Environmental Analysis -- External Environment

National Unity/Identity

The Quebec referendum made the question of national unity the overriding external environmental issue facing the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. Its major facility - the Canadian Museum of Civilization - is the only federal museum in the province of Quebec and, as evidenced in the referendum campaign, is a focal point for federalist supporters in Canada's Capital Region.

The Corporation, through its exhibitions and programming, is in a position to explain Canada's past and present in a creative and imaginative way, and to help prepare Canadians for their future. The Corporation could make a more significant contribution to federal government objectives of fostering Canadian identity and unity, but is hindered in the achievement of this by the currently unfinished state of exhibition spaces at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Work to complete these spaces must, therefore, continue to be a priority.

Fiscal Restraint

During 1995-1996, reductions in federal support continued to erode the Corporation's available resources. Transfer payments from the Museum Assistance Program (MAP) were reduced, affecting the ability of smaller institutions to accept and defray costs associated with travelling exhibitions. This adversely affected the Corporation's travelling exhibition programme. In addition, the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) dramatically changed its mandate, due to budget cuts and rapid changes in technology. As a result, its current collections management system will no longer be available as of March 31, 1998. This means that the Corporation must study, develop and implement its own collections database management system at its own cost and within a very short time.

Government funding for the Corporation, excluding resources for custodial transfer, decreased from a high of $43.9 million in 1991-1992 to $38.5 million in 1994-1995. In addition, the level of planned government support will decrease to $28.9 million by 1997-1998. This represents a reduction of $9.6 million, or 25 per cent, from 1994-1995. Further, the lack of any increases for inflation during this period reduced the real purchasing power of the CMCC's operating budget by an additional 10 per cent, for a total reduction of 35 per cent over this four-year period, thereby constraining resource flexibility and adding considerably to the management challenge. In addition, the extension of the Programme Review exercise into a fourth year will magnify the severity of the fiscal situation.

The CMCC responded to these challenges by continually reviewing its operations and identifying efficiency opportunities. The number of staff positions has been reduced through organizational consolidations and reduced services, and technological opportunities have been adapted to reduce operating costs. Full-time staff levels were reduced in late 1994-1995 and early 1995-1996 by 15 per cent, through the introduction of an Early Retirement Incentive Programme for employees over the age of 55, a Voluntary Departure Programme, and other targeted position reductions. A total of 68 positions was eliminated through these means.

Economic Recovery

A return to strong private-sector profitability was evident by the end of 1995-1996. Unfortunately, spending reductions, including major layoffs by all levels of government, have balanced much of the private sector's improvement. When coupled with uncertainty caused by the Quebec referendum, this yielded little in the way of increased consumer spending and confidence. The Corporation did experience some increase in its attendance and its revenues, however, thanks to its dynamic client-focused programming and services.

Sponsorship from the private sector was again difficult to generate in 1995-1996. Nevertheless, the Corporation was happy to announce a major sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Pacific Charitable Foundation for the Canada Hall. In addition, the Passing the Torch Campaign -- a national fund raising campaign under the chairmanship of His Excellency Ray Hnatyshyn, to finance a major addition to the CWM building at 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa was launched by the Friends of the Canadian War Museum. During 1995-1996, the Corporation reassessed its performance in the area of fund raising. As a result, the Development Division was revamped to adequately respond to private-sector expectations.

Museum Attendance

Despite the impact, discussed above, of fiscal restraint and the economic climate of Canada's Capital Region, public interest in and support of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum continued to increase in 1995- 1996.

1994-1995 - 1,443,197
1995-1996 - Projected: 1,450,000; Actual: 1,536,621

Once again, the Corporation attracted a record number of visitors.

Shifting Population Demographics

Canada's population is becoming increasingly diverse. The challenge to the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation is how to represent all Canadians during a time when the macro trends of cultural diversity makes this issue more important, yet more difficult to achieve.

Being responsible for the national museums of human history and military heritage, the Corporation has a truly unique opportunity to be both a leader and an institutional role model in these rapidly changing times. The Corporation must have national museums with finished exhibition spaces that represent all regions of Canada and the entire spectrum of Canadian military history, in order to make a meaningful contribution to the fostering of a sense of Canadian unity and identity.

Technology

Canada's rate of technological literacy continues to increase rapidly, especially among younger Canadians. This aspect of the museums' current clientele, and the projected growth of computer literacy over time, are forcing changes in how the Corporation delivers its mandate. For the 1990s and into the next millennium, the Corporation needs to move beyond re-engineering in order to take full advantage of the possibilities offered by new information technologies. The goal should not only be cost control, but also the dramatic and profound transformation of customer service, responsiveness and innovation.

The Corporation has positioned itself to provide unprecedented amounts of content for the Information Highway, and will continue to be the leader of this kind of museum programming in Canada. Recent trends in visitation to the CMCC's World Wide Web site would suggest that the proper formula may be in place. A coming addition to the CMCC's World Wide Web site is the Museum of New France, a project involving both federal and provincial governments and private-sector partners from Canada, France and the United States. It will be a showcase of Canadian savoir-faire in presenting our rich cultural heritage through new digital technologies.

First Peoples

The status of issues relating to Canada's First Peoples continued to evolve and to take on a higher public profile. Media coverage of complex issues of self-government and land claims has heightened public awareness of the role of aboriginal cultures and traditions in Canada's heritage. The Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, with its aboriginal collections and programmes, is uniquely positioned to contribute meaningfully in the education of Canadians on aboriginal issues and in the preservation and interpretation of aboriginal cultures.

The success of the Corporation's Aboriginal Training Programme in Museum Practices, introduced in 1993-1994, was confirmed, and interest by aboriginal communities across the country continued. To date, 21 aboriginal participants have received training at the CMCC. The Canadian Museum of Civilization is also working closely with the First Peoples section of SchoolNet on a series of projects including a CD-ROM on Micmac culture.

The recent agreement between the Nisga'a of British Columbia and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia will have an impact on the Corporation's collections and programmes: included in this agreement is the return of some cultural material of Nisga'a origin currently held in federal and provincial museums.