Canadian Museums Association

Canadian Museums Association
Name	Canadian Museums Association
Founded	1947
Type	Non-profit
Purpose	Support and advocacy for museums and museum professionals in Canada
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Language	English, French
Leader title	Executive Director

Canadian Museums Association is the national organization serving museums, galleries, and heritage institutions across Canada. It represents museum professionals, volunteers, and governing bodies from provinces and territories including Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The association works alongside federal departments such as Department of Canadian Heritage and national cultural institutions like the Canadian Museum of History, National Gallery of Canada, Royal Ontario Museum, Museum of Civilisation and collaborates with provincial museum agencies and municipal cultural services.

History

The association was established in the post-World War II era amid broader cultural rebuilding activities connected to institutions like the National Museum of Canada and anniversaries such as the Centennial of Canadian Confederation (1967). Early interactions involved predecessors to present-day bodies including the Canada Council for the Arts and advisory committees linked to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Over decades the association engaged with major national initiatives including heritage legislation debates around the Museums Act (provincial variations) and consultations tied to the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences. It evolved through responses to notable events such as exhibition exchanges with the Smithsonian Institution, collaborative conservation projects with the Canadian Conservation Institute, and sector crises that mirrored economic cycles in the Great Depression recovery memory. Leadership and governance adapted through partnerships with provincial museum associations like the Ontario Museum Association and organizations such as Canadian Heritage Information Network.

Mission and Governance

The association's mission centers on advocacy, professional development, and stewardship of collections in collaboration with institutions including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Canadian War Museum, Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, Bata Shoe Museum, Aga Khan Museum, and Indigenous organizations such as First Nations University of Canada-affiliated cultural programs. Its governance structure features an elected board, regional representatives, and committees reflecting stakeholders from institutions like the Art Gallery of Ontario and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. It liaises with federal advisory bodies such as the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and aligns policy positions with standards promoted by the International Council of Museums and protocols advocated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Programs and Services

Programs include professional development, accreditation support, collections care guidance, and conferences often held in cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, and Winnipeg. Services range from training aligned with conservation practices of the Canadian Conservation Institute to digital initiatives like collections digitization projects akin to those supported by the Canadian Heritage Information Network. Member services include legal and ethical guidance informed by copyright considerations alongside institutions such as Library and Archives Canada, risk management drawn from precedents at the Royal Ontario Museum, and exhibit loan protocols referenced with the Canadian Museum of History and international partners like the British Museum.

Advocacy and Policy

Advocacy priorities address funding frameworks, tax policies, cultural property legislation, and disaster preparedness, engaging stakeholders including the Department of Finance (Canada), Canada Revenue Agency, and parliamentary committees such as the Standing Committee on Finance. Policy positions reflect consultations with Indigenous advocacy groups, museums like National Indigenous Peoples Day partners, and sectoral responses to national emergencies similar to those faced by the Canadian Red Cross during crises. The association has submitted briefs and recommendations concerning cultural policy reform, intellectual property issues in collaboration with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, and heritage protection measures informing municipal heritage bylaws in places like Québec City and Saint John, New Brunswick.

Membership and Affiliates

Membership encompasses a wide range of affiliates: large national institutions such as the Canadian War Museum and the National Gallery of Canada; mid-sized regional museums like the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Manitoba Museum; specialized museums including the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and the Canadian Museum of Nature; university museums, community museums, and Indigenous cultural centres. Affiliates include provincial associations such as the Alberta Museums Association, British Columbia Museums Association, and Société des musées du Québec, as well as international partners like the International Council of Museums and bilateral networks tied to the Smithsonian Institution.

Publications and Awards

The association publishes newsletters, policy reports, professional guidelines, and peer-reviewed content drawing on practice at institutions such as the Royal British Columbia Museum and scholarly partners like Universities Canada. Its awards recognize excellence in curatorship, conservation, education, and community engagement, honoring projects comparable in prestige to accolades given by the Governor General's Awards and sector prizes coordinated with provincial ministries such as Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport and arts councils like the Canada Council for the Arts.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources include membership dues, project grants from agencies such as Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, and partnerships with corporate sponsors, foundations, and philanthropic entities like the Laidlaw Foundation and corporate cultural programs modeled after collaborations with TD Bank Group and Royal Bank of Canada philanthropic initiatives. The association coordinates joint projects with museum networks, conservation laboratories such as the Canadian Conservation Institute, and digitization funding streams that echo programs by Library and Archives Canada and international cultural exchange partners including the British Council.

Category:Museum associations Category:Organizations based in Ottawa