Staff
The Fort Frances Museum Advisory Committee is asking town council for additional staff to help curator Sherry George with the workload, as well as a council rep to sit on it.
In a letter received by council Monday night, the committee wrote it “firmly believes that the museum requires additional full-time staffing in order to meet the standards laid out by the Canadian Museums Associations.”
“The collection is not being adequately managed to CMOG [Community Museums Operating Grant] specifications, there is minimal programming for seniors and children (which is necessary for future sustainability), [and] the needs of artists and the wider cultural community are not being met,” it noted.
“And with increased traffic through the museum, the curator is struggling to meet deadlines.”
While the committee understands a full-time position may not be feasible at this time, it is hopeful council will consider part-time help—someone to cover the hours the museum is open (20 hours/week).
That, in turn, would allow George to “properly manage the collection and to expand the role of the museum in our community.”
The committee noted George has had to make changes at the museum, including:
•running fewer exhibits, with only two new exhibits next year, while holding the current one over the winter; and
•shortening the summer season, returning to off-season hours following Labour Day instead of early October.
George continues to investigate intern positions that would help address the work backlog issues.
The museum also relies heavily on volunteers for assistance with research, but neither of these options solves the staffing shortfall over the long-term, the committee concluded.
The committee also “believes that having a council member sit on [it] will give management and council a better understanding of the issues faced by the museum and vice-versa,” and asked council to appoint such a member for the upcoming term.
The current terms of all council-appointed boards and committees end Nov. 30.
New appointments will be made at the Dec. 1 council meeting.
Council referred the motions to have a member of council sit as part of the committee, and to request additional staffing for the museum, to the Community Services executive committee for its recommendation.
The Fort Frances Museum Advisory Committee currently is comprised of Debbie Ballard, Bruce Caldwell, Mary Hickling, Judy Kielczewski, and Robert Schulz.
