Kitchener’s THEMUSEUM avoids budget cuts from council, gaps in funding remain

Region of Waterloo council has voted to restore funding for Kitchener’s THEMUSEUM, backtracking on a previous decision to cut grant funding.

David Marskell, CEO of THEMUSEUM, said he’s grateful the council kept the $385,725 in place, but said it still ‘isn’t enough’.

“It’s not an easy task, but we have done some wonderful things and brought in some world-class exhibits,” said Marskell. “We’ll continue to stay on our feet and keep swinging.”

Marskell said the region’s funding hasn’t increased in eight years while all costs have gone up significantly, and an additional $250,000 is required for them to remain sustainable.

He added that, on average, Canadian museums are funded 70 per cent by governments and 30 per cent in house. THEMUSEUM, on the other hand, raises 80 per cent of their annual budget themselves according to Marskell.

THEMUSEUM acts as a driver for the Kitchener downtown economy. They brought in 83,000 visitors last year, 40 per cent of which came from out-of-region and spent money at local bars, shops, and hotels.

THEMUSEUM saw an uptick in visitor traffic in 2023 following down years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s going to be tough to get fully out of the shadow of COVID, so I’m grateful that we weren’t cut by a quarter of a million dollars by the region,” said Marskell. “It’ll allow us to look at the paths that we have forward to see how we can continue.”