CANMORE – The Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre has hired a new executive director and is hoping to get more money from the municipality for its budget in the future.
Museum board chair Andrew Nickerson was in front of Canmore council on Oct. 9 to present the organization’s budget request for 2019-22, which includes increased funding from the municipality each year.
Nickerson said for 2019, the museum would like council to consider increasing its funding to $180,000 from the $155,000 it received in 2018. He said the museum is looking toward its future in a strategic and sustainable way and hopes to find success and more self generated revenues in the future.
“We use the tagline ‘where history comes to life,’ and we want to be able to embrace that moving forward,” said Nickerson, adding a bigger facility and improved funding model are being considered.
“A big part of (the executive director’s) new role is how to create self generating revenue and really increase those from where they are right now and effectively use our resources.”
Jason Gariepy was introduced to council as the new executive director and Nickerson said it is an exciting time for the board and the museum as they plan for the future.
Museum board treasurer Tony Teare went through the financials and how the organization is very reliant on grants to support the work they do, including the funds that come each year from the Town of Canmore.
He said two thirds of the museum’s revenues comes from grants and includes funding from Lafarge ($50,000 over five years) and the Calgary Foundation ($40,000 over two years). The bulk of expenditures go to wages, benefits, administrative costs and building operations.
“We want to change that model over time, but it is not going to happen quickly,” Teare said. “We are requesting $180,000 this year and $185,000 the following year, with a plan for cost of living increases annually after that.
“What we really want to do is encourage our new executive director to increase self-generated revenues so we will be able to more reliably sustain our future and grow.”
Canmore council begins considering its next multi-year budget cycle at the beginning of November, with anticipation it will approve a two year operating and capital budget.
Mayor John Borrowman warned the museum that it is going to be a difficult budget process for council, with a number of requests from affiliated groups to consider, as well as operational and capital changes being put forward by administration.
“It is going to be a tight year budget wise, but this is certainly going to be discussed at that time and we will see how it goes,” Borrowman said.
The museum’s operating budget for 2018 is anticipating a $10,000 deficit, with $386,000 in revenues and $396,000 in predicted expenses.
The four-year budget moving forward anticipated reaching revenues of $513,000 and expenses of $493,000 by 2022.
