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Phase two of historical society’s museum project gets $10,000 in city funding

The City of Yellowknife’s Heritage Committee has unanimously approved $10,000 for the second phase of the Yellowknife Historical Society’s Giant Mine Recreation Hall Museum and Interpretive Centre project.
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The roof of the Giant Mine recreation hall is repaired. During summer of 2007, the Yellowknife Historical Society raised $120,000 to have it redone. Work would resume on the building from 2010 to 2012 as foundation repairs were done. Photo courtesy of the Yellowknife Historical Society

The City of Yellowknife’s Heritage Committee has unanimously approved $10,000 for the second phase of the Yellowknife Historical Society’s Giant Mine Recreation Hall Museum and Interpretive Centre project.

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According to the historical society’s 2019 business plan, phase two of the project focuses on interior design, specifically, the “development of displays, graphics and exhibit concepts.”

Phase 3 — set for 2022-2023 — will see the commencing of operations and programming, which includes stocking the coffee shop and gift shop, hiring staff and developing programs and services that can be offered at the facility.

The society is expecting to see doors open by 2023.

READ MORE: YHS - Feasibility Study and Business Case

The revitalization process for the project has taken at least a decade as the organization finished work on the roof in 2007, foundation repairs between 2010 and 2012, and completed work in 2018 on the exterior of the Giant Mine building with “the removal of hazardous waste, repairs of exterior walls, and installation of new siding, doors, and windows,” according to the organization’s official website.

Work beyond 2019 was to be focused on the interior of the building to install electrical and mechanical services.

In addition to the City of Yellowknife, funding was also obtained from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment as well as the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s Community Tourism Infrastructure Contribution program.

Federally, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency’s (CanNor) Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North Fund and the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund have also contributed. Those two donations served as the bulk of the funds over two fiscal years: 2021-22 and 2022-23.

READ MORE: Yellowknife Giant Mine Recreation Construction

The historical society’s budget for its museum project is over $1.6 million to complete construction and renovations to the original Giant Mine recreation centre building.