After seven months of renovations, the Qualicum Beach Museum will host a soft opening this Saturday.
And museum manager Netanja Waddell couldn’t be more excited for the public to see the changes.
“We have to be in motion,” Waddell told The NEWS Tuesday afternoon. “We have to stay interesting and appealing.”
The renovations are a first for the iconic, industrial building which the museum took over in 1994.
They include opening up the main entrance, adding a gift shop section, new bathrooms, taking down a few interior walls and adding a set of glass doors etched by Bowser glass artist Paul Crawford depicting the importance of the local ecosystem with sea life, mountains and a dog salmon, which is where the name Qualicum comes from.
The gift shop sells Qualicum-inspired trinkets like wild smoked salmon, moon shells and Brad Wylie’s Qualicum Beach book. All proceeds are donated back into the museum.
The changes aren’t drastic, but subtle and sleek opening up the museum and adding a tinge of flair to the history of Qualicum Beach.
The new community exhibit is the late Gladys Killip’s vast collection of royal memorabilia.
Waddell said she donated thousands of items to the museum and the showcase includes tea cups, keychains, newspaper clippings and milestone jubilees.
“The biggest changes upstairs is that we got rid of the temporary wall, opened up the space and gave it more air,” said Waddel. “It’s easier to capture the entire exhibit at a glance.”
This initial set of renovations is the first in a multi-phase project that will depend on funding in the future, something staff and volunteers will be focused on for the next few years.
To check out the renovations visit the Qualicum Beach Museum this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting Saturday the museum will be open with their summer hours, Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The museum is located at 587 Beach Road in Qualicum Beach. For more information call 250-752-5533 or visit www.qbmuseum.ca.
