Weston Foundation provides support for the Canadian History Hall

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

Gatineau, Quebec, May 19, 2017 — The Canadian Museum of History is delighted to announce a $2 million donation by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation in support of the Museum’s new signature exhibition, the Canadian History Hall. The Hall will be the largest, most comprehensive and engaging exhibition about Canadian history ever created. It will open on July 1, as Canadians celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

“We are very grateful to The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and the Weston family for providing their generous support to this exhibition,” said Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. “This donation assists us in our efforts to present the diverse and engaging story of Canada as it has never been told before.”

W. Galen Weston, Chairman of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, says that providing support to the Canadian Museum of History on the 150th anniversary of Canada presents a remarkable opportunity to share the country’s story with everyone. “Our own story is very much a Canadian one. My great grandparents came to this country as poor British immigrants in the 1800s, desperate to make a better life for themselves and their children. My grandfather got his start as a baker’s apprentice, who bought a bread route and then a bakery. My own father began with a small biscuit factory, expanded the business in the midst of the Great Depression, creating hundreds of jobs and turning it into an international concern. Like generations of Canadians, they worked hard, made sacrifices, and helped build a country known for its diversity, peace and prosperity. We have much to be proud of as Canadians.”

The Canadian History Hall will present Canada’s story through the diverse experiences and perspectives of the real people who lived it. Visitors will discover our collective story of conflict, struggle and loss, as well as success, achievement and hope. This new signature exhibition illuminates the enduring legacy of Canada’s past — a legacy that is alive, relevant and continually unfolding.

The Canadian History Hall will be divided chronologically into three principal galleries. Gallery 3 – Modern Canada: 1914 to the Present will be named The Honourable Hilary M. Weston and W. Galen Weston Gallery.

The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is a Canadian charitable trust, established by Garfield and Reta Weston and their nine children in 1958. It was the belief of the founders that since it was the hard work of Canadian employees that made the Foundation possible, that its charitable funding should be directed to the benefit of Canadians. The mandate of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation includes neuroscience, land conservation, education and research in Canada’s North.

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History attracts over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture. Work of the Canadian History Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

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Media contacts:
Stéphanie Verner
Media Relations Officer
Telephone: 819-776-7169
Email: stephanie.verner@historymuseum.ca

Éliane Laberge
Social Media and Media Relations Officer
Telephone: 819-776-7097
Email: eliane.laberge@historymuseum.ca