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Museum a better plan for Bastion Square

Re: “Bastion Square courthouse could be home of city’s creative hub,” comment, March 8. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and two others have written a commentary as a backstop to the idea of a Canadian Maritime Museum occupying the historic 28 Bastion Sq.

Re: “Bastion Square courthouse could be home of city’s creative hub,” comment, March 8.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and two others have written a commentary as a backstop to the idea of a Canadian Maritime Museum occupying the historic 28 Bastion Sq. building. They want to create an art hub at that location. It’s not a bad concept — it’s just that having a Canadian Maritime Museum there is a much better one.

The Victoria region abounds in artistic endeavours. As the authors state themselves: “Victoria radiates creativity and thrives as a home to creative people and everyday artistic experiences.”

What we don’t have is a maritime museum of any size that informs people about our marine heritage or how the sea has been the highway for Indigenous people for millennia. What we don’t have is a national anchor for such a museum, something that puts Victoria on the map much more than another arts hub. One that will serve local people and tourists.

What we do have is the Maritime Museum of B.C. with a visionary view of bringing our national maritime history and today’s relevance to that history — with its own art collection — back to Victoria’s heart and revitalizing the neighbourhood. Plus the guaranteed funding that comes with it — unlike an arts hub requiring endless fundraising just to exist.

I urge Helps and colleagues to step back, truly evaluate the benefits of having the Canadian Maritime Museum in our city, and run the numbers. Just because you have developed one plan should not stop another, better plan to be supported instead.

Marianne Scott

Victoria