Museum controversy continues to dominate B.C. politics
Is it a pathway to reconciliation or a vanity project in the premier's backyard?
That's the conversation dominating B.C.'s capital, days after the NDP government announced a controversial upgrade to the Royal B.C. Museum. Now, the government is on the defensive over what the Liberals say will be the most expensive museum project in Canadian history.
For a third day, Opposition leader Kevin Falcon hammered John Horgan's government for a Royal B.C. Museum project that will take eight years and cost taxpayers $789 million.
"What's mammoth is the stupidity of the NDP government spending a billion dollars on a new vanity museum that nobody asked for or wants," said Falcon during question period Wednesday.
In response, Horgan outlined all the capital spending happening around the province.
"We're building a hospital in Dawson Creek. We're building a hospital in Fort St. James. We're building a hospital in Terrace. We're building a hospital in Williams Lake. We're building a hospital in Cowichan Valley," Horgan said.
A business case for the museum project has not been made public, prompting questions about the cost. Melanie Mark, the provincial Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport said two floors are underwater, the building is seismically unsafe and it's a complex problem.
"There are over six hectares of land across the street, we are talking about six buildings, we're talking about seven million artifacts and objects," Mark added.
CTV News looked at a variety of museum expansions and builds across Canada. While a direct comparison isn't available at this point, it shows that major museum undertakings can reach the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Qaumajuq expansion – which hosts Inuit art at the Winnipeg Art Gallery – is a 40,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2021 at a cost of $65 million.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights – also in Winnipeg – was finished in 2014 with a pricetag of $351 million. Funding came from three levels of government and private donations.
The Royal Ontario Museum, which was a major revamp in downtown Toronto, came in at $270 million.
The funding for the Royal B.C. Museum will come from the provincial capital budget, which is where roads, hospitals and schools are funded. Wednesday, the Opposition asked what else could've been built with the money earmarked for the museum.
"There are hospitals in the province that need to be seismically upgraded, there are dozens of schools ... that require seismic upgrades," said Opposition house leader Todd Stone.
Jennifer Whiteside, the Education Minister, pointed out the government is spending unprecedented amounts to build and expand schools.
"In this next three-year plan, we'll be spending nearly $800 million to seismically upgrade schools, and that's in the context of a $2.65-billion capital plan," she told reporters.
An update from the province shows that, as of May 2022, more than 200 schools are earthquake-proof, with another 44 in progress and 250 remaining.
Asked whether most of the remaining schools will be upgraded by 2030, which is when the museum will be complete, Whiteside replied she didn't have that information.
"Again, that's work that we do in the capital planning process with the districts, I can't give you a number on that today," she added.
In the coming days, the Liberals are expected to keep up the heat about what could be the most expensive museum in B.C. history, and what is already the most debated one.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.