Residents are invited to give their input on what kind of museum they'd like to see for Delta.
The municipality is holding a pair of Delta Museum and Culture Centre open houses next week to gather feedback on a new facility that will be located on the first floor of the former courthouse in the Ladner civic precinct.
According to the Corporation of Delta, the Delta Museum is in a transition phase, having moved out of its longtime home at the former municipal hall building in Ladner Village last year. With the collection now in storage, the plan is to create a modern facility but that likely won't open its doors until sometime next year because the new space requires renovations.
Meantime, the theme being proposed for the new museum is based on the Fraser River estuary. A municipal report notes the past presentation of the museum by the Delta Museum Society had been largely focused on a 15-year period of Delta's history. This was the result of many prominent families in the Ladner area being responsible for the development of the collection through donations in the late 1950s.
Noting the demographics of Delta have changed substantially since the museum began collecting, the report states a key element is recognizing that the products and services of a museum need to be tailored for visitors.
"Experience has shown that current residents do not connect well with the services and programs traditionally delivered by the museum and they do not recognize their own history as part of the larger community development," the report states.
It also adds there's a movement "to change museums to powerful education institutions for developing community cohesion, civic pride and loyalty."
The new 8,500-squarefoot facility will have interactive displays and features that weren't part of the old museum on Delta Street.
One of the terms for Delta providing the Delta Museum Society with a new home was that the municipality take over day-to-day operations of the museum. It essentially meant taking control from the society. The society agreed with the plan last year, although it still has a role and owns the old collection.
The open houses will be held on Tuesday, March 7 at McKee Seniors Recreation Centre in Ladner and on Thursday, March 9 at the North Delta Recreation Centre. Both sessions run from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
