The Canada Science and Technology Museum (French: Musée des sciences et de la technologie du Canada) is located in Ottawa, Ontario, on St. Laurent Boulevard, to the south of the Queensway (Highway 417).
Mission
The National Museum of Science and Technology was established in 1967 as a Centennial project by the Canadian Government. It was the first museum to employ interactive exhibits. The role of the Museum is to help the public to understand the technological and scientific history of Canada and the ongoing relationships between science, technology and Canadian society. The artifacts present the ongoing relationships between science, technology, and the transformation of Canadian society.
Governance
The museum is controlled by the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation, a Crown corporation that reports to the Department of Canadian Heritage, which is responsible for preserving and protecting Canada's scientific and technical heritage. The Corporation has a staff of about 275 and is responsible for three museums:
- Canada Science and Technology Museum
- Canada Agriculture Museum
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum
2014 closure
After the discovery of mould spreading from the building’s south wall during routine maintenance in September 2014, the Museum closed to visitors. Following renovation and repairs to its current building, the museum is scheduled to reopen in November 2017.
Proposed new locations
In 2001, the museum began looking for a new location to move to, citing a lack of space and accessibility. The desire for more scenic surroundings was also a factor, as the museum is currently surrounded mostly by warehouses and strip malls. Four locations were considered: the western section of LeBreton Flats, on the Rockcliffe Parkway next to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (both in Ottawa), in Jacques Cartier Park on Rue Laurier, and a site on Rue Montcalm (both in the neighbouring city of Gatineau). In 2006, Conservative cabinet minister and MP for Pontiac (which includes the eastern tip of Gatineau) Lawrence Cannon put his support behind the Jacques Cartier Park option.
CMST Storage Facility
The Canada Science and Technology Museum's storage facility, which is located at 1867 St. Laurent Blvd, includes many of the CMST’s 45,500 objects, such as a prototype for the Bombardier Innovia ART 100, a driverless rail car (ca. 1982), an Iron Lung once used at the Ottawa Civic Hospital (ca. 1950), and the FIU-301, and the Ontario Provincial Police’s first Unmanned Aerial vehicle (2005-2007). The CMST storage facility was included amongst other architecturally interesting and historically significant buildings in Doors Open Ottawa, held June 2 and 3, 2012.
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: Canadian Museums Association (CMA), Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), and Virtual Museum of Canada.
See also
- Canadian university scientific research organizations
- Canadian industrial research and development organizations
- Technological and industrial history of Canada
- Natural scientific research in Canada
- Canada lunar sample displays
- Invention in Canada
Notes
External links
- Official website
- CSTM Origins: A History of the Canada Science and Technology Museum
- Canada Science and Technology Museum at Google Cultural Institute