'We thought we had it right': B.C. cancels $789M redevelopment plan for Royal B.C. Museum
The B.C. government's $789-million plan to redevelop the Royal B.C. Museum has been cancelled, Premier John Horgan announced Wednesday afternoon.
The project was announced on May 13 and was met with swift backlash from opposition parities, who described the plan as out of touch with the needs of British Columbians.
The $789-million plan would have seen the museum close in September, with a new one built at the same site with an opening date eyed for 2030.
"Today I am announcing we are stopping the project and are going back to the drawing board," said Horgan.
"We're asking the board and the CEO and the team at the Royal B.C. Museum to engage the public fully to ensure that we can come back and have a positive statement that all British Columbians can be behind."
The museum will remain open indefinitely, said Horgan.
'WRONG DECISION AT THE WRONG TIME'
The premier says the decision to cancel the museum redevelopment came after listening to residents.
Horgan says he "heard the people of British Columbia that we are making the wrong decision at the wrong time."
"We thought we had it right, clearly we did not," he added.
Horgan says many British Columbians are concerned with securing primary care for their families, as well as managing the rising cost of living and other issues that stemmed from the pandemic.
"The public felt we were putting all of those [issues] to one side just to focus on the museum. The wasn't the case but that was the perception," he said.
The premier says other capital projects are still being funded, with the museum redevelopment plan accounting for about one per cent of the province's capital budget over its eight-year construction.
While that plan has been shelved, Horgan says he doesn't want the museum's reconstruction to become a political issue, noting that he's received calls from the museum's board for a redevelopment every year since he became premier, and that similar calls were made during the previous government's tenure.
"I want to be clear to British Columbians it's not an either/or proposition," he said about funding repairs for the museum while addressing other provincial issues.
"I cannot allow something that should be supported by all British Columbians to become a political football," he said.
"Regardless of how you vote, regardless of where you live in British Columbia, people should be proud of our collective heritage."
NEXT STEPS
The premier says the province will conduct further engagement on the future of the Royal B.C. Museum, and review its plans for redevelopment.
"It may well be that this plan is the one that the public says, 'Yes this is the best way forward,'" he said.
No timeline for when the new engagement will take place, or when a new redevelopment plan may be put forward, was announced Wednesday.
Construction of a new museum collections and research building in Colwood, B.C., is still underway. Once complete in 2025, the new facility will house many of the museum's current artifacts, which number around seven million.
The province has said the current museum building on Belleville Street in Victoria falls short of current seismic standards and contains asbestos, and that it is too small to display many of its artifacts or host some other major exhibits.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it’s too late
She was lying in bed on a Thursday morning, thinking about the man she loved, hoping to win his freedom before time ran out.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.