The 1.5-acre green roof of the new Canadian Canoe Museum will be named in honour of the Dalglish Family Foundation, which has just gifted $1.2 million to the museum’s capital campaign.
Foundation directors Camilla and Peter Dalglish were at the museum this afternoon (November 13) for the announcement of the gift.
“Kirk Wipper realized the importance of protecting these historic boats, as do I,” Peter Dalglish said at the announcement, held in the museum galleries. “The Dalglish Family Foundation is a small family-run organization, and this is our biggest donation to date. Our family members were unanimous in their desire to support The Canadian Canoe Museum.”
The donation will support capital costs for the new facility, which will be built alongside the Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway. In recognition of the gift, the museum will name the new facility’s green roof in the Dalglish’s honour.
The 1.5-acre roof will have an accessible boardwalk for visitors of all ages and abilities, encouraging them to explore the spaces along the boardwalk, inspired by the High Line public park in New York City. The roof will also feature as many as 50 local plant species, including a wildflower meadow. Many of the species are of significance to Indigenous cultures in the area, and have been chosen because they will bloom at various times of the year and thrive in the climate and conditions.
The green roof is also an environmental feature of the new facility, providing additional insulation to buildings and serving as a buffer against extremes of heat and cold. The sweeping wild flower garden and local grasses will also help absorb and retain rainfall that would otherwise place extra demand on the city’s storm water systems. It will also offer habitat for small animals and will attract bees and butterflies to the pollinator plants.
In addition, the museum’s collection — the world’s largest collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft — will lie beneath the north section of the green roof. Locating the collection below the green roof (and below ground) will help to shelter the light-sensitive artifacts. This will protect them for generations to come in an energy-efficient and sustainable manner.
The green roof is one of the features of the 83,400 square-foot facility, which has been designed by the award-winning team of heneghan peng (Dublin, Ireland) and Kearns Mancini Architects (Toronto, Canada). The building will blend almost seamlessly into its landscape, emerging from the drumlin and complementing and contouring the waterway.
“The roof is the largest external surface of the facility — the fifth façade,” says Roisin Heneghan, Lead Architect. “It will be very visible from the lift lock. Meanwhile, from the roof itself, there will be sweeping views of the waterway. The creation of this bio-diverse roof will also ensure that green space is retained on this park-like site.”
The outdoor spaces at the new museum, including the green roof and the waterway, will allow visitors to have integrated experiences that include the museum’s collection. The roof will be among the areas that will allow for ecological exploration and experimentation.
“With this new space will come an incredible array of opportunities for everyone who will visit,” said Bill Morris, Campaign Chair. “The museum community and beyond is so grateful for the Dalglish’s vision for the facility, and for the green roof, in particular. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Dalglish Family Foundation Green Roof in 2022.”
The new museum will be supported by a $65 million capital campaign, and has received foundational financial support from municipal, provincial and federal governments. The W. Garfield Weston Foundation has invested $7.5 million, building on its more than 20-year-long legacy of leadership with the museum.
For more information about the new museum, visit canoemuseum.ca/new-museum-2.
