News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – Legislation introduced today aims to give the New Brunswick Museum’s board of directors the authority to manage the design and construction of the museum’s new home in Saint John.

“Empowering the board of directors of the New Brunswick Museum to manage the design and construction of the museum’s future home is the right decision,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace. “It ensures the new museum meets the institution’s needs and opens more opportunities for the public to participate in the project.”

The amendments to the New Brunswick Museum Act would allow the board to direct all aspects of the museum’s management, renovations, maintenance and construction. The board would also be required to meet all standards necessary to remain eligible for provincial and federal funding, as well as any trade agreements.

The New Brunswick Museum is a Crown agency administered by a board of directors.

“The board of the New Brunswick Museum welcomes the opportunity to review this proposed legislation and to understand more fully its significance for the process of designing and building a new home for the museum in Saint John,” said board chair Kathryn Hamer. “We share the goal of creating a transformational space in which to house the museum's impressive collections, while supporting the dedicated staff in their ongoing commitment to the research and conservation that ensure preservation of New Brunswick's heritage while sharing it with the world.”

As part of the project, an interim collections and research centre will open on Lancaster Avenue next year. The interim facility will be available to the public, by appointment, while a permanent exhibition and collections centre is built.

More than $8 million was allocated by the provincial and federal governments earlier this year to support planning work for the museum’s new home.

The museum’s online store continues to operate, and a new boutique will open in Brunswick Square on Saturday, Nov. 19.