MPP Thompson announces two museum grants

Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson celebrated Ontario Heritage Week (Feb. 17-23) by presenting cheques to two local museums totaling $135,036.
“We have a rich history here in Huron-Bruce that is worth preserving and protecting,” Thompson said in announcing that the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre is receiving $71,830 and the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol will be getting $63,226.
“These two museums, and their staff, do an incredible job of not only preserving our history but also of presenting the amazing stories of our ancestors and settlers in the region,” Thompson added. “We are so fortunate to have these facilities.”
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, left, presents the cheque to Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre business manager Janice Mewhinney.
Through the Community Museum Operating Grant, 166 eligible community museums receive just over $4.8 million annually. The grant provides operating funding to community museums that may fund staff salaries, museum maintenance, building and preserving collections, exhibitions and educational programs.
In addition, 176 heritage organizations receive a total of nearly $240,000 in funding through the Heritage Organization Development Grant. This grant provides annual operating funding to not-for-profit heritage organizations and historical societies, and supports community engagement activities such as exhibits, public programs, lecture series and walking tours.
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, left, presents the cheque to Huron County Museum & Historic Gao director of Cultural Services, and County Librarian Beth Rumble
“Community museums and heritage organizations support local tourism, community well-being and learning,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “They also contribute to a spectacular double bottom line — the financial bottom line of the province as well as the equally important bottom line of our cultural fabric and identity. Our financial support for heritage organizations and community museums helps ensure that current and future generations can continue to learn about our province’s rich history and culture.”
The province’s annual Heritage Week celebrations are led by the Ontario Heritage Trust. Ontario Heritage Week 2020 runs from February 17 to 23. Ontarians can learn more about the Ontario Heritage Trust’s calendar of events and listings in their communities during Heritage Week and all year long.
Community museums throughout Ontario are custodians and interpreters of the province’s irreplaceable heritage collections. They contribute to Ontario communities’ economic well-being, attracting more than three million visitors annually.
Many heritage organizations are operated exclusively by volunteers. Each year, thousands of community volunteers contribute tens of thousands of service hours for these organizations.
The Ontario Heritage Trust is an agency of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. The Trust’s mandate is to identify, protect, promote and preserve Ontario’s heritage.  In the 2019 Fall Economic Statement, the government proposed a new program to provide free admission for children and youth to cultural sites and attractions across the province.