Longtime refugee advocate taking over helm of Manitoba Museum

A well-known advocate for refugees and immigrants in Winnipeg is the new chief executive officer of the Manitoba Museum.

Dorota Blumczynska leaves her position as the executive director of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, where she has worked for 13 years, and will take over her new position May 3.

"There are so many vibrant and diverse communities who've only begun their journey in Manitoba in the last several decades, every single Manitoban should see their story within the Manitoba Museum," Blumczynska said in an interview with host Emily Brass on CBC's afternoon radio show, Up to Speed.

Blumczynska remembers her own first trip to the museum, shortly after arriving in Manitoba as a refugee in 1989.

"It was a profound experience for me. I remember loving it and exploring it and being delighted by it. And I've gotten to do that with my children. And I just think that it's one of the most powerful ways in order to honour our stories."

She takes over from Claudette Leclerc, who is retiring after 23 years.

Blumczynska started working at IRCOM as an instructor in English as an additional language in 2008 and rose to head the organization. Last year, CBC Manitoba named her as one of the Future 40 winners, recognizingthe achievements of 40 Manitobans under 40 years of age.

In a statement, IRCOM's president of the board of directors thanked Blumczynska for her years of service.

"Our fundamental mission and values remain as we strive to empower newcomer families through transitional housing as well as holistic programs and services," Hamilton said.

"Thanks in large part to Dorota, we have a strong team of staff, volunteers, and partners and we look forward to continuing to build relationships and serve the community."

Blumczynska hopes to bring her perspective as a refugee and her experiences working with newcomers to her new job.

"I myself am a settler in this community. I approach my relationship with the peoples of this land with great humility," she said.

"There are so many calls to action through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that I think the museum is incredibly positioned to action and to bring to the forefront."

Museum closed

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the museum has closed inmid-March and was forced to lay off 40 employees in May over uncertainty about the future. It reopened with limited hours in June but closed again Nov. 2.

The same day the museum announcedBlumczynska would be taking over, the provincial government announced it would relax health orders to allow museums to reopen.

Blumczynska says she's not worriedabout the challenges posed by months of lost revenue, and is confident people will return once it's safe to reopen the doors.

"We have a chance right now to pause, reflect, take stock of everything that we have accomplished and get ready for a really exciting future," she said.

Penny McMillan, chair of the board of governors, released a statement welcoming Blumczynska as someone with "deep and proven experience in building and sustaining community connections as the museum counts on all Manitobans to succeed and grow."

McMillan also thanked outgoing CEO Leclerc, whose leadership has been "instrumental" to the success of the museum.

Among the major events Blumczynska will have a hand in shaping are celebrations for the museum's upcoming 50th anniversary in 2022.

The Manitoba Museum, originally called the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, first opened in 1972, when an earlier version of the museum merged with the planetarium.