A New Museum for North Vancouver

Members of North Vancouver City Council voted unanimously on Monday, July 15 to authorize a new waterfront location for the North Vancouver Museum and Archives and committed to matching each dollar raised to a maximum of $5 million in capital funding.

If the project goes ahead, the museum will be located in the Pipe Shop, a reconstructed shipyard building on the central waterfront in North Vancouver. The new site will nearly double the museum's current space.  

The total cost of the project is estimated at $10 million, with approximately half for the building and the rest to outfit it, build exhibits, and to re-brand and launch the museum. 

The city and district currently split the cost of operating the museum, both contributing about $500,000 annually towards the $1 million operating budget.  

The new museum's operating budget is projected to be about $1.7 million annually. Museum officials project that the difference in costs can be made up through admission fees, rentals and corporate sponsorships. Admission rates are being projected at $7.50.  

Next steps includ consultation with the District of North Vancouver regarding future operating costs, a review of the business case and operating and capital budgets, and completion of a fundraising feasibility study.

A fundraising campaign is planned for 2014-15, followed by design and construction in 2016-17. The target opening date for the new museum is in 2017, the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation. 

The current museum is located at Presentation House on West 4th Street.

For more information about the new museum, visit http://my-museum.ca/