The Calgary Science Centre is inserting a “giant dose of creativity” to their facility. They are making plans to change the dome theatre, galleries, atrium as well as create a “Space Bar and Astronaut Ice Cream” stand and build a collection of unusual gadgets for the staff to wear “to enhance the visitor touch point”.

“We are starting to raise the $21 million we will need as we speak. We have applied for $14 million in support from civic, municipal and provincial infrastructure grant programs. We hope to raise another $7 million from the community through a campaign called the Good Chemistry campaign.” - Mary Anne Moser, CEO , TELUS Spark.

TELUS Spark plans to keep maintaining their current educational and science-based activities while working on the centre’s facelift. 

Related Articles:

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/telus-spark-to-undergo-21m-renovation-as-part-of-ongoing-effort-to-stay-current-1.4681332

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/telus-spark-to-be-transformed-with-focus-on-unusual-experiences

Julie Moskalik, Science North’s Science Director and member of CASC’s Board of Directors is among 75 women selected worldwide for the fifth Homeward Bound cohort (HB5), and one of only three Canadians. HB5 is a global 10-year initiative to equip women in STEMM fields with skills to lead, influence policy, and make decisions to help create a sustainable future for our planet.

Julie comments “I am so honoured to have been selected for this incredible opportunity. I look forward to meeting the other amazing women on #TeamHB5, sharing our experiences and collectively working with the other 4 cohorts to activate our learnings and visions globally.” 

The program’s founder, Fabian Dattner said “The aim of Homeward Bound has always been to identify and foster outstanding leadership potential in STEMM and Julie is exactly the kind of person I had in mind when I dreamt of this program.”

Since 1985, Julie has played an instrumental role at Science North, engaging visitors of all ages with informal science engagement and enhanced visitor experiences. Her area of expertise is Entomology and she has a passion for natural sciences.

Related Articles:

https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/special-honour-for-sudbury-scientist

https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/science-norths-julie-moskalyk-selected-for-prestigious-women-in-science-development-program-1829214

http://homewardboundprojects.com.au/hb1-participants/hb5-participants/

A Night for the Museum, Philip J. Currie Museum’s Annual gala fundraiser, successfully raised over $80,000. More than 280 guests attended the event, which featured live music, games, an auction, dinner and dancing.

Linden Roberts, Executive Director of Philip J. Currie Museum since May of 2019 said “This is our biggest fundraising event every year and we’re delighted with this response from the community. It ensures that we can open the doors on a daily basis, [and] it ensures we can deliver programs to school groups”

“Our mandate is not to charge the full cost of a program to a school group, [and] as an organization that gains funding from events such as this, the return to the population is we try very hard to keep our pricing down to something that people can afford. The idea that we can give high quality, uncurated, memorable experiences not only to the people of the area but visitors to the area and to make Grande Prairie a place to put on the map.”

Roberts aims for the museum to become a centrepiece for the region and to make Grande Prairie a place to put on the map.

Related Articles:

https://www.mygrandeprairienow.com/62655/2019-night-for-the-museum-raises-80000/

https://dinomuseum.ca/media/releases/7-10-2019-fundraising-event-a-hit/

For its third year, the Okanagan Science Centre (OSC) is fundraising to offer free passes to low income families. This year, to encourage community support, the science centre will gift an extra family membership for every $57.50 donated. 

Jim Swingle, the Executive Director at the Science Centre comments “We have been participating in the Salvation Army Christmas hampers for years and this matching initiative is to encourage the community to help us provide memberships to even more families”.

The Okanagan Science Centre started fundraising towards these memberships on International Science Centre and Science Museum Day with a barbecue as part as a free open house. 

“We don't want kids to miss out on opportunities, so that's why we started this initiative. The OSC held a fundraising BBQ to raise money towards these memberships , and we raised enough money for 11 memberships. Science is, and should be for everyone.”

Related Articles:

https://www.revelstokereview.com/community/gift-of-science-spread-to-low-income-okanagan-families/

https://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/270675/Okanagan-Science-Centre-donates-passes-for-low-income-families

The Toronto Zoo is expected to have Canada’s first zoo-based biogas plant thanks to Oshawa Power and ZooShare. The Toronto Zoo generates over 3,000 tonnes of excrement every year.

This Solution will recycle manure from the zoo, diverting it away from landfills, and turn it into electricity. The biogas plant will use bacteria to break down animal waste, as well as other organic waste, and produce methane gas in an oxygen-free environment.

The hope is that the facility will offset one-third of the zoo’s electrical needs and give power to around 500 homes.The leftover waste will be processed and reused as fertilizer, meaning that the biogas plant will be 100% waste-free.

Related Articles:

https://www.narcity.com/news/ca/on/toronto/toronto-zoo-biogas-plant-will-turn-animal-poop-into-power-and-fertilizer

https://globalnews.ca/video/6162671/turning-poop-into-power-at-the-toronto-zoo

https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2019/11/20/how-zoo-animal-poo-being-turned-into-electric-power/

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/11/20/oshawa-power-is-helping-turn-zoo-poop-into-electricity.html

Montreal Science Centre has a new temporary exhibit, titled “Health from Head to Toe”, that explores the different ways mental health presents itself as well as different ways to treat mental health. 

The exhibit will focus on three separate sections; the progress of knowledge on mental health, the benefits of physical health, and ways to equip young people to reduce everyday stress. 

Thanks to special collaborators, the centre will also offer various workshops open to the public to participate and learn on the topic.

The exhibit will run until January, 5, 2020.

Related Articles:

https://www.lapresse.ca/societe/201911/08/01-5249022-la-rubrique-qui-fait-du-bien.php

http://www.thesuburban.com/montreal-science-centre-exhibits-leadership-on-mental-health/image_6a64d282-eb73-11e9-b116-9fbcbc3c7717.html

https://www.montrealsciencecentre.com/temporary-exhibition/health-from-head-to-toe

As collections grow inside aging museums with limited storage, local curators have resorted to keeping precious artifacts on the floor of a flood plain.

The Manitoba Museum houses approximately 2.8 million artifacts and specimens, including massive installations and archeological objects as tiny as a shard. With somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20,000 square feet of storage, objects have to be stored in less-than-ideal locations, such as the basement.

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There is a lot of excitement at the Manitoba Museum, where the new Winnipeg Gallery is set to open on Friday.

Work has been feverish over the past few months to get ready for the big day. Part of that work includes restoring a very special piece of the city’s history -- a stained glass Winnipeg sign that used to be on display at the old City Hall. It's been hidden away from public view at the museum.

"That has been in our collection since the 1960's, but it's never been seen before," said Manitoba Museum curator, Roland Sawatzky.

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According to recent figures, tourism brings in more than a billion dollars in northern Ontario each year. It's one of the most profitable industries in the region. In Sault Ste. Marie, the local tourism office celebrated those who are excelling in the field.

Frank O'Connor owns and operates the Voyageurs Lodge in Batchewana, 40 minutes north of Sault Ste. Marie. Even while he's not working, he is always promoting the Algoma region.

"It's that passion, it’s that fire in the belly and when you're in love with your region like I have been, like we have been, and so many in the industry have been, it's easy to promote it," he explained.

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KITCHENER — The Ontario government provided $7,000 for a program that gives people 55 and older free admission to TheMuseum on Thursdays.

TheMuseum's 55 & Better Thursday program aims to bring older adults together for activities, workshops and events at TheMuseum, 10 King St. W., in downtown Kitchener. The new funding will support this program through March 2020.

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