Duane Hicks
Reducing staffing hours would mean the Fort Frances Museum would not be able to meet regulatory obligations nor aid council-endorsed tourism initiatives, according to a report put forth at Monday afternoon’s budget meeting.
The report was a follow-up to the Feb. 2 budget meeting, at which time several councillors asked Community Services manager George Bell to look into how much money could be saved by reducing staffing hours at the Fort Frances Museum as well as changing from a full-time to seasonal staffing.
But Bell’s report indicated while there are options to save $24,000-28,000 by reducing hours, it would be difficult (and in some cases impossible) to maintain the current level of service and meet certain standards if this were done.
First and foremost among considerations he outlined is the “Standards of Community Museums” the town must maintain under the Heritage Act—standards which must be followed in order to be eligible for funding from the provincial and federal governments.
These standards include:
•governance (maintaining accountability by keeping proper documentation, etc.);
•finance (such as planning and monitoring budgets);
•collection (management, care, and documentation of artifacts);
•exhibition (presenting the collection in an informative, attractive, relevant, and professional manner);
•interpretation and education (providing the community with opportunities to interact more closely with the museum’s collection and resources);
•research (acquiring the knowledge required to carry out specific museum functions and meet professional standards);
•conservation (responsibility for the protection and preservation of the collection for the community and future generations);
•physical plant (providing a safe and functional environment for visitors and staff, the collection, and associated activities);
•human resources (responsibility for the continuing education of all areas of museum management as well as training and education of part-time staff and volunteers regarding collection management activities); and
•community (providing opportunities for the community to engage with the museum as volunteers and participants through developing partnerships and ensuring access).
Museum staff also are responsible for marketing, hospitality, operational maintenance of sites, technical support, and additional administrative duties.
Bell’s report also noted that the staffing level here—two full-time employees (curator and museum assistant)—is comparable to Dryden (two full-time), Kenora (three full-time), Red Lake (two full-time and one part-time) and Atikokan (one curator for 10 months of the year and one museum assistant for six months).
The Fort Frances Museum’s annual budget is $190,000 (of which the town pays $155,000), which only takes up about one percent of the overall budget and is comparable to other regional municipalities.
Back in 2007, $1 million worth of renovations were done at the local museum so the town could properly store and document its collection, provide a temporary exhibit site, and increase its programming.
Each year, about four travelling exhibits are set up there, interspersed with several local ones. These often are tied into school visits and children’s activities on weekends and PA days.
In 2008, for example, 8,388 people visited the museum—the highest it’s been in the past eight years (with the exception of 15,497 in 2003, the town’s centennial year).
Bell noted that since the renovated museum reopened and acquired two full-time staff, visitor traffic has increased, and he estimated a 10-20 percent increase in the near future (the number of visitors is in addition to students reached through museum visits to schools and website hits).
He also pointed out the museum is integral to the town’s Heritage Tourism Initiative. And with the trend of cultural tourism expected to continue over the next 25 years, the museum represents “an appreciating community asset.”
It’s on this premise the town developed its Heritage Tourism Study in 2004, from which council adopted a Heritage Tourism Policy Statement.
This policy included recommendations such as greater co-operation between economic development committees and museum staff, development of attractions, an emphasis on “wayfinding” and developing linkages between the downtown and the waterfront, and partnerships with the local BIA and Chamber of Commerce to promote business in downtown Fort Frances and AbitibiBowater to develop an educational program to inform tourists about the sustainable forest industry.
Some aspects of this plan already have been completed while others are in progress,
Bell outlined three possible options for staffing hours:
1). Maintain current staffing levels at no financial savings.
2). Reduce staffing levels to full-time seasonal, with the curator working for 10 months of the year and the assistant working for eight months.
This would save about $28,000, but museum would not meet its regulatory requirements, the school education program would have to be cancelled, there would be reduced access to funding sources, reduced community service, and affect the town’s ability to recruit and keep well-qualified and well-motivated staff.
3). Reduce to a part-time museum assistant.
This would save $24,325, but would diminish the interpretation/exhibit and education programs, render the museum staff unable to complete the stated goals of the Heritage Tourism Initiative, and affect the town’s ability to recruit and keep well-qualified and well-motivated staff.
Mayor Roy Avis noted one area where museum staff seemed to not be doing their job, however, was in the collection of user fees.
Prior to 2008, patrons were asked to give a donation. But as of last year, museum users are supposed to be charged for admission to special events (adults $3, students $2, $10 for families, and $3 per student for school programs).
Mayor Avis said the museum’s revenues last year totalled only $3,000, which is not congruous with the money that should have been collected from 8,388 visitors.
“Looking at that, I was thinking that our revenue should be around $25,000 and we wouldn’t be having this discussion tonight [Monday],” he remarked.
Bell said he would look into the discrepancy.
Coun. Paul Ryan said he’s all in favour of keeping the museum fully open, but would like to see how the rest of the budget shapes up before making any decisions.
“I suppose as municipalities get into financial difficulties with the economic times we’re in, cutting services is probably the first thing you have to do,” he remarked. “But I don’t think we’re at that point yet.
“I’d like to see where we are at the end, with operating and capital, and if we have to cut services, so be it.”
Other councillors supported maintaining the status quo.
“The museum is reaching a significant number of people, and not just the people coming into the museum, but the out-programs and the website hits. We are servicing and educating a large number of people through different processes,” said Coun, Andrew Hallikas.
“You have to have people not only to be there, but to catalogue exhibits, maintain the exhibits, to interpret the exhibits, to provide the outreach,” Coun. Hallikas added later.
“I noticed we reached over 1,000 students this past year.
“I am beginning to think that once Phase II [of the Heritage Tourism Project] is complete and we get our exhibits all up and running, it could be a potential source of revenue,” he continued.
“But I don’t think it has to be,” Coun. Hallikas stressed. “I think the museum is a very cultural component of our town, and in a small town like this, in a sort of isolated region, we need these things, especially for our youth.”
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft said heritage tourism will become more important here in the future, and the role of museum staff likely will increase along with that.
“Given where we’re going, and what I’ve seen in other communities, I would speak in favour of status quo for the operation of the museum,” he remarked.
Coun. Sharon Tibbs said museum-related activities are part of students’ social studies curriculum.
“I’ve had the opportunity to watch and work with children in the schools, and it’s amazing what they learn. They’re so keen on it,” she noted.
The next budget meeting is slated for Monday, March 16.
