During his time in Yellowknife, Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor, announced a funding investment of over $1.2 million to support the continued development of the Yellowknife Historical Society’s Community Museum and Interpretive Centre.
The Centre is set to be used as a historical and cultural tourist attraction.
“The City of Yellowknife is proud to provide funding to the Yellowknife Historical Society’s project that will increase the awareness of Yellowknife’s history and add to the overall visitor experience,” said Rebecca Alty, Yellowknife mayor. “Not for profit organizations are important contributors to our economy and improve the overall quality of living in our capital city.”
Additional funding for this project has come from sources such as the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Yellowknife Historical Society itself, as well as the City of Yellowknife.
“This investment supports updates and improvements to areas such as accessibility infrastructure, installation of commercial equipment, electrical and mechanical upgrades, and the development of museum fixtures and displays,” reads the notice. “Many of those activities are underway with some already completed. As a result, the Yellowknife Historical Society will be creating two new jobs and adding two new revenue streams. This project will also enable the organization to enhance its contributions to cultural programming in Yellowknife.”
Helmut Epp, president of the Yellowknife Historical Society, stated the following with regards to the announcement.
“This project is a culmination of over twenty years of volunteer effort on the part of the Yellowknife Historical Society members, in particular Walt Humphries – past President, who first envisioned a community-based museum on this site,” he said. “We are especially appreciative of the level of collaboration and communications between three levels of government (Federal, Territorial and Municipal) who have all supported this project and the ongoing value it will bring to this community.”
“The Yellowknife Historical Museum will serve to illuminate the rich history of the area and we look forward to sharing these stories with residents and visitors alike.”