Canada Hall, Phase II and First Peoples Hall
Left to right: Dr. George F. MacDonald, President and CEO, CMCC;
William D. Mulholland, Director, Canadian Pacific Ltd., and former Chairman and CEO, Bank of
Montreal; Kenneth S. Benson, Vice-President, Personnel and Administration, Canadian Pacific Limited;
Hugh J. MacDiarmid, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Pacific Rail System. The Canadian Pacific
Charitable Foundation is gratefully acknowledged for its generous donation to the construction of the
Canadian Pacific Gallery in the Canada Hall. The Gallery includes a 1920s railway station and boxcar.
Photo: H. Foster.
The Canada Hall, a centrepiece of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, leads visitors on a remarkable journey through a thousand years of Canada's social history. Designed to promote understanding of and pride in our heritage, its carefully researched and constructed exhibits provide a series of windows on the lives of the many peoples who have built this country.
Work continued swiftly on this major expansion project, focusing on Western Canada in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Some elements completed this year were:
- the theme structure and most of the storyline details;
- the exterior environments of the CPR station, the railyard, and the grain elevator;
- construction of the light industrial "Worklife" building;
- the mezzanine level (an exhibition on hats -- Hold onto Your Hats! opened in this newly created space);
- the "dome lighting" project (creates a pre-dawn sky effect); and
- the dismantling of St. Onuphrius Church in Smoky Lake, Alberta, for shipment and reconstruction in the Hall -- to open in June 1996.
Design work was completed on:
- the entire footprint, pathways, and environmental features;
- the Winnipeg "Crump" building (bookstore and print shop);
- the cable tool rig oil derrick (construction to start in April 1996); and
- the West Coast net loft, fishing homes, and wharf environment.
CMC curators and research staff made extensive field trips to consult with communities and gather information and artifacts for the railway, West Coast community, Pacific Rim, and Northern Visions modules. Preliminary research has been conducted for all modules.
New partnerships forged this year with both the Provincial Museum of Alberta and the Glenbow Museum will, among other things, provide artifacts for the recons-truction of the cable tool rig.
First Peoples Hall
The CMC is creating an exciting new exhibition hall to present
the perspectives of First Peoples and their contributions to
society, both past and present. The Hall is designed for
exhibition flexibility, fresh perspectives and innovative
programming.
Completion of the First Peoples Hall is a strategic priority
for the Museum during this decade. The innovative plans of
architect Douglas Cardinal are being realized this year, as
construction of the architectural space nears completion. When
it is finished, there will be approximately 3700 square metres
(40,000 square feet) of new exhibition space.
Exhibition design work has begun and exhibit research has
accelerated. First Peoples advisors and community
representatives continue to shape the research process and
exhibition planning. The consistent messages will be that
First Peoples are still here, still contributing, and still
playing their part in the modern world, as they have
throughout history.
The First Peoples Hall will be previewed as early as Spring
1997, with new exhibitions and programming in several of the
galleries. These include:
The Hall's permanent exhibitions will open in phases in 1998.
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