NDP deplores end of Canadian Museum of Civilization

The New Democratic Party is condemning the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s change of name and mandate—and reiterating concerns that the Conservatives are manipulating the institution for propaganda purposes.

“Changing the museum’s name is a useless gesture in itself as well as costly,” said Official Opposition Heritage Critic Pierre Nantel (Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher). “Worse, the Conservative government is once again looking to rewrite history.”

The bill adopted today confirms the changes announced last year also eliminates an important part of the mandate of Canada’s most popular museum. The museum will be less open to the world as a result, and it will lose its responsibility to create and conserve collections for research and posterity.

“It’s a sad day for Canada when the government interferes in the independent management of museums and tries to guide the work of historians,” added MP Nycole Turmel (Hull—Aylmer).