The HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial in Courtenay says it will close after marking its final operating day on Nov. 11 due to declining visits and revenue.
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The HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial in Courtenay is marking its final operating day on Nov. 11, according to the museum.
The museum honours the 59 men who died when their warship, the Corvette HMCS Alberni, was sunk off the coast of England during the Second World War.
Lewis Bartholomew, the museum’s founder and executive director, said the situation developed suddenly after years of surviving other disruptions.
He said: “Until about two years ago, we had no idea that we would be in this situation.”
Bartholomew noted the museum has faced several challenges over the years, including three flash floods that closed the building temporarily, two arson attacks, surviving the COVID pandemic, and moving about 18 times since 2012.
The museum is located inside a small mall on Cliffe Avenue next to the Connect Temporary Shelter and Service Hub.
Bartholomew said the building, which was leased from the city, was intended as a temporary space for the area’s homeless population about six years ago, with the expectation that Connect would operate there for six to 12 months.
He said the museum’s visits fell from an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 per year to 759 visitors last year, and that most of the museum’s income comes from donations.
Bartholomew said that about two years ago, the board concluded it could no longer cover bills out of pocket, adding that the museum had originally prepared for the possibility of completely liquidating.
He said the museum has decided instead to restructure and reevaluate its programs over the next two years, including converting exhibits into portable ones so they can tour museums and festivals around Vancouver Island.
“We just won’t have a physical presence for a while,” Bartholomew said.
For Remembrance Day, the museum will be open until sunset, and Bartholomew said it will hold a bells of peace ceremony starting about 5:30 in the hallway, with 100 bell rings naming a random list of veterans and allowing members of the public to ring the bell for their own loved ones.
Bartholomew added the museum will require additional funding from a foundation or an individual benefactor to secure a permanent location.
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