Centennial Museums

Location

Edmonton, Alberta

Why it matters 

The Former Royal Alberta Museum (EPL 2016) in Edmonton, Alberta – a Canada Centennial project and mid-century modern gem – is mere days from total demolition, the victim of a provincial government with no apparent will or capacity to unlock reuse opportunities for this beloved public asset. “The building belongs to every single Albertan,” said Senator Paula Simons in the media. “It’s just a magnificent building that’s got art literally carved into the walls. I mean, what are we even doing?”

Location

Toronto, Ontario

Why it matters

Similarly, in Toronto, the Ontario Science Centre (EPL 2023) – a boldly innovative and internationally lauded building designed by the late Raymond Moriyama – faces obliteration after a provincial government decision to not repair its roof and move a reduced version of the museum to Ontario Place. Ironically, the exceptional cultural landscape of Ontario Place itself (EPL 2012), flagged by the World Monuments Watch, is threatened by a massive spa and re-development project.

The threats to these iconic Canadian museums, known to millions of visitors, underscores the increasing precariousness of provincial-territorial and municipal public buildings, many of them from the mid-century modern period. For example, once valued public spaces like Regina Central Library or Halifax Memorial Library have been declared prematurely obsolete or sit vacant. Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings is climate action, and Canada needs provincial-territorial and municipal governments to develop expertise and vision to actively transition these long-cherished public assets.

This article is also available in French.