Winnipeg | Canadian Museum for Human Rights

[harls]

It sure looks purty.

[suburbia]

This article pulls no punches in talking about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This is worth a full read:
http://www.thewhig.com/2014/12/17/column-museum-doesnt-deliver-equally

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was boosted as "Canada's museum." It's not. Instead, it's a pretty shell whose appearance distracts from what's within, much like one of Winnipeg's courtesans of the curb, catching your eye, making you forget she's carrying the clap.

After following a path consecrated the "Israel Asper Way" you mount ramp after ramp in this hollow temple, clambering into the "Israel Asper Tower of Hope." From this cochleated appendage, you get to look down on Winnipeg. It's somewhat better looking from up there than at ground level. What's down below ain't exactly the promised land.

The CMHR's core is all about elevating one community's suffering above all others. How the Holocaust got pride of place in a taxpayer-funded Canadian museum has been much debated. Perhaps, as the National Post's Jonathan Kay opined, there was an "Olympics of Genocide" and "the Jews got the Gold and the Ukrainians only a Bronze." Was there a competition? Or were these games fixed? As long as the umpires' identities are no more transparent than the building's alabaster ramps and opaque windows, we will never know.

... and that's just the beginning. Click the link for the full deal:
http://www.thewhig.com/2014/12/17/column-museum-doesnt-deliver-equally

And this author, Dr. Lubomyr Luciak is no slouch. He holds the rank of Full Professor at Canada's Royal Military College:
http://www.rmcc.forces.gc.ca/aca/ps-sp/per/luciuk-l-eng.php

[esquire]

Originally Posted by suburbia

And this author, Dr. Lubomyr Luciak is no slouch. He holds the rank of Full Professor at Canada's Royal Military College:
http://www.rmcc.forces.gc.ca/aca/ps-sp/per/luciuk-l-eng.php

Haha, you should have posted that relevant detail first. This whiner has had an ax to grind against the museum since day one. He is angry because he tried and failed to hijack the museum's agenda.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by esquire

Haha, you should have posted that relevant detail first. This whiner has had an ax to grind against the museum since day one. He is angry because he tried and failed to hijack the museum's agenda.

Irrespective of if he was the weaker of two potential hijackers earlier on, your note is hardly an argument against what he is saying.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Irrespective of if he was the weaker of two potential hijackers earlier on, your note is hardly an argument against what he is saying.

Ah, so I see you also have an axe to grind.

Of course this guy's credibility in condemning the museum is nonexistent. The column dishonestly fails to disclose to the reader his agenda, and he approaches the column as though he were just some impartial visitor who decided to have a look around the place. Give me a break - his mind was made up long before he ever walked into the museum. In his world, everything about the museum — because he didn't get his way.

[EastK]

Am I the only person who hopes that in 15-20 years we can turn this beautiful building into a rock and roll or for that matter anything other than a human rights museum? I would take any other theme or idea right now that is not so mind numbingly divisive.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by EastK

Am I the only person who hopes that in 15-20 years we can turn this beautiful building into a rock and roll or for that matter anything other than a human rights museum? I would take any other theme or idea right now that is not so mind numbingly divisive.

Rock and roll is way too trivial of a subject to put into a building that grand. I mean, what else, a rodeo hall of fame? Pro wrestling museum? Things like that don't belong in there.

If - and that's a big if - the CMHR fails, I'd rather see the building used for some other proper museum-like purpose. I don't know, maybe turn it into a space and science museum and use the existing science gallery at the Manitoba Museum to expand the historical exhibits.

[EastK]

That's a good point actually and a museum on science and or technology would definitely suite that building. It just appears that nothing positive has come from this museum so far. All it seems to be generating is an argument over who suffered more than who.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by esquire

Ah, so I see you also have an axe to grind.

Of course this guy's credibility in condemning the museum is nonexistent. The column dishonestly fails to disclose to the reader his agenda, and he approaches the column as though he were just some impartial visitor who decided to have a look around the place. Give me a break - his mind was made up long before he ever walked into the museum. In his world, everything about the museum — because he didn't get his way.

But the crux of what he is saying, that it is a shell, is absolutely true. I could count the number of real museum quality artifacts in that building on one or maybe two hands. The rest is screens and pictures and popular culture and song lyrics and someone's grad dress. I'm blown away it wasn't simply made into a solid web-site.

Originally Posted by esquire

If - and that's a big if - the CMHR fails, I'd rather see the building used for some other proper museum-like purpose. I don't know, maybe turn it into a space and science museum and use the existing science gallery at the Manitoba Museum to expand the historical exhibits.

I think I'd be for that. A geology, natural history and local anthropology portions could do well. One thing the building does lend itself to is multi-purpose.

[esquire]

^ A natural history museum would be interesting, but with the building finished and operating funding secured, there is no reason to believe that the CMHR is likely to go away. Love it or hate it, it's here for good.

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ A natural history museum would be interesting, but with the building finished and operating funding secured, there is no reason to believe that the CMHR is likely to go away. Love it or hate it, it's here for good.

Good grief. Some people just can't let go of the old beefs (or the old world beefs in this case, I suspect). The museum was built in considerable part with private funding from donors for this purpose. I can't imagine the museum being re-purposed to a more 'fun' theme. Okay, so it's not for everyone. My wife can't stand any military-themed museums, and many people have zero interest in the Washington DC Holocaust museum, but that doesn't mean these places are going to fold up because some people find them depressing.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

(or the old world beefs in this case, I suspect)

Truth.

Good point regarding the donors... people and organizations gave thousands and in some cases millions of dollars to get this off the ground. No matter how much you hate the museum's mandate, you can't just turn it into a casino or Cirque de Soleil venue.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Good grief. Some people just can't let go of the old beefs (or the old world beefs in this case, I suspect). The museum was built in considerable part with private funding from donors for this purpose. I can't imagine the museum being re-purposed to a more 'fun' theme. Okay, so it's not for everyone. My wife can't stand any military-themed museums, and many people have zero interest in the Washington DC Holocaust museum, but that doesn't mean these places are going to fold up because some people find them depressing.

What exactly is your definition of "considerable part"? And in private funding do you include money from MB Hydro, MPIC, MLLC etc. money that should have never left those crown corp.s to begin with?

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

What exactly is your definition of "considerable part"? And in private funding do you include money from MB Hydro, MPIC, MLLC etc. money that should have never left those crown corp.s to begin with?

Sigh. 147.5 Million. This includes many private individuals -- such as the Buhlers (6 million), corporations like Power Corp, Richardson, most of the major banks, etc. So some funds came from Crown Corps? So what, Crown Corps like Liquor and Lotteries sponsor all sorts of cultural events and institutions. This is not new.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Sigh. 147.5 Million. This includes many private individuals -- such as the Buhlers (6 million), corporations like Power Corp, Richardson, most of the major banks, etc. So some funds came from Crown Corps? So what, Crown Corps like Liquor and Lotteries sponsor all sorts of cultural events and institutions. This is not new.

Because the speNDP has NO business touching money from crown corp.'s never mind donating it. Why should MPIC, MBLL or MB Hydro be sponsoring anything when they are all monopolies. People in Manitoba have been politically brainwashed for far too long that the mindset here is anything the government does is good and what more can the government do for us, even Eastern Europe figured out this wasn't the way to go.

[bomberjet]

It's a human rights museum. What do you want in there, the potatoes Russia took from Ukraine? The whips from southern US?

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

It's a human rights museum. What do you want in there, the potatoes Russia took from Ukraine? The whips from southern US?

The whole notion that human rights could somehow be encapsulated in a museum was/is pretty far fetched to begin with!

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ A natural history museum would be interesting, but with the building finished and operating funding secured, there is no reason to believe that the CMHR is likely to go away. Love it or hate it, it's here for good.

The operating funds being secured are basically a handout from you and I. If a national status could be maintained, some of that operating funds could also be maintained.

A natural history museum would also lend well to better relationships with the first nations.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

It's a human rights museum. What do you want in there, the potatoes Russia took from Ukraine? The whips from southern US?

I think that is exactly my point. It doesn't make sense to have a human rights museum.

Originally Posted by rrskylar

The whole notion that human rights could somehow be encapsulated in a museum was/is pretty far fetched to begin with!

Bingo. Winnipeg needs subsidized housing and a casino more. Hmmm ... just had an idea.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by suburbia

This article pulls no punches in talking about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This is worth a full read:
http://www.thewhig.com/2014/12/17/column-museum-doesnt-deliver-equally



... and that's just the beginning. Click the link for the full deal:
http://www.thewhig.com/2014/12/17/column-museum-doesnt-deliver-equally

And this author, Dr. Lubomyr Luciak is no slouch. He holds the rank of Full Professor at Canada's Royal Military College:
http://www.rmcc.forces.gc.ca/aca/ps-sp/per/luciuk-l-eng.php

Well written, funny and true. The CMHR is just another reason for the ROC to laugh at Winnipeg.