The new head of the Phillip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum says her goal is to make the project just outside of Grande Prairie a community hub.
“They know about the museum as a museum, but they didn’t necessarily think of a place I could get married in or a place we can have our Christmas party in,” says Executive Director Linden Roberts.
Roberts hopes that will soon change.
With a 2019 operating budget of just over $1.4 million, including over half of that coming in the form of grants from a number of partners, the museum is currently not in a place of financial worry. However, Roberts believes that should just be a jumping off point.
“Working on our digital infrastructure gives us an opportunity to have a museum reach beyond the walls. It already has that with eco-tourism styled events like paleontologist for a day.”
She doesn’t believe the museum is facing any shortcomings but suggests that they’ve perhaps missed some of those opportunities to mature.
“With any museum, the vision is different from the way the public views… It’s in the process of maturing the museum we are in now.”
Officials at the museum say for the upcoming fiscal year, they remain dedicated to finding efficiencies and chances for more profit, as well as continued development for programs and products which they hope will help drive audiences.
Over 250,000 people have been through the facility since 2015.