Last Thursday I had the privilege of attending a meeting at a heritage museum in Cook’s Creek, Manitoba. The Association of Manitoba Museums initiated this meeting for museums in the Eastern Region. Participants represented the St. Georges Historical Society, Cook’s Creek Heritage Museum, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Enfant-Jesus Heritage Site, the Association of Manitoba Museums, and Mennonite Heritage Village.
It was interesting to share strategies, successes and challenges around the table. The Association of Manitoba Museums reported that their application for operating funds through the federal Museum Assistance Program has recently been declined. This grant has been a regular source of funding for them, used to subsidize one of their programs. As these funds will now be unavailable for this year’s operations, the association will unfortunately need to reduce services provided to museums.
The association also reported on their Museum Certificate Program. Seven one- and two-day courses are offered to museum staff and volunteers to equip them to do the work of a museum. These courses are offered in a variety of geographic locations in order to accommodate people from across the province. The association website can be found at www.museumsmanitoba.com.
