Brant Museum closed - has been closed for well over a month. No one at city hall knew.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

January 19th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It came as a surprise to the city.

An inquiry from a reporter, it wasn’t us, to the city manager, asking why the Museum revealed that the Brant Museum had been closed since the beginning of the year.

 

Museum Board has plans for a major upgrade to the Brant Museum - is this a place for you and your skill set?

Museum Board has plans for a major upgrade to the Brant Museum – they closed the museum until they know what is gong to happen to their grant application.

The Museum Board recently appeared before city council seeking assurances that the city would provide a letter that was needed to advance the application for significant federal grants that would cover the cost of the transformation the museum has planned.

A number of people from the Museum Board appeared and delegated but not one of them advised the city that they had closed the Brant Museum when Lakeshore Road was being rebuilt and that they just didn’t reopen it.

Barbara Teatero, Executive Director Museums Burlington

Barbara Teatero, Executive Director Museums Burlington

So much for transparency – and it kind of shakes the confidence the city has in both the Executive Director and the Museum Foundation. Councillor Lancaster represents the city on the Burlington Museum Board – surely she would have known – did she lose her tongue?

The city spends about $600,000 on the museums – it was suggested that the budget be reduced given that there is now just the one museum and not two.

The city manager pointed out that the biggest expense is the cost of Barbara Teatero, the Executive Director. Fine – she has just half the work to do now – reduce her salary. Ms Teatero is due for retirement soon.

brant-museum-rendering

New look for the Brant Museum – closed now – will it ever re-open?

There is no word on just how long the Museum is going to be closed. Nor has the city learned anything about what they plan to do if the federal funding does not come through – the due day for that announcement is January 25th – that would mean the decision has been made – they just aren’t saying anything yet.

The Mayor is scheduled to give his State of the City address on the 25th – that will be quite early in the day – and the MP for the city is not going to let the Mayor steal the thunder behind that announcement.

Return to the Front page
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

3 comments to Brant Museum closed – has been closed for well over a month. No one at city hall knew.

  • Shidi Serber

    I heard it’s been closed since July 2016. What gives?

  • WarningU2

    This is a little sad they didn’t realize it was closed. But truth be told I think it could only open in the summer and staff only be hired for the summer … would save some money.

  • Glenda D

    If funding does not come through – one can always build exclusive high end condo’s with the museum rebuild on bottom level….similar to how condos have stores at street level….why not, we seem to be pushing these high rise eye sores everywhere…just being tongue in cheek me.