Museums 'thrilled' with $25.7M pandemic bailout

National museums are now getting a boost from the federal government to help cope with shutdowns during the pandemic.

Last week, Ingenium, the corporation that operates the Canada Science and Technology Museum, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museumand the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, said staff had agreed to take several weeks of unpaid leave to prevent layoffs and help deal with a $7-million shortfall.

"We are thrilled that this new funding will ensure that there will no longer be a need for a reduction in hours for our staff," said Christine Cloutier, media relations officer with Ingenium.

• Museum staff agree to 20% fewer workdays, smaller paycheques

The Ingenium museums, along with six other cultural institutions, will now share $25.7 million from the federal government throughan emergency investment.

Canadian Heritagesaid the money is "to provide emergency financial assistance to organizations in order to allow them to continue to care for their heritage collections under these exceptional circumstances so that they may remain accessible to Canadians."

Among the other organizations receiving money arethe Canadian Museum of History, the National Gallery of Canada, the Museum of Nature, Pier 21 in Halifax, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipegand the National Battlefields Commission.

The museums, which have been closed since mid-March, are now making plans for their eventual reopening with new COVID-19 protocols.

"We look forward to continuing the work of reopening our doors in a safe and timely manner, for those who visit our three museums in the National Capital Region," Cloutiersaid.