The Kitimat Museum and Archives presented their Strategic Plan for 2020 to 2030, with a new building at the forefront.
Sheila McInnis, board chair and Louise Avery, executive director presented the plan to Kitimat council on Dec. 6.
“The building is ageing, and water enters the interior every winter at both second-floor doors, and the air handling unit, after 52 years of service is on its last fix as of Feb. 2021,” McInnis told council.
The new building will also have a new partner. On Apr. 27, 2021, The Haisla Nation council voted unanimously to explore the opportunity for a shared facility. Currently, the Haisla Nation is in the process of identifying cultural belongings in collections around the world with the goal of bringing them back home to Haisla territory.
A new facility would feature both the Haisla heritage collection and the community and natural history of the area.
A draft memorandum of understanding between the museum and the Haisla Nation council will soon be reviewed by the Haisla Language and Culture Authority.
Representatives with the museum asked council to help market the plans for the new facility by posting a link on their website and social media to a page that is being created.
“We are creating a landing page and we will have the documents there available for people to review, then we’ll have an opportunity for them to state their comments and concerns,” said Avery.
The museum has also made the same request to the Haisla Nation council hoping for assistance in getting the word out.
The Haisla Nation council has also expressed their own support and hope that the new facility will be built.
“We fully support the efforts of the museum, everything that they’ve been working towards,” said Haisla Nation council Deputy Chief Councillor Arthur Renwick.
“We’re looking forward to forming some type of partnership in the future, we’re crossing our fingers that it would also include a possible site for a new museum to be built.”
Kitimat council did pass a motion to place the link to the report on their website.
A feasibility study will also be carried out for the new facility. Council’s motion that was passed also included a request for $6,300 that would go towards the feasibility study. The request for additional funding will be considered during council’s budget talks.