Minister’s Statement on the Royal BC Museum Business Case

Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, issued the following statement in response to requests for a business case from the Royal BC Museum (RBCM):

“On Friday May 13, the government announced a plan to build a new, modern museum. Since that time, there has been an interest in the business case. Due to the complex nature of this project, the government will hold a technical briefing on May 25.

For more than a decade, extensive work has been carried out to find the most cost-effective and efficient way to modernize the museum and protect the province’s collective history.

The technical briefing will be led by senior government officials to provide a detailed overview of the business case for the media. The business case will be released at that time.

The business case was informed according to the following schedule:

• 2006, 2014 and 2015 – Building assessments identify the need for major seismic and structural upgrades.
• October 2018 – Government receives concept plan outlining project needs, alternatives and preliminary recommendations, including detailed building assessments from 2018 produced by Partnerships BC, now Infrastructure BC, and required under the Capital Management Framework of the government.
• December 2018 – Government approves concept plan and development of formal business case.
• October 2019 – Government and RBCM release What We Heard, a report on feedback from the public and Indigenous communities across the province.
• Spring 2020 – The government receives an initial business case, approving the development of the Collections and Research Building in Colwood, and requesting further analysis related to the downtown museum site.
• December 2021 – Government receives final business case from Infrastructure BC.
• March 2022 – Government approves final business case

A media advisory indicating the location and time of the technical briefing will be issued on May 24.