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To date, more than twenty million visitors have explored
Manitoba as presented in the Museum, from north to south,
from past to present. Nearly 100,000 school children
participate in curriculum-based programs on site each
year, and thousands more are reached through activities
and programs that explore science and technology, astronomy,
history, archaeology, fine art and the environment.
The Manitoba Museum is one of Canada's busiest and best-attended
heritage and education centres. Such consistent year-round
activity creates major economic benefits for the community.
The Museum generates $21.1 million in economic activity
annually in Manitoba, sustains 333 jobs and contributes
$6 million in taxes to three levels of government. Using
their 'Tourism Economic Assessment Model' (TEAM), Tourism
Winnipeg determined that the Museum's economic impact
will reach $37.3 million with the completion of the
building renewal program. This translates into 670 jobs
and $10.4 million in taxes, making it one of the most
important cultural industries in the country!
The Museum is a cornerstone of Manitoba's education
system. Each year, nearly 100,000 school children visit
our facility and participate in a wide range of unique
learning programs. The largest classroom in the province,
Museum Education Programs explore history, social studies,
science and astronomy in an environment like no other.
Our programs provide opportunities for students to polish
soapstone, discover the universe at the Planetarium,
set sail aboard the Nonsuch, experiment in the Science
Gallery, learn about mammals, relive Manitoba's pioneer
days, and so much more. Thousands more visit with their
families or experience the Museum through our Science
Outreach Manitoba Mobile Planetarium and numerous national
travelling exhibitions.
The maintenance and conservation of The Manitoba Museum's
vast collections is important for the future of Manitoba.
These 2,500,000 treasures represent our history, both
natural and human, enabling us to continue to learn
about our past. This helps us understand ourselves in
the present, and provides guidance for the future. The
Manitoba Museum carefully and dutifully maintains and
preserves these collections, ensuring that the many
artifacts and specimens, as well as the understanding
and insight they provide, are preserved for future generations.
Environmental preservation and education factor significantly
in Museum research. Museum publications are critical
to our understanding of the natural world. This focus
stems from the birth of the Museum in the 1960s in a
climate of growing concern for the environment articulated
in the original proposal for a museum submitted to the
provincial government in 1964.
"Manitoba needs a modern museum
of man and nature...
a living history of man and his environment, tracing
the evolution
of Manitoba's resources, industry and culture, past
and present,
and pointing the way, through research to the future."
The wisdom and foresight of such a statement are apparent
in the appreciation and support demonstrated by the
community for the environmental work of this institution
and for the tremendous impact that it has on the quality
of education and economic health of our province.
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