Feds may fund $15M for new museum

The federal government may give $15 million toward construction of the new $50-million Canadian Canoe Museum, says the chairman of the museum board.

John Ronson took office as chairman of the museum’s board of directors on Wednesday at the annual general meeting. He said that although the feds have already given the museum $1.4 million, that’s just the beginning.

That money is meant to help get the museum started on the design phase – it will help cover architects’ fees, for example.

The museum has “pre-qualified” for more grants from the federal heritage department, Ronson said.

He said it looks as though the museum is eligible to receive a total of $15 million from Ottawa.

“But the deal is, we have to match it,” he said.

That means the board has to raise $15 million - money that can come from the province, the city, the County of Peterborough or private donations.

The museum has already applied for $9 million in provincial funding; it’s not clear yet whether it will receive that much.

Ronson said city council will be asked for $4 million, and the County of Peterborough will be asked for $1 million.

The idea is to fund 57 per cent of the $50-million cost from government money (the rest would come from private donations).

Bill Morris ended his term as chairman at the annual general meeting on Wednesday. He said the groundbreaking is planned for the winter of 2018, and the museum should be open in the summer of 2021.

“But in order to have the groundbreaking, we must have 90 per cent of our money – in cash or in pledges,” Morris said.

The goal is to fundraise $22.5 million from private sources – including the sale of the eight-acre property belonging to the current museum on Monaghan Rd.

Ronson said it’s unclear exactly how much that property might be worth. They haven’t tried to sell it yet, he said – they’re waiting to build the new museum first.

Ronson also said he is “reasonably confident” the museum can raise its $50 million in time. “It’s a compelling case,” he said. ThenewCanadianCanoeMuseum will be built next to the Peterborough Lift Lock on land owned by Parks Canada.

The board selected the Irish architectural firm Heneghan Peng to design the building through an international competition. More than 90 architectural firms from around the world submitted concepts.

The chosen design calls for a onestorey, serpentine building with a massive rooftop garden.