Museum hoping for more funding from town

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum is “poorly funded” when comparing what it receives from the municipality with how much others in the region receive from their respective local government, says managing director and curator Sarah Kaufman.  

During a presentation to the budget review committee Tuesday, Kaufman said the museum is seeking $297,000 in the town’s 2024 spending plan, an increase of about $16,000 over what was doled out last year.  

She said the NOTL Museum and Welland Museum are the only two in the region that aren’t fully funded by municipalities.  

The NOTL museum was given $282,000 last year, and Welland about $394,000.  

Kaufman also provided figures for other historical headquarters in the region – noting that the Niagara Falls Museum received $900,000 in municipal funding in 2023, and Lincoln more than $500,000.  

The museum’s other funding sources include donations, admission fees, a provincial operating grant, and project-based grants from upper levels of government.  

Kaufman said there are 106 programs already planned for 2024, and visitor numbers are increasing – they are higher now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Before lockdowns started in March 2020, the museum saw an annual guest total of about 7,000 people. But about 8,000 visitors appear to be the annual average as of late, said Kaufman.  

“We’re very excited about how we’re progressing post-COVID,” she told the budget review committee.

 In her presentation, Kaufman broke down what the requested funds would be used for – the bulk of it, nearly $191,000, for a portion of staff wages, which also includes the creation of a part-time maintenance position.  

An additional $28,000 is needed for building maintenance, said Kaufman, who also explained to the committee that the current maintenance person at the museum is herself – which she says isn’t working too well.  

“I’m the one fixing everything, and that becomes difficult,” said Kaufman.  

Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa asked Kaufman if partnering with the town for maintenance responsibilities is something that could be explored.  

Kaufman said this was a conversation had many years ago under a previous council and chief administrative officer, but the town said at the time it “didn’t have the ability to do that.”  

However the museum is “always open to looking at that again,” she added, also noting the building is owned by the museum.  

Zalepa agreed this is a route that needs to be revisited.  

“I think in this world of shared services, we could be more creative,” he said about accommodating maintenance needs.  

Zalepa also said he’d like more information on municipal funding other museums in the region receive and how population is worked into the formula.  

Kaufman told the committee that the museum will come to council next year with an update on its planned $10-million expansion and its related fundraising efforts.