Moving the Maritime Museum of B.C. to the CPR Steamship Terminal makes a lot of sense, but it also takes a lot of dollars, which puts the museum in danger of being shuffled off into storage and forgotten. That would be a regrettable loss.
The museum was housed in the historic courthouse building in Bastion Square for nearly 50 years before being told by the provincial government last year that it would have to leave. The building was deemed unsafe and in need of repairs.
The CPR Steamship Terminal, itself a significant component of the region鈥檚 maritime history, was a natural choice as the museum鈥檚 new home, and something we have advocated for years.
With eviction notice in hand, the museum society took out an option to lease the space in the newly renovated Steamship Terminal. While the space available is less than what the museum had in the old courthouse, the location more than compensates. It could have been an opportunity for the MMBC to take a big step ahead as a more visible and accessible waterfront attraction.
Last week, the B.C. government announced that the museum and the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, the chief tenant of the provincially owned Steamship Terminal, had failed to reach an agreement after nine months of talks. The GVHA needed more money than the museum society could provide, and the province has been unwilling to cover the difference.
The museum board met Tuesday and came up with a short-term plan for a downtown storefront location as headquarters and a place for some of the smaller exhibits, research elements and core books from the library. It鈥檚 a makeshift, unsatisfactory solution, but the museum society has few choices.
This isn鈥檛 a loss only to the museum society, it鈥檚 a loss for the capital region, for tourists and for all British Columbians. The MMBC is not a regional or niche museum 鈥� we are all tied to the sea. Maritime activity has always been fundamental to B.C., going back thousands of years.
Long before European explorers 鈥渄iscovered鈥� the B.C. coast, First Nations people were expertly navigating the coastal waters and living well off the ocean鈥檚 bounty. Those chapters are captured wonderfully by the Royal B.C. Museum, but without the Maritime Museum, we would be woefully lacking in detailed coverage of the exploration and colonial eras of the province鈥檚 development as they relate to the sea. We need a 91原创 museum to complement the provincially funded Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax.
The MMBC鈥檚 rich trove of artifacts and documents won鈥檛 mean much if it is not accessible. A museum is not a warehouse for old things 鈥� it鈥檚 a living entity that interprets, explains, educates and deepens understanding. It needs enough space and the right kind of space to do those things.
The museum society is not the owner of the MMBC鈥檚 collections, it is the steward. The materials belong to the people of B.C., and the people, through the government, should acknowledge that ownership.
The Royal B.C. Museum has always been a willing and helpful friend to the MMBC. The province should formalize that relationship by bringing the Maritime Museum under the RBCM鈥檚 umbrella, with the appropriate funding. The province has been of some assistance, having waived the rent for the courthouse building, and it is providing storage and some bridge financing for the MMBC, but permanent solutions are needed.
The Maritime Museum faces a difficult future. Without a suitable and permanent home, it will be hampered in its fundraising efforts. Without a visible presence, it will too easily be out of sight, out of mind.
