Latest news with #NewBrunswickMuseum
Hamilton Spectator
6 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
6 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
7 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.
CBC
28-06-2025
- Science
- CBC
N.B. Museum set to add 1st rare owl specimen found in the province in over 100 years
The New Brunswick Museum is set to add a rare great grey owl to its extensive bird collection in July. This owl will become the first specimen of its kind found in New Brunswick to be held at a Canadian museum in over 100 years, according to Greg Jongsma, the museum's acting curator of the zoology department. Jongsma said the department is excited for the new bird specimen. He believes this addition will be a great resource for scientific research globally, adding to their collection of 13,000 bird species, the largest in Atlantic Canada. "As sad as this is, the loss of this individual's life, this great grey owl, it's of tremendous value to the museum and the research community," said Jongsma. "Because this is one of the first specimens for New Brunswick, [and] it's certainly the first specimen from New Brunswick in any Canadian collections." The great grey owl is one of the largest owls in North America in terms of height. The bird is often found in northern areas and it usually migrates down southern latitudes when there's a lack of food supply, which are often rodents for these birds. According to Jongsma, the owl is considered a rare bird in the province because New Brunswick is too far away from these owls' natural habitat, explaining that they will often find prey closer to their habitats. The New Brunswick museum only knows of nine confirmed sightings of the bird, according to records vetted by the New Brunswick Bird Committee, an organization created in 1992 and sponsored by the museum to come up with an official bird list for the province. The committee, in collaboration with the museum, maintains the official bird list by screening and acting on reports of potential new species, ensuring accuracy. Jim Wilson, previous chair of the committee, said in an emailed statement that the owl joining the museum is considered to be the ninth great grey owl that has reached New Brunswick "for certain" in the past 125 years. According to Wilson there are two other existing specimens that were collected in the province in the late 1890s. The collectors were not recorded, so the museum has little information on how these owls were discovered, and both specimens currently reside in American museums. One can be found in the American Museum of Natural History and the other in the Field Museum in Chicago. The owl joining the New Brunswick Museum was found this past April in Lakeside near Hampton, with a hip and eye injury due to being struck by a car. The bird was put under the care of the Atlantic Wildlife Institute, who identified her as a female, and attempted to rehabilitate the owl, who was in overall good condition besides the injuries it sustained. According to the AWI director Pam Novak, joint injuries can be fatal for birds who need their leg strength to hunt like the great grey, which needs to be able to pounce over snow to catch their prey. However, due to the overall good health of the bird, the institute decided to operate. "We knew we were up against a low prognosis of this going well, but knowing she was in good condition we said 'let's give this a try,' because maybe something might be different with this particular case," said Novak. Despite the surgery being a success, the recovery of the owl wasn't. Novak explained that the owl struggled to regain strength and muscle tone in the injured leg, even with her hip joint being realigned. Taking into consideration the owl's deteriorating condition and her quality of life with an unusable leg, the institute decided to humanely euthanize the bird in June. Novak said this was a hard decision to make as they were hoping to release the owl back in the wild, and track her movement to figure out the owl's flying patterns in order to do further research on the species in the province. "It would have been really interesting to see if she can continue the story of where she came from," said Novak. "Would she go back or would she stay in this area trying to establish a territory? "Unfortunately those are questions we are not going to be able to get." However, Novak believes the owl's death wasn't in vain. She agreed with Jongsma and said that the bird's transfer to the museum would facilitate crucial research on its species for both the museum and other researchers around the world. "There's a lot that can be told from just them being able to analyze some of the tissue samples, some of the DNA ... there's a lot of opportunity for further research into the species itself," said Novak. Jongsma intends to retrieve the owl in early July. The owl will provide samples to study the owl's genetic diversity, population trends, or distributional shifts. For Jongsma the addition of the owl will not only be valuable to understand the species within a New Brunswick context but also for the scientific community overall. "It's an exciting rare occurrence to have this great grey owl specimen from New Brunswick, but it's now become a part of a larger collection that [is] greater than the sum of its parts," he said. "[It's] all together where the value really comes out for research and understanding life on our planet."
CBC
25-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
This researcher wants your help mapping Atlantic Canada's mushrooms
This researcher is fascinated with fungi and he's enlisting the public to find out more about what he calls an understudied life form. Alfredo Justo, who is currently the curator of botany and mycology at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, is leading a mission to document every mushroom species in Atlantic Canada. Justo knows it's a lofty goal — that's why he isn't doing it alone. The MycoMap Atlantic Canada Network is open to anyone living in or visiting Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. "The basic steps are quite easy if you are out there, looking for mushrooms," Justo told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. According to Justo, becoming a "community scientist" is as simple as taking a photo of a mushroom and uploading it along with a description to the project's website and spreadsheet. He will also personally accept any dried specimens found in Newfoundland and Labrador or New Brunswick and then attempt to map its DNA before housing them in the New Brunswick Museum. Mushrooms found in other provinces would be handled by other scientists involved in the project, he says. There are at least 3,000 different species of mushrooms in Atlantic Canada, Justo says, but less than 25 per cent of them have been documented. "We have a good knowledge about plants and big animals like birds or mammals, but mushrooms are very difficult to study," said Justo. "They are very tricky." Tracking DNA would help scientists figure out the exact number and types of species found in certain provinces, and where they thrive. Justo says this province's boreal forest and unique climate makes it home to mushrooms that are not typically found anywhere else. However, he says it's difficult to pinpoint the rarity of a species because of how little information is available right now. He's looking forward to seeing the discoveries people make with the MycoMap project. "It has been, for me, a scavenger hunt that has been going on for over 25 years now," said Justo.
