The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum is getting a big boost to its facilities from the Royal Bank of Canada — to the tune of $150,000.
The RBC Foundation is helping to fund the installation of the museum’s first-ever elevator, which is expected to be built within the next year or two, says curator Sarah Kaufman.
The new elevator is part of a larger project currently underway to renovate and expand the museum on Castlereagh Street, nearly doubling its size.
Kaufman said the team at the museum is “very excited” about this latest stage of the expansion project.
“Most people in NOTL are aware that we’ve been working hard to renovate and expand the NOTL Museum and this is a big part of the project.”
The elevator is intended to improve accessibility, allowing visitors with mobility issues to reach the second floor and basement washrooms — right now, those levels are only accessible by stairs.
Once complete, Kaufman said the elevator will allow everyone to access all areas of the exhibition, gallery and collections facility.
The elevator will be built in a new wing being added to the main museum building, which will be added to the existing building on Castlereagh Street, located immediately behind Memorial Hall, the museum’s larger heritage structure.
She noted that incorporating the elevator into a new addition of the museum helps preserve the heritage features of the existing structure.
“It’s much easier to build an elevator in the new addition,” she said. “With heritage buildings, you don’t want to take away from how they are designed or how they look.”
The new wing will also include a community room, exhibition gallery and storage space for the museum’s collection.
Kaufman said the museum applied for the grant earlier this year after the RBC Foundation circulated notices through various non-profit channels. Staff learned of the successful application a few weeks before the official announcement.
According to an Oct. 19 media release, NOTL is one of 35 communities across Canada receiving funding through this year’s RBC community spaces grant.
The $150,000 grant is part of a $16.7-million investment supporting single- and multi-year projects that involve the construction of new public spaces designed to improve accessibility or reduce environmental impacts.
Of the funded initiatives, 27 focus on accessibility and 19 on sustainability.
Kaufman said the grant’s focus on accessibility aligns well with the museum’s long-term plans.
“It was always a part of our plan to be accessible,” she said. “If you’re planning for people with mobility issues, you’re planning for everyone.”
