Clockwise from top left: Former CP Depot; Parkland Building at former mental health site; Mackenzie Building; Massey Block; Heritage Brandon website; Dominion Display Building.
Let's take stock of the past few months: Expansion of Assiniboine Community College's programming at the former Brandon Mental Health Centre site continues; the conversion of the former Massey Harris Building into assisted housing is entering the home stretch; plans are afoot to convert the MacKenzie Building into housing; the launch of a Heritage Brandon website; new life for the former CP Station and seed money start renos of the Dominion Display Building.
That's not too shabby for a city that I've poo-pood on in years past about their lack of interest in their urban history.
Now it's time to add another project to the list: an urban museum !
The Brandon General Museum and Archive Inc. was created in 2007 by Brandon City Council with a mandate to "collect, conserve, study, exhibit and interpret historic and heritage materials relating to the city." Over the years the tires have been kicked on a number of possible locations but it wasn't until April 7, 2011 that a location was announced.
The museum will be located on the main floor of the former Government Telephones / Paragon Lofts Building at 19 - 9th Street. They take possession on May 1 and will have the museum open by summer. The space and timing won't permit for an archives for now.
If you want to support the project memberships are $25 and there is a fundraising dinner coming up on May 12th.
Congratulations to the board and other volunteers. This will add to a number of great museums already in the area.
I can't let this pass without hauling out an old, dead horse and administer another beating to it.
I've blogged a few times before (including here and here) about the need for a Winnipeg urban museum. With our rich history it's a shame that most of it is left to sit in boxes in a leaky building. Maybe we can learn a lesson from Brandon.
For more Brandon history stuff:
Hillman's Brandon Archive Site
Heritage Brandon
Brandon History on eBrandon
Now up: Part 2 - A look at the history of the Government Telephones Building !
5 comments:
I couldn't agree more. The Manitoba Museum is a great museum - but it's about Manitoba.
Winnipeg has an intriguing history and it would be great to spotlight it in a facility of its own. It doesn't have to be something grandiose - even a modest sized heritage building like some of the ones that are unused/underused on the northern edges of the Exchange District would be fine.
It should be noted that the Brandon museum space is temporary -- a $60K grant from the city allowed this to happen.
And I hate to be a negative nelly, but the space - while a beautiful building - is not well suited to be a museum. The large, beautiful windows that let in all that glorious natural light...will be covered with a UV film to avoid damaging the exhibits. And many archives still will not be able to be displayed, due to that reason.
It's nice to see it happen, but I have to wonder, with all the many vacant heritage buildings nearby, this one was chosen.
I agree that the space is not optimal and the person that emailed me back said that there will be no archives for now, which is too bad.
Still, I think it's a positive step. A lot of projects never get off the ground / take years longer to come about / cause ill will because they have a 'shoot for the stars' mentality right off the hop.
Sometimes a stepped approach is the best. If they can get this scale open and can demonstrate the value of such a facility they can, in turn, use it as a case to fund raise for something bigger, better and more permanent.
Did I mention there's no handicapped or seniors' entrance? "Those" people have to venture down a grimy back alley to check this place out...but hey, it's not like seniors like going to museums, right?
There's a distressing tendency in small town projects to dither and run out the clock, and then at the last minute do anything, regardless of how ill-advised, just to say you're "getting it done."
I'm fully for a museum and it's long, long overdue. But given the (appalling) surplus of vacant buildings downtown, I can't help but think this is a disservice in the long run. I would love to be proven wrong.
Congratulations Brandon!! Does anyone know what's happened to the Brandon Mental Asylum Museum and archives which used to be in the old buildings?
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