Parks Canada and The Canadian Canoe Museum are exploring an innovative idea of relocating the museum to the Peterborough Lift Lock National Historic Site on the Trent-Severn Waterway as a way to boost the tourism and revenue potential for both organizations.
The construction of a new museum at this location would consolidate two significant tourism and recreation destinations in the region and offer enhanced opportunities for Canadian families, including the opportunity to better explore the canoe and kayak’s history in Canada and enjoy the diverse water-related programming and associated activities that can be offered by the museum at this historic location.
This spring 2014, Parks Canada and the Canoe Museum are entering into detailed negotiations to determine the terms of the potential partnership. This joint project would aim to increase visitation and offer new opportunities that would support each organization’s mandate and their financial sustainability.
This project demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to work with partners and communities to help canals be a premier tourism destination, generate revenue, foster recreation and economic development, and ultimately build strong communities and support Canadian families. For the Canoe Museum, this initiative represents the potential fulfillment of a long-cherished aspiration—the relocation to a new water-based site that will enable wider and more extensive programming.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with Parks Canada to bring the Canadian Canoe Museum and its nationally significant collection and related programs to the water,” says Ken Powell, Chair of the Museum’s Board of Directors. “The Peterborough Lift Lock location allows for us to unite two of Peterborough’s major tourism attractions, providing water access and preserving the heritage of Peterborough as the national ‘shrine’ celebrating canoes and [kayaks].”
Quick Facts
- The Canadian Canoe Museum Redevelopment Project Feasibility Study identified the Parks Canada location as the preferred destination for the new Museum.
- This initiative would bring new economic growth with new construction projects as well as create additional employment and business opportunities for the Trent-Severn Waterway. The construction of the new museum may include a building of 80,000 square feet and space for a gift shop, a restaurant and a meeting room facility to accommodate up to 250 people.
- The relocation of the Canoe Museum at the Lock 21-Peterborough Lift Lock Historical Site would unite two of Peterborough’s major tourism attractions, providing water access for the museum’s programming activities as well as preserve Canadian heritage of canoes and kayaks.
—Press Release
