Former oil exec donates $500K to science centre
Funds to support new gallery focused on exploring ‘the science of Canada’s North’
A new gallery showcasing the Arctic is set to open at the Telus World of Science (TWOS) in 2022 after a $500,000 donation from former Syncrude oil executive Eric Newell and his wife, Kathy Newell.
The Newell Family Gallery will house the Arctic Exhibition, where patrons can explore the unique nature of the North through a lens of science and traditional knowledge, said TWOS president Alan Nursall in a Wednesday news release.
The Newell donation to the science centre’s Aurora Project will also support the science centre’s co-creation of programming with Alberta’s Indigenous communities, promoting an understanding of traditional knowledge and landbased teachings.
“The relationship between the Newell family and the science centre has been long and meaningful. We are so proud that Eric and Kathy have chosen to support our vision for science education in Edmonton.
“Working together, we will explore the science of Canada’s North and inspire new generations to appreciate its importance to all of Canada and the world,” said Nursall in the statement.
Eric Newell came to the helm at Syncrude in 1989, was chancellor at the University of Alberta from 2004 to 2008, and was a member of the TWOS board of directors for seven years.
“The Telus World of Science — Edmonton Aurora Project will present the circumpolar world, recognizing that the role it plays in the global scientific conversation has never been greater,” said Newell in the news release.
“Our family has a strong passion for education and youth, especially pertaining to science, technology and the history of Canada’s Indigenous communities of the North. And it’s with that, the Newell family is super excited to fund the permanent Arctic exhibition that will include educational programming targeted at Northern Indigenous communities and sharing their traditional knowledge within the science centre.”
Construction on the 20,000-square-foot expansion started July 30, with a groundbreaking that included a smudging ceremony by elder Tony Arcand of Alexander First Nation.
When the Aurora Project is completed in 2022, every gallery in the science centre will have been updated to address emerging trends in science and technology from a uniquely Albertan perspective.
TWOS is now $2 million away from reaching a fundraising target for the project, having so far raised $39.5 million from all three levels of government as well as philanthropic donations.