Anmore Heritage Society Withdraw from the Welcome Centre and MurrayMuseum Project?

Councillor Ryan Froese recently challenged the volunteers of the Anmore Heritage Society (AHS) to, "Tell it like it is, the heritage society saw the writing on the wall from the federal government before it was denied by them."Councillor Froese is probably correct in his assessment of denied funding. Council, while originally supporting plans for the Anmore Welcome Centre and Murray Museum Project, changed the scope of the project after Heritage Canada had completely reviewed and 'loved the proposal' to seek funding instead for either for a replica or a passive entrance to a new Village Hall.

  • The "Ma Murray Museum and Welcoming Centre project" was supported by resolution of Anmore Council on a December 6, 2016 and submitted to Canadian Heritage in a December 13, 2016 letter of support for the Legacy Grant application.
  • In a conference call and follow-up letter on June 19, 2017, Canadian Heritage (CH) officials said that they "loved the proposal" and they invited the Anmore Welcome Centre and Newspapering Murray Museum partners "to resubmit the same application under a new eligible applicant" (possibly the Village) by September 30th.
  • In this letter, officials stated that the original budget "needs to be updated by removing the in-kind contribution from the Village of Anmore. We recommend that the new amount requested from the Legacy Fund be equivalent to a maximum of 50% of cash costs; approximately $325,000, according to the new total cost of the project.
  • Officials also said, "supplementary funding can be requested from the Department, based on a new budget showing additional costs and revenues.(Up to $500,000)...If you already have results from your fundraising activities, you are encouraged to identify the collected amounts as confirmed cash revenue in the new budget..." ($25,000 grant secured by AHS from BC 150)
  • In conversations with officials responsible for the BC Community Gaming Grants - Capital Projects Fund, it was determined that theMurray homestead restoration project is a good candidate for up to $250,000 in matching funds. HeritageBC, the not-for-profit partner with the strongest financial history agreed to apply in collaboration with the AHS. Both grants require volunteer involvement.
  • In a July 17th letter to both AHS and HeritageBC, Anmore CAO Juli Kolby indicated that Council had "agreed that the project scope, as originally submitted, is no longer feasible." Instead, two new options were presented. Option 1 incorporates the original homestead into a new Village Hall (when constructed). Option 2 is for a replica. This is not the same applicationthat was requested by Canadian Heritage.
  • AHS members were pleased to recently discover that the centre section of the Village Hall was also built by George Murray and of historical significance. 'The Newspapering Murrays' by Georgina Keddell, McClelland Stewart, 1967, pg 52, states: "Another thing that Father shoved out there was the north wing to our house. Ours was probably the first split level on the Coast... The kitchen of the new wing had seven doors in it. No two were alike. One was formerly Room 409 in the old Vancouver Hotel, another was off the writing room at Glencoe Lodge and so on...A trip through the new wing was like a trip through history..."
  • HeritageBC architect Tim Ankenman confirmed that both the original homestead and the north wing built by George Murray are of considerable heritage value and are very restorable if not moved from the existing foundation, as was originally contemplated by Council.
  • The AHS Board of Directors saw this new information as a 'win-win opportunity' to keep the Legacy Fund re-application and Gaming Grant application on track. (Up to $750,000 in total). With the additional space, the same application for the Anmore Welcome Centre and Murray Museum and the volunteer partnerships could remain intact, as required by the funders. Council's entrance way to a new Village Hall could also be incorporated into the plans and could actually enhance the proposal by increasing pedestrian traffic flow.
  • The economic case could be strongly made for the enhanced homestead option. The funding/ revenue generators as proposed in the original stand alone building could be part of the ongoing programs in the original homestead and north wing. As well, keeping the building on the existing foundation would save both the moving and demolition costs. The Gaming Grant cannot be used for demolition.
  • In a phone call with AHS representatives, Canadian Heritage officials confirmed that this 'win-win' plan forthe homestead and the north wing as the 'Anmore Welcome Centre and MurrayMuseum' would workfor them.
  • Juli Kolby's September 6th e-mail to the AHS, indicated that Council had discussed the proposal to increase the scope of the project to include the North Wing and had decided that they would only support the project scope including "the original homestead (former Council Chambers) being used as an entrance to the new Village Hall and used to display historical artefacts etc".
  • Since neither a passive entry nor a replica would likely qualify for funding, and this was not the same application for the Anmore Welcome Centre and NewspaperingMurrayMuseum requested by Canadian Heritage, the AHS Board of Directors determined, with heavy hearts, that they have no further roleto play.

Design for the Anmore Welcome Centre and Ma Murray Museum prepared by CityState on Behalf of the Anmore Heritage Society