The general manager and board chair for the Mississippi River Conservation Authority (MVCA) came to Mississippi Mills council to discuss options for the James Naismith and Tait MacKenzie collections at the Mill of Kintail.
GM Sally McIntyre opened with a clear statement on MVCA’s future roll in the museum.
A working group to review any transition of the museum has not yet been struck, but the MVCA was suggesting the municipality take ownership and assume operations according to Sally.
The timeline provided by the MVCA would give the working group 6 months to complete their review and recommendations, but according to MVCA Board Chair Roy Huetl, they needed a commitment from Mills council by this December.
Councillor Jane Torrance voiced her concerns with committing resources beyond their term of council.
Council’s committee voted to have staff report back in November with options. See the complete motion below
The Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to provide feedback on the terms of reference to include the guiding principle of stewardship over the collection.
The municipality recommend that the working group be made up of representatives from the municipality, Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, the MVCA and interested and committed individuals, which may include those with financial interests.
The Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to request clarification on the following:
Justification for the $50,000 and what it does and does not cover
Additional details regarding ownership of the artifacts and lease terms
The Committee of the Whole recommend that Council indicate their commitment to the MVCA to identify a viable ownership and/or management solution.
The Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to initiate the Museum recommendations from the 2025 Community Services Master Plan, recognizing that museums should remain independent (not municipally owned):
1. Develop partnership agreements for MM museums to define, at minimum, the responsibilities of the Municipality and each Museum, space and staff allocation per Museum, funding allocations, etc., including a shared pool of Museum staff to strengthen the collaboration between museums;
2. Create a collaborative steering committee for museums, including members of each museum and the municipality, to work collaboratively to formalize joint actions and initiatives.
Story by Brian Turner