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Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Irvings donate $3M to new N.B. Museum
The New Brunswick Museum is launching a $36 million capital campaign for its revitalization project, starting with a $3 million donation from J.D. Irving, Ltd. The museum unveiled the campaign, titled 'Making History Now,' on Thursday as part of the $141.5 million project to improve the existing museum building on Douglas Avenue and expand it into 'a renewed, world-class provincial museum.' The campaign will be chaired by J.D. Irving co-CEO Jim Irving, according to a press release from the museum. 'We're really excited today to be launching the capital campaign,' Tracy Clinch, chair of the New Brunswick Museum board, told Brunswick News by phone Tuesday. She said the 'quiet phase' of the campaign began after the official groundbreaking last August, including discussions with donors, development of marketing, and assembling the 'campaign cabinet.' Funding for the project, building on the site of the existing 1934 facility on Douglas Avenue, was announced in March 2024 and includes $58 million from the provincial government and $49.9 million from the federal government. The campaign will cover the gap between government funding and the 'finished product,' Clinch said. She said the 'revised timeline' includes a planned opening in 2028, with construction work expected to wrap by the fourth quarter of 2027 or first quarter of 2028. Last August, Brunswick News reported it was planned to open in 2027. Construction has begun, Clinch said, with the fencing up, the first set of tenders are out and the next set 'ready to go,' Clinch said. She said the project remains on budget. Clinch said the capital campaign has been meeting with 'prospective major donors,' as well as possible partners for the museum project. She said the campaign is 'well over halfway there' already, with additional names to be announced 'in the coming weeks.' 'There are lots of opportunities for donations, for volunteering, for contributing in-kind materials, we have a number of ways that everyone can get involved in the campaign,' she said. The 'capital campaign cabinet' is chaired by Irving, and includes museum COO Brent Suttie, Clinch (who is CEO of Moncton-based Masitek Instruments Inc.), fellow museum board member Wayne Power, John McAvity of the museum foundation, Aldéa Landry, president of Moncton's Landal, Inc., Joel Richardson, vice-president of public relations for Saint John-based Cooke, Inc., Andy Carson, vice-president, government relations for JDI, Sonia Van Roestel, director of marketing for Kent Building Supplies, which is a division of JDI. Irving was not available Tuesday for an interview, according to JDI spokesperson Anne McInerney. In the press release, he is quoted as saying the museum project 'will inspire new generations of New Brunswickers, giving them a chance to learn more about our province's history and its importance to the rest of the country.' JDI has contributed a 'transformative $3 million lead gift,' according to the release. Clinch said she's 'thrilled' to have Irving as the campaign chair. 'The Irving family have been tremendous supporters of the museum over the years in its various locations,' she said. 'His business acumen and his wide-reaching network are assets to the campaign cabinet, but just generally he's been such an unbelievable supporter and such a great person to work with.' The museum had been located in Market Square until the location closed, with a research centre opening on Lancaster Avenue in 2023. A new museum went through 'more than 20 iterations' over the years through various boards, Clinch said, including a $100 million project on the Saint John waterfront which was cancelled by then-premier Blaine Higgs and the Progressive Conservatives after taking office in 2018. When asked what support, if any, the Irvings offered during the transition and search for a new location, Clinch said that selection of the location took place before any discussions around the capital campaign. She said the Irving family has been a 'supporter for having a New Brunswick museum' and cultural hub for the province. The project involves preserving the existing museum facades and adding new wings designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, with 'state-of-the-art exhibition galleries, discovery centres, research and teaching laboratories, a public auditorium, Indigenous engagement spaces, and a rooftop terrace,' according to the press release. 'We have a very rich cultural history, and the stories that need to be told ... are going to be represented in the museum,' Clinch said. 'We really hope and feel ... that everyone will see themselves in this museum. It's an inclusive space that is intended to be a teaching and learning museum as well as a working museum.' She said the building will be a 'lasting legacy for the entire province' intended to last 100 years. She said that offers an opportunity for families, industry leaders, artists, cultural figures and others. 'There are a number of cultural figures, there is a large population who have a piece of the story that's going to be in the museum,' she said. 'To be able to put your name to that legacy is I think a very important offering ... that the museum has to give to potential donors.' She said she's a 'relative newcomer' to the museum board and that the project owes much to previous boards, past chair Kathryn Hamer, Suttie and 'many many people over the years.' She said it's 'extremely rewarding' to see the satisfaction of those working in the museum with the new facility. 'You can't even imagine it, there have been people literally working 30 years on this,' she said. 'Seeing it come to fruition is a bit of culmination of all their hard work ... it's a really moving time.' More information on the campaign, including how to make a donation, is available at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Opening of revamped New Brunswick Museum delayed to 2028
A rendering of the New Brunswick Museum's expanded collections and exhibition centre on Douglas Avenue in Saint John, which was originally scheduled to open in 2026. (Rendering by PLAY-TIME, Courtesy of Diamond Schmitt) People eager to check out the revamped New Brunswick Museum in Saint John will have to wait even longer than originally expected. The building, which was slated to launch at 277 Douglas Ave. in 2027, is now aiming for a 2028 opening date. 'Getting all those pieces in place since the sod turning took longer than expected, but we anticipate a late 2027, early 2028 building completion, and the opening in 2028 when the exhibits and everything are finished,' said Tracy Clinch, chair of the New Brunswick Museum Board of Directors. The Museum originally had a goal of opening the new building to the public in 2026. The Museum's extensive exhibit collection has been shut off from the public since it closed its exhibition space at Market Square in Saint John in 2020. It later left Market Square in 2022. 'We're very hopeful to be able to bring things that haven't been on display in decades, or in some case, never on display ever,' said Brent Suttie, chief operating officer of the Museum. 'They should be able to see that when they come visit us in mid-2028.' According to the Museum's website, it has 300,000 artifacts and 300,000 digital media assets. The Museum broke ground for its revitalization project at Douglas Avenue last August, seeking to update and restore its 90-year-old building. The project aims to expand the structure to nearly 165,000 square feet, making room for exhibition galleries, a public auditorium, a rooftop terrace, discovery centres, Indigenous engagement spaces, and research and teaching laboratories. The work will also demolish five neighbouring buildings. Earlier this week, the Museum launched the 'Making History Now' capital campaign, seeking to raise $35 million by 2027. 'What we're fundraising for, essentially, is all the great things that are going to be on display inside the building,' Clinch said. The New Brunswick government has given $58 million to the Museum while the federal government has offered $49.9 million. NB Museum A rendering of the New Brunswick Museum's expanded collections and exhibition centre on Douglas Avenue in Saint John, originally scheduled to open in 2026. (Rendering by PLAY-TIME, Courtesy of Diamond Schmitt) For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
New Brunswick Museum hoping to raise $35M by 2027
The New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, N.B., on Aug. 26, 2024. (Nick Moore/CTV) The New Brunswick Museum is aiming to raise $35 million in the next two years to support its new facility in Saint John. The Museum, which broke ground for the next phase of its revitalization project last August, recently launched the 'Making History Now' capital campaign, which seeks to raise $35 million by 2027. Jim Irving, co-CEO of J.D. Irving, Limited, will chair the campaign's cabinet. His company gave $3 million to the Museum as a 'lead gift,' according to a news release. 'A new, world-class New Brunswick Museum will inspire new generations of New Brunswickers, giving them a chance to learn more about our province's history and its importance to the rest of the country,' Irving said in the release. The revitalization project will update the 90-year-old building at 277 Douglas Ave. in Saint John. The work, which will expand the property to nearly 165,000 square feet, is expected to be complete by 2027. 'The new museum will feature state-of-the-art exhibition galleries, discovery centres, research and teaching laboratories, a public auditorium, Indigenous engagement spaces, and a rooftop terrace,' the release says. The Museum previously said the provincial government was spending $58 million on the project while the federal government is pitching in $49.9 million. The Museum left its previous home in Market Square after its exhibition space closed in October 2020. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
