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After 45 years of memories in an old elementary school, Canada’s First Children’s Museum has found a new home. The Children’s Museum will be moving to 100 Kellogg Lane to have more space and to have more accessibility.
Media Content Specialist of The Children’s Museum, Mira Noodermeer has seen every step of the process.
The Mural of Memories at The Children’s Museum. Photo by Bianca Harris
“We engaged in a lot of years of community consultations asking our members’ families, our visitors, our community partners, what they needed from us and what they wanted to see in a new space,” says Noodermeer.
The Children’s Museum also wanted to make their new home special by making it for children, by children.
“We interviewed at least 300 people and children from focus groups and dream camps. Children and Families helped us design the exhibits. Everything from designing the tree houses in Branching Out to designing the alphabet cases schoolhouse in Community Roots. Every detail they helped us select,” says Noodermeer.
Sean Gill, a parent who takes his children to the museum loved the idea that children participated in the process.
“Anything that the kids can contribute and use their imagination makes the place exciting for them to go to,” says Gill.
Another parent, Dana Davidson is excited to see how it’s gonna look with the children’s designs.
“It’s exciting because I think kids know what they want to play with. They know what they like and I think that it’s really great for it to be child-led,” says Davidson.
While some are excited to see the new designs of their updated exhibits, some are recounting their memories of the building that has been home for over 40 years.
Amanda Shamblaw thinks back to when she was a child visiting the museum.
“I came here as a child and it’s fun to take my child here. it’s neat to have the same memories and then see her doing the same thing. So that’s one thing that’s kind of sad about it,” says Shamblaw.
Bellina the whale. Photo By Bianca Harris.
“I used to come here as a kid. So there’s a lot of nostalgia and being able to come back to the same place” says Davidson.
While these parents may have strong memories of this museum they feel that change is good.
“I do I think it’s nice to get a new building and and change things up. I think change can be good,” says Shamblaw.
I think it’s exciting that they’re moving to a new location. I think the new ideas and new spaces for the kids to play will be really fun,” says Davidson.
Not everything will be new at their new location, some items will be carried over to the new building.
“We will be bringing some of our artifacts with us, including Bellina, our humpback whale skeleton. She’ll be coming with us,” says Noodermeer.
They are also bringing their mural of pictures with them to showcase the memories. The Children’s Museum will have a soft opening in September of this year.
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