Canada's cultural travellers won't warm to Winnipeg, survey finds

November 17, 2008 at 4:49 AM EST

BILL CURRY From Monday's Globe and Mail

OTTAWA — Canadians, particularly francophones, think Winnipeg is too cold, boring and far away, so they will probably view exhibits at the new $265-million Canadian Museum for Human Rights in the city online rather than in person, according to government research.

The negative view of the Manitoba capital surfaced in small focus group discussions conducted for the federal Department of Canadian Heritage.

"These [French-speaking] participants suggested that the city suffers from negative stereotypes such as: cold, nothing to do, far away, and not interesting to visit," according to an internal government report in April. "Very few of these participants would put the museum on their list of things to see given the distance."

Ottawa is giving $100-million for construction and $22-million annually for operating costs of what will be the country's first national museum built outside of the National Capital Region. Last week, the Conservative government in an effort to save money scrapped plans for a national portrait gallery that might have been built outside of Ottawa.

The fact that the human-rights museum will be located in Winnipeg was an issue in English focus groups as well, though it was described as "more of a minor inconvenience to these participants."

Overall, the location appears to be such a hindrance that the department has been told most people will visit the museum only online.

"Most Canadians do not have the opportunity to visit Winnipeg, so the website could provide them an opportunity to experience the museum from anywhere in the country or the world," the report says.

The 208 Canadians who took part in the detailed discussions about the museum were selected from demographics the government believes are most likely to visit. To qualify, the participants had to fit into at least one of five categories: teachers; youth 18-25; parents, visible minorities and new Canadians and aboriginal Canadians.

The meetings, conducted by the Antima Group, were held between Jan. 22 and Feb. 1 in 13 cities across the country. Federal government departments are required to release all internal polling reports within six months.

Museum spokesperson Angela Cassie said organizers are taking into account all feedback, positive and negative, as they finalize their plans.

The museum is in discussions with the City of Winnipeg and the province to package the city as a tourist destination, inviting people to visit the museum, but also other attractions such as the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

"It's Winnipeg as a destination city," Ms. Cassie said, describing the pitch to the public. "We have a really rich cultural city with theatres, with dance groups, with other museums as well. So looking at partnerships with all of these other cultural institutions will really be key."

She said there are also plans for an endowment fund that would cover travel costs for students from other cities. For those who can't make the trip, the museum is looking at travelling exhibits, virtual Internet tours and video conferencing.

Participants in the small focus groups said they would expect the museum to feature displays on a wide range of Canadian and international issues, including the Holocaust, religious rights, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Chinese head tax.

The aboriginals who took part indicated they would like the museum to include material on Indian residential schools, and that the material not take sides when describing the history of aboriginal contact with Europeans.

The museum was originally scheduled to open in 2010, but construction is on hold until the fundraising goal of $105-million from the private sector is met.

The idea of a human-rights museum at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers was originally proposed by the late Izzy Asper, aimed in part at revitalizing his hometown's downtown core. Since Mr. Asper's death in 2003, his daughter, Gail, has led fundraising efforts that have generated $97.5-million in donations from the private sector for the project.

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