2 Table of Contents 2016 The BYTOWN MUSEUM Board of Directors page 5 2016 The BYTOWN MUSEUM Permanent Staff page 6 President’s Report page 7-8 Executive Director’s Activity Report pages 10 to 48 Treasurer’s Summary Report page 49 Audited Financial Statements (separate cover) 3 4 The BYTOWN MUSEUM Board of Directors 2016 -2017 Tom Caldwell President Cathy Wilkinson Vice-President Steve Menechian Treasurer Margaret Caron-Vuotari Secretary Anthony P. McGlynn Director-at-Large Audrey Vermette Director-at-Large Clark Lawlor Director-at-Large Lara Pascali Director-at-Large Thomas Manning Director-at-Large 5 The BYTOWN MUSEUM Permanent Staff Robin Etherington Executive Director (2012-2017) Sandy Trueman Revenue and Operations Manager (2012-2017) Grant Vogl Collections and Exhibitions Manager (2011-2017) Jonathan Morel Programming Manager (2016) Antoinette Brind’Amour Marketing & Communications Coordinator P/T (2016) David Baker Marketing & Communications Coordinator P/T (2016-17) Stephanie Poujade Programming Coordinator – Contract (2017) Erin Bernauer Collections Database Officer– Contract (2015-2017) Corrie Bouskill Youth Council Facilitator – Contract (2016) Jessie Lang Youth Council Facilitator – Contract (2017) John Ryan Programming Intern (October 2016-March 2017) 6 President’s Report I am very pleased to report that in 2016 we continued to build on the progressive increases in attendance that we’ve witnessed over the last number of years. Visits to the Museum in 2016 increased from 84,000 last year to almost 101,000, an increase of 16,000 or 19%. Our social media presence continues to grow with 7,900 followers split between Facebook, Twitter and Instagram representing an increase of 41% from last year! Volunteer hours in 2016 totaled 1,923. The main exhibit for 2016 was “Forged in Fire” the Burning of Parliament. The exhibit ran from January 29 to October 31. This exhibit will go on to be exhibited at the National University of Mexico in Gatineau. In the Community Gallery we hosted three exhibitions with exhibits from the Irish Embassy, the Indonesian Embassy and a local painter, Eryn O’Neill. The Museum has continued to add to the digitization of its collection with an additional 1,600 pieces added in 2016 now bringing the total to 2,841. Ms. Etherington has successfully secured funding to continue this project in 2017. In November our Program Manager, Jonathan Morel left to take a job with the Federal Government. We are pleased to add Stephanie Poujade as Programming Coordinator. She brings with her several years of experience working at the Bytown. We thank Antoinette Brind’Amour, our first Communications Coordinator who started work on the new website and social 7 media plan. When Antoinette left for a position with business, we had the good fortunate to hire David Baker. David applies his professional experience with websites, videos, social media and graphic design to the Museum’s marketing materials. He took the lead on the website and is incorporating videos into our social media and website communications. Facility Rentals have continued to grow as the Museum’s reputation has continued to grow as it is recognized as being a central and also interesting location for meetings and events. As President I would like to thank the Board of Directors for their input and hard work. In 2016 Ian Gillespie stepped down and we added Audrey Vermette and Thomas Manning. Bytown Museum Foundation The Foundation met with our Federal Member of Parliament Catherine McKenna and our Provincial Member of Parliament Yasir Naqvi. The meetings were constructive and we continue to look for new avenues to identify the needs for the Museum for the long term. The Foundation is working hard with the Board, specifically with the Strategic Planning Committee, to plan out the fundraising targets and strategies for 2017 and beyond. Respectfully submitted by Tom Caldwell, President 8 Executive Director’s Activity Report HAPPY 100TH ANNIVERSARY MUSÉE BYTOWN MUSEUM! Please join us in celebrating BYTOWN MUSEUM’s 100th Anniversary. On October 25, 1917 the Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa founded the Museum. An amazing feat, as it was during the First World War and Ottawa was rebuilding the Centre Block of Parliament after the fire of 1916. On behalf of the Board of Directors and Management and staff, I thank all of the MUSÉE BYTOWN MUSEUM’s members, stakeholders, partners, volunteers, donors and patrons. Your profound support constantly contributes to the marvellous work that the Museum achieved throughout 2016 and has planned for the Museum’s Legacy Year - 2017. 2016 was a notable year! We had 100,500 visitors, representing an amazing 120% increase of attendance in five years, since 2011. Self-earned revenue generation increased 200% over five years. The comprehensive policy manual is constantly updated. For example in 2016 the Museum developed a proactive Social Media Framework and Plan that is unique for a museum of any size, much less a community museum. Its forward thinking Strategic Plan – Strengthening Connections 2015-2020 is proactively guiding the Museum, as staff systematically achieves its articulated goals such as a phenomenal new website, enhanced social media communication and marketing, a new audio tour guide system, and increased number of collection records and images 9 uploaded to the online database for public access to information. New, energetic partnerships and durable stakeholder agreements are in place as your community museum actualizes its 100th Anniversary throughout 2017, as well as partnering with the City of Ottawa, Ottawa 2017, Parks Canada, Canadian Heritage, National Capital Commission and all of our colleague organizations and partners to celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday! The BYTOWN MUSEUM recognizes that the Museum is on the Traditional Lands of the Algonquian Peoples, and expresses its appreciation to the Anishinaabe Peoples for allowing it to operate on its Traditional Lands and to serve the community. The Museum is grateful for the City of Ottawa’s annual operating grant and constant advice. The City’s grant allows the MUSÉE BYTOWN MUSEUM to positively work for the community it serves and provide our community with astonishing museum services and activities, such as exhibitions, school and youth programs and special events. The City also subsidizes the online collections database, known as MINISIS M3Online, for the Museum and the other Community Museums to use. The ultimate goal is to have all City Museums and Archives and community museums’ collections accessible online. The Museum enjoys a loan of City owned archaeological artefacts for its exhibitions. In February 2017 City Council did the Museum an honour by giving it a City Proclamation to celebrate its 100th Anniversary. The Museum applies for an annual “Community Museum Operational Grant (CMOG),” which is a Province of Ontario grant. In order to receive the CMOG grant, the Museum has to be in compliance with the provincial museum 10 standards. The requirements entail policy development, best business practice in financial management and governance, as well as collection management, programming and exhibitions. It entails a great deal of work to complete. A special thank you in 2017 to the Historical Society of Ottawa. HSO managed the Museum for many years and continues to support it and promote its activities during its legacy year. Parks Canada is responsible for the maintenance of the Commissariat Building and the Rideau Canal site. Since 2013 the Museum has a contemporary Licence of Occupation and since 2015, it has an annual Operational Agreement. This agreement affords expansion of our usable patio area, outdoor operations and visibility on site, as well as greater joint activities on site such as Anniversary performances planned throughout the first week of July 2017. We work together for the May long weekend and the opening of the Rideau Canal, Doors Open Ottawa in June, Canada Day and Col. By Day in August. In 2017, we are partnering on Ottawa 2017 events and activities on site or that will affect the Museum and site, such as Red Bull Crashed Ice in March 2017 and the Picnic on the Alexander Bridge on July 2nd. And both Parks Canada and the Museum are partnering with Casino du Lac-Lemay for their Grands feux fireworks on the Ottawa River in August. You can buy tickets to be on the Canal side of the River to view the fireworks. The Board and Management, staff and volunteers are privileged to work for the community of Ottawa at its oldest community museum - MUSÉE BYTOWN 11 MUSEUM. The visionary Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa commenced the collection in 1898. It is one of the oldest historical collections in Canada. In 1917 it became a museum with its own building. Since 1951, it has occupied the Commissariat Building on the National and UNESCO World Heritage site of the Rideau Canal. The Museum celebrates its 100th Birthday in 2017, when Canada commemorates the 150th Anniversary of Confederation and the Rideau Canal celebrates its 10th Anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As noted, the Museum is partnering with the City and other colleague organizations to ensure a spectacular celebration of Ottawa as Capital of Canada over the past 150 years and of the Museum’s 100th birthday. 2016 was Fabulous! Museum staff realized exceptional exhibitions, exciting programs, new and renewed partnerships, wonderful volunteer recruitment, revolutionized marketing and communication strategy and tactics, such as increased social media presence and a fantastic new website, numerous successful grant applications, model policy and procedures development to be compliant with national and provincial museum standards and federal Corporations Act requirements, enhanced financial management procedures and best business practices, strengthened revenue generation, a systematic migration of over 2600 collection records and photographs to a contemporary online collection management system for public access, the positive implementation of the youth led Youth Council, and another stellar increase in visitation.