Skip to content

Letters: Museum miffed

The shuttle bus funding and the request by Tourism Rossland to have funding re-allocated has ruffled museum members.
63546trailwemail

To the Editor:

It has come to our attention that Tourism Rossland has identified money designated under a line “Visitor Centre” to be re-directed to fund a free shuttle bus to Red Mountain in the winter.

The money listed under the line “Visitor Centre” in the city’s budget is, in fact, destined to go towards the “Museum Gateway Project” encompassing the entire museum.

This project is in its early stages of planning, the request for proposal having just closed last month. The basic premise is to come up with a new attraction to replace the mine tour and give the museum a new lease on life. Identifying the funds as “Visitor Centre Funds” is incredibly misleading and losing this money would be damaging to the “Museum Gateway Project.”

A shuttle bus operating between downtown and Red Mountain would be an asset to the business community, but we do not understand the need for it to be free.

A nominal fee of $2-$5 a trip would not over extend anyone and would contribute to the operation of the bus. Rather than having it run continuously, having a set schedule would make more sense, reduce the carbon footprint, and ensure that the money is not wasted on someone driving all around town with an empty bus.

These small changes to the proposal may prevent Tourism Rossland’s need to find alternative funding for the free, continuous shuttle bus operating for the winter months only and ensure that the “Museum Gateway project” is allowed to proceed without being hampered by a lack of funds.

Let us remember that during its years of operating the underground tour, the museum was a substantial contributor to tourism and the overall economy in Rossland.

We only ask that we be given the opportunity to re-claim our spot as a major attraction with the “Museum Gateway Project” without its funding being diluted and siphoned off before we even begin.

Yours truly, Friends of the Rossland Historical Museum

 

To The Editor:

Re: Shuttle bus funding and the request by Tourism Rossland to have funding re-allocated from the Museum gateway project.

With regard to the request by Tourism Rossland for reallocation of Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) funding, some clarification is in order.

Firstly, the Museum fully supports and understands the need for a winter shuttle to Red Mountain and the outlying areas of Rossland. In fact, we would like to see such a shuttle year round, and of course, with a stop at the museum.

However, we do not support their request for the reallocation of RMI funding for this purpose. Saying that the funding is for the Visitor Centre is actually misleading. It is for the complex as a whole, the Rossland Museum Gateway project, of which the Visitor Centre is a very small part.

Also misleading is the statement in their document that the Visitor Centre has already received $1.2 million in the five-year financial plan approved by the city (page 96 of the report).

Again, this funding would be for the Gateway Project, although it does say “Visitor Centre” in the plan. I questioned the city about this and was given reassurance as to that intent.

The timing of this request by Tourism Rossland is extremely poor. We are on the cusp of big changes here at the museum and it would mean a huge loss to all of us in Rossland if these plans had to be curtailed due to insufficient funds.

In terms of value to tourism in Rossland, and to our local economy, having a vibrant, attractive and interesting attraction at our local museum would be a huge draw for both the community and to our visitors to the area.

We need the city’s help to ensure this plan is realized, by ensuring our funds are not “re-directed” to other projects.

Libby Martin, president,

Rossland Historical Museum and Archives Association

Maureen Brown, vice president

Rossland Historical Museum and Archives Association