2004 — Summer
Still Awaiting Decision on Pioneer Museum Renovations
Despite numerous reports and recommendations, Elgin County
Council still has not made a decision regarding the fate of the
Elgin County Pioneer Museum. Most recently, articles in the press
have reported that Council is considering moving the Museum to the
4th floor of the County Administration building on Sunset
Drive.
Our Museum members and staff are becoming more and more
concerned as the days and weeks of indecision have now become
months and years (the Pioneer Museum closed and moved away on
September 3, 2002).
If reports in the media are to be believed, the original
$400,000 + grant has diminished by close to 25% to just over
$300,000, eaten up by rental costs for the temporary facility on
Talbot Street, moving costs, and the costs of plans and
consultants, all of which seem to have been rejected by County
Council. And the costs continue to grow, with rent alone reducing
the original amount by over $80 every single day, close to $600
every week.
If the Museum does move out to the County Administration
building, no one seems to know what will happen to the 32 Talbot
Street location, a matter of major concern to the Military
Museum.
Public opinion seems to be that there is a genuine desire to see
the Museum return to its historic site at 32 Talbot Street.
Certainly our experience has been that this is an excellent
location for a Museum, and the history of the Duncombe house
certainly makes it worthy of preservation.
It seems that the Pioneer Museum has become the County's version
of the City of St. Thomas Arena debate. It will be interesting to
see which 'log jam' breaks first.