The province is looking to give the New Brunswick Museum’s board more control over finding its new home.
Proposed changes to the New Brunswick Museum Act introduced in the legislature on Tuesday would allow the museum’s board of directors to manage the design and construction of the new facility.
Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace said they want to ensure the museum is the gem it should be.
“Empowering the board of directors of the New Brunswick Museum to manage the design and construction of the museum’s future home is the right decision,” said Scott-Wallace. “It ensures the new museum meets the institution’s needs and opens more opportunities for the public to participate in the project.”
Scott-Wallace said a functional plan for the museum has been developed over the past year.
“The board will take from that. They will have their conversations and most likely hire a project manager. They will come to the government with their proposal. They do have a couple of options before them which they will consider and decide which course to take,” Scott-Wallace said.
No deadline has been set, according to the minister.
“It’s the proper place for this project to be in the hands of the board members and the community which has so much interest in this project happening in the city,” Scott-Wallace said.
Once the board comes back with a proposal, the government will take the next step to secure provincial and federal dollars to “make it happen,” she said.
The museum’s exhibition centre located in Market Square in Saint John recently closed its doors for good.
An interim centre being prepared on Lancaster Avenue to house the museum’s collections and research activities while a permanent facility is constructed will open by appointment next year.
Meanwhile, a New Brunswick Museum boutique will open its doors in Saint John’s Brunswick Square on Saturday.
“The uptown boutique is very important. We spent the summer at the Area 506 Waterfront Container Village and the response was incredible,” said Scott-Wallace.
The minister was asked if consideration was ever given to moving the museum out of Saint John.
“I can honestly say I have never entertained as minister the option of moving this museum out of Saint John,” Scott-Wallace said.
While it is the New Brunswick Museum, Scott-Wallace noted “its home is in Saint John.”
“We know that this is going to be an incredible facility that celebrates the culture and the natural history of our province and it’s something we can all be excited about,” she said.
Kathryn Hamer, chair of the museum’s board of directors, said they will review the proposed legislation to get a better understanding on its significance for the process of designing and building a new home.
“We share the goal of creating a transformational space in which to house the museum’s impressive collections, while supporting the dedicated staff in their ongoing commitment to the research and conservation that ensure preservation of New Brunswick’s heritage while sharing it with the world,” Hamer said in a government news release.
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