[Bcma-l] CMA, Communique: Canadian Conservation Institute to close Exhibit Transportation Services

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

    Canadian Conservation Institute to close Exhibit Transportation
    Services


*Ottawa, March 23, 2007 —* The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) 
announced yesterday that it will shut down Exhibit Transportation 
Services (ETS), effective April 1, 2008.

Jeanne Inch, CCI’s director general, said: “We regret shutting down this 
service, and in fact, examined every option to keep it going. 
Unfortunately, we had no choice. It is, as one of our clients said, the 
end of an era."

CMA echoes these feelings. “ETS has been a very effective and high level 
professional service for museums and galleries – this feels like yet 
another loss for the neglected museum sector," said John McAvity, CMA 
executive director. “We would like to find a solution to save ETS and we 
intend to explore all options."

CCI states the shut down is due to operational and administrative 
reasons. In 2005, an internal audit of CCI’s financial and procurement 
management concluded that an employer/employee relationship existed with 
the drivers/fine art handlers, such that they could no longer be hired 
on contract.

CCI decided to make the announcement now so that museums will have a 
year to build relationships with commercial fine art transporters, and 
so those transporters will have time to ramp up to take on existing ETS 
clients. CMA will also be working with CCI, as well as CAMDO, to 
identify how to help museums adjust, including providing training and 
advice.

A special unit of CCI, ETS has been serving Canadian museums since 1976. 
It provides secure, reliable, and environmentally controlled 
transportation for fine art and artefacts across Canada. ETS is housed 
in a 1400-m^2 climate-controlled building with an inside loading dock 
capable of accommodating five tractor-trailer units. The ETS fleet 
includes: four tractors, seven semitrailers, one truck with a 7.3-m box, 
and one 4.3-m cube van.

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*For more information:*
Jeanne E. Inch
Director General
Canadian Conservation Institute
1030 Innes Road
Ottawa, ON K1A 0M5
(613) 998-3721 x115
jeanne_inch@pch.gc.ca <mailto:jeanne_inch@pch.gc.ca>
www.cci-icc.gc.ca <http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/>

Naomi Grattan
Director Communications
Canadian Museums Association
400-280 Metcalfe St.
Ottawa, ON K2P 1R7
(613) 567-0099 x223
ngrattan@museums.ca <mailto:ngrattan@museums.ca>
www.museums.ca <http://www.museums.ca>