"It is rare for a museum with a collection, exhibits and programs of this quality to be found in a community of this size, the museum receives appreciation and praise from visitors to our city and from the majority of Prince Rupert citizens. It is the anchor attraction for the tourism economy and as such helps to generate business revenue and jobs." -- From Museum of Northern BC Director Susan Marsden's presentation to Council Monday evening.
It's one of the centrepieces of the city's tourism sector and the home for much of the cultural heartbeat of the city and Monday evening, City Council members had an opportunity to hear much more about what is happening with the Museum of Northern British Columbia.
Museum Director and curator Susan Marsden provided the update for Council going over a wide range of material that covered a look back at some high profile exhibits to a review of the list of nations from where museum visitors had travelled from over the most recent summer.
Among the highlights was a look back at the Clovis the Caribou hunter exhibit, as well as the museum's involvement with the Children's Festival.
Ms. Marsden also made note of the success of the cruise ship season and school programs that make for hectic months at the Museum through the spring, summer and fall months.
As anyone who has been downtown on a cruise ship day has noted, the museum makes for one of the top destinations for visitors to the city and on that theme the Museum head also explained the nature of the programs that the museum offers as part of the Cruise industry's engagement with the community.
Ms. Marsden observed that when it comes to visitors to the museum it's very much a global cross section with visitors coming from across Canada and the United States, as well as from over thirty eight countries around the world. The largest amount came from Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Her presentation to Council wrapped up with a look at some of the community oriented events that the museum hosts through the year, with a the museum putting a focus on the youth of the community.
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| Susan Marsden the Director/Curator of the Museum of Northern British Columbia delivered an update for City Council on Monday evening |
Ms. Marsden also outlined some of the plans for the year ahead and what exhibits are planned as well as a review of the funding that the museum receives from the city and how it has been put to use.
She also explored some of the fund raising efforts that they have in place, along with some of the challenges that the museum still faces when it comes to funding requirements.
"The museum is a community asset that merits appropriate support, without which it will not survive"
Towards the funding issue, the Museum director praised the new three year funding arrangement and requested that Council consider increasing the amount that the city provides to the museum, which currently is at a funding level of $126,000.
To highlight the new arrangement, Ms. Mardsen read some notes from a previous Annual General Meeting and then put forward the museum's request for and another three year term along with an increase towards their grant.
"By the end of the year, we were celebrating a new relationship with City Hall to whom we are very grateful for initiating a three year contract for stable, reliable city funding. We can't say enough about what time saver that arrangement has been on many fronts. Tonight the museum requests that the existing contract be renewed for another three years and that the city consider an increase in funding for the museums grant"
Councillor Blair Mirau picked up on that theme and spoke to the new funding arrangement and noted how it was heartening to him that the new arrangement and three year contract provision has been well received.
"That was something that I was very passionate about in reforming the Community Grant Process to try and give you guys as community groups more stable predictable funding so that you can plan years ahead and I'm glad that we can agree that has worked very well for both sides."
Adding how it provides for more stable funding and allows for the ability to
plan the financial program out over a wider period of time.
"Why it's such a win-win from our perspective it allows us then, in our five year financial forecast to really plan out exactly what is going to happen rather than to ask you guys to come back year after year with your hat in your hand"
Mr. Mirau also noted that the three year contract is set to expire and that it will soon be time for discussions on what the Museum may need for its next three years.
The presentation from the museum was well received by council members, with a number of councillors sharing their support for the museums work in the community.
Ms. Marsden's review is available for viewing through the city's video archive starting at the 2 minute mark of the evening's proceedings.
For notes of interest on the city's tourism sector see our archive page here.
More background on Monday's City Council session can be found from our Council Timeline Feature, while a wider overview of Council Discussion themes can be found on our Discussion archive page.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
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