian Story? Stories and
Objects
Who Has Shaped Our Country? Reaching Canadians
Everywhere; Making the Museum Work for Everyone; Whose Perspective Would You
Use?
Museum officials will also be travelling across the
country from October 2012 to January 2013 to hear from Canadians in person. You
can reserve a spot at one of these consultation events by filling in the form
at the bottom of the My History Museum page.
COSTS TRANSFORMATION
The estimated cost of the museum transformation is $25
million, according to the initial announcement. That is not new money. It will
come from the existing Department of Canadian Heritage budget. There is no
indication what will be cut to find it though. The government also says it will
be working on fundraising activities to get support from the private sector.
CELEBRATING CANADIAN HISTORY
You'll see a lot more emphasis in the next few years
as the federal government puts the spotlight on Canadian history and identity.
Some of the celebrations in the works are
Canada Commemorate the War of 1812 (for 2-1/2 years)
100th anniversary of the Grey Cup on November 15, 2012
100th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of
1913-1918
in 2014, the 150th anniversary of the Quebec and
Charlottetown conferences on Canadian Confederation
And all lead up to Canada's 150th birthday in 2017.
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