‘It just feels like a personal hurt’: Fredericton Region Museum reacts to proposed budget cuts

The Fredericton Region Museum has been open since 1934 and has served as a historical site in New Brunswick. (Credit: Fredericton Region Museum)

In a document titled “Difficult Decisions,” the provincial government laid out to the public the options considered to balance the budget.

This included budget cuts to the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, which are set to potentially impact over 100 historical sites.

One of the options the government is considering to curb spending, as outlined in the document, is divesting assets, transferring ownership and closing buildings considered to be underused. 

This will include “tourism, heritage, and culture facilities with fewer than 5,000 annual visitors.” 

The government is also looking to assess grants given to non-profit organizations, reviewing the outcomes they are looking to achieve.

Following their analysis, they decide whether to reduce or eliminate "funding for grants that fall short of these objectives,” potentially resulting in government savings and freeing up resources to invest in already successful grants.

The document did not specify what these objectives are.

Healthcare, affordability and education are the key areas stated to be prioritized in the budget.

Association Heritage New Brunswick has created a web page titled “Save Our Museums,” which includes resources to contact MLAs to speak out against the proposed cuts. 

The association is urging the government to keep the current funding as it is, stating that there was little consultation before the proposal was made.

In response to the situation, the Fredericton Region Museum (FRM) wrote in a Facebook post, “If funding is cut, we don’t just lose buildings — we lose our shared memory.”

Alena Krasnikova, executive director of the FRM, explained that the museum is run by a volunteer board and one full-time staff member.

“Without volunteers, [it] would be impossible to run this museum and we just do what we can to keep our doors open. It’s always a challenge,” she said.

While the crackdown on undervisited heritage sites will not apply to the Fredericton Region Museum due to its high visitor numbers, Krasnikova still has concerns.

“In theory, it would not affect us, but who knows, maybe in the coming years …  we feel deeply sorry for the other organizations and we try to support them as much as we can by spreading the word,” she said. ”They don’t just keep their doors open for visitors, they also care for large collections and who would take care of that?”

The Fredericton Region Museum also frequently collaborates with smaller museums, according to Krasnikova, to rotate exhibits and artifacts.

“We do this because we love heritage. So if other organizations get cut, it just feels like a personal hurt.”

In an interview with CBC, Janet Clouston, vice-president of the Association Heritage New Brunswick, said that the heritage sector already receives some of the lowest funding than other areas of the provincial budget. 

Krasnikova echoed this sentiment, explaining that the FRM receives the brunt of its funding from the local government, though the federal and provincial governments are also key funders.

“I would say the [City of Fredericton] is our biggest supporter … they're all very important and without their help, we would not be able to operate,” said Krasnikova.

To combat the budget cuts, the FRM has met with other organizations and the provincial heritage branch.

“That was a couple of months ago, maybe even more than that. We communicate with them regularly and they are aware of the struggle. We just are trying to be as vocal as we can about it,” Krasnikova said.

The provincial budget is set to be tabled on March 17.