Canada Museum of Science and Technology says $156M starts new era

A leaky roof,airborne mouldand overstuffedstorage bins willsoon be a thing of the past for the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

The Liberal government dished out$156 million over three years in its budget for a new high-techstorage and conservation centre for the museum's vast collection.

"Myselfpersonally, (I had been working on this) since 2002," said Fern Proulx, chief operating officer of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, on CBC Ottawa'sAll in a Day.

• Canada Science and Technology Museum to be upgraded, reopen in 2017
• Canada Science and Technology Museum reveals updated plans for $80M renewal
• The big 7: 2016 federal budget items that matter to Ottawa

The collection that includes the country'slargest assortment of automobiles, motorcycles and ambulances, not to mention tools, appliancesand gadgets from every era.

Most of these 300,000 artifacts arecrammed insidethree leased warehouses near its Lancaster Road location andare rarely seen by the public.

"They are industrial-grade buildings, so they're moreindustrial-type warehouseswhich we've built environmentally-controlled rooms within certain components of it," said Proulx.

"The collection has been housed there for decades and has grown, we're right now at about 130 per cent capacity it was getting harder and harder to maintain the collection reserve without putting anything at risk."

But that will change when the new 500,000 sq.ft. facilityis done.

Tears of joy

"The new storage facility will be located a stone's throwfrom the museumand people will be able to go there and see a high percentage of the collection for the first time,"saidAlexBenay, CEO of theCanadaScienceand Technology Museums Corporation.

"Longtime members of the staff were crying tears of joy.We've always been the 'make-do' museum, 'MacGyvering'solutions,until now."

At the same time, the museum itself is undergoing a top-to-bottom overhaul.

In late 2014, the former Conservative government announced$80.5 million in fundingto cover the costs of a new roof, a new facade, updates to the exhibit space and a retrofit of the building to meet updated fire and earthquake codes.

The museum was forced to close its doors in September2014after maintenance workers discovered mould in its walls, followingyears of complaints about leaks in the roof.

The renovated museum is expected to reopen in the fall of2017 during Canada's yearlong 150th birthday celebrations, Proulx said.

The museum will also be turning 50 years old in 2017.

The museum said it's too early to say whenthe public spaces at thenew warehouse will be ready, but it will be later than the museum itself reopening in 2017.