Canadian History Takes Centre Stage

The Canadian Museum of Civilization has begun a five-year process of transformation that includes an ambitious renovation of the museum’s interior, a new name and a sharpened focus on Canadian history. The new Canadian Museum of History will be fully realized in 2017, in time for Canada’s 150th birthday.

While many important facets of the Museum of Civilization will remain, the centerpiece of the Canadian Museum of History will be a massive new hall devoted to a full and comprehensive presentation of the national history of Canada and its people.

The new Canada History Gallery —encompassing the area that now contains the Canada Hall, the Canadian Personalities Hall and the Canadian Postal Museum—will have space both for a major permanent Canadian history exhibition and for traveling exhibitions from museums across Canada.  With a continuous span of 50,000 square feet, it will be the largest-ever exhibition space dedicated to Canadian history. 

“This is an appropriate venue for telling the remarkable story of Canada,” says Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Museum.  “Our vision at the Canadian Museum of History is to showcase the touchstones—those seminal experiences, personalities and objects—that have helped shape this country and brought Canadians to where we are today.” 

Alongside the changes, the most important and best-loved features of the Museum of Civilization will live on in the new museum. The First Peoples Hall and the Grand Hall will continue to tell the stories of Canada’s First Peoples and highlight the wealth of their modern-day contributions. The Museum will also continue to present international exhibitions on world history and culture.  The Canadian Children’s Museum will continue as before.

New programming will be developed by the Canadian Museum of History’s historians and researchers in collaboration with scholars and content experts and with input from Canadians. People are encouraged to contribute through a series of public meetings and the My History Museum interactive website.