Your Country. Your History. Your Museums
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Your Country. Your History. Your Museums. CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZatION CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2011 / 2012 Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation Information and Services: 819-776-7000 / 1-800-555-5621 Teletype (TTY): 819-776-7003 Group Reservations: 819-776-7014 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, QC K1A 0M8 Facility Rentals: 819-776-7018 www.civilization.ca Membership: 819-776-7100 Volunteers: 819-776-7011 Financial Support for the Corporation: 819-776-7016 Publications: 819-776-8387 Cyberboutique: cyberboutique.civilization.ca 819-776-8618 Friends of the Canadian War Museum: 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, ON K1A 0M8 www.warmuseum.ca Image on cover: The Canadians Opposite Lens (detail), Augustus John, ca. 1918. Bill Kent CWM20110067-001 Cat. no. NM20-1/2012E-PDF ISSN 1495-1886 © 2012 Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Chair .....................................................................................................................2 Message from the President and CEO ...............................................................................................4 THE Corporation ..........................................................................................................................8 M The Canadian Museum of Civilization .........................................................................................8 The Canadian War Museum ........................................................................................................8 The Virtual Museum of New France ..........................................................................................10 Mandate ...................................................................................................................................11 Governance ..............................................................................................................................12 Z; IMG2011-0194-0010-D A U ER D HIGHLIGHTS: YEAR at A GLANCE .................................................................................................18 ISE U O -L ACHIEVEMENTS: THE YEAR IN REVIEW .........................................................................................28 ARIE Special Exhibitions ....................................................................................................................42 M Travelling Exhibitions .................................................................................................................44 Publishing ..................................................................................................................................46 CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZatION CorporatION DONORS, Partners AND SPONSORS ..........................................................................................48 MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND Analysis ...............................................................................56 FINANCIAL Statements ...............................................................................................................59 M Z CWM2012-0013-0039-D A U ER D ISE U O -L ARIE M MARIE-LOUISE DERUAZ IMG2012-0226-0004-DM Chair the from Message 2 3 While working with the Friends, I also came It is my belief that the Corporation I was honoured and to know and respect Mark O’Neill—formerly and its Museums will be central to delighted earlier this Director General of the War Museum, and now upcoming commemorations of the Corporation’s President and CEO. I am significant events in our country’s year when asked to excited by the vision he has presented to the history—from the 200th anniversary Board, and I look forward to working with him of the War of 1812, through almost serve as Chair of the as he leads the Corporation and its Museums six years of First World War cente- into a new era. naries, to Canada’s sesquicentennial Corporation’s Board celebrations in 2017. I also look forward to working with my fellow of Trustees. Trustees, and I would like to make special I believe passionately in what Honoured, because I am following in the mention of the Vice-Chair, André Audet, who the Museums do, and what they footsteps of esteemed Canadians such as my served so capably as interim Chair prior to my represent. I believe that present and immediate predecessor, Mr. Fredrik Eaton. appointment. The Board is very appreciative of future generations must know about Delighted, because I have an opportunity to his skills and dedication. their country’s history, just as they work with a Board and management team that must protect our cultural heritage. The entire Board has worked diligently in recent are determined to build upon the success of The Corporation’s mission is clear years, under Mr. Eaton’s leadership, to guide Canada’s national museums of human and compelling. As the Board’s the development of a new set of Strategic and military history. Chair, working with its Trustees, Directions for the Museums. The Trustees I will do my best to ensure the I am certainly no stranger to the Corporation are very pleased with the progress to date. continued success of this vital and its mission. I have enjoyed a long Especially noteworthy are initiatives aimed and vibrant national institution. at enhancing national outreach and focusing association with the Friends of the Canadian greater attention on the people and events War Museum, which has worked for more than that have shaped our country and our national 25 years to promote and support the Museum, identity. Also important are efforts to seek while raising awareness of Canada’s military Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) greater financial support from donors, and to history and its role in our country’s development. Bill Leach, C.M.M., C.D. I am very proud of that association, and of the establish new partnerships and sponsorships accomplishments of the Friends. The group’s with the corporate community. I am well most prominent achievement to date has aware of the challenges that lie ahead for the been the Passing the Torch campaign, which Corporation and the Museums, raised over $16.5 million for the development but I am even more excited by of exhibitions and public programs at the new the possibilities. Museum. When the campaign closed in 2005, it had become the most successful fundraising effort for a federal cultural institution in Canadian history. That is a good friend. 4 Message from the President and CEO 1 P IMG2011-0354-0006-D ARBY D TEVEN S 5 Other additions include the Victoria I am honoured to present 2011–2012: Cross awarded during the First the Corporation’s first A Year of Achievement World War to John Francis Young, an unarmed stretcher-bearer who annual report since my Especially notable this year was our acquisition displayed “the most absolute of many artifacts and collections of outstanding fearlessness” in the face of enemy appointment as President historical significance. These objects are now machine-gun fire during a battle in part of our National Collection, an unrivalled northern France, saving the lives of and CEO in June 2011. source of information—and inspiration— many of his wounded comrades. about Canada’s human and military history. As this document makes Acquisitions such as these helped us clear, I assumed my This year’s acquisitions include a dramatic achieve our goal of broadening and painting from the mid-1800s of the HMS Terror deepening the National Collection, new responsibilities at in the waters off Baffin Island. The ship was especially in its representation of the one of the most storied vessels in the history of seminal events that have shaped our a favourable moment in Canadian Arctic exploration, and the artist was common history as Canadians. a British Admiral who helped lay the foundation the long history of this for Canada’s Arctic sovereignty. Through this Enhancing our national outreach was and other works, he created an invaluable another top priority as we began the national institution. Our visual record of early Arctic exploration. 2011–2012 fiscal year. By year’s end, our Travelling Exhibitions Service performance over the Another notable acquisition was the Van had reported a very successful past year has been strong, Horne Collection, which includes an impressive year. Because of these efforts, array of objects documenting the life and museum-goers in Quebec and and the opportunities on accomplishments of Sir William Cornelius Van Manitoba gained new insight into Horne. As the person who oversaw construction Canada’s historical fur trade. In the horizon have never of the CPR, Canada’s first transcontinental Calgary, they caught a glimpse railway, Van Horne is a towering figure in of the war in Afghanistan. Other been more exciting. Canadian history. examples are cited in this report. 6 The Corporation further enhanced its outreach I am pleased to note that the Government 150th anniversary of Confederation. by creating new online exhibitions and greatly of Canada maintained its level of funding to As Canada’s national museums of expanding its Virtual Museum of New France, the Corporation in the March 2012 Budget. human and military history, we are one of the world’s oldest and largest online We believe that this decision underlines the determined to play a leading role as history museums. federal government’s commitment to Canada’s Canadians mark these momentous national history museums, and recognizes the anniversaries. The Museum of Civilization and the War importance of our Museums and their relevance Museum presented important new