Good afternoon.
My name is Blake Forbes, and I'm the director of finance and operations of the Manitoba Museum. Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today.
Located in Winnipeg, the Manitoba Museum encompasses three distinct program areas--a museum, science centre, and planetarium--all within the one facility. This combination of disciplines provides us with a tremendous opportunity to contribute to the richness of our community and quality of life through our multi-dimensional interpretation of human and natural history themes, science and astronomy education, and programs.
Museums are an essential part of the quality of life in Canada and are accessed by millions of visitors annually. They provide a source of inspiration and knowledge creation that develops strong, vibrant, and sustainable cities and communities and expands our awareness of the world. Museums preserve our collective memory through protection of collections, and in so doing have an obligation to create and share knowledge, furthering lifelong learning and appreciation for our heritage and for our diverse and multicultural society.
Science centres, we feel, are also essential to Canadians in providing hands-on discovery experiences and in engaging Canadians in science and technology. These experiences will exist to create a climate of innovation and discovery that is essential in supporting Canadians to become the critical thinkers needed to be able to tackle the challenges of today and foresee the challenges of tomorrow.
The Manitoba Museum is a member of both the Canadian Museums Association and the Canadian Association of Science Centres, and respectfully recommends to the committee that it consider six recommendations to both enhance the ability of museums and science centres to participate in existing tax and private giving incentives, and to introduce new programs and incentives.
We urge the federal government to develop and launch a new museums policy to establish museums as community centres of learning and connection with predictable multi-year funding commitments for the development and implementation of new programs. A new museums policy would help refocus and rebuild the capacity of Canada's museums, providing access to the tools necessary to engage Canadians, properly preserve our national heritage, and ensure access for future generations.
The museums assistance program, the central project funding program for museums across Canada, has been greatly reduced and now provides only short-term project funding limiting, or at least placing at risk, the commencement of any long-term projects like the development of new national travelling exhibits, which normally require multi-year development. The museums assistance program needs to be revitalized through increased funding beyond the 1972 funding level it currently operates at to expand the interpretation of and access to our collections by Canadians both now and for the future.
The Canadian Association of Science Centres has a membership of over 40 organizations spanning Canada, which have the expertise and experience in getting Canadians excited about science and technology. However, there remains no national program to support the network of science centres in Canada. We support the association's call for an investment of $40 million annually over the next five years to ensure that Canada's communities have the resources to celebrate our successes in science, to inspire Canadians to think differently, and to enable Canada to meet the complex changes facing our world.
In addition, we recommend the introduction of a new science and technology learning tax credit, similar to the fitness tax credit, as an incentive for Canadians to access innovative learning opportunities through science centre memberships and/or enrolment in science and technology programs.
Private sector partnerships with existing science centres are evidenced by the development of “named” science centres. Additional tax incentives should be created to expand private sector partnerships involving individual interactive learning projects in support of Canada's science and technology strategy. We believe this will increase the number of people pursuing education and meaningful careers in science and technology in Canada.
Finally, to benefit both science centres and museums, incentives to create endowments and foundations should be established to attract donations, as has already been established for performing arts organizations. These donations provide funding and support the acquisition of artifacts, research and development of exhibits and interactive tools, and allow us to acquire technologies to permit and expand access by Canadians to their past, present, and future. A program to provide matching federal funding for specified donations will enhance and improve the effective program offering and promote access to museums and science centres, demonstrating the government's commitment to and valuing of these centres of learning.
Thank you.