Winnipeg museums to receive $20 million in provincial funding

The province has announced two Winnipeg museums will each receive $10 million as it strengthens support for Manitoba heritage organizations.

Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox and Municipal Relations Minister Jeff Wharton made the announcement Tuesday at the Royal Aviation Museum on Ferry Road.

“We have heard a strong call for greater investment from our heritage organizations across Manitoba,” Cox said.

“We are pleased to announce support for two Winnipeg institutions, which will help them attract visitors to the province and grow our economy, and we’re also pleased to create a new partnership to provide stable, long-term funding for Manitoba’s museums and archives for many years to come.”

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The province will contribute $8.75 million this year to the Royal Aviation Museum as part of its $45-million project on Winnipeg Airport Authority property, with another $1.25 million available next year if private donation targets are met.

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The aviation museum is set to break ground on their new location next spring with an expected opening date of late 2019.

“We’re excited to be moving forward on this state-of-the-art project that will mean so much to this community,” Ross Robinson, co-chair of the aviation museum capital campaign said. “We’re also proud that our new building will be a signature attraction in our community and we are helping ensure Manitobans and tourists alike will have access to a unique part of Canada’s aviation story.”

The Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery will also receive $10 million, to be paid out over five years. The centre at the WAG is a proposed $65-million programming hub celebrating Inuit art and Indigenous cultures through exhibitions, research and education, and house studio art and learning programs for students including marginalized youth.

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The new Heritage Trust program, also announced Tuesday, will create an incentive for Manitoba communities to set up endowment funds to support heritage projects, with the province kicking in $1 for every $2 raised privately. The program will be administered through The Winnipeg Foundation.

“This new initiative is an exciting breakthrough because endowments provide sustainable funding that can be counted upon year after year,” Rick Frost, chief executive officer of The Winnipeg Foundation said.

“The Heritage Trust program provides a unique opportunity for those wishing to support the preservation of Manitoba’s rich history.”

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Manitoba has nearly 200 museums and 36 archives, about 75 per cent of which are located in rural areas. 175 of them have charitable status.