September 14th
Jeff Cummins, Edmonton Sun

The new downtown home of the Royal Alberta Museum will tell the province’s vast historical story in a building that some say is too boxy and uninspired. 

The building, priced at $340 million, is being dubbed as a facility that will celebrate the province, along with being a source of pride for all Albertans.

“It’s what’s on the inside that counts,” said Mayor Stephen Mandel during an elaborate announcement at the original Royal Alberta Museum’s theatre.

“This will begin to change out downtown like no building ever has.”

The province chose a design team from Ledcor Design-Build Inc. among four final designs that was faced with criticism.

“We were really hoping for an iconic building,” said Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman, whose riding is in Edmonton’s downtown core.

And others say the teams were rushed since they had such a short window of time to come up with creative designs.

“It’s open, it’s inviting and it’s a big space that’s over 36,000 feet,” said Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett, who defended the museum’s design.

“The inside is what’s going to really matter. This is what’s really going to get people excited.”

The Tory government says the new museum that is expected to be completed in 2015 will also offer a theatre, a cafe, a large video screen that’s visible from the street and outdoor terraces.

Infrastructure Minister Ray Danyluk described the new museum as “a book that will tell the story of Alberta.”

“It will be a museum that keeps you coming back,” said the minister.

However, not every one agrees that Alberta’s government should dole out hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to pay for a museum.

Wildrose Finance Critic Rob Anderson says the cash should be spent on more urgent needs like roads and hospitals, especially when Ed Stelmach’s government is running a deficit.

And Anderson questions why the provincial government pushed the project so fast without any debate in the Legislature.

“Why on earth would you cram this in such a short period of time?” said Anderson.

“If you are going to spend $340 million on a flagship museum for the province, do it right.”

Blackett says there was a budget process involved in approving the brand new museum. It’s an approval process that doesn’t require debate during session in the Legislature.

“Whether it’s a hospital, a school or a museum, that’s the way the process goes,” said Blackett.

“If we have to debate every expenditure that we have in terms of buildings, we would have to sit through session 365 days a year.”

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