[Bcma-l] trmf press release

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

-------- Original Message --------

Attached please find a press release from the Tumbler Ridge Museum 
Foundation.
Sincerely
Charles Helm
Past President, TRMF.


*MUCH MORE SPACE FOR NORTH-EASTERN BC’S FOSSILS*

TUMBLER RIDGE MUSEUM FOUNDATION

21 APRIL 2008

The Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre (PRPRC) and the Dinosaur 
Discovery Gallery may be moving into a new building in Tumbler Ridge 
some time in 2008. The District of Tumbler Ridge recently granted the 
Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation (TRMF) the use of the de-commissioned 
Claude Galibois Elementary School building which the district purchased 
in December 2007. The District’s decision was made after careful 
consideration of several other proposals by community-based organizations.
 
Maiking the announcement during the opening of a new TRMF exhibit in the 
Community Centre, Mayor Mike Caisley said it was “a major step forward 
in the evolution of a world class facility in our community; it provides 
the Museum Foundation with sufficient space to continue with their 
critically important work relative to their discoveries
 
The TRMF had made a strong case for the interim use of the 25,500 square 
foot building (compared with its current total space of 5,000 square 
feet) as a means to expand its growing palaeontology exhibits in the 
Dinosaur Discovery Gallery as well as its popular educational and 
outreach programs. The current gallery and gift shop space is 2,000 
square feet, which will increase to 5,500 square feet. The move would 
also greatly increase the space for palaeontological collections, 
something which is sorely needed after several years of successful field 
collection of fossil specimens. PRPRC palaeontologists have indicated 
that space is growing very dear in the current location. They speculated 
that if the coming summer’s field work is anywhere near as successful as 
previous years, there may be no more room for further collecting.
 
The TRMF and the District of Tumbler Ridge have been in close 
cooperation over the past year to determine the best strategies to 
advance the goal of establishing a regional / provincial palaeontology 
museum of international importance. The formation of the Museum 
Development Committee in 2007 was a major step towards this goal. The 
Claude Galibois option was first presented at a Museum Development 
Committee meeting shortly after that property had been advertised for 
sale by School District.
 
The TRMF proposes to utilize the Claude Galibois building for ten years 
during which time they will be working hard to realize the goal of a 
purpose-built regional/provincial museum in Tumbler Ridge. In the 
meantime the museum’s use of the Claude Galibois property will allow the 
TRMF and its partners to continue to develop and expand the research, 
education and tourism capabilities of the museum. Establishing an 
interim larger, more professional museum in this way may help convince 
the Federal and Provincial Governments and potential funding 
organizations that a much larger, purpose-built facility is justified.
 
As a happy bi-product, the success of the primarily palaeontology-themed 
museum project will also draw further attention to the TRMF’s other 
themes of Natural History, Archaeology & First Nations & Pioneer 
History, and Town & Industry.
 
Blair Lekstrom, MLA for Peace River South, sent a letter of 
congratulations to the District of Tumbler Ridge and the TRMF on this 
“excellent agreement”, predicting that “its benefits will multiply over 
the years as the TRMF continues its outstanding palaeontological 
research work.”
 
Dr Jim Haggart, Chair of the British Columbia Paleontology Alliance, 
summed up the prevailing mood, saying, “What a wonderful development for 
the Tumbler Ridge region and for paleontology in British Columbia!  With 
the wealth of new palaeontological discoveries that continue to come out 
of the northeast British Columbia region, the expanded facility will 
provide a showcase opportunity to present these materials in enhanced 
educational displays.  Given the growing interest of the general BC 
populace in the palaeontological history of the province, as well as the 
interest of the international community, it is to be expected that 
Tumbler Ridge will increasingly be viewed as a ‘must-see’ palaeo 
destination!  The new facility can only help ensure that this 
perspective becomes more widely established.”
 
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