Government of Canada Invests in London Regional Children's Museum

LONDON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 19, 2011) - Children and their families in London will continue to enjoy first-class cultural experiences, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada. Funding for the London Regional Children's Museum was announced today by Ed Holder, Member of Parliament (London West), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

With this funding, the Museum will prepare a new permanent Arctic Discovery Gallery. The space will be larger than the existing 29-year-old gallery, with greater capacity for visitors, and will display more of the Museum's collection. The project will also include the creation of a dedicated art studio space that will allow the Museum to offer enhanced art-based programming for exhibitions.

"Canada's vast Arctic defines our country, and our Government is proud to support an organization that is dedicated to serving youth and promoting our Canadian art, history, and heritage," said Minister Moore. "It is essential for our communities, our identity, and our economy."

"This support will allow the Museum to bring more artists, children, and families together to celebrate our heritage," said Mr. Holder. "It is a fantastic opportunity to share our history and to continue to discover the creativity and youthful enthusiasm of the community."

The London Regional Children's Museum was founded in 1975 as the first children's museum in Canada. Its mission is to foster a community of innovation where children—from infancy through age 12—and their families can explore and discover science, arts, and heritage.

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $118 500 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual, and media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.

(This news release is available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca under Newsroom.)