NEW WESTMINSTER MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES

Planning and Feasibility Study Cornerstone Planning Group AldrichPears Associates

June 2004

New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

Prepared by:

Project Team David Whetter Cornerstone Planning Group Brenda Beck Cornerstone Planning Group Ronald Pears Aldrich Pears Associates Ltd. Doug M unday Aldrich Pears Associates Ltd. Alix Noble Aldrich Pears Associates Ltd. Laura M illar Archival Consultant BTY Group Cost Consultant

Steering Com m ittee Jacqueline O’Donnell M anager, Irving House and New Westm inster M useum G. Dean Gibson Director, Parks and Recreation Joanne Edey-Nicoll Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation Ron Clancy City Librarian Leslie Gilbert Assistant Director of Planning Terry Featherstone Com m unity Representative Hilda Cliffe Com m unity Representative Sylvia M cConnell Com m unity Representative

Study Undertaken: June 2003 to June 2004

New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

The new heritage and cultural centre will be a m ajor focus for cultural activity in New W estminster and will be a significant com m unity landm ark. It should convey an image that is welcom ing, dynam ic, involving, and interesting. The design and m aterials should acknowledge the historical role of the city and com m unicate a sense of civic pride and confidence in the future. It should inform, surprise, and delight visitors and attract people from all walks of life. It is to be a place for important com m unity events and a place that residents are proud to show to their guests. It will be a “must-see” item on vacationers’ itineraries. It will have a reputation as a reliable source of com prehensive research information on artifacts, local and regional history, and genealogy. It will be a window on the contem porary world of art, culture, and social issues as well as a creative interpreter of the past. Last but not least, it will be fun for kids and fam ilies.

Executive Summary

Introduction Current Inadequacies • Construct expanded facility for Museum and Since the early 1990’s, inadequacies of the New The Museum and Archives has been successful Archives Westminster Museum and Archives facility have in acquiring and managing an interesting and • Construct expanded facility for several been documented. In early 2003, the City of New valuable collection and providing a worthwhile cultural functions Westminster retained the team of Cornerstone community service, despite a number of The last option is recommended in this report, as Planning Group and Aldrich Pears Associates to shortcomings related to the physical facilities. it meets the objectives for the Museum and conduct a Planning and Feasibility Study that The following inadequacies are described in this Archives and also provides an opportunity to would include the following: report: accommodate several cultural functions in a manner that would be more cost-effective than • development of a vision including the role of • Structure (especially critical seismic providing separate facilities. It improves access the institution, the scope of services and deficiencies) to visitors using more than one service, functions, the use of public spaces, and • Functionality increases their awareness of the services exhibition and programme themes • Access Limitations available, and expands opportunities for • assessment of the physical and operational • Aesthetics synergies in programming and efficiencies in use implications of the vision • Space Limitations of space between the functions. The results of • exploration of location options to • Lack of Environmental Controls the Citizens Survey conducted by Ipsos Reid accommodate the vision showed a favourable response for a joint Museum/Archives /Arts facility. Implications of Inadequacies Purpose of this Report The proposed functions that were selected for The current inadequacies have serious impacts This report highlights some of the issues faced inclusion in the centre are the Museum, the on the current operation and long term viability of by the Museum and Archives in its current Archives, a visual arts component, and bookable the Museum and Archives. Some of those that location, proposes a vision for an expanded meeting space for cultural groups. Since arts need to be addressed most urgently and are centre with a visual arts component included, programming was a secondary focus of the described in the report are: and outlines the technical and functional study, a further examination of arts programming requirements. A test fit layout is also presented • Collections at risk and functional spaces will be necessary to fully for the site that was selected as having the most • Safety risk to personnel and public from address this component of the facility. potential for development of the facility. seismic deficiencies Based on meetings conducted during the study, • Limitations for programmes the proposal also incorporates collections of the • Limitations for community and visitor access Police Museum, Royal Westminster Regiment • Operating budget implications Historical Society and Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Marketing and programming connections Strategic Options would be established with the Samson V Maritime Museum, the Fraser River Discovery The following strategic options were identified Centre and the Royal Columbian Hospital. and explored as part of the planning and feasibility study. Due to the expanded functions it is proposed that the name of the new facility be changed to reflect • No action a broader heritage and cultural scope. Because • Renovate existing Museum and Archives a new name has not been selected, the new facility facility will be referred to as “new heritage and cultural centre” for the purposes of this study.

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Vision The following are key aspects of the vision that came out of the stakeholder interviews and visioning workshop with community members, and were developed further by the consultant team. Community Oriented Facility History Live! (Permanent Exhibit The centre of the future will offer a range of Galleries) experiences to appeal to its diverse audience – Based on the visioning workshop results and our families with young children, students, understanding of visitor audiences, museum teenagers, seniors, special-interest history gallery experiences should include the following: enthusiasts, visitors with a variety of cultural backgrounds, tourists and residents. • Mini theatres: Visitors journey through New Westminster in the past and present, A sense of ownership through contribution immersed in theatrical settings. benefits residents and the centre. It makes • Step into history: Individuals or groups can individuals feel valued and represented, while role-play in themed settings and recreated their knowledge (artifacts, oral histories, archival environments. materials) makes the museum collection a richer, • Hands-on interactives: Larger interactive more accurate reflection of the community. opportunities and demonstration areas guide visitors to learn by doing. • Journeys through time and place: Exhibits The Personal Touch include a mix of time settings, including the The centre should put a high value on learning present day. Visitors may not encounter through personal interaction. Visitors want to stories in a chronological order – they will learn from professionals or residents with first- walk through a mix of historic and more hand knowledge of heritage. contemporary settings, mini-theatre shows, media interactives and other types of Town Square experiences. A central meeting space, or “Town Square” will The following themes or components have been serve as the locus of activity, offering visitors a developed as part of the vision for exhibit place to rest, talk, play or find out about the day’s galleries: events. A variety of heritage-focused visitor services will be arrayed around the Town • Entry: A Place to Call Home Square. It will also act as a hub for practical • The First Capital services including a café, shop, and group • Neighbourhood Perspectives orientation area. • City of Champions •
Living It Up • City Defenders • Fighting Proud

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Executive Summary

The bubbles on this diagram correspond to the conceptual spaces described above. The diagram indicates a sense of relative areas and visitor flow, but not necessarily the shape or layout of a specific building.

Programming Auditorium Rooms 150 – 200 seats Temporary Exhibit Galleries Archives

Public Centre Reading Administration Room Reception Town Square “The place to be” History Live! Shop

Cafe Lobby Group Orientation • Large icon artifact (Fire truck? Bren gun carrier??) d ar • Visible from outside rty Cou Outdoor Irving House

Views Views Samson V

Fraser River Entry Discovery Centre

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Site Options Area Requirements and Preliminary Capital Cost Estimate (Unspecified Site) During the study, many sites were considered and ten sites were evaluated for their suitability If the new heritage and cultural centre were to be constructed as a new facility, the capital cost would according to criteria derived from discussions be approximately $14.4 million. These estimates are based on unit cost allowances per gross square with the Steering Committee, interviews and foot prepared by BTY Group, a Vancouver-based cost consulting firm with extensive and recent consultation with stakeholders, and the experience in museum and gallery facilities. These costs do not include allowances for site work, experience of the consultants in planning for professional fees, land acquisition, permits, development charges, and contingencies for escalation and cultural facilities. change orders.

Net Area Totals Distributed Unit Cost Components (sq. ft.) Gross /GSF Capital Cost Main Hall (Town Square) 3000 4200 $180 $756,000 Café 800 1120 $150 $168,000 School Tour Facilities 550 770 $160 $123,000 Gift Shop 950 1330 $160 $213,000 Centre Administration 2150 3010 $175 $527,000 Cultural Association Offices 550 770 $165 $127,000 Archives 3140 4396 $250 $1,099,000 Auditorium / Orientation 3000 4200 $290 $1,218,000 Temporary Exhibit Galleries 3000 4200 $300 $1,260,000 Pemanent Exhibit Galleries: HISTORY, LIVE! 10150 14210 $300 $4,263,000 Programming Rooms 1700 2380 $165 $393,000 Fine Arts Studios 2650 3710 $200 $742,000 Collections Storage 6100 8540 $265 $2,263,000 Exhibit Production 1900 2660 $250 $665,000 Loading Dock 975 1365 $145 $198,000 Maintenance/Storage 1400 1960 $180 $353,000 TOTALS 42015 58821 $14,368,000

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Executive Summary

Operational Model and Phasing A phased in operational model is recommended where although all spaces are constructed initially, some are not fully operational at the outset. Temporary galleries would not initially be used for exhibits, and could be leased or rented out on a regular basis to generate revenue. The archives would initially operated on a 4 to 5 day per week basis. By 2012, the centre could be open 6 to 7 days per week and the temporary galleries could be operational. Although most administration functions would follow a regular workday pattern, some temporary shows could be open in the evening and the Fine Arts Studios could operate on extended hours. Other uses that could occur on an extended hour basis would be Gala opening events, special presentations and seminars, and rentals for private functions, meetings, and workshops.

Preliminary Projection of Operating Costs The Municipal Contribution required to operate the new heritage and cultural centre would be about $544,000 per year. This is lower than per capita contributions in other municipalities.

Operating Mun. Annual Operating Municipal % of Mun. Grant budget per Municipal Museums Pop. Attendance Costs Funding Total per capita capita Ashcroft Museum 2,100 1,500 $31,000 $30,000 97% $14.29 $14.76 Sidney Museum 11,000 13,500 $252,000 $184,000 73% $16.73 $22.91 Alberni Valley Museum 18,000 31,500 $413,000 $302,000 73% $16.78 $22.94 Langley Centennial Museum 30,000 17,400 $474,000 $465,000 98% $15.50 $15.80 New Westminster Existing 49,000 8,000 $310,000 $302,000 97% $6.16 $6.33 New Westminster Proposed 49,000 25,000 $614,000 $544,000 89% $11.10 $12.53 This cost would be offset by potential savings to the city of approximately $125,000 from grants now designated to existing community museums whose collections are to be incorporated and $38,000 potential revenue from the spaces they will be vacating. In addition, the economic impact of cultural tourism is estimated at over $800,000.

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary 7.3 Site Development 56 7.4 Environmental Zones 57 1.0 Introduction 1 7.5 Universal Access Design 58 1.1 Background 1 7.6 Circulation Guidelines 58 1.2 Study Process 1 7.7 Security Zones 59 1.3 Purpose of this Report 1 7.8 Building Systems Guidelines 60

2.0 Current Situation 2 8.0 Preliminary Capital Cost Estimate 61 2.1 Site 2 2.2 Facilities 2 9.0 Proposed Business Plan 62 2.3 Collections 3 9.1 Phasing of Operational Model 62 2.4 Exhibits 3 9.2 Revenue and Expense Estimates 62 2.5 Programmes & Activities 3 9.3 Projected Expense Assumptions 64 2.6 Current Inadequacies 4 9.4 Annual Attendance Estimates 65 2.7 Implications of Inadequacies 6 9.5 Projected Revenue Assumptions 66 9.6 Additional Revenue Potential 67 3.0 Planning for the Future 7 3.1 Population Growth 7 10.0 Proposed Implementation Strategy 68 3.2 Objectives 7 10.1 Community Support, Partnering Initiatives and Fundraising 69 3.3 Strategic Options 8 10.2 Detailed Functional & Exhibit Planning 69 10.3 Architectural Design 69 4.0 Vision 9 10.4 Exhibit Design & Development 70 4.1 Developing a Vision 9 10.5 Tender & Construction Process 70 4.2 Fitting Vision to Place 10 10.6 Move In 70 4.3 Outcomes of Visioning Workshop 11 10.7 Gala Opening 70 4.4 Including Other Facilities 13 4.5 Envisioning the Museum and Archives Public Spaces 14 11.0 Conclusion 71

5.0 Proposed Operating Concept 49 Appendix: A: Visioning Workshop Matrix 5.1 Introduction 49 Appendix B: Criteria for Evaluation of Site Options 5.2 Operational Model and Phasing 49 5.3 Proposed Staffing Model 49 5.4 Estimated Staffing Requirements 50

6.0 Facility and Site Requirements 52 6.1 Area Requirements 52 6.2 Overall Relationships 53 6.3 Component Descriptions 53

7.0 Design Guidelines 56 7.1 Image Objectives 56 7.2 Massing 56

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1.0 Introduction

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background 1.2 Study Process • Royal Westminster Regiment Historical The existing New Westminster Museum and To develop an understanding of current Society Archives is a community heritage facility facilities and services, the consultant team • Samson V Maritime Museum housing the City’s material culture and reviewed background documentation, met • Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame documentary heritage resources. It currently with staff, and conducted analysis in the • New Westminster Police Museum shares a site with the historic Irving House, following areas: • Fraser River Discovery Centre and the two are operated as a single • Collections profile • Royal Columbian Hospital institution by the City of New Westminster, Following the interviews, preliminary ideas Parks and Recreation Department. • Archival records and services • Museum programmes and services were developed for themes, stories and objects that could form the basis for future The Irving House Historic Centre has been • Space utilization exhibits. A workshop was held with 14 preserved for the purpose of depicting in • Attendance and visitor profiles general the lifestyle of the home’s first members of the community to expand upon • Staffing and volunteer resources inhabitants. All restoration work, collections, these ideas and create a vision of the kind of • Revenue and expenditure patterns exhibitions and interpretation are undertaken place the Museum and Archives could in harmony with the documented research Interviews were then conducted with the become. The vision presented in this report on the home in order to portray living history. following groups to generate ideas about the has been generated directly from ideas potential role and characteristics of the formulated at this workshop. The New Westminster Museum and Museum and Archives in the future. Archives collects, preserves, researches, Functional and technical requirements were houses, exhibits and interprets all objects • Current staff members then developed that would support the that best serve to illustrate the historical • Interpretive Guides vision, and various options were explored for founding, settlement and development of the • Volunteers combining the Museum and Archives with New Westminster area from the earliest • New Westminster Library other cultural and community services. times to the present. • Hyack Festival Association These were evaluated in combination with • Irving House Subcommittee various site options to establish the most Since the early 1990’s, inadequacies of the • Tourism New Westminster appropriate concept for the feasibility current facilities have been documented. In analysis. early 2003, the City of New Westminster • Downtown Business Improvement retained the team of Cornerstone Planning Association 1.3 Purpose of this Report Group and Aldrich Pears Associates to • New Westminster Chamber of Commerce This report highlights some of the issues conduct a Planning and Feasibility Study • Community Heritage Commission faced by the Museum and Archives in its that would include the following: • New Westminster Heritage Preservation current location, proposes a vision for an Society expanded centre with a visual arts • development of a vision including the role • City of New Westminster – various component included, and outlines the of the institution, the scope of services and departments resource requirements for the construction functions, the use of public spaces, and and operation of a facility to accommodate exhibition and programme themes Tours and meetings were also conducted to explore possibilities of forming partnerships the vision. A test fit layout is also presented • assessment of the physical and or incorporating collections from other for the site that was selected as having the operational implications of the vision heritage societies and groups as follows: most potential for development of the facility. • exploration of location options

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 1 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study 2.0 Current Situation 2.1 Site The Irving House Historic Centre and New Westminster Museum and Archives are currently accommodated in separate buildings on a 16,700 square foot property located at 302 Royal Avenue. The Irving House Historic Centre is at the front of the site facing Royal Avenue and the New Westminster Museum and Archives spans across the back of the site at a lower level, due to the downward slope of the site away from the street. The grounds in front of and between the buildings are developed as gardens and well maintained by the City of New Westminster Parks & Recreation Department.

2.2 Facilities Irving House is a registered and designated significant historical building constructed in the 19th century. It was purchased by the City of New Westminster in 1950 and preserved for the purpose of depicting in general the lifestyle of the home’s first inhabitants, Captain and Mrs. William Irving and family. It is a three level house with exhibit areas on the main and upper level. The lower level is accessible from the back and has been converted into staff areas and a meeting space. The Museum and Archives building is a 5100 square foot concrete and concrete block structure that was built by the City in 1964 as an annex to Irving House. It is a two level structure with a flat roof, and the public entrance is at the second level via a walkway down from Royal Avenue. The upper level accommodates office space, exhibit areas and the gift shop, while the lower level primarily accommodates collections storage.

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2.0 Current Situation

2.3 Collections • Royal collection The current Mission Statement established According to the report provided by • Mayor’s collection at a workshop with staff and volunteers held Vestiges, a consultant who provided a • medical collection prior to this study reads as follows: Collection Assessment in 2002, • fire department collection and truck The Irving House Historic Centre and The New Westminster Museum & • doll collection New Westminster Museum & Archives Archives has a collection of substantial • Chinese collection will collect, preserve and make available monetary value but more importantly of • bridges collection through exhibitions, programmes and outstanding New Westminster historical • there is also a Model T Ford that could be services the history, growth and value. This collection represents the restored as a working artifact and used for development of the City of New historical interest and goals of many New teaching programmes Westminster for the benefit and Westminster individuals and groups enjoyment of the community, visitors and involved with the Museum and Archives 2.5 Programmes & Activities interested individuals. over the past fifty years. To gather together a collection comprised of so The mission statement noted above refers to More specifically, the following points are many outstanding pieces today would be the provision of programmes, and the noted as part of the mandate: a difficult, if not an impossible task. adopted slogan “Continually Creating Curiosity” emphasizes this aspiration. • the purpose of Irving House is to depict the Currently, daytime and evening programmes lifestyle of the Irving/Briggs Family and 2.4 Exhibits are offered to adults and children year- collect, preserve, research, house, exhibit round, with special emphasis during the In addition to items related to Irving House, and interpret in situ objects reflecting the holiday season. Typical group sizes are the Museum and Archives has focused on period of 1865-1890 currently five or six students, and most of displaying and interpreting artifacts from the • the Museum and Archives will focus on the programmes are based in a room within following collections: objects and archival material that illustrate Irving House. the historical founding, settlement, and • Royal Engineers School groups are accommodated for tours development of the New Westminster area • May Day Celebrations from the earliest times to the present of Irving House and the Museum and • Fire of 1898 Archives, along with programmes in the • Textiles and clothing Museum and Archives or in class activities. The pattern of collections acquisition within this mandate has been broad and the In addition, Community Extension Museum and Archives has a range of The collection contains other important programmes are currently provided at malls, artifacts covering many aspects of New artifacts that have been displayed community centres and parks to educate Westminster’s history. infrequently. These areas of the collection and engage the community. have the potential to be further developed into exhibits and interpreted, for public education and enjoyment:

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2.6 Current Inadequacies The Museum and Archives has been successful in acquiring and managing an interesting and valuable collection and providing a worthwhile community service, despite a number of shortcomings related to the physical facilities.

2.6.1 Structure 2.6.2 Functionality The most critical inadequacy of the current The existing building was originally intended facility is that it does not meet building code as a collections storage facility, but was not requirements for seismic resistance. The constructed to the standards required for issue was highlighted in a survey done by this function. Therefore, it was deficient the Engineering Department in the early functionally from the outset. It was not 1990’s, wherein the Museum and Archives designed to accommodate the full range of building was identified as a Category 4 activities associated with a museum and facility. This indicates that total damage and archive operation, which it is used for today. loss of function could occur during an The shape of the building and access earthquake. As a result of this assessment, between floors does not accommodate the City’s seismic upgrading policy adopted appropriate flow and adjacencies between in 1999 specified that the Museum and functions. Archives building should be upgraded by The existing office areas are deficient both 2003. in terms of space and configuration, and According to “A Report on the Facilities, the there is a lack of suitable areas for Operations, and the Future Potential of interaction with visitors to the administration Irving House Historic Centre and New and archives areas. Westminster Museum”, prepared in 1990 by The exhibit areas are restricted and the City Curator at that time, “The flat roof is establishing a chronological flow between an occasional cause for concern, particularly them is difficult. In addition, the demarcation during heavy snowfall, when the weight of between temporary and permanent galleries the snow could cause a collapse.” cannot be reinforced by the physical environment and the ceiling is not the recommended height for various functions.

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2.0 Current Situation

2.6.3 Access Limitations 2.6.5 Space Limitations 2.6.6 Lack of Environmental Controls Due to its position at the rear of the current All functions within the Museum and In 2001, a project was undertaken to plan site below street level, the current Museum Archives are severely restricted by the and implement an inventory to assess the and Archives facility is not readily visible overall size of the building. Storage areas Museum and Archives collections and make from the street. The site is not located in an are very well used; however, there are still recommendations for long-term area that attracts tourists and traffic patterns items stacked up in corridors due to lack of preservation. There was an upgrade to and limited parking make access difficult for space. The permanent exhibits are limited in artifact storage at that time, involving new tourists and local residents. Vehicular number and size, and circulation space shelving and placement of many items in access is also restricted by the prohibition of between them is very constricted. There is acid-free boxes. However, it was right turns on Royal Avenue at 4th or left very little space to develop temporary acknowledged that the upgrade only turns at Merivale. exhibits, limited space for programmes, and provided artifacts with “minimum ‘sufficient’ no space for orientation of classes or other storage conditions”. Pedestrian traffic past the site is also large groups. minimal. The site is one block from a bus Current environmental standards for stop and four blocks from a Skytrain station; As noted in the Introduction, there are collections preservation and storage specify however, getting to the site from both several collections housed at different that artifacts must be housed in an area that requires walking uphill at a considerable locations in the city that could be co-located is maintained within a specific range of grade. with the museum collections to consolidate temperature and relative humidity. There are efforts and increase the profile of all also standards for air quality and the types collections. However, it is evident that space of sprinkler systems that are appropriate for 2.6.4 Aesthetics is not available to accomplish this in the use. None of these special conditions are The existing Museum and Archives building current facility. present in the current building, nor would was originally constructed as a collections they be feasible to incorporate. storage facility, and it is not a visually appealing building to work in or visit. The The heating system is deficient in that there exterior of the building is uninteresting and is no way to manage and maintain the heat creates an inappropriate image for a public at operational standards for personal facility. The interior finishes are deficient, comfort of the public and personnel. outdated and showing many signs of age Rectification of this problem is not possible and wear, and it would be very costly and within the existing building due to the way it difficult to incorporate up-to-date lighting and was constructed. controls for exhibit areas.

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2.7 Implications of Inadequacies The current inadequacies have serious impacts on the present operation and long-term viability of the Museum and Archives. Priorities that require critical action include:

2.7.1 Collections At Risk 2.7.4 Limitations for Community and Visitor The current storage conditions do not meet Access collections and preservation standards and The current location, profile and size of the seismic deficiencies are significant. Both of Museum and Archives limits public access these factors place the collections at risk to the facilities and restricts the range of and place the City in the position of losing a services that are possible. This applies to valuable and irreplaceable community residents of the community, and of other resource. municipalities in Greater Vancouver, and to visitors from elsewhere.

2.7.2 Safety Risk to Personnel and Public The inability to improve access to historical resources by consolidating different A critical implication of the structural collections is also a major drawback deficiencies is the risk of personal injury to resulting from current facility limitations. the personnel working in the building or to members of the public who may be in the 2.7.5 Operating Budget building during an earthquake. Maintenance costs will increase due to the age of the current facility, and the cost of rectifying the seismic deficiencies is significant. These expenditures would not 2.7.3 Limitations for Programmes rectify any of the other inadequacies of the Although programmes are currently provided facility, and do not create any recognition or to the extent possible, many more excitement on the part of the community. programmes for larger group sizes could be developed if appropriate space was The current location and building restrict the available. This would better fulfill the revenue-generation possibilities typical of education mandate of the Museum and cultural facilities, such as gift shop income, Archives and also increase the profile for coffee and snack services, room rentals and spinoff benefits in terms of increasing admission charges. They also impact the community access in general. level of support through memberships and donations.

Supporting several small museum collections throughout the city in terms of operating grants or allocations of space also has an impact on the operating budget of the City, and this cannot be resolved in the current facilities.

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3.0 Planning for the Future

3.0 Planning for the Future 3.1 Population Growth The City of New Westminster currently has a population of approximately 58,000 and is anticipated to grow to approximately 90,000 by 2025. According to forecasting completed by the City Planning Department, the Downtown neighbourhood has the greatest potential for population growth and the greatest developmental growth expectations. The Lower Mainland population is also growing rapidly and tourism is on the increase.

3.2 Objectives In planning for Museum and Archives facilities to serve the community and respond to the increase in tourism, the following objectives are important to consider: • Rectify seismic risk of current facilities • Enhance community access to and awareness of local history • Enhance ability to interpret history • Provide suitable environment to preserve and store collections • Provide the range of services and programs consistent with public expectations • Attract sufficient visitors to enhance economic viability • Incorporate other City supported community programs, collections and services that will improve overall operational cost-effectiveness

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3.3 Strategic Options Given the above objectives, the following strategic options were identified and explored as part of the planning and feasibility study. No Action It also improves access to visitors using more This is clearly not an acceptable option as the than one service, increases their awareness of current facilities pose a risk to personnel, visitors the services available, and expands and valuable collections. opportunities for synergies in programming and efficiencies in use of space between the functions. The results of the Citizens Survey Renovate Existing Museum and conducted by Ipsos Reid showed a favourable response for a joint Museum/Archives /Arts Archives Facility facility. Many of the assessed deficiencies and their implications could not be rectified by renovating Different combinations of functions to include in the existing buildings. This reality, combined with a new facility were evaluated according to the community demand for a broader range and “criteria for success” developed during the higher quality of heritage services, indicate a Visioning Workshop and stakeholder need to consider options for a new Museum and consultation sessions. The proposed functions Archives facility. that were selected for inclusion in the centre are the Museum, the Archives, a visual arts component, and bookable meeting space for Construct Expanded Facility for Museum cultural groups. Since arts programming was a secondary focus of the study, a further and Archives examination of arts programming and functional This option does meet the objectives by spaces will be necessary to fully address this providing the opportunity to increase the quality component of the facility. and amount of space available for museum and archive functions in an environment that will Based on meetings conducted during the study, remain suitable in the long term. the proposal also incorporates collections of the Police Museum, Royal Westminster Regiment Historical Society and Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Construct Expanded Facility for Several Fame. Marketing and programming connections would be established with the Samson V Cultural Functions Maritime Museum, the Fraser River Discovery This is the recommended option, as it meets the Centre and the Royal Columbian Hospital. objectives for the Museum and Archives and also provides an opportunity to accommodate Due to the expanded functions it is proposed that several cultural functions in a manner that would the name of the new facility be changed to reflect be more cost effective than providing separate a broader heritage and cultural scope. Because facilities. a new name has not been selected, the new facility will be referred to as “new heritage and cultural centre” for the purposes of this study.

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4.0 Vision

4.0 Vision

4.1 Developing a Vision This vision was developed for the Museum and Archives public functions within the new heritage and cultural centre. The original intent of the Visioning Workshop was to plan for the Museum and Archives only, however the scope of functions and services considered expanded throughout the consultation process. Fine arts studios, meeting space for cultural and community groups and non-public areas are also included in the proposed facility, and these are described in the Facility and Site Requirements section.

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4.2 Fitting Vision to Place The New Westminster Museum and Archives of the future should make the In order to create a vision for the New most of the city’s storied past and Westminster Museum and Archives, we complex community. There is great must first understand the defining potential to create exciting experiences features of New Westminster and and tell stories that will intrigue and examine how a future facility could fit into include residents and visitors alike. the community. The vision put forth in this document is New Westminster is a city with a long, tailored to highlight the unique history and fascinating history and a bright future. community of New Westminster. The geographical area of New Westminster is clearly defined, centred along the spine of the Fraser River. Distinct neighbourhoods provide a strong sense of identity for residents and cultivate a small town feel despite New Westminster’s size. Residents have a sense of pride for and a high awareness of their city’s heritage. The diverse population is stable and expected to grow as more people are attracted to New Westminster’s comfortable, accessible, and affordable community.

10 4.0 Vision

4.3 Outcomes of Visioning where visitors can learn of community Workshop events, meet for coffee, or watch evening performances or lectures. Active and Stakeholders and community service-oriented, it will be a true representatives came together to discuss community centre that reflects the needs the future New Westminster Museum and and interests of its visitors. Archives at a visioning workshop on September 10, 2003. The Museum and Archives of the future will offer a range of experiences to appeal Workshop participants were asked to to its diverse audience – families with describe the measures of success and young children, students, teenagers, defining features of the Museum and seniors, special-interest history Archives of the future from the enthusiasts, visitors with a variety of perspective of a specific audience group. cultural backgrounds, tourists and Participants brainstormed in groups and residents. wrote their ideas on cards. The group then clustered cards containing similar Sense of Ownership ideas in order to determine the types of New Westminster residents want to feel services, experiences and community that the Museum and Archives is their roles they considered the most important. museum. There is a great opportunity to A table of the direct outcomes of the capture the wisdom in the community by workshop exercise is included in the building a facility that encourages and Appendix. The following section values community contributions, summarizes the key features discussed in generating a sense of pride and the workshop. ownership in the process.

4.3.1 Community Oriented Facility Ownership through contribution benefits Every community needs safe and residents and the Museum and Archives; comfortable places to meet. With this in individuals feel valued and represented, mind, the Museum and Archives is while their knowledge – artifacts, oral envisioned as a “town square” where histories, archival materials – makes the residents congregate to discuss and Museum and Archives collections richer, inform themselves about current issues more accurate reflections of the as well as heritage. It should be a place community.

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4.3.2 The Personal Touch Westminster. Visitors may be able to The Museum and Archives should put a explore their neighbourhood over time, high value on learning through personal ride the Fraser in a steamboat, watch a interaction. Visitors want to learn from time-lapse video of a house restoration, professionals or residents with first-hand or take a virtual tour of Columbia Street knowledge of heritage. They may listen to after the fire of 1898. storytellers, ask a local expert about restoring a heritage home, or be guided History Arcade through an exhibit by a docent who can Visitors want to feel and do the real stuff tell personal stories about times past. of history. Larger hands-on interactives let groups of people work together as they The dynamism of an active facility that realize that history can be fun and active. offers lectures, demonstrations or tours Visitors could visit a wharf to lift bales and with community “experts” makes it work cranes, push a button to hear and attractive to visitors. The Museum and see sawmill machinery or use a lacrosse Archives, in turn, strengthens community stick to shoot and score at virtual by providing a venue for residents to lacrosse. share their skills, knowledge, stories and love of New Westminster. Step into History Recreated settings invite visitors to 4.3.3 Exciting Experiences: immerse themselves in history. They History Live! might use clues to solve the bank robbery Tourists and residents alike want of 1911 in a recreated street scene or role engaging exhibits that immerse them in play working at the CKNW radio station. history and make it relevant to their lives today.

Journeys through Place and Time Simple computer interactives, audio and videos can guide visitors through long- ago times or unseen places in New

12 4.0 Vision

4.4 Including Other Facilities Museum of the Royal Westminster Regiment Merging other New Westminster heritage facilities with the Museum and Archives would create opportunities to tell some of the larger stories central to the ongoing history of New Westminster – specifically, the stories of police, fire, military and lacrosse.

The Museum of the Regiments and the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame have expressed interest in merging collections with the future New Westminster Museum and Archives to give their collections more exposure in the community. The Police Museum would also consider merging its collection provided the location is close to the Police building. The Samson V staff are interested in developing land-based exhibits as part of a new facility, however they want to maintain a water location for the vessel. In addition, there is the potential to create partnerships with other local collections and facilities such as the Royal Columbian Hospital medical collection and the Fraser River Discovery Centre.

New Westminster Police Museum 8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 13 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

4.5 Envisioning the Museum and • Programming rooms for Museum and Archives Public Spaces Archives programs 4.5.1 Overview • Centre administration reception The vision put forth in this document • History Live! permanent exhibit evolved from extensive consultation and galleries the process described in the Appendix. It will also act as a hub for practical Ultimately, this vision describes a facility services: with the energy and buzz of an active • Café community center. The Museum and • Shop Archives will include engaging programs, • Group orientation special events, workshops and dynamic exhibits that reflect the stories of a Parts of the story of New Westminster changing New Westminster and its may be told elsewhere; Irving House, The diverse residents. Fraser River Discovery Centre and the Samson V currently provide interpretive A central meeting space, or “Town experiences in meaningful locations. Square” will serve as the locus of activity, These satellite facilities can help deliver offering visitors a place to rest, talk, play heritage services over a larger or find out about the day’s events. A geographical area. They can complement variety of heritage-focused visitor the Museum and Archives and vice-versa, services will be arrayed around the Town and should be closely linked through Square: programming and cross-marketing. • Archives reading room • Auditorium for lectures, films or presentations • Galleries for temporary exhibits, workshops or demonstrations

14 4.0 Vision

The bubbles on this diagram correspond to the conceptual spaces described above. The diagram indicates a sense of relative areas and visitor flow, but not necessarily the shape or layout of a specific building. Programming Auditorium Rooms 150 – 200 seats Tem p orary Exhibit Galleries Archives

Public Centre Reading Administration Room Reception Town Square “The place to be” History Live! Shop

Cafe Lobby Group Orientation • Large icon artifact rd (Fire truck? Bren gun carrier??) ya • Visible from outside urt r Co Outdoo Irving House

Views Views Sam son V

Fraser River Entry Discovery Centre

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 15 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

4.5.2 Entry The courtyard should be an active area Lobby where visitors watch events or performances on an outdoor stage. Café The lobby presents the public face of the seating could spill outside in pleasant Museum and Archives, so it should weather so visitors (or casual passers-by) appear accessible and exciting to visitors. can sip coffee and watch outdoor As visitors enter, they immediately feel concerts or other events. welcomed by friendly staff at the reception desk, clearly marked signage in appropriate languages, and views into the more active areas of the facility. Small lobby displays or captivating artifacts could draw visitors further into the museum galleries and archives.

Outdoor Courtyard Programming An outdoor courtyard carries the museum Auditorium Rooms 150 – 200 seats experience beyond the building’s Temporary Exhibit boundaries and into the city. The Galleries Archives courtyard could feature sturdy artifacts or Public Centre Reading Administration views of large scale, iconic artifacts inside Room Reception the building. A turn-of-the-century fire Town Square “The place to be” History Live! truck, for example, could be positioned in Shop a glassed area that extends into the courtyard space.

Cafe Views into the facility will draw curious Lobby Group Orientation visitors inside. Night lighting can increase • Large icon artifact (Fire truck? Bren gun carrier??) rd the centre’s profile by dramatically ya • Visible from outside urt r Co emphasizing artifacts indoors or in the Outdoo Irving House Views courtyard – or the building itself. Views Samson V

Fraser River Entry Discovery Centre

16 4.0 Vision

4.5.3 Town Square: “The Place to Be” The Town Square will act as a central The Town Square will be the physical and hub, providing direct access to other metaphorical heart of the Museum and areas of the centre. These spaces may Archives. This large central main hall will spill over into the Town Square, be designed for informal meeting and announcing their presence and gathering – a destination for getting introducing interesting or provocative together. The Town Square will be bright, topics for discussion. For example, the open, lively and vibrant. It should feel Town Square may house a display of comfortable and welcoming to all visitors, archival maps or artifacts related to an including children, families, seniors and exhibit on crime in New Westminster. tourists. Café seating or gift shop displays could also extend into the common areas. The Roundhouse, Vancouver Defining features include: • Informal seating, such as broad benches or stairs. • Places for children to play. These Programming could be iconic, themed structures (a Auditorium Rooms 150 – 200 seats Temporary streetcar, for example) that reflect the Exhibit Galleries nature of the facility. Archives

Public Centre • A visitor-created graphic or sculptural Reading Administration element, such as a builder’s wall or Room Reception pledge tree. Town Square “The place to be” History Live! • Space for small-scale performances or Shop events.

• Views to outside, creating a space that Cafe National Postal Museum, Lobby Group Washington DC feels connected and relevant to the Orientation • Large icon artifact New Westminster of today. (Fire truck? Bren gun carrier??) d ar • Visible from outside rty • Visible, available staff and volunteers. Cou Outdoor Irving House

• Up-to-date listings of activities at the Views Views Samson V centre and current community events. Fraser River Entry Discovery Centre

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 17 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

4.5.4 Auditorium The temporary galleries could be used for: The auditorium will be a multi-use space • Demonstrations: an elder’s talk and ideal for informal guided learning – demonstration on cedar-basket- lectures, invited speakers, storytelling and making, an expert’s demonstration of presentations. The auditorium could also old time skills or crafts such as lace- screen feature AV presentations based on making or barrel-making. the stories and themes of New •Travelling shows from other facilities. Westminster. •Temporary in-house shows: issue-based, The auditorium should incorporate a collection-based or community-based. stage for speakers or presenters, some formal seating, AV projection and sound systems. Visitors will access the auditorium directly from the Town Square.

4.5.5 Flexible Use Spaces

1) Temporary Galleries Programming Auditorium Rooms 150 – 200 seats The temporary gallery should be large Temporary Exhibit enough to accommodate a standard Galleries travelling exhibit. An adjustable partition Archives Public Centre wall will allow the temporary gallery to be Reading Administration divided in half for two different purposes. Room Reception Town Square For example, a small temporary exhibit “The place to be” History Live! could be displayed in one half while the Shop other half is available for a demonstration. An open configuration Cafe would create one space for a larger Lobby Group Orientation temporary show. • Large icon artifact (Fire truck? Bren gun carrier??) d ar • Visible from outside rty Cou Outdoor Irving House

Views Views Samson V

Fraser River Entry Discovery Centre

18 4.0 Vision

Temporary galleries need certain features 4.5.6 Archives Reading Room in order to accommodate temporary A prominent, welcoming entrance directly exhibits and showcase them off the Town Square announces the professionally: Archives to visitors. Exhibits of archival • Exhibit track lighting materials could spill into the Town Square • Suitable flooring to introduce the Archives and its materials, putting a friendly face on what • Natural light control may be an unfamiliar service for many • Clear wall surfaces visitors.

2) Programming Rooms From the entrance, visitors will be able to The programming rooms could be see the comfortable public-access used for: reading room and observe the activities • Programs: children’s seasonal or that go on inside an archive. A clearly school programs. marked reception desk presents an organized and logical place for •Workshops: home renovation discussions with the archivist. workshops, oral history workshops.

A flexible programming space should have appropriate support for a wide variety of workshops and programs: • Pin-up/wall display space •AV projection capabilities • Adjacency to programme material and tool storage • Flooring that allows for easy cleanup after demonstrations and workshops.

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 19 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

4.5.7 History Live! Permanent Exhibit Galleries The content of the Museum and Archives – its objects and stories – may be presented in many ways. Stories and visitor experiences can be built around personalities, human relationships, geography, or other viewpoints or perspectives.

The organizing structure may not be chronological but rather should make the Washington State History Museum, Tacoma most of the uniqueness of the collection and community, resources and public interests. It should result in a variety of theatrical, rich, multisensory experiences. Turtle Bay Museum, Redding, California

Programming The museum galleries should address Auditorium Rooms 150 – 200 seats contemporary issues and changes so that Temporary Exhibit the content is relevant to the lives of Galleries today’s residents and visitors. The galleries Archives Public Centre can incorporate a mix of time periods and Reading Administration Room Reception provide layers of content to engage Town Square visitors with limited time as well as those “The place to be” History Live! Shop with more time or special interest.

Cafe Lobby Group Orientation • Large icon artifact (Fire truck? Bren gun carrier??) d ar • Visible from outside rty Cou Outdoor Irving House

Views Views Samson V

Fraser River Entry Discovery Centre

20 4.0 Vision

1) Design Approach • Hands-on interactives: Larger Audiences wish to have a cohesive, interactive opportunities and entertaining and stimulating experience in demonstration areas guide visitors to a comfortable setting. To achieve this, the learn by doing. facility must provide a broad range of • Journeys through time and place: interpretive experiences in terms or Exhibits include a mix of time settings, duration, complexity, media and including the present day. Visitors may environment. not encounter stories in a chronological order – they will walk Vancouver Museum Each layer of experience provides greater through a mix of historic and more depth to an individual’s visit and results in contemporary settings, mini-theatre a stronger impact, both intellectual and shows, media interactives and other emotional. A multi-layered approach to types of experiences. experience also results in a center that appeals to a broad variety of visitor interests and learning styles. Vancouver Museum Based on the visioning workshop results and our understanding of visitor audiences, museum gallery experiences should include the following:

• Mini theatres: Visitors journey through New Westminster in the past and present, immersed in theatrical settings. • Step into history: Individuals or groups can role play in themed settings and recreated environments.

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 21 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

2) Overarching Themes • Diverse individuals and strong Themes are used to organize stories in a communities have weathered good way that has coherence and clarity for the times and bad to make New visitor. Too broad a theme results in a Westminster what it is today. hodgepodge of information; far better to • Community events and pride in the focus on what best captures the spirit of past define what it means to live in the place and the most important New Westminster today. messages. Ultimately the experiences should illustrate these “big ideas” for visitors.

An overall theme conveys the single most important idea that the facility interprets. For the Museum and Archives, this should contain several important thoughts:

• Each New Westminster neighbourhood has a distinct character that has historically reflected an income level, profession and cultural background common to most residents. • Throughout history, the physical and social structure of New Westminster has been dynamic and ever-changing.

22 4.0 Vision

The overall interpretive theme can be expressed as:

Communities Through Change: Stories of New Westminster This theme could provide an organizing device for the development of exhibits and programs.

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 23 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

3) Components of History Live! The introductory area sets the tone for the rest of the exhibits by exploring the Entry: A Place to Call Home themes of who and what make New Westminster a unique city. The museum galleries will be accessed directly off the Town Square. Physically, the galleries will spill into the Town ourhood Persp ighb ectiv Square, announcing the presence of Ne es exciting exhibits and providing an introduction to the Museum and Archives stories. Queensborough • Immigration City of Champions • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage architecture Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals • Brewery and mills • People who worked there The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE • Parks

Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

24 4.0 Vision

The First Capital City of Champions a strong icon. The icon could be a A chronological history of early New gateway, an artifact, or a built piece. For Westminster provides context for exhibits Living It Up example, the City Defenders area could that explore the city’s development in later feature a restored fire truck, while a large City Defenders years. and colourful maypole could become an icon for the Living it Up area. Fighting Proud Neighbourhood Perspectives Theatrical treatments or walls could create This anchor exhibit uses the idea of strong These thematic areas focus on important more definition for special places such as neighbourhoods as a vehicle to talk about events and stories that involve all of New the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. larger issues. For example, an exhibit Westminster. about Victory Heights could introduce the topic of post-war life in New Westminster. This bubble diagram illustrates the We have focused on several arrangement of possible thematic areas. neighbourhoods in particular but others The bubbles do not necessarily indicate could be featured, or rotated in over time. distinct rooms or galleries – physical Different configurations for these thematic spaces may blend together. Each thematic areas are possible. Neighbourhood area will, however, be clearly identified by perspectives could appear as a backdrop to other exhibits or occur as a thematic thread that winds through the gallery.

Option A Option B Neighbourhood Perspectives City Defenders

Living It Up

Neighbourhood Perspectives City of Champions

Fighting Proud Fighting Proud

Living It Up The First The First Capital Capital City Defenders

Intro Intro City of Champions

Entry Entry 8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 25 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

4) Intro: A Place to Call Home This area introduces the overarching themes of the galleries, and asks the question – who and what is New Westminster?

Stories • Explore New Westminster through stories and objects associated with individuals, from well known residents – McBride, Billy Miner, Raymond Burr – to “everyman” residents – workers, doctors, politicians, housewives, and children – from a variety of backgrounds. • From English gentlemen to early urhood Persp ighbo ecti Japanese residents, Sikh and Italian Ne ves populations, and the young families of Queensborough today, different communities have had • Immigration City of Champions • Shipyards • Competitive and recreational sports very different experiences of what it Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fame • Residential, heritage means to live in New Westminster. architecture Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • Changing size and shape of New • Hospitals • Brewery and mills Westminster, locations of • People who worked there The First neighbourhoods. Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE • Parks

Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westminster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

26 4.0 Vision

Icons/Artifacts • Maps of New Westminster • Faces of residents through time

Exhibits • See an image collage of photographs of individuals and hear their memories and thoughts on New Westminster. Approach the photographs – some come to life as motion sensors activate video screens. • Computer interactive: compare time periods and see how the size and shape of New Westminster have changed over time.

Possible Program Links • Take an oral history workshop. Offer your own memories of New Westminster.

Melbourne Museum, Melbourne, Australia

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 27 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study Plains Indian Museum, Cody, Wyoming

5) The First Capital logs and huge trees. Smell fresh-cut Explore the city’s roots in the early period cedar and smoke. of New Westminster’s settlement. • Kids/teens learn how to use engineers’ Discover the events and individuals that surveying tools and lay New set the scene for the city’s development. Westminster out into lots. • Inside a log cabin or tent listen to Stories some of the earliest pioneers such as • Royal Engineers arrive, 1859 Rev. John Sheepshanks describe their • The beginnings of a city lives in young New Westminster. • Royal Columbian hospital, 1862 • Enter the first Royal Columbian • Capital industries 1866: court, jail, hospital. See early medical equipment, post-office, land office, assay office, overhear a doctor and patient, and flip aborted mint initiative through old hospital records to read of the adventures that put early residents • Capital moved to Victoria, 1868 in hospital. Icons/Artifacts urhood Persp ighbo ecti • Cedar trees, blackened stumps Ne ves • Government buildings Queensborough • Im m igration City of Champions • Log cabins, tents • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage architecture Sapperton Exhibits • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals • Mini theatre: travel with engineers and • Brewery and mills • People who worked there listen in on their conversation as they The First Changing Face of Downtown decide where to build the city. By boat, Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up visit Mary Hill and learn why the Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack present day New Westminster site was • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE chosen instead. • Parks • Enter the government survey office of Entry Fighting Proud 1862, set amidst burnt stumps, fallen From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

28 4.0 Vision

• Computer interactive: put together a • Feud between New Westminster and shopping list at the 1860s general Victoria: timeline of disagreement. store. Note which items were imported Compare conflicting opinions about (almost all). Choose which currency where the capital should be. you will use to pay – American, silver coins, or gold dust.

Burnt stumps

Maps Unroll early maps of New Westminster Use surveyors’ tools Open drawers Hear voices of engineers and pioneers 8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 29 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

6) Neighbourhood Perspectives lowest income area. Why is this A larger exhibit area divided into spaces neighbourhood now in transition? that represent city neighbourhoods, including downtown and residential areas. Glenbrooke North: Challenges of Includes personal stories and an zoning, planning, building and living in exploration of the industries that shaped this brand new neighbourhood on New Westminster across time. redeveloped CMHC lands.

A rotating exhibit could explore each (Exhibits and visitor experiences for neighbourhood in turn: Sapperton, Queensborough, Queen’s Park, the riverfront and downtown are Victory Heights: The story of postwar life described later in this document.) in New Westminster.

West End/North Arm: Recent development of Twelfth Street – neighbourhood stores, urhood Pers antiques. History of industry: interurban ghbo pecti ei ves sheds, manufacturing, machinery, printing N and publishing. Looking to the future: will Queensborough this area be redeveloped as residential? • Im m igration City of Champions • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage architecture Kelvin: History of Moody Park. Kelvin as Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands an example of New Westminster in the • Hospitals • Brewery and mills 1920s. Heritage architecture of the • People who worked there period. The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades Uptown: Examine the shift of New to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts Westminster’s economic and community is New Westminster? • PNE focus from downtown to uptown. • Parks

Entry Fighting Proud Brow of the Hill: The story of what has From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders traditionally been New Westminster’s • Police • Firefighting

30 4.0 Vision

Introductory Area • See a visual overview of all of New Westminster’s neighbourhoods as a backdrop. •Atopographic model illustrates the layout of New Westminster. • At an audio station, visitors can hear perspectives on a current issue from residents of different neighbourhoods. •Visitors find their own neighbourhood on a large, colourful floor map. • Aerial photographs of New Westminster indicate how new neighbourhoods have developed through time.

Washington State History Museum

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 31 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

Anchored on the River Icons/Artifacts The Fraser River as the centre of trade, • Samson V employment and way of life for New • Local First Nations baskets Westminster residents. • Patullo bridge (bridge model + other artifacts)

Exhibits • Mini theatre: Enter a small theatre shaped like a wheelhouse. Take a seat and watch a journey up the river. Hear the captain explain navigation and seamanship. Suddenly, the boat hits a Stories snag. The engineer madly stokes the • First Nations fishing camps fire for more power. Finally the boat • Industry: river trade, fishing, riverside creaks and breaks free. milling • Computer interactive: Take a turn at

• Stories of those who lived and worked the controls of a virtual sternwheeler. urhood Persp ighbo ecti along the Fraser Steer the boat around sandbars and Ne ves • Canned salmon industry 1870s snags. How much power can the Queensborough engine produce without exploding? • Im m igration City of Champions • Lumber industry 1870s • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage • CPR 1887 architecture Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • City market 1892 • Hospitals • Brewery and mills • 1920s and ‘30s: 500+ large ships • People who worked there The First using port Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up • Destruction of warehouses, parkade Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts •Working boats today: life onboard a is New Westminster? • PNE tugboat • Parks

• Crossings: bridges and ferries Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

32 4.0 Vision

• Listen to audio of people’s memories Possible Program Links of working on the Fraser or the docks. • Sign up for a weekend river heritage • Read residents’ responses to the programme coordinated by the NMWA, question “what is important to you in the Samson V and the Fraser River this neighbourhood?” and see photos Discovery Centre. of residents in those places. •Take a tour of the Fraser River on a • Board a fishing boat, put on a slicker real river boat. Steamboat and haul on a line to feel the weight of wheelhouse a sockeye salmon. • Recreated docks in 1870s: enter a cannery and a sawmill. Push a button to control sawmill machinery (with sound). • Role play: Try sorting fish by hand and fit wooden pieces of salmon into cans. • Depending on location… Use binoculars and a chart table to visually track boats on the Fraser while Film footage of listening in to live communications on the VHF radio. the Fraser

Be the captain and steer the ship between presentations

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 33 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

Queen’s Park the heritage features lie and how to • Compare then and now pictures of Heritage houses and the stories of those reveal them. Find original finishes heritage homes. who built and lived in them. behind doorknob plates. Uncover • Handle the materials used to build the Victorian tiles hidden behind a fireplace original homes of Queens Park – types surround. Watch how-to and renovation of wood, brick, stone and fabric. videos. Graphics demonstrate paint colours of • Resource area: Bring your restoration the period. questions to a docent counter. Examine • Listen to audio of people’s memories of samples of materials. Surf the New Queen’s Park. Westminster heritage website. Sit and Stories page through heritage restoration • Read residents’ responses to the question “what is important to you in • Residential architecture reference books. Queen’s Park?” and see photos of • Heritage homes, city-wide context • See a display on New Westminster’s residents in those places. • Materials, methods, changing styles prominent Victorian architects.

urhood Persp • New Westminster architects ighbo ecti Ne ves • Stories of those who lived and worked

in Queen’s Park – politicians, business Queensborough • Im m igration City of Champions elite, servants, rooming house • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage residents architecture Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals Icons/Artifacts • Brewery and mills • People who worked there • Facades of houses The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Exhibits Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack •Try your hand at restoring a heritage • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE house. Peel back layers of siding, • Parks stucco and paint on the outside of a 3D Entry Fighting Proud “house”. Inside, look for clues to where From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

34 4.0 Vision

• Computer interactive: Take a Possible Program Links virtual tour of Queen’s Park • Find out about upcoming through time. Can you find your heritage renovation workshops house? at the centre. • Computer interactive: Explore • Pick up a brochure on the the history of neighborhood annual heritage homes tour. street names. • Attend a slide show about neighbourhood street names. Install a window

Uncover heritage features beneath Peel back later renovations layers of wallpaper

Kiosk to access archives Learn heritage and heritage databases restoration techniques. Examine materials and resources 8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 35 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

Queensborough Immigrants from all over built New Westminster and created the community of today. Many immigrants farmed, fished or worked in Queensborough shipyards.

Stories • Stories of immigrants and identities • Growth of the Sikh population of urhood Persp ighbo ecti Queensborough Ne ves • Shipyards Queensborough • Im m igration City of Champions • Connection to the Fraser, fishing • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage • Agriculture, yesterday and today architecture Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • Urban development today • Hospitals • Brewery and mills • Industrial and residential heritage • People who worked there The First buildings Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Icons/Artifacts Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Recreated “port of entry” such as • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE airport arrival gate • Parks • Recreated shipyard setting Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

36 4.0 Vision

Exhibits Possible Program Links •View a collection of objects that • Add your own immigration story. immigrants brought when they •Take a workshop on tracing your immigrated to New Westminster. family tree overseas. Listen to audio of how the objects remind people of home. • Attend a multicultural festival at the centre. • Read residents’ responses to the question “what is important to you in • Listen to storytellers’ tales from their Queensborough?” and see photos of countries of origin. residents in those places. • Farm wagon, loaded with produce. • Listen to audio of people’s memories of Queensborough. • Computer interactive: Take a virtual tour of Queensborough through time. Can you find your house? • Computer interactive: Explore the history of neighborhood street names. • Current debates: Why do some Queensborough residents want to join Richmond? Controversy over monster homes and big box retailers (Walmart) in Queensborough.

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 37 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

Sapperton Icons/Artifacts • Cooperage artifacts from distillery •Tools • 1930s doctor’s table and accessories, including shop sign, from Sapperton. Stories (Community • Royal engineers remembers this doctor.) • Establishment of penitentiary, • Royal Columbian artifacts? Woodlands 1878 • Stories of individuals who worked in Sapperton industries St. Mary’s Hospital urhood Persp • Industrial and residential heritage ighbo ecti Ne ves buildings

• Mills Queensborough • Im m igration City of Champions • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports • Brewery Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage architecture • Prison Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals • St. Mary’s Hospital: built 1887, • Brewery and mills • People who worked there threatened in 2003 The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Royal Columbian Hospital • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE • Parks

Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

38 4.0 Vision

Exhibits • Examine tools and artifacts from carpenters and barrel-makers. • Role play: Enter a cell in a recreated penitentiary before the riot of 1976. Hear the stories of the guards and prisoners in cells on either side of you. Snap to attention when the guard speaks to you. • Enter the nurses’ home at Woodlands and hear nurses’ stories. • Listen to audio of people’s memories of Sapperton. • Read residents’ responses to the question “what is important to you in Sapperton?” and see photos of residents in those places. • Computer interactive: Take a virtual tour of Sapperton through time. Can you find your house? • Computer interactive: Explore the history of neighborhood street names.

Possible Program Links • Find out about how to contribute to a nurse or prison guard oral history project. • Attend a carpentry workshop or demonstration.

Royal Columbian Hospital

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 39 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

The Changing Face of Downtown Icons/Artifacts The evolving character of Columbia and • City waterworks collection (wooden Front Streets. pipes, equipment) • Photography equipment (lots of well- known photographers once on Columbia Street) • Chinese artifacts: kettles, opium pipes • Printing presses and associated Stories desks, tables, accessories from the • Earliest days (drinking establishments, Columbian and Jackson’s Printing courthouse) House • Chinatown

urhood Persp • Fire of 1898 ighbo ecti Ne ves • Changing architecture

• Theatres, photographers on Columbia Queensborough • Im m igration City of Champions • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports • Newspaper office The British Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Residential, heritage architecture Columbian Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals • Shopping on Columbia 1950s-1970s • Brewery and mills • People who worked there • Recent move of businesses to uptown The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River area • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and • Current restoration projects way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts • Movie industry in New Westminster is New Westminster? • PNE • Parks

Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

40 4.0 Vision

Exhibits •Walk down Columbia Street in the • Role play: You are assigned the 1960s. See the neon lights and identity of one of several characters of window shop at Wosks, Kresge and different ages, genders and social Woolworths. Enter a café to read the groups. Enter turn-of-the century newspapers and listen to CKNW. shops, saloons, and hotels downtown • Kids/teens role play in the CKNW to see what your character’s studio. Be a DJ or control the experience might have been like. soundboard. • Mini theatre: Board a turn-of-the- • See a step-by-step restoration of the century streetcar and take a tour of Burr Theatre and other buildings. Columbia Street before the great fire. • Leave your comments about the • Computer interactive: Take a walk revitalization of downtown. down Columbia Street the day before • Computer interactive: Explore the the fire (generated from maps and history of neighborhood street names. photos) and the day after. Follow the path of the fire as it moved through the Possible Program Links city. • Pick up a brochure for a downtown • Compare before-and-after-fire photos walking tour. of Columbia. • Find out what’s playing at the Burr • Listen to audio of people’s memories Theatre. of downtown. • Attend a slide show about • Read residents’ responses to the neighbourhood street names. question “what is important to you in the downtown?” and see photos of residents in that place. • Kids/teens role play in the newspaper office of the British Columbian. Record news coming in on the wire. Try using a typewriter. Set type to fit the story. Under supervision, print a page.

Vancouver Museum 8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 41 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

7) City of Champions • Mini theatre: watch highlights of local Competitive and recreational sports in sporting events. New Westminster. Possible Program Links Stories • Find out how to register for Parks • Salmonbellies and Rec. programs • Lacrosse Hall of Fame • See the schedule for this year’s Salmonbellies games. • Hockey • Soccer • Early cricket • Basketball in the ‘20s and ‘30s • Recreational sports: tennis, engineers and cricket, ice skating outdoors,

skateboard park urhood Persp ighbo ecti Ne ves Icons/Artifacts Queensborough • Sports artifacts • Im m igration City of Champions • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Lacrosse artifacts • Residential, heritage architecture Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands Exhibits • Hospitals • Brewery and mills • See the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of • People who worked there The First Fame. Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up • Be the radio announcer at a Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack Salmonbellies game. • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE • Kids/teens play full-body virtual • Parks lacrosse. Defend the goal from Entry Fighting Proud lacrosse champs or shoot for the net. From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

42 4.0 Vision

Play virtual lacrosse

Put on a lacrosse See yourself in uniform the Game on screen

New Westminster sports trophies

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 43 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

8) Living It Up Celebration and the arts through New Westminster’s history.

Stories • May Day parade • Provincial Expo in Queens Park • Hyack Festival • History of parks, park events • Cultural festivals • New Westminster canoe team paddled to Montreal for Expo ‘67 • Strong tradition of performing arts

urhood Persp Icons/Artifacts ighbo ecti Ne ves • May Day cloaks, dolls

Queensborough • May pole • Im m igration City of Champions • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Hyack float • Residential, heritage architecture Sapperton • Anvil • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals • Brewery and mills • Canoe (Eastward Ho) • People who worked there • Movie camera The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE • Parks

Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

44 4.0 Vision

Exhibits •Try weaving a maypole with other visitors. • Dress up as the May Queen. • Make your own simulated anvil battery to create a bang. • Step into a canoe and hear the story of four New Westminsterites who paddled along Canadian rivers from New Westminster to Expo '67 in Montreal. As you begin to paddle, video footage of a journey up the Fraser begins, adjusting to your paddling speed and direction. • Mini-theatre: watch footage of parades; May Day, Hyack and Fraser Fest. • Screening room: scan through clips of movies and TV shows filmed in New Westminster. • See the work of talented New Westminster residents: Raymond Burr, Joe Plaskett, Bruno Gerussi.

Possible Program Links •Tour the Museum and Archives as part of a school May Day program.

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 45 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

9) Fighting Proud Contributions of the New Westminster regiment, at home and abroad.

Stories Restored Bren gun • Military history, local regiment carrier as icon for exhibit area • Homefront • Regiments overseas • Regiment today

Icons/Artifacts • Large vehicle, visible from outside the building? • Military uniforms, medals, guns

urhood Persp Exhibits ighbo ecti Ne ves • Listen to the stories, with sound

effects, of New Westminster militia Queensborough • Im m igration City of Champions members who fought across the years, • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e e.g. Major Mahoney and Smokey • Residential, heritage architecture Sapperton Smith. • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals • Brewery and mills • Plan a defense of New Westminster • People who worked there from Californian Fenians. Place troops The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River and ships in strategic positions on a • Evolving character of • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and map. Discover if the military in 1866 way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades to Call Home • May Day, Hyack used the same strategy. • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE • Follow two timelines that weave • Parks together the city’s and the regiment’s Entry Fighting Proud histories. From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

46 4.0 Vision

Possible Program Links • Find out about current regiment activities. • Attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at the centre. Place boats and troops on a model of New Westminster

Strategize to Pull out drawers defend the city to find maps and photographs

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 47 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

10) City Defenders Possible Program Links Stories • Climb aboard a real firetruck in the • Fire Department courtyard during a special event and talk to a fireman. • Pioneer brigade: New Westminster’s first fire company, Hyack Company • Attend a workshop on how to keep No.1, 1861 vintage cars in good running shape. • City Police • Bank robbery of 1911

Icons/Artifacts • Fire truck [visible from outside the building?] • Motorcycle

• Giant ladder urhood Pers ghbo pecti ei ves • Canvas jump catcher N

Queensborough Exhibits • Im m igration City of Champions • Shipyards • Com petitive and recreational sports Queen’s Park • Agriculture • Lacrosse Hall of Fam e • Dress up like a firefighter or a member • Residential, heritage architecture of the police force. Sapperton • Pen and Woodlands • Hospitals • Fire truck • Brewery and mills • People who worked there • Role play: Kids/teens use clues to The First Changing Face of Downtown Capital Anchored on the River • Evolving character of solve the Great Bank Robbery of 1911. • Engineers • The Fraser as centre of Columbia and Front Streets Living it Up Intro: A Place • Beginnings of a city trade, employment and to Call Home way of life • Celebrations, festivals, parades • Spend some time in a jail cell. • May Day, Hyack • Who and what • Performing and visual arts is New Westminster? • PNE •View an illuminated map showing • Parks today’s fire routes through the city. Entry Fighting Proud From Town Square • New Westm inster regiment, at home and abroad City Defenders • Police • Firefighting

48 5.0 Proposed Operating Concept

5.0 Proposed Operating Concept 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Operational Model and Phasing 5.3 Proposed Staffing Model The staffing estimates for the new A phased in operational model is The minimum level of staffing proposed during heritage and cultural centre will be used recommended where although all spaces are the initial phase of operation is shown in the in estimating facility requirements and constructed initially, some are not fully model below. This level of staffing would operating costs. They are not intended operational at the outset. This includes the provide only a base level of service. It as a hiring commitment by the City of following assumptions: includes a full time Manager position to New Westminster. The estimates do not oversee all operations at the new heritage and • temporary galleries would not initially be include temporary or contract positions cultural centre as well as at Irving House and used for exhibits, and could be leased or that will be required to design, prepare provide strategic direction for programs, rented out on a regular basis and install exhibits in the new facilities. It exhibits, and collections development. The is assumed that this preparatory work will • the archives would initially operated on a 4 model includes part time positions for be considered part of the project costs to 5 day per week basis Programs and Exhibits and Archives initially, and does not represent an ongoing • year-round operation with support of part time positions and staffing requirement. By 2012, the centre could be open 6 to 7 volunteers. days per week and the temporary galleries could be operational. Although most When the centre becomes fully operational, administration functions would follow a each of the three main operational regular workday pattern, some temporary components (Museum Collections, Programs shows could be open in the evening and the and Exhibits, and Archives) could have a full Fine Arts Studios could operate on extended time position to oversee activities and assist hours. Other uses that could occur on an the Manager in implementing strategic goals extended hour basis would be Gala opening and objectives. The Programs and Volunteer events, special presentations and seminars, Coordinator could also oversee the Fine Arts and rentals for private functions, meetings, programs and work with community and workshops. associations, however there may be other options for provision of arts programming.

New Heritage and Manager Irving Proposed Cultural Centre House Staffing Model Building Maint Admin Asst Supervisor (PT)

Museum Collections Programs and Exhibits Archives • Curator • Programs & Volunteer Coordinator (PT) • Archivist (PT) Interpretive • Technical Assistant (PT) • Program Attendants (PT) • Technician/Clerk Guides • Volunteers • Volunteers • Volunteers

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 49 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

5.4 Phased Staffing Requirements The future time frames chosen for the analysis include: • the probable first year of operation (2007), assuming that the project is approved in 2004 • five years after opening • 10 years after opening The existing Museum and Archives is so constrained by the limitations of the facilities that it is not able to adequately accommodate the key operational functions - Programs and Exhibits, Museum Collections, and Archives. As a result the current staff complement does not reflect the resources that would be required for an operation more in keeping with a City of the size of New Westminster. Extrapolating from current staffing levels was therefore not considered a practical approach for estimating future staffing requirements. Comparative information from previous projects in BC and Alberta was examined and used to help prepare estimates in keeping with the Vision for the new heritage and cultural centre. Minimum and Recommended FTE (Full Time Equivalent) staffing levels are shown for each time frame. The Recommended FTE figures represent a conservative estimate of the staffing resources that would be required to make sure that residents can be provided with the intended benefits from the new heritage and cultural centre. The 2004 positions only reflect current staffing levels at Irving House and the Museum and Archives. As they do not include positions or contract staff engaged by the other community museums (Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Royal Westminster Regiment Museum, or Samson V Maritime Museum), the inclusion of these collections in the proposed centre may result in savings in City grants to these community museums. With the recommended staffing levels a substantial volunteer involvement would still be required for a variety of functions such as: • acting as docents to assist visitors; • assisting in the delivery of Fine Arts programs (it is assumed that members of various cultural and fine arts associations will play a major role); • assisting in marketing and fund raising events; and • providing non-technical support for Museum and Archives staff. During the study, the role of the Archives in relation to City records was discussed with City staff and management. As the City was in the process of reviewing its records management practices and procedures, the possible future role of the Archives could not be defined. Comparative data on archival operations was obtained from other Lower Mainland municipalities and used to help establish preliminary estimates of New Westminster Archives staffing and facilities. The estimates are consistent with a community archives operation that participates to a limited degree in City records management – similar to the current role of the New Westminster Archives. Should the City decide to assign the Archives a more significant role in the management and

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5.0 Proposed Operating Concept

preservation of City records, staff and facility requirements would need to be further examined. The Minimum FTE staffing level would enable the centre to operate but with fewer programs, shows, and archival services. Staffing levels below “Minimum” would severely compromise the centre’s ability to function as a community resource.

Estimated Staffing Requirements

Museum & Archives 2004 (current) 2007 (1st Operating Year) 2012 2017 positions FTE positions FTE FTE positions FTE FTE positions FTE FTE Centre Min Recomm Min Recomm Min Recomm Manager (Museum & Irving Hse) 1 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 Administrative Assistant 1 0.47 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 Building Maintenance Supervisor 1 0.46 1 0.50 0.75 1 0.50 0.75 1 0.75 0.75 Programs and Exhibits Min Recomm Min Recomm Min Recomm Programs & Volunteer Coordinator 1 0.75 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 Exhibits Coordinator 1 0.50 0.75 1 0.75 1.00 Program Attendants 2 0.75 1.00 3 1.50 1.80 3 1.80 2.00 Museum Collections Min Recomm Min Recomm Min Recomm Curator 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 Assistant Curator 1 0.80 1 0.50 0.75 Technical Assistants 2 0.38 1 0.50 0.75 2 1.00 1.20 2 1.20 1.50 Archives Min Recomm Min Recomm Min Recomm Archivist 1 0.50 0.75 1 1.00 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 Assistant Archivist 1 0.20 1 0.75 1.00 1 1.00 1.00 Archives Technician/Clerk 1 0.40 1 0.50 0.75 1 0.75 0.75 1 0.75 1.00 Totals 8 3.71 10 6.50 8.00 14 10.00 11.25 15 11.75 13.00 Volunteers 23 35 45 45

Irving House 2004 2007 2012 2017 positions FTE positions FTE positions FTE positions FTE Interpretive Guides 11 1.55 11 1.55 11 1.55 11 1.55 Totals 11 1.55 11 1.55 11 1.55 11 1.55

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 51 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study 6.0 Facility and Site This section describes the physical and functional requirements for the new heritage and cultural centre. It includes requirements for the public components for the Museum and Archives described Requirements in the vision as well as a fine arts component and non-public components such as collections storage and office space. It includes the following sections: 6.1: Area Requirements 6.2: Overall Relationships 6.3: Component Descriptions These facility and site requirements can be used in a number of ways. • They can be used to articulate the basic requirements for the new heritage and cultural centre as part of a large urban development project. • They can be used to help prepare preliminary capital cost estimates. 6.1 Area Requirements The net area required to accommodate the Net Area components proposed for the new heritage Totals and cultural centre is 42,000 square feet. Components (sq. ft.) The gross building area for a new facility Main Hall (Town Square) 3000 would be 59,000 square feet based on a net Café 800 to gross multiplier of 1.40, which indicates School Tour Facilities 550 that a total allowance of 40% of the Net Gift Shop 950 Area has been added for circulation, 2150 structure and building systems. Centre Administration Cultural Association Offices 550 Definitions Archives 3140 Net Area is the area within the boundaries Auditorium / Orientation 3000 of defined spaces. Temporary Exhibit Galleries 3000 Occupancy Gross includes net area and Pemanent Exhibit Galleries: HISTORY, LIVE! 10150 an allowance for internal circulation within Programming Rooms 1700 spaces and partitions. Fine Arts Studios 2650 Building Systems is an allowance for Collections Storage 6100 mechanical electrical, and communications Visitor Parking Exhibit Production 1900 rooms and structure 75 to 100 stalls depending on Loading Dock 975 proximity to public transportation Maintenance/Storage 1400 is an allowance for major Major Circulation options TOTALS 42015 public and staff routes within the facility. Staff Parking Occupancy Gross (at 1.1 net to occupancy) 46220 The Gross Building Area is the total area 0 to 8 stalls depending on proximity Building Systems 5040 measured to the outside face of external to public transportation options Major Circulation 7560 walls. Gross Building Area (at 1.4 net to gross) 58820

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6.0 Facility and Site Requirements

6.2 Overall Relationships The diagram illustrates: Exhibit Maintenance Production & Storage • The relative size of the components. • Proximity requirements among Loading components Dock • Different types of circulation (public and SERVICE Cultural ENTRY staff) Programming Association • Secure entry points Rooms Offices • Key entrances • Vehicular access It is not intended and should not be Fine Arts interpreted as a literal floor plan. Studios Collections Auditorium Storage

School Temporary Archives Tour Fac Exhibit Galleries

Main Hall (Town Centre Permanent Square) Admin Exhibit Galleries Gift Shop Cafe

Outdoor MAIN Courtyard ENTRY

DROP OFF Visitors and Tour Buses

LEGEND Visitor Secure Public Staff Environmentally Contact Entry Circulation Circulation Controlled Circulation Point

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 53 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

6.3 Component Descriptions The following descriptions provide an overview of the functions and spaces associated with each component. Main Hall (Town Square) Centre Administration The Main Hall, referred to as the “Town Square” The Centre Administration includes office and in the Vision, is the space that visitors first enter. support space for Museum and Archives staff It should be visible from outside the facility and and a space for volunteers. Ideally the main clearly associated with the main entrance. It reception station should be located so that it is serves a number of functions. easily identifiable upon entering the Main Hall and can serve as an information point for • central meeting space (rest, talk, play) visitors. • gala events and openings • orientation and information services for visitors • access to key components of the new heritage and cultural centre Cultural Associations Offices • large signature exhibit piece Office and support space for cultural associations has been included to facilitate Cafe assistance in delivering Fine Arts programs. The The Cafe provides snack and beverage services facilities would likely be rented on a shared basis for visitors to the centre. It will have a small by several groups. These spaces do not have to amount of seating for customers. Ideally it should be accessible directly from the Main Hall. be located so that it is visible from the outside and has a view of the Main Hall. Archives The Archives includes a Public Reading Room, School Tour Facilities office and work areas for staff, and collections School Tour Facilities provide a space to storage space. The Public Reading Room should assemble and orient school tours, hang up be directly accessible from the Main Hall. The coats, and eat lunch. It does not have to be remainder of the Archive space should be directly accessible from the Main Hall but should contiguous with the Reading Room but will not be easily accessible on the main level. be accessible to the general public.

Gift Shop The Gift Shop functions as retail outlet for Museum and Archives products and souvenirs. Ideally it should be located so that it is visible from the outside and is close to the main entrance.

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6.0 Facility and Site Requirements

Auditorium / Orientation Programming Rooms Exhibit Production The auditorium has been sized to accommodate The two Programming Rooms each have Workspaces have been provided to 150 to 200 people in a presentation capacity for 25 to 35 people in a meeting setting. accommodate production of display units for configuration. One of the proposed functions of They will be used for activities associated with temporary exhibits and for incidental repairs. this space is for an automatic video presentation various Museum and Archives programs and will Major exhibit projects involving extensive to help orient visitors to the centre and its also be available to the community on a rental manufacturing and construction would be services and provide an introduction to current basis. These spaces do not have to be undertaken by outside services. In such cases and upcoming exhibits and programs. It will also accessible directly from the Main Hall. the Exhibit Production facilities would be used for be used for talks and events presented by the assembly. The Facilities must be located so that

centre and/or by other community institutions material and supplies can be transported from and organizations. It may also be rented out fort Fine Arts Studios the loading dock without passing through pubic private functions. The Fine Arts Studios will accommodate pottery, areas. This component is considered secure and should not be accessible to the public. Temporary Exhibit Galleries art, and fibre arts programs at the centre. It is anticipated that a number of community arts Two spaces have been included to groups will work in close collaboration with the accommodate temporary exhibits that will new heritage and cultural centre in delivering Loading Dock include shows prepared by the Museum and and supporting these activities. These spaces do The service entrance includes space for off- Archives as well as traveling shows from other not have to be accessible directly from the Main loading, temporary holding, and exhibit crate institutions. The spaces can also accommodate Hall but must be located so that material and storage for traveling exhibits. The service entry workshops and demonstrations. During the initial supplies can be transported from the loading should be located so that it does not interfere phase of operation when these space are not dock without passing through pubic areas with public access to the main entry and should housing temporary exhibits, they can be leased not be visible from the main public entrance. This or rented out. component is considered secure and should not Permanent Exhibit Galleries Collections Storage be accessible to the public. The Permanent Exhibit Galleries (“History Live”) The collections storage space includes are the centerpiece of the Museum and allowances for anticipated growth in the material Archives. The concept envisioned for these culture collection as well as the Plaskett Maintenance and Storage galleries includes a number of components that collection. The spaces include processing work Building maintenance and storage facilities communicate themes derived from ideas that areas. However, no restoration lab facilities have should be located close to the loading dock. This were generated in a Vision Workshop during been included as major restoration and component is considered secure and should not study. The intent is to provide an exciting and preservation services would be supplied by off- be accessible to the public. invigorating experience for the visitor that site services. This component is considered

interprets the history of New Westminster and its secure and should not be accessible to the neighbourhoods in a dynamic manner. The public. entrance to “History Live” must be directly

accessible from the Main Hall and be prominently featured.

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 55 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study 7.0 Design Guidelines 7.1 Image Objectives 7.2 Massing 7.3 Site Development The new heritage and cultural centre will be The optimal arrangement would be to have 7.3.1 Main Entry a major focus for cultural activity in New all components located on one level. This The main entrance to the centre should be Westminster and will be a significant would eliminate the need for a large freight clearly visible and identifiable from the main community landmark. It should convey an elevator and public elevators. The clear avenue of approach. A drop off area should image that is welcoming, dynamic, involving, height in the Main Hall, Permanent Exhibits, be located at the main entrance for visitors, and interesting. The design and materials Auditorium, and Collections Storage should tour buses, and couriers. should acknowledge the historical role of the be at least 16 feet. Exhibit production and city and communicate a sense of civic pride general storage spaces should have a clear 7.3.2 Tour Bus Parking and confidence in the future. It should height of at least 12 feet. Administration Tour buses will be required to park off site. inform, surprise, and delight visitors and areas and Programming Rooms can have Passengers will be dropped off and picked attract people from all walks of life. It is to be an 8-foot clear height but a10 foot clear up at the main entrance. a place for important community events and height is preferable. If a single level a place that residents are proud to show to configuration is not feasible due to site 7.3.3 Service Entrance their guests. It will be a “must-see” item on constraints, the following components could The service entrance and loading area vacationers’ itineraries. It will have a be located on other levels without unduly should be screened from view and should reputation as a reliable source of compromising functionality: Offices, not be near to the main entrance to the comprehensive research information on Programming Rooms, Loading Dock, and centre. artifacts, local and regional history, and Maintenance and Storage. 7.3.4 Signage genealogy. It will be a window on the If the centre were to be incorporated into a contemporary world of art, culture, and In addition to signage identifying the large urban development project, a useable social issues as well as a creative interpreter building, provision should be made for (rentable) area of approximately 54,000 of the past. Last but not least, it will be fun locating a large notice panel that can be square feet would be required to for kids and families. used to advertise current and upcoming accommodate the centre on one level. If the exhibits and events. The notice board centre were to be accommodated on more should be clearly visible from the main than one level, a minimum of 42,000 avenue of approach useable square feet would be required for the main level. 7.3.5 Landscaping The landscaping plan should incorporate an outdoor court with the main entrance. 7.3.6 Barrier-Free Access Pedestrian access from the street into the Main Hall should incorporate barrier-free design features (see 7.5: Universal Access Design).

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7.0 Design Guidelines

7.4 Environmental Zones Environmental Zones The portion of the centre that accommodates Museum and Archives artifacts and records is to be treated as a Exhibit Maintenance separate environmentally controlled zone. Production The temperature and humidity within this & Storage zone is to be maintained within ranges Loading specified by museum best practices Dock standards (see building system guidelines). SERVICE Access points into this zone must have Cultural ENTRY Programming Association doors and vestibules that will prevent Rooms Offices outside air, or air from other parts of the centre, from compromising the environmental standards. The air pressure in this zone should be greater than in the Fine Arts Main Hall and other portions of the facility. Studios Collections Auditorium Storage

School Temporary Archives Tour Fac Exhibit Galleries

Main Hall Centre (Town Square) Permanent Admin Exhibit Galleries Gift Shop Cafe

Outdoor MAIN Courtyard ENTRY

DROP OFF Visitors and Tour Buses

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 57 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

7.5 Universal Access Design 7.6 Circulation Guidelines 7.6.2 Staff Circulation The design of the facility should incorporate The circulation system includes all those Staff circulation is defined as any route that a number of provisions for disabled and areas associated with the horizontal and is restricted to staff. This route connects special needs including: lateral movement of public and staff. Internal support components that are used only by circulation within components included in the staff and secure areas such as collections • convenient barrier-free circulation net area estimates for each component. The storage. Ideally, the staff route should be throughout all public and staff areas area associated with major public and staff continuous and should not involve excessive allowing independent movement for those routes has been allowed for in the net to intersections with the public route, a with ambulatory and visual limitations; gross mark up. condition that creates unnecessary risks and • barrier-free provisions in all washrooms; can result in too many “staff only” doors that

• universal access (no doors) to public tend to have a negative connotation for the washrooms; 7.6.1 Public Circulation public. All connecting doors to components • Braille symbols on building directories, Public circulation is defined as any route to should allow for a full height opening. A 12- elevator panels, handrails; which the public has unrestricted access. In foot wide by 12-foot high corridor will be • audible tones for automatic doors; addition to being the grand public space sufficient for moving materials and • audible tones or floor level announcements within the centre, the Main Hall will provide equipment. Minor routes that are not used on elevators; access to the Exhibit Galleries. A portion of for transporting large items should not be • tactile strips on stairs, handrails, and the overall net to gross mark up has been less than 4 feet wide and 8 feet high. As a elevator entrances; added to the Main Hall net area to ensure general rule circuitous configurations should • large font signage for directional that there is sufficient space for public be avoided. information; circulation even when there are events • large font text on building directories; taking place in the Main Hall. Publicly • placement of building directories and wall accessible components that do not need to 7.6.3 Environmentally Controlled Circulation signage at appropriate levels for be directly accessible from the Main Hall The portion of Staff Circulation that is within wheelchairs; should have a clearly demarcated route the environmentally controlled zone must be • allowance for wheelchairs in selected leading from the Main Hall. The Public able to accommodate the transport of large locations within auditorium; and Route allows unrestricted visitor movement art pieces and museum artifacts with • provision of earphones for the hearing to School Tour Facilities, Auditorium, Fine dimensions up to 10 feet high by 20 feet impaired at selected locations within the Arts Studios, Programming Rooms and long by 8 feet wide. Corridors should be at auditorium. Cultural Associations Offices. School tour least 12 feet wide by 12 feet high. If a groups entering the Main Hall via the main service elevator is required to transport entry will normally move directly to the items within this zone it should have 12 foot School Tour Facilities, which will minimize clear height and be 25 feet long by 12 feet disruption of other events occurring in the wide. Main Hall. Public circulation should be treated as a significant part of the visitor experience. It needs to be easily understandable, have ample points of reference for orientation, and should contribute to a sense of discovery and enjoyment.

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7.0 Design Guidelines

7.7 Security Zones The centre has two major security zones – public and staff. The public zone includes all those areas to which the public has unrestricted access. During normal hours the public zone extend to all those components that are accessible from public circulation. During extended hours, some of the public components will be closed. Some individual spaces within each zone will require lockable doors. The following diagrams illustrate the extent of the public zone during normal and extended hours. Public Zone During Normal Hours Public Zone During Extended Hours

Exhibit Maintenance Exhibit Maintenance Production & Storage Production & Storage

Loading Loading Dock Dock SERVICE SERVICE Cultural ENTRY Cultural ENTRY Programming Association Programming Association Rooms Offices Rooms Offices

Fine Arts Fine Arts Studios Collections Studios Collections Storage Auditorium Auditorium Storage

School Temporary School Temporary Tour Fac Archives Exhibit Archives Tour Fac Exhibit Galleries Galleries

Main Hall Main Hall (Town Centre Permanent Centre (Town Admin Square) Square) Permanent Exhibit Admin Exhibit Galleries Galleries Gift Gift Shop Cafe Shop Cafe

Outdoor MAIN Outdoor MAIN Courtyard ENTRY Courtyard ENTRY

DROP OFF Visitors and Tour Buses DROP OFF Visitors and Tour Buses

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 59 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study

7.8 Building Systems Guidelines The building systems for the centre must conform to code for structural, electrical and mechanical. The HVAC systems will be computer controlled and capable of providing the special requirements relating to museum and archive functions.

7.8.1 Special Structural 7.8.4 Special Plumbing The Museum has requirements for a higher Water supply lines should not be routed than standard floor loading capacity in through or above exhibit galleries or several areas to accommodate compact collections storage areas. Water sensors storage units, heavy artifacts, document may be required in collections storage shelving, and map storage units. In some areas, if there is any risk of flooding. areas the ceiling/roof structure must be capable of supporting the weight of suspended elements. These include art 7.8.5 Special HVAC pieces and equipment in the galleries. The artifacts displayed in the Galleries and Hoists in workshops may be supported from stored in collections storage areas require a the roof or by an independent structure. stable temperature and humidity consistent with an optimum standard. The following performance standards are recommended. 7.8.2 Special Electrical Maximum Exhibit galleries will have higher than normal Range Optimum Variance loads due to use of display lighting. A power o o plus/minus Temperature 20 to 25 C 21 C o grid of floor and ceiling mounted outlets will 1.5 C daily plus/minus 2% be required in the Galleries to provide Relative Humidity 38 to 55% 47 to 53% daily adequate flexibility in exhibit configurations. plus/minus 5% monthly 7.8.3 Communications The building will require computer cabling The air pressure in the Environmentally and telephone/intercom lines to Controlled portion of the building should be accommodate state-of-the-art, user-friendly greater than in the Main Hall to assist in technology in most spaces. Some parts of maintaining appropriate air quality. Air the communications network may be extraction and venting from the Exhibit wireless. Production spaces must be designed so that there is no mixing with air intake to other parts of the building, in particular the environmentally controlled zone.

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8.0 Preliminary Capital Cost Estimate

8.0 Preliminary Capital Cost If the centre were to be constructed as a new facility, the capital cost would be approximately $14.4 million. These estimates are based on unit cost allowances per gross square foot prepared by BTY Estimate Group, a Vancouver based cost consulting firm with extensive and recent experience in museum and gallery facilities. These costs do not include allowances for site work, professional fees, land acquisition, permits, development charges, and contingencies for escalation and change orders.

Net Area Totals Distributed Unit Cost Components (sq. ft.) Gross /GSF Capital Cost Main Hall (Town Square) 3000 4200 $180 $756,000 Café 800 1120 $150 $168,000 School Tour Facilities 550 770 $160 $123,000 Gift Shop 950 1330 $160 $213,000 Centre Administration 2150 3010 $175 $527,000 Cultural Association Offices 550 770 $165 $127,000 Archives 3140 4396 $250 $1,099,000 Auditorium / Orientation 3000 4200 $290 $1,218,000 Temporary Exhibit Galleries 3000 4200 $300 $1,260,000 Pemanent Exhibit Galleries: HISTORY, LIVE! 10150 14210 $300 $4,263,000 Programming Rooms 1700 2380 $165 $393,000 Fine Arts Studios 2650 3710 $200 $742,000 Collections Storage 6100 8540 $265 $2,263,000 Exhibit Production 1900 2660 $250 $665,000 Loading Dock 975 1365 $145 $198,000 Maintenance/Storage 1400 1960 $180 $353,000 TOTALS 42015 58821 $14,368,000

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9.1 Phasing of Operational Model As outlined in section 5.3 Operational Model and Phasing, a phased in operational model is recommended where although all spaces are constructed initially, some are not fully operational at the outset. This includes the following assumptions: • temporary galleries would not initially be used for exhibits • the archives would initially operated on a 4 to 5 day per week basis • year-round operation These assumptions affect the Business Plan in that only a base level of staffing is included in the initial operating budget. In addition, it is assumed that spaces which are constructed but are not fully operational can be used to generate revenue initially.

9.2 Revenue and Expense Estimates The new heritage and cultural centre bears little resemblance to the current Museum and Archives. With the current deficiencies corrected in a facility that meets standards, the scope of activities related to exhibits, collections management, and programs will no doubt increase. In addition, the new centre accommodates a range of community activities including a variety of fine arts programs. Because the operations at the new centre will be at such a different scale and scope, it is not practical to extrapolate the future operating budget from the existing. The expense and revenue estimates for the opening years (potentially 2007/08) use a number of sources including data from BC Arts Council, Alberta Museums Association, and from previous CPG museum planning projects. In the following summary table, existing revenue and expenses are included to provide a point of reference for the future estimates. Below the revenue and expense figures, some of the potential savings and benefits to the municipality are also listed. Grants to existing community museums could be saved if their collections are incorporated into the new centre. In addition, there are significant benefits to the city in terms of the economic impact of cultural tourism.

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Revenue and Expense Estimates Existing (2003) Opening Years 2007/08 Percentage Distribution NW Provincial Museum & Irving Cultural Irving Averages Expenses Archives House Total Centre House Total Projected (Alta) Wages/benefits/training $186,800 $11,000 $197,800 $292,500 $11,000 $303,500 49.5% 48.0% General Admin $17,900 $4,800 $22,700 $62,700 $4,800 $67,500 11.0% 14.0% General Maintenance $52,600 $10,700 $63,300 $92,900 $10,700 $103,600 16.9% 11.0% Marketing/Advertising $0 $0 $26,300 $26,300 4.3% 5.0% Programming $0 $0 $23,400 $23,400 3.8% 5.0% Exhibits $100 $3,900 $4,000 $20,500 $3,900 $24,400 4.0% 5.0% Care of Collections $2,600 $3,900 $6,500 $20,000 $3,900 $23,900 3.9% 4.0% Utilities $11,300 $3,700 $15,000 $34,100 $3,700 $37,800 6.2% 4.0% Professional Fees $500 $0 $500 $900 $0 $900 0.1% 2.5% Other Expenses $100 $700 $800 $1,500 $700 $2,200 0.4% 1.5% Total Expenses $271,900 $38,700 $310,600 $574,800 $38,700 $613,500 100.0% 100.0% Revenue Net Gift Shop Income $1,300 $1,300 $14,100 $14,100 Coffee Shop Lease $5,000 $5,000 Temporary Exhibits Lease $11,000 $11,000 Program Income $3,000 $3,000 $9,400 $9,400 Memberships $0 $3,000 $3,000 Exhibit Fees $0 $2,100 $2,100 Room Rental $0 $8,500 $8,500 Donations $4,000 $4,000 $16,000 $16,000 Municipal Contribution $263,600 $38,700 $302,300 $505,700 $38,700 $544,400 Total Revenue $271,900 $38,700 $310,600 $574,800 $38,700 $613,500

Potential Savings and Benefits Potential Grants Savings Arts Council $18,000 Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame $12,000 NW Police Museum $15,000 Royal Westminster Regiment $22,000 Samson V $58,700 Subtotal $125,700 Potential Revenue from Vacated Spaces Queen's Park Arena $13,000 Centennial Community Centre $25,000 Subtotal $38,000 Total Potential Savings $163,700

Economic Impact of Cultural Tourism* $862,200 * Statistics Canada estimates economic spin-off is 1.5 * the cost of operating cultural facilities

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9.3 Projected Expense Assumptions All estimates are in current dollars (no allowance for inflation). Irving House will continue to function as a historical attraction even though the new heritage and cultural centre will be on a different site. The operating budget for Irving House is therefore included as part of the total and assumed to be the same as at present in 2007/08.

1. Programming expenses have been estimated 4. Marketing expenses have been estimated at 6. Wages and benefits are based on the staffing at approximately the provincial average even approximately the provincial average. Although model described in Section 6 and an average though the support and assistance from little or no funds are budgeted for this function at cost per FTE that is about 5% less than the community associations in New Westminster present, effective marketing will be an important current average. This lower average was used may well be sufficient to reduce these costs. factor in helping the centre to realize its full based on the assumption that the future potential. It will also help to enhance revenue average will have a wider range of positions and 2. Exhibit expenses include the costs of from events, programs and retail sales. General associated salaries than the current staff maintaining the permanent exhibits as well as maintenance costs are projected at complement. Wages and Benefits represent paying fees for temporary shows from other approximately the provincial average. The about 54% of the total projected expenses, locations. The expense allowance also assumes projected costs are about 77% higher than for which is somewhat higher than the provincial that the centre will periodically create shows the existing, even though the facilities will be 16 average of 48% reported by the Alberta that will be leased to other museums and art times larger. This is because the existing cost Museums Association. However, in municipal centres. The estimated annual expense is at figure includes renovations, upgrades, and museums of the scale proposed for the centre, approximately the provincial average. The improvements, which are unlikely to be required this ratio can be as high as 70%. Given that the current expenditures on these activities are in a new facility for some time. In any case, centre includes museum, archives, fine arts, virtually non-existent due to the lack of space these expense items are often allocated to a and community functions, the 54% ratio is and resources. The exhibit areas in the capital improvement budge rather than an considered conservative. proposed centre will be more than 10 times the annual general maintenance budget. size of the existing. 7. General Administration costs are projected at 5. Energy consumption in the proposed centre slightly less than the provincial average based 3. The cost of collections care has been should be significantly more efficient than in the on the assumption that some administration estimated at approximately the provincial current facilities. On the other hand, the existing functions will be provided by the City rather than average. As with exhibits, current expenditures facilities do not provide the controlled by centre staff (e.g. human resources, payroll) on collections care and management is severely environment that is needed to protect the constrained by lack of space and resources. 8. Professional Fees are projected at less than artifacts and archival material. For planning The collections storage and processing areas in the provincial average based on the assumption purposes, utilities costs in the proposed centre the proposed centre will be about five times the that some professional services will be provided have been estimated at approximately the size of existing facilities. by the City. provincial average. 9. The allowance for Other Expenses is also projected at less than the provincial average, given that several expense categories have been estimated at greater than the provincial average.

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9.4 Annual Attendance Estimates A number of revenue categories are affected by annual attendance. Irving House attracts about 8000 visitors per year; however, most do not also visit the Museum and Archives. The estimated number of annual visitors to the Museum and Archives is about 3000. This is far less than other community museums in the Lower Mainland, as illustrated in the following data collected in 1999, even allowing for differences in the nature of the data.

1999 Comparative Annual Attendance Data Chilliwack Museum and Archives 13,124 (attendance only) Delta Museum & Archives 20,630 (attendance and programs) Langley Museum & Archives 17,377 (attendance only) North Vancouver Museum & Archives 15,619 (attendance only)

The BC Arts Council estimates of attendance trends for 2001 to 2004 are grouped by scale of annual budget. Although the data is based on a limited sample of institutions it provides a rough indication of median attendance. In 2003, Museums with annual budgets in the $450,000 to $1 million range attracted 23,000 to 76,000 visitors per year. The median annual attendance for this group was 35,500. Museums with annual budgets in the $250,000 to $450,000 range attracted 8000 to 55,000 visitors per year with a median annual attendance of 28,000. Given that the new heritage and cultural centre will have an operating budget in the $600,000 range it should be able to attract about 35,000 visitors per year, particularly with its high profile location and proximity to a Skytrain station. However, to be conservative we have used 25,000 annual visitors in estimating revenues that are affected by attendance.

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9.5 Projected Revenue Assumptions 3. Program income is typically about 35% to 40% 6. The room rental allowance is a conservative Revenue estimates are in current dollars (no of programme costs. The latter percentage has estimate based on the assumption that there will allowance for inflation). been applied given that there is likely to be be relatively high usage of multi-purpose rooms strong support and assistance from community and the auditorium for programme activities. 1. Net Gift Shop income is projected at $14,000 associations. per year. This is based on several relatively 7. It has been assumed that donations would conservative assumptions: capture rate of 15% 4. A nominal allowance for memberships has quadruple to $16,000 given that attendance is of annual attendance (now at about 13%); been included, although there is no membership anticipated to increase by a factor of at least average sale of $7.50 (now at $11.67); average programme at the present time. Given the range eight times. of programs and activities at the new centre, cost of goods is 50% of sale price (now at 75%). 8. The Municipal contribution required to there could be considerable interest in It is assumed that the Gift Shop would be operate the centre would be about $544,000 per memberships, depending on proposed fee managed by one of the permanent staff year. This is lower than per capita contributions schedules. members but would rely largely on volunteers in other municipalities. As shown in the following for day-to-day operations. 5. A nominal allowance has been included for fees table, the existing municipal grant per capita is 2. As with many community centres, coffee and from exhibit/shows that are produced by the $6.16, which is less than half of the ratio in the snack services are provided on a contract basis new heritage and cultural centre and leased out examples noted. The proposed municipal by a private operator. Typically the operator to other institutions. This is not a typical service contribution would result in a per capita funding pays a predetermined lease amount based on provincially but it could be explored. level of $11.10 The total operating budget per capita would be $12.53, which is still anticipated revenues. The allowance of $5000 per year is a prorated amount based on considerably lower than other museums. estimated annual visitors as compared to other community centres in the Lower Mainland.

Operating Mun. Annual Operating Municipal % of Mun. Grant budget per Municipal Museums Pop. Attendance Costs Funding Total per capita capita Ashcroft Museum 2,100 1,500 $31,000 $30,000 97% $14.29 $14.76 Sidney Museum 11,000 13,500 $252,000 $184,000 73% $16.73 $22.91 Alberni Valley Museum 18,000 31,500 $413,000 $302,000 73% $16.78 $22.94 Langley Centennial Museum 30,000 17,400 $474,000 $465,000 98% $15.50 $15.80 New Westminster Existing 49,000 8,000 $310,000 $302,000 97% $6.16 $6.33 New Westminster Proposed 49,000 25,000 $614,000 $544,000 89% $11.10 $12.53

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9.6 Additional Revenue Potential Given the quality and nature of the permanent exhibits and temporary shows, the centre will attract many more local and out-of-town visitors than at present. This represents an opportunity to generate additional revenue by charging admission. Based on typical patterns about 2/3 of the annual attendance would be associated with peak season and non-resident visitors. At an average of $3.00 per person for this period only, this translates into $50,000 per year. The idea of charging admission is sometimes seen as undesirable by Municipal Museums in that it is assumed that residents will resent having to pay for something that they are already supporting through their tax dollars. There are a number of ways to overcome this potential problem, particularly given that the new heritage and cultural centre will be a significant attraction at a regional level. For example, all New Westminster residents could be issued with a VIP number that would entitle them to enter free for all but special events and shows. Memberships could also be made available to residents at a preferred rate, which would entitle them to discounts on tickets for special shows and events.

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 67 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study 10.0 Proposed Implementation Strategy The diagram below depicts an action plan with proposed milestones and decision points. Time frames are suggested for major stages, however the overall time frame to completion depends upon the duration of approval stages and other factors.

-Verification of adequate funding -Approval -Authorization -Approval to proceed -Approval to proceed of vision for to construction stage to design stage implementation

Site Acquisition

Planning and Detailed Architectural Tender & Move In Feasibility Functional & Design Construction Gala Study Community Exhibit Opening Support, Programming Exhibit Development Partnering Initiatives and Fundraising

6 months 3 to 12 months 11 to 14 months 12 to 18 months

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10.0 Proposed Implementation Strategy

10.1 Community Support, Partnering 10.3 Architectural Design Initiatives and Fundraising This stage has several aspects. Initial steps Although selected user groups and staff can overlap with the preparation of the were consulted during the course of Functional & Exhibit program: preparing the Planning and Feasibility Design Team Selection: This task has the Study, there was no official community purpose of selecting an architect and full consultation process. However, the design team who are then engaged to community was asked for input regarding implement the project. This process typically new cultural facilities in general during the involves a call for credentials followed by an survey conducted by the City this year, and assessment process that includes support for a new cultural facility was consultant interviews and detailed proposal evident. submissions. Therefore, following approval of the vision, it Conceptual and Schematic Design: The is recommended that a structured process purpose of this stage is to develop the for garnering community support and essential design ideas in concept form, with involvement, initiating and solidifying review and refinement leading to the partnering arrangements, and pursuing schematic design. This process takes into fundraising opportunities be undertaken. account the functional program, the opportunities and constraints of the existing site conditions, and synthesizes a 10.2 Detailed Functional & Exhibit compelling architectural proposal. An Planning important aspect of the schematic design This task represents the initial process is reconciliation of the facility implementation stage. When the site has concepts with the project budget. been secured and adequate funds are available for construction and operation of Design Development: The purpose of this the facility, the detailed functional stage is to analyze the schematic design in programming should be initiated. During additional detail relative to technical and this stage of planning, exhibit concepts and constructability issues, building code operational models are developed requirements, and ensuring the fit to the sufficiently to establish detailed budget is maintained. requirements. This involves finalizing the Preparation of Technical Documents: functions to be included in the project and Substantial effort is required at this stage to generating the technical and functional prepare the designated product - a set of requirements for each room in the building. technical documents from which the facility An allowance of three to four months is can be constructed (also termed working usually adequate for a cultural facility of the drawings & specifications, tender size proposed. documents, or contract documents – all referring to the same thing in relation to their

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application).

The design process will take in the order of 10.5 Tender & Construction Process 10.7 Gala Opening eight to ten months. The design team will During the course of the design process, An event to commemorate the opening of also perform an important role during the construction cost estimates will be prepared the new facility will raise the profile of the course of construction. at a number of key stages. These are all in new heritage and cultural centre, generate support of the issuing of a tender call that excitement and encourage community will lead, with assurance, to the selection of involvement in programs. Planning and 10.4 Exhibit Design & Development a contractor at a contract price that falls marketing for this type of event should begin This task will proceed in parallel with within the budget. In some cases there are at least six month prior to opening day. architectural design. Planning for new multiple tenders for the facility; the exhibit exhibits and acquisition of collections can installation and other internal fit-out work is begin as soon as the vision for the facility is usually contracted separately. approved. The conceptual exhibit design The construction process will follow its own and the schematic design are integrated complex sequence of work, starting with tasks. demolition and ending with commissioning. Exhibit design development will be Although the proposed use of an existing intensified when renovation and construction heritage building may involve renovations is underway to ensure the sequence of work that can be unpredictable, a reasonable will coordinate with the completion of the estimate of construction time for the new facility receiving the exhibits. At this stage, heritage and cultural centre would be 12 to contract staff may be required to expand the 18 months. resources available for detailed exhibit planning, design and construction while the Museum and Archives is still in operation at the current site. Coordination with 10.6 Move In representatives from each of the smaller If possible, moving of operations to the new existing museums whose collections are to facility should be planned for the time of be incorporated into the new heritage and year when attendance is typically lowest. cultural centre will also be necessary. Collections in storage may be moved either before or after offices and exhibit areas, however the mechanical systems in the new facility must be operating according to museum standards to ensure the preservation of artifacts.

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11.0 Conclusion

11.0 Conclusion New Westminster is a city with a significant history and a strong interest in remembering and preserving its heritage. The existing Museum and Archive facilities do not support this aspect of the community due to inadequate facilities that place limitations on collections, visitation and programming. The conclusion of this study is that it would be feasible and viable to construct a new facility to incorporate expanded museum and archives functions as well as space for Fine Arts programming and meeting space for community groups. Due to the increase in the scale of exhibits, collections and programming that will occur when adequate space is provided and the small community museums around New Westminster are incorporated, a single stage construction with phased in operation is recommended. We envision that the new heritage and cultural centre would be an exciting and economically beneficial addition that would vitalize the community and bring cultural groups together to provide increased access to residents as well as visitors to the area.

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Appendix A

Appendix A: Visioning Workshop Matrix

Bottom Up, Community Oriented The Dynamic Personal History: Live! Touch Ownership through Service-oriented The place to be Interactive guided Journeys through History arcade Theatrical engagement contribution institution learning time and place in recreated settings My collector’s club Read text in more Run into someone I Attend presentation on Take a virtual tour of Push a button and Role play a job at a radio curated an exhibit that languages than know and meet new secrets and stories of Columbia street on control sawmill station. S/G travelled to schools. S English. SK people. R N.W. R Sept 9-11, 1898. machinery (with sound VFR/T effects). F We helped restore the Experience easy Rest and regroup, I want to be an invited Explore my Use a lacrosse stick to Hear voices of prisoners, seats on the first fire access to the reflect, plan next speaker on my special neighbourhood shoot and score. VFR/T judges and lawyers in a engine. S archival material. experiences. F knowledge. SK through time. R recreated Pen. S/G SK I went to the archives to Get answers to my Eat and drink in a I want to be guided Take a paddle-wheeler Respond to a ringing Listen to an old CKNW look at early photos and research questions unique setting. F through a display by a down the Fraser and phone and hear a voice radio show in the “real” maps and letters – and fully, accurately and docent who interacts, and hear a local historian that puts me in a story. studio. VFR/T added some. S efficiently. SK interprets the artifacts on board. S/G F and archives. SK Attend a series of oral Get current info on Buy or take away a Get advice on how to Follow a timeline of Touch and feel the Watch a play or music history workshops at community groups unique item to restore my home. See personal stories from original stuff of history. performance about Billy the museum which will and events. R remember the samples. R past to present day. S SK Miner. F then display my story. experience. F SK See stories and objects Play in a themed Hear an elder talk about Take a virtual tour of See the Hyack anvils Use clues to “solve” the of people like me. Add setting like a streetcar. cedar baskets. S/G old demolished and hear the bang. 1911 bank robbery. my own. R F building. VFR/T VFR?T VFR/T See my name on my Listen to and interact Follow two timelines Visit a real wharf and Role play New West donation or loan or with a story teller. F that wove together the life bales and work traditions (May Day, anvil exhibit contribution. SK city’s and regiment’s cranes. VFR/T battery). S/G history. S Donate to the friends I want access to experts Find out how much Listen to songs of society and add my in my field (through candy I could buy with yesterday and today with name to the “Builders” lectures, and workshops ) my allowance in 19?? F grand-daughter (“Name wall. S to teach me or guide me. that Tune”) S SK Teach kids old time Look up family skills/work (e.g. crafts, genealogy on computer. fix steam engine). S VFR/T Present projects to a museum audience. S/G S/G: Schools and organized groups • VFR/T: Visiting friends and relatives and Tourists • SK: Special knowledge visitor • R: Residents and new residents • F: Families with kids (young and teens) • S: Seniors

8 June 2004 Cornerstone Planning Group + AldrichPears Associates 73 New Westminster Museum and Archives Planning and Feasibility Study Appendix B: Criteria for Evaluation of Site Options To provide a framework for exploring the potential of different potential sites, a set of proposed criteria were derived from discussions with the Steering Committee, interviews and consultation with stakeholders, and the experience of the consultants in planning for cultural facilities. These criteria were weighted according to their relative importance, and the most promising site options were evaluated according to how well they meet the criteria. Consistent with the main focus of this study, sites were assessed on criteria developed for the Museum and Archives alone. Although many of the criteria would be the same for Fine Arts facilities, some may differ and the assumption has been made that the location requirements for the Museum and Archives take precedence in site selection. Category Criteria Characteristics Importance (out of 5) Pedestrian Access Near Bus Routes Visitors would be able to use a major bus route to arrive a few blocks and walk along a pleasant and level route to the site. 5 Near Skytrain Visitors would be able to use Skytrain to arrive within a few blocks and walk along a pleasant and level route to the facility. 3 Near Hotels Visitors would be able to walk a along a pleasant and level route to the facility from at least three hotels. 3 Vehicular Access Dedicated Parking The traffic patterns would accommodate access to surface or underground parking on site. 5 Street Parking Parking would be available off site in the street or adjacent private lots. 3 On-Site Drop-off Area The traffic patterns would accommodate access to an on-site drop-off area. 3 Delivery Area The site would accommodate an unobtrusive delivery area with turning space for large trucks. 4 Supportive Context Safe daytime environment The surrounding streets allow good visibility and the adjacent uses generate appropriate daytime activity. 4 Safe evening environment The surrounding streets allow good visibility and the adjacent uses generate appropriate evening activity. 3

Near other Visitors would be able to walk a maximum of four blocks to access other community/cultural community resources and services. 4 facilities Near educational facilities Students could walk to the site from elementary schools, secondary schools and/or college facilities. 3 Near other tourist Visitors would be able to walk a maximum of six blocks to access other attractions tourist attractions. 3 Near significant Visitors would be able to walk a maximum of one block to access shops commercial area and restaurants. 4

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Appendix B

Category Criteria Characteristics Importance (out of 5) Physical Suitability No disruptive noise or The location would not require special considerations to mitigate noise vibrations from traffic, skytrain, trains, etc. 2 Desirable sun/wind Pleasant outdoor spaces could be developed for eating, socializing, and exposure year-round program activities. 2 Potential for views The site has potential for unobstructed views of a pleasing landscape/cityscape from interior and exterior spaces. 2 Good soil conditions There are no known conditions that would increase construction costs above the norm or cause long term structural difficulties. 4 Suitable structure There is an appropriate and aesthetically appealing that could be available renovated for less expense than new construction. 4 Feasibility of Acquisition City-owned property The site includes lots which are mostly or completely owned by the City. 5 Private site easily Land is currently for sale or the expectation is that the owner would sell for acquired reasonable cost. 3 No displacement of The community would not object to the displacement or removal of current community functions functions on the site. 5 Visibility On significant traffic route The front of the building would be seen by regular commuters and visitors traveling between areas of the Lower Mainland. 4 In view of active The front of the building would be seen by local residents and visitors on commercial areas their way to and from a significant shopping area. 4

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