Winnipeg | Canadian Museum for Human Rights

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

You think reviews on Trip Advisor are from real visitors and tourists!

I think I'm a real person.

[Urban recluse]

I'm sure you touch yourself enough to know huh? Kidding. No mom not. Yes I am.

[jmt18325]

Full disclosure - I haven't gone to the CMHR yet, so no review of that from me. I don't have almost 100 reviews to my name though.

[Hardhatdan]

I went... inside to the lobby. The content of the actual mesuem to me was not enough for me to pay the fee to go up.
I actually went because it's truly a feat of engineering and construction. That was far more interesting to me than then the content.
As a building externally it's iconic and a landmark until you get close and then is quite, I dunno, insular? You can't interact with it except go to the door, sloped grass hills that should be inviting are fenced off.
The rest of the forks is much much better for someone who can't appreciate just what it took to build this.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Hardhatdan

I went... inside to the lobby. The content of the actual mesuem to me was not enough for me to pay the fee to go up.
I actually went because it's truly a feat of engineering and construction. That was far more interesting to me than then the content.
As a building externally it's iconic and a landmark until you get close and then is quite, I dunno, insular? You can't interact with it except go to the door, sloped grass hills that should be inviting are fenced off.
The rest of the forks is much much better for someone who can't appreciate just what it took to build this.

I've thought it is quite fortress like and univiting which considering what the buildings function is seems counter intuitive.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by EastK

Give it 20 years and maybe we can turn that beautiful building into a science museum or something like that. As good as the message is, who really wants to go learn about human rights more than once at a museum with no artifacts..... "Hey kids want to go learn about human rights again"? "But Dad we were there 2 months ago"!

My idea, the Canadian Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, would ahve been packed to the hilt, as the Tragically Hip concert would have played on the jumbo-tron. IN fact, there would have been an entire section devoted to the history of the Tragically Hip, running for a month straight.

Let's make this happen, people!

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

You and I, and the rest of Winnipeg's population. The City and Government of Manitoba are paying for most of it. In other words, we're paying for it. That's not vision, that's corporate welfare.

Huh?!? It's a national museum. It's not a corporation. Museums are public institutions funded by governments. If you don't like this particular one, don't go. Enough whining and complaining about it.

Personally, I think the content was not bad in parts and the building itself well worth seeing. I recently took visiting family from rural Alberta -- They were keen to go, it was not my idea. They described it as "awesome" after visiting. Seems to me that your major complaint is that the museum is paid for by the public purse and the content is not interesting to you. This could describe any national museum. There is nothing unusual going on here. Time to let it go.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Huh?!? It's a national museum. It's not a corporation. Museums are public institutions funded by governments. If you don't like this particular one, don't go. Enough whining and complaining about it.

Personally, I think the content was not bad in parts and the building itself well worth seeing. I recently took visiting family from rural Alberta -- They were keen to go, it was not my idea. They described it as "awesome" after visiting. Seems to me that your major complaint is that the museum is paid for by the public purse and the content is not interesting to you. This could describe any national museum. There is nothing unusual going on here. Time to let it go.

These are winnipegers. And they will Always find a reason to —. Just look at TNS. Mad at Chipman for spending his own money. These people are never happy.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

My idea, the Canadian Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, would ahve been packed to the hilt, as the Tragically Hip concert would have played on the jumbo-tron. IN fact, there would have been an entire section devoted to the history of the Tragically Hip, running for a month straight.

Let's make this happen, people!

You can't be serious

[robertocarlos]

Originally Posted by esquire

You can't be serious

There is a comment on the CBC that the Tragically Hip's lyrics should be required reading for Canadians. After mid-term exams for TH101 the kids can all be bused to the museum and see the TH section.
Change the words to Oh Canada to include 'Gord'.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

I've thought it is quite fortress like and univiting which considering what the buildings function is seems counter intuitive.

That's actually the exact point of the design. It's supposed to feel dark and closed-in in the beginning, because that's how human rights violations make people feel. As you go through the exhibits the content gets more positive and the building begins to open up and get brighter, culminating in the tower.

If you just go to the lobby, and not even into the museum part (the main purpose of that building), then yeah, you're not going to get the whole experience and make unfair judgments.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by esquire

You can't be serious

Sadly, I think he is serious. But he can't be taken seriously.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Huh?!? It's a national museum. It's not a corporation. Museums are public institutions funded by governments. If you don't like this particular one, don't go. Enough whining and complaining about it.

Personally, I think the content was not bad in parts and the building itself well worth seeing. I recently took visiting family from rural Alberta -- They were keen to go, it was not my idea. They described it as "awesome" after visiting. Seems to me that your major complaint is that the museum is paid for by the public purse and the content is not interesting to you. This could describe any national museum. There is nothing unusual going on here. Time to let it go.

You're exactly right. And the thing is, this national museum cost the public purse a lot less because a significant part of it was paid by private donations. You can't say that about any of the other ones.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

These are winnipegers. And they will Always find a reason to —. Just look at TNS. Mad at Chipman for spending his own money. These people are never happy.

This was ALWAYS the typical playbook manoever, for anyone who supported the Human Rights Museum. "Whoever is opposed to the CMHR must be a NIMBY who stands in the way of the progress of this city..."

Yet, the CMHR turned out exactly as I had predicted in 2009. Architecturally, it looks fantastic. It really adds to the skyline of the city. However, nobody can rationally justify spending nearly $500 million in public funding on a Museum that has been more divisive, rather than to unite people.

I completely support True North, since the Jets are part of the identity of this city, put Winnipeg on the map, more than perhaps anything else, and provide entertainment for it's citizens. Ditto with rapid transit, although I wish they would have spend more public money, and done the initial route correctly.

I think the people that support the Museum tend to marvel at it's appearance, and ignore the fact that the content of the museum is hollow, does not necessarily achieve it's purpose, and leaves much to be desired. Ironically, they have always written off people being critical of their precious Museum, as "anti-Semitic" and "negative about everything."

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

There is a comment on the CBC that the Tragically Hip's lyrics should be required reading for Canadians. After mid-term exams for TH101 the kids can all be bused to the museum and see the TH section.
Change the words to Oh Canada to include 'Gord'.

I've also read some comments by people who grew up listening to the Tragically Hip learning more about Canadian history through their lyrics and songs, than an actual history courses in High School. People underestimate the power of music to unite people. Not sure what your view of the WSO and RWB are, but it seems ironic that it's usually the same people who tend to support those cultural institutions, tend to be the ones who ridicule and oppose a Rock & Roll Museum. Like it or not, the vast majority of Canadians embraced the concert last night, as it really was the end of an era for Canadian culture. Look no further than social media, or the guy on the street. The fact that you would mock a guy with cancer, who has done so much for Canadian cultural identity and performing with such dignity, leads me to believe that you are out of touch with the community.

PS....It's "O Canada."

[jmt18325]

The museum hasn't been divisive at all - that's something made up by people who don't like it.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

The museum hasn't been divisive at all - that's something made up by people who don't like it.

Not divisive at all. Just ask people associated with Winnipeg's Ukrainian, LGBT, German, Palestinian, or Armenian communities. It's not at all like there is an abundance of reference to problems with content in relation with said communities, in the media for the past decade.

*drops mic and walks away*

[jmt18325]

The museum hasn't stirred up any noteworthy controversy since it opened. Leave the mic on the floor.

[Tacheguy]

Controversy is part of the dna of the cmhr. Controversy in the sense of civilized conversations about complex issues. The world needs more of that type of peaceful discourse today. As an example I look at the discussions around the use or non-use of the term genocide as it pertains to residnial school history. A tribe called Red cancelled their performance at the opening event over that issue, yet Buffie performed and thought the museum spoke well to the issue.bruce Cockburn performed, but then challenged Winnipeggers to remember where their drinking water comes from.

More people know about Holodimor (sp) than ever due in part to the heated debates around exhibit size and location. I know people who have been quite impacted by that exhibit.

So this museum is a living thing that is basically a platform for discussion, debate and education. If there were no controversies about its programming or exhibits I would be one of the first to call for its termination.

Oh, I like the Hip too

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

Controversy is part of the dna of the cmhr. Controversy in the sense of civilized conversations about complex issues. The world needs more of that type of peaceful discourse today. As an example I look at the discussions around the use or non-use of the term genocide as it pertains to residnial school history. A tribe called Red cancelled their performance at the opening event over that issue, yet Buffie performed and thought the museum spoke well to the issue.bruce Cockburn performed, but then challenged Winnipeggers to remember where their drinking water comes from.

More people know about Holodimor (sp) than ever due in part to the heated debates around exhibit size and location. I know people who have been quite impacted by that exhibit.

So this museum is a living thing that is basically a platform for discussion, debate and education. If there were no controversies about its programming or exhibits I would be one of the first to call for its termination.

Oh, I like the Hip too

Well said.

Speaking of the Hip. Gord Downie had made reference to the conditions of the north (arctic I assume),during the encore, after he acknowledged Justin Trudeau in the audience. I thought that was interesting.