The Exhibits

Exhibit Development

The new museum is vital to the care of this world-class collection and the realization of all that it can inspire. A collection of this calibre deserves the very best possible home – to preserve, promote and protect, and to foster skills and traditions for generations to come.

At the core of the new museum will be the Exhibition Galleries and Collection Centre – spaces totalling 20,000 square feet. For the first time, the entire collection will be on site and accessible as part of the visitor experience.

    • Exhibition Galleries – Approximately 20,000 square feet of Class A (curatorial standard) exhibit space expected to feature thematic exhibition zones.
    • Collection Centre – Approximately 20,000 square feet of Class A (curatorial standard) open storage space, featuring more than 500 full-sized watercraft stored on individual mounts and arranged on racking systems, as well as small artifacts storage.

Visitors will also see and hear Indigenous languages and voices from the moment they enter the Museum, with the local Michi Saagig dialect of Anishnaabemowin used throughout the building and within its exhibits alongside English and French, with additional Indigenous languages featured in relation to specific watercraft.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

 

Before us, is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design and develop exhibits for this collection of national scope and significance. This new suite of exhibits will determine how the stories the collection carries will be presented to all those who visit.

 

With this opportunity, we realize and accept our responsibility. We must, and we will honour the cultural histories and stories within the collection. Guided by the canoes in our collection, we will be reaching out across the country to consult, and to build relationships with Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals and communities.

 

As we work to shape the exhibits for the new museum, we will create the conditions for collaboration, and the foundation for long-term relationships. These reciprocal relationships are the new beginnings that will chart the course for every facet of the Museum’s future.

 

A critically important component of this work, we will be broadening and deepening our collaborative relations with Indigenous Peoples.

The Indigenous Languages Program is supported by TD Ready Commitment

Leadership

The Museum’s curatorial staff team is working with experts, thought leaders, and community members from coast to coast to coast to ensure that the collection is experienced to its fullest in the new exhibit spaces.

CCM Exhibits Design Team

Jeremy Ward (Curator) • Dr. Laura Peers (Exhibits Project Manager) • Beth Stanley (Associate Curator) • MaryJane Proulx (Exhibits Project Coordinator) • Karen Taylor (Director of Programs) • Carolyn Hyslop (Executive Director)

As part of our commitment to collaborative relations, the Museum is beginning to work directly with eight Indigenous communities and with an emerging Indigenous museum professional to ensure that Indigenous knowledges, perspectives, and voices are directly represented in the exhibitions and educational programming. We will be announcing these roles shortly. 

Exhibits Design Firm

The Museum has also partnered with GSM Project, following a nationwide search process. The firm is working alongside staff to create truly unique visitor experiences. The Museum has joined GSM Project’s repertoire of more than 1,000 exhibit designs in more than 120 cities worldwide. GSM Project was the lead designer of the new Canadian History Hall at the Canadian Museum of History – the largest exhibition about Canadian history ever developed.

Learn more about our exhibit design process and our approach to collaborative relations here.

The development and installation of the exhibits are funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Design & Build News

Reflections On Our Journey To The East Coast

Reflections On Our Journey To The East Coast

Aug 8, 2019

Robin Cavanagh, Jeremy Ward, and Fred Metallic in Listuguj First Nation viewing where we were in relation to the Seven Traditional Districts of the Mi’gmaq By Robin Binèsi Cavanagh, Director of Indigenous Peoples Collaborative Relations A large part of my...

Government of Canada invests $10 million in the new museum project

Government of Canada invests $10 million in the new museum project

Apr 1, 2019

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, announced today that the Government of Canada is investing $10 million to support the construction of the new museum. “It is an historic day, and on behalf of the entire canoe museum...

New Museum Progress Update

New Museum Progress Update

Jan 28, 2019

This week The Canadian Canoe Museum was given the opportunity to provide Peterborough City Council, sitting as Finance Committee, with a progress update on the new museum. Just over one year ago, Council made a $4 million commitment to the new museum. This incredible...

The new museum: A welcoming home for all our relations

The new museum: A welcoming home for all our relations

Jan 11, 2019

The following is an introductory blog written by Robin Binèsi Cavanagh, who has recently joined the museum in the new role of Director of Indigenous Peoples’ Collaborative Relations.  I did not understand the significance of my birthplace until my late twenties. I was...

Champions of The Canadian Canoe Museum join its National Council

Champions of The Canadian Canoe Museum join its National Council

Oct 31, 2018

 The Canadian Canoe Museum is pleased to introduce its National Council – a group of distinguished individuals who are champions of the work of the organization, past, present and future. These 32 individuals from across Canada and beyond, are lending their names in...

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