City of Powell River officials are investigating the possibility of relocating Powell River Historical Museum and Archives to the former Catalyst Paper Corporation administration building in Townsite.
Mayor Dave Formosa broached the idea at the November 15 committee-of-the-whole meeting. Lee Coulter, president of the museum association, also attended the meeting.
Formosa said he had the idea after attending the museum’s 50th anniversary celebration recently. He called Coulter and asked him if there would be an interest in relocating the museum to the first floor of the administration building.
The city is expected to assume ownership of the building, one of the provisions in an agreement-in-principle between it and Catalyst. The details are part of a subdivision of Catalyst lands that is still underway.
Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation has a number of artifacts that could be displayed, Formosa also said. As well, the museum would add another attraction to Townsite’s growing tourism profile. “It just would work so great,” he said. “It would just be something that we could really throw ourselves at; we have that asset.”
The museum moved into the Centennial Building, across from Willingdon Beach, in 1967. Eventually, it moved to an adjacent building, which had been built as a youth centre in 1971, while the archives stayed in the Centennial Building.
The museum needs a new building with a lot more space, Coulter said, as well as proper humidity and temperature controls. “I’m quite excited about this opportunity,” he said. “My board has given initial approval to explore this. The reality in this city, of course, is a new museum building is in a queue somewhere behind the library and firehall.”
There are a few provisos, Coulter added, including the need to involve Tla’amin. Museum representatives have a relationship with Tla’amin and a foundation to build on, he said. However, if the project proceeded, there should be a discussion between mayor and council and chief and council about the project, he added. As well, Coulter said, Powell River Forestry Museum should be involved.
Mac Fraser, chief administrative officer, said the next step should be scoping the project, to see if the building would work and if there were any show stoppers. “I would appoint an appropriate staff member to work with the portfolio holder,” he said. “I think there are synergies here at play, but we need to ensure who’s in and to what extent.”
Fraser suggested council direct the portfolio holder, Councillor Myrna Leishman, and a staff member to work toward developing the concept and report back to the committee. “I think it’s exciting that we’re talking about making use of that building,” he said.
Councillor Chris McNaughton pointed out that costs would have to be part of the discussion. He also suggested that Powell River Regional District be invited to be part of the discussion, as the museum has a regional scope. “Up to this point in time, the regional contribution has been minimal, so I would suggest that part of direction to staff would be to engage the regional government at the onset of the conversation, so they are a part of the process.”
Formosa suggested Powell River Regional Emergency Program could be used as a model for a regional museum concept, with the regional district being the “dominant player at the table, because it is regional and we need to start regionalizing more within our community.”
The committee did provide direction to staff to proceed with the proposal.
