The Maritime Museum of B.C. has had an uneasy existence since it opened in the former courthouse in Bastion Square in 1965. Let’s hope talks between the City of Victoria and the province can ease the path ahead, and that the museum is able to find a suitable new home.
Victoria should not be without the Maritime Museum. The history of B.C. is inextricably tied to the sea, and the water has a huge influence on current culture.
The MMBC closed in October 2014, with the intent that it would move into the Steamship Terminal this spring. Lease arrangements were supposed to have been worked out with the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, which holds the lease on the Steamship Terminal. A deal has not been reached, and the City of Victoria has arranged a meeting with Transportation Minister Todd Stone, who has responsibility for the building.
So why was the museum forced out of the historic courthouse, owned by the province, before it had a lease in the new location? That puts the museum at a disadvantage in negotiating a lease for new premises. The longer the museum is without a home, the more its very existence is threatened.
Think of the Royal London Wax Museum, the chief tenant of the Steamship Terminal for 40 years. It was evicted in 2010 when the now-defunct Provincial Capital Commission wanted to do seismic upgrades. Five years later, the wax museum is still homeless. Its website includes this poignant notice: “Details on relocation of the Wax Museum will be provided as more information becomes available.”
The museum needs more than a new home — it needs new life. It needs to be more dynamic, more engaging and proactive, without sacrificing its valuable functions as a steward of maritime history.
When the move was announced last year, then-CEO Jon Irwin said the move was an opportunity for the museum to reinvent itself, and that is still the intention of the current staff and volunteers.
That’s necessary to increase attendance, and increased attendance is needed to help pay costs. The museum attracted only about 20,000 visitors a year in the old courthouse. Perhaps that location was a bit out of the way, and putting it on the waterfront with a more visible presence is likely to help.
The Steamship Terminal is a natural fit for the museum, considering the historic building’s rich maritime past and its location on the waterfront, but in other ways, it’s not so ideal. The museum would have far less display space for its artifacts than it had in the courthouse.
The Steamship Terminal is also less than ideal for an important part of the museum that most visitors don’t see — its library and archives. It has a collection of midshipmen’s journals, with their beautiful copperplate writing and drawings, as well as an impressive collection of navigation charts. When the Yarrows shipyard closed in 1994 after a century in operation, the museum acquired thousands of ships’ plans. These and other documents need careful conservation and care, but still need to be accessible for research.
The Royal B.C. Museum has always been a valuable ally of the Maritime Museum, sharing its expertise and advice. It would make sense to make that informal connection formal, bringing the Maritime Museum under the umbrella of the larger museum, or creating a partnership that would allow the sharing of resources and services.
Museums are public places of information, interpretation and education, as well as tourist attractions. The province should do its part to ensure the Maritime Museum has a suitable home that will allow it to grow and continue the good work done by its staff and volunteers.
