What new museums would you like to see in Canada?

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by esquire

$$$. The museum's single biggest proponents, the Asper family, is from here.

Sure. But there's no need for feds to fund that museum or donate to their collection. Just because a local billionaire has $$$ to throw around doesn't mean the federal government should toss aside any national effort on cultural promotion.

[canucklehead2]

Canadian Centre for Cannabis Culture! ;-) Seriously though we are the first nation to mainstream normalize the plant in any meaningful way. If that doesn't deserve a museum I dunno what does!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Sure. But there's no need for feds to fund that museum or donate to their collection. Just because a local billionaire has $$$ to throw around doesn't mean the federal government should toss aside any national effort on cultural promotion.

Clearly Ottawa liked the idea of a museum dedicated to human rights. And this was the best chance to get one done... it was going to happen either way.

What else should they have done, refused to provide support on the grounds that such a museum should be in the National Capital Region? What purpose would that serve?

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by esquire

What else should they have done, refused to provide support on the grounds that such a museum should be in the National Capital Region? What purpose would that serve?

Yes. I'm not a fan of letting billionaires randomly decide cultural policy. The Aspers are free to still build a museum. But if they want it to be national museum with federal support, the feds should insist on it being in Ottawa.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by canucklehead2

Canadian Centre for Cannabis Culture! ;-) Seriously though we are the first nation to mainstream normalize the plant in any meaningful way. If that doesn't deserve a museum I dunno what does!

Ever been to Amsterdam?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Yes. I'm not a fan of letting billionaires randomly decide cultural policy. The Aspers are free to still build a museum. But if they want it to be national museum with federal support, the feds should insist on it being in Ottawa.

Was something preventing the federal government from building a human rights museum in Ottawa? Or did the Aspers have photos of Stephen Harper in a compromising position?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by esquire

Was something preventing the federal government from building a human rights museum in Ottawa? Or did the Aspers have photos of Stephen Harper in a compromising position?

AFAIK, Ottawa was never considered as a site for an HR Museum.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Disagree. Locating national museums outside the capital reduces exposure and education. It really doesn't do much for the host while its loss cheapens the capital. Compare Ottawa to DC, London or Paris, etc. What is amazing in those cities are those national museums.

What exactly does having the Museum of Human Rights do for Winnipeg, other than scratch that itch on the pathological hatred of Ottawa? Meanwhile, does it actually educate the public on human rights?

I would have argued that Winnipeg should host the Aviation museum because of its unique history as the home of the RCAF. But having a Museum of Human Rights there makes little sense.

I disagree that having federal museums outside of the NCR is a bad thing. I've been to the museum in Winnipeg and really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I've been to all of the ones in Ottawa and Gatineau. Canada is a very decentralized country so that should also be reflected in our institutions. I'm not suggesting to move every federal museum out of the NCR but there should be some in other parts of the country.

I work a job that was at one time only done in the NCR. Decisions were made to have offices in other cities and now productivity and service have improved drastically as better talent can be found.

As for museums that I would like to see:

My favourite federally funded museum is the Canadian Museum of Nature. But I would like one that focuses exclusively on Indigenous cultures in Canada on both the past and present. Maybe having 4 or 5 locations in different parts of Canada.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I disagree that having federal museums outside of the NCR is a bad thing. I've been to the museum in Winnipeg and really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I've been to all of the ones in Ottawa and Gatineau. Canada is a very decentralized country so that should also be reflected in our institutions. I'm not suggesting to move every federal museum out of the NCR but there should be some in other parts of the country.

I work a job that was at one time only done in the NCR. Decisions were made to have offices in other cities and now productivity and service have improved drastically as better talent can be found.

There's a difference between where jobs are located and where museums are located. I'm going to guess your day job isn't public facing or endowed with a cultural or educational mandate.

Also, the placement should be considered in a broader context rather than just, "Local billionaire is going to fund something." Because if that's going to be the defence, guessing you won't have complaints when all our federal museums end in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

[WhipperSnapper]

A billionaire choosing the site of a Federal museum is not the same as having all museums in Ottawa in a country as sprawling as ours. Quebec has been a massive favourite for every federally funded initiative under the current administration. (up from Quebec/Ontario being favourites with other adminstrations) Leaving it to Ottawa to decide when and where isn't much better than leaving it to a billionaire.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

A billionaire choosing the site of a Federal museum is not the same as having all museums in Ottawa in a country as sprawling as ours. Quebec has been a massive favourite for every federally funded initiative under the current administration. (up from Quebec/Ontario being favourites with other adminstrations) Leaving it to Ottawa to decide when and where isn't much better than leaving it to a billionaire.

We could get a lot of stuff for the 5 billion dollars they spent on Trans Mountain, no?

[megadude]

Just remembered there’s a museum thread. Quoting a couple posts from the small towns thread.

I like when there’s a seemingly random piece of equipment that you just happen upon. There’s a single vehicle that is a proper museum and sometimes it’s just a display piece. The latter I am more interested in. Like how did they procure that in the first place?

Any examples of single piece displays or museums for rail or military?

Some examples:

Milton – Next to City Hall. Good for photo ops because you can sit in it. Old howitzer.



Mississauga, near YYZ



In Dundas (Hamilton)



Hamilton


Port Burwell on Lake Erie



At Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton (Hamilton area)

Originally Posted by megadude

And by the way, there's a serious number of rail museums and military museums in small towns that I’ve only started to really notice in the past couple of years. Cities too, of course. Well, a museum or at least one engine/coach or sub/warship or tank or fighter jet, etc.

The obvious ones are Downsview in North York or in Ancaster, Hamilton and the Ottawa one for air museums but there's a tonne more like random single fighter jets that can be seen in whatever town.

Two of the bigger ones that will have a lot of mechanized armour would be the ones in Angus by CFB Borden and in Oshawa.

Then there's Fort York in Toronto, Fort George in Niagara and Fort Henry in Kingston for historic fortifications with re-enactments.

There's a rail/bus musuem in Halton Hills I've been to a couple of times that is pretty cool.

There's many more I'm missing. No time right now to go searching for pics. Gotta wake up early tomorrow. I'm off to bed.

If anyone can name some bigger rail or military museums outside of Ontario, please feel free to chime in. I'm sure Halifax has to have something related to the Navy? It would be cool to see a blog of someone who goes to visit them all.

Originally Posted by Loco101

Exporail in St-Constant QC is probably the largest railway museum in Canada. I went a few years ago and loved it. It is South of Montreal. https://exporail.org/en/home/ You are probably best to go in Summer because there are outdoor exhibits and demonstrations but the indoor stuff is great.

I know that Revelstoke BC has a pretty good one but I never got a chance to visit it even though I was there fairly recently. But it's something I can look forward to going to the next time I'm there.