Looking Back: Before Renewal Phase One
Work continues on our Renewal Project as we head for completion of Phase Two: The Mine Experience. Today, we want to recognize that July 4th, 2024 marked the seventh anniversary of the completion of Phase One: the entrance gallery and administrative space!
Do you remember the Museum before our 2017 renovation?
Before:
After:
Preparing for Renewal
The incredible Libby Martin, longtime volunteer and Board President from 2010-2021, was one of the major driving forces behind the revitalization that followed the closure of the original mine tour. Museum Director Joelle Hodgins signed on in November 2014 to lead the project, continuing to work closely with both Teck Metals and the City of Rossland to strengthen the museum’s capacity to play a central role within the community and act as a gateway to the region. With $700,000 raised by 2016, we were able to break ground on a major capital renovation to vastly improve the entrance gallery increase useable space.
Some timeline highlights:
2012: A Development Committee of community volunteers was formed to address the Museum’s next steps.
2013: Museum staff and Board of Directors, working with Donald Luxton and Associates Inc., prepared a “Plan for Renewal” supported by Teck Metals and the City of Rossland.
2014: The Rossland Historical Museum rebranded to the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre (RMDC) following a strategic planning review. Joelle Hodgins joined the team as Museum Director.
2015: The RMDC opened as a year-round operation instead of closing through the winter.
2016: Visitor attendance hit nearly 7,000, surpassing visitor numbers from 2009 (the last year that Museum operations included a mine tour).
2017: With $700,000 raised, we broke ground on Phase One: Renovation of the Entrance Gallery. The ribbon was cut for the grand opening on July 4, 2017, exactly fifty years after the grand opening of the original museum building in 1967.
2018: Visitor attendance topped 10,000, and Renewal work turned to Phase Two: The Mine Experience!
Phase One: Renovation of the Entrance Gallery
Lobby and Museum Shop:
Demolition of interior walls from front doors to main hall to allow for flexible exhibition and program space
Creation of temporary exhibition space for rotating displays and travelling exhibits, and a gathering space for community events and educational programming
Creation and expansion of dedicated space for the Museum Shop, which sells locally relevant and locally made items to our visitors
Archives and Research Room:
Demolition of interior walls throughout archives to allow for flexible archival storage systems
Creation of a dedicated Research Room space for public research (learn more about how to book a research appointment here)
Visitor Services and Administration:
Consolidation and reconfiguration of visitor services and admissions desks to face the building entrance
Creation of accessible, barrier-free, family-friendly washrooms
Consolidation of the administration spaces (office, boardroom, workspaces, etc.)
Creation of a small warming kitchen to service museum programs and facility rentals
Father Pat Memorial Ambulance Preservation
One of the benefits of Phase One was that it allowed us to bring the Father Pat Memorial Ambulance indoors! From the original opening of the Museum in 1967 until the 2017 renovation, this Ambulance (named for the popular Anglican priest Henry “Father Pat” Irwin, who lived in Rossland for a few years in the 1890s) sat on the front lawn through sun, rain, and snow - challenging conditions for a largely wooden vehicle dating back to 1902! With the Ambulance indoors, we can keep a closer eye on its condition and institute a long-term preservation plan.
Phase Two: The Mine Experience
Now we’re onto Phase Two: The Mine Experience! As of July 2024, we’ve begun the final design stage for Phase Two: The Mine Experience as we prepare to submit our building permit for the project. With Phase II: the Mine Experience, we hope to create an informative and experiential replica mine tunnel exhibit, along with the development of other permanent exhibits and the addition of a new atrium. In the meantime, we've been working to make up for the lost educational opportunities from the Mine Tour through new interpretive displays, walking tours, gold panning, and other special programming.
Background
The Rossland Historical Museum & Archives Association was first established by the Rossland Rotary Club in the basement of the Rossland Court House in 1954. In 1967, it expanded into the current museum structure as a Canadian Centennial project thanks to dedicated community members, including J.D. McDonald and Roger Terhune. The Museum was built on the site of the Black Bear Mine and operated tours of the gold mine from 1967 until 2009. Opening and operating the museum and mine tours was a huge community project and involved the vision, insight, and hard work of countless volunteers. Access to the mine was permanently closed by the property owners in 2012 for safety and liability reasons - but just as the Rossland community came together in 1967 to plan and construct the initial exhibition building for the museum, it came together again for a "Renewal."