Time is running out to obtain Thunder Bay Historical Museum 50/50 tickets, which will be available until Feb. 26 at 12 p.m.
The draw, which is the second since last fall, will be a quarterly event for the museum, replacing the annual car raffle.
Scott Bradley, museum director, said when a ticket is bought to support the museum, it’s not just a chance to win, but an investment in the history of Thunder Bay and the region.
Each ticket purchase helps to support the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society’s restoration project that aims to revitalize, enhance and modernize what Bradley calls a vital cultural and educational institution and one of Thunder Bay’s premier attractions.
The public’s support through the 50/50 draw, which is a province-wide licensed charitable gaming raffle, will help the museum achieve its ambitious scope of work outlined in the 2025 facility enhancement project plan.
“We’re looking at a roof and HVAC systems building envelope and revitalizing some of our visitor spaces to keep that visitor experience as top-notch,” Bradley said, adding that the project details are still being developed and also include accessibility upgrades, artifact preservation and life-safety improvements.
He surmised that the costs will reach upwards of $3 million, to which the 50/50 raffle contributes.
“We’re in the project navigation phase, so we’re doing a lot of design work, and we’re actually building out a series of grant applications to support that larger effort,” he said. “Some of the 50/50 proceeds will be seed money for that.”
Ahead, Bradley said a building envelope study needs to be done to assess the condition of the building’s walls and roof from an engineering perspective.
“We also need to do some structural assessments with the building because it is 114 years old, and we need to make sure that those structural elements are where they need to be,” he said.
“Then we need to ensure that we’re upgrading a lot of our accessibility elements to make sure that they are up to current Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act standards, as well as making energy-efficient
upgrades to our lighting systems.”
He added they will eventually look at the finishing aspects, which include carpeting, paint, and maintenance aspects for the overall visitor experience.
“We’ll do some work in our exhibit spaces to really make sure that everyone who’s visiting the museum in Thunder Bay, as they’re passing through, that they’re having the best experience they can,” he said, adding that for some, maybe the museum is the only thing that they see when they’re visiting the city.
Bradley said that replacing the car raffle with the 50/50 draw is a more feasible means for the museum to fundraise. The museum, however, does welcome anyone who would like to donate a car for another raffle.
Tickets for the 50/50 raffle under licence #RAF1523071 are available online by visiting museumraffle.com. Ticket buyers must be 18 years of age or older who are located in Ontario at the time of the purchase. The draw will take place on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.
