Saskatchewan is now getting its first national museum after the federal government announced plans to designate Regina’s RCMP Heritage Centre. They will join nine others in the country with the designation, marking a significant milestone for the RCMP Heritage Centre. “We have lots of hopes and we have been to Ottawa a few times through a few budget cycles with big hopes but this is the one that actually came through for us,” said Sam Karikas, CEO of the RCMP Heritage Centre. The change means the heritage centre will go from a non-profit organization that relies on fundraising, to be part of a federal Crown corporation. “We’ll operate like all of the other national museums in Canada do, and we’ll become one of the prestigious members of that group,” Karikas said. Visitors to the heritage centre welcomed the announcement, saying it recognizes the RCMP’s history and its connection to Regina. “I think that’s great news. It’s a great idea for people to know the history and the heritage of the RCMP and the country,” said visitor Ted De Jager. “Depot in Regina has been very important for the city of Regina , well, for my whole lifetime so anytime you get recognition like that, it’s nothing but positive,” said visitor Gene Desautels. The announcement came in this week’s federal budget, where Regina’s Globe Theatre was also mentioned. They have been seeking $12 million from Ottawa to pay off its renovation debt, although it was not specified how much funding the theatre would get. “We’ll clear out our entire debt load, construction debt load and then we’ll be fundraising an additional $2.6 million on top of that to finish a few other pieces of the building and then also rebalance our operating reserves,” said Oz Weaver, executive director of the Globe Theatre. Details of the federal funding announcements will be worked out in the coming weeks. The Globe Theatre will learn exactly how much money it will receive, while the RCMP Heritage Centre will begin its transition to a federal Crown corporation.
