Royal BC Museum project scrapped amid controversy, province to come up with new plan

The controversial project to modernize the Royal BC Museum has been put on hold.

B.C. Premier John Horgan says the province has heard from British Columbians “loud and clear,” adding “we thought we had it right. Clearly, we did not.”

"We thought we had it right, clearly we did not" – BC Premier @jjhorgan announcing the @RoyalBCMuseum project is being put on hold while they consult to get it right. Gov laid out the plan for the $789 million project last month.#bcpoli @CityNewsVAN

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) June 22, 2022

The roughly billion dollar modernization plan was unveiled last month but many have criticized the plan, including Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon who called it a “vanity project.”

“I’ve always tried to put the best interests of British Columbia first and foremost and everything that I do, and that involves listening to what people are saying, it’s my responsibility to say to you today that I made the wrong call,” Horgan said Wednesday, taking on full blame.

He notes work still needs to be done to modernize the museum. However, he says the province will go “back to the drawing board” and will ask the museum to engage with the public to ensure the B.C. government can come up with a project “all British Columbians can get behind.”

“I made a call at a time when British Columbians were talking and thinking about other concerns — primary care for their families, education, the cost of living, a range of other issues as we came out of a global pandemic. But I want to be clear to British Columbians that it’s not an either or proposition. I felt at the time we made the decision that we could continue to address the concerns of British Columbians and also protect and preserve our most important cultural items that go back a great deal of time,” the premier added.

The government had been defending the pricey proposal at a time when inflation levels hit 40 year highs, and B.C. drivers continue to face record-breaking high fuel prices.

A recent poll found almost 70 per cent of British Columbians are opposed to the project.

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The province had previously said the $789 million revamp was necessary to create a safe and accessible facility, support reconciliation, and modernize the space by creating a dynamic visitor experience.

“I understand that this investment is a lot of money, but we will simply not kick this project down the road. We are not willing to take the risk of wiping out our culture, our collective history,” said B.C. Tourism Minister Melanie Mark on May 25.

Mark is the only First Nations woman to serve in cabinet and says she considers it to be “reconciliation in action.”

Horgan says the museum will remain open “indefinitely going forward” as new plans are developed.

“What we’re announcing today is that the plan that we tabled 40 days ago has stopped and museum, through its leadership, is going to undertake consultation and engagement with British Columbia. It’s not just in the capital region, but indeed across the province,” the premier said.