The opening date of Peterborough’s new Canadian Canoe Museum will be delayed by a few months due to unanticipated construction challenges, the museum announced on Thursday (January 26).
The new museum, currently under construction at 2077 Ashburnham Drive on the shores of Little Lake, was originally expected to open in early summer but will now be delayed until late summer or early fall.
“We are working very closely with the project team to recover the schedule delays, as we would be overjoyed to open earlier,” says the museum’s executive director Carolyn Hyslop in a media release. “With so much excitement and interest in the new museum, locally and nationally, we want to be transparent with our community about the timeline as we know many are planning trips to visit us this summer.”
The delays are due to the pandemic and its ongoing impacts on the construction industry, which are affecting supply chains and material availability and resulting in material shortages. For example, a national shortage of cement powder recently created a three-week delay in completing the building’s superstructure.
“The (new museum) project started at a difficult time in the industry,” says Maria Williams, project director at Chandos Construction, the general contractor for the new museum build. “Due to the pandemic and other influences outside our control, we have seen trade shortages, material supply issues, and escalations beyond what we have historically seen.”
Despite the delays, Hyslop points out many milestones have already been achieved.
“The building structure has come to life before our eyes, the mass timber façade is taking shape, and the building is nearly closed in,” Hyslop explains. “Exhibits have been developed and are being sent to fabrication, the fundraising campaign is in its final stretch, and the collection is nearly ready for its move across town.”
According to Bill Lett, managing principal at Lett Architects Inc., the integrated project delivery approach for the design and building of the new museum has helped offset the impact of the delays.
“As designers, we have seen unprecedented upheaval in the construction sector over the last two years,” Lett notes. “While there have been similar delays and supply chain issues on the (new museum project), through our integrated approach to project delivery, these have been minimized compared to other projects. We are pleased with the progress made and look forward to seeing the museum open to the public in 2023.”
Ulike traditional design and construction delivery methods, integrated project delivery is a collaborative approach where all project stakeholders are brought on board at the very beginning of the project, sign a multi-party contract, and share the responsibility for the project.
The $40-million cost of the new museum is being funded by support from the Weston Family Foundation, the City and County of Peterborough, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada through both the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), and donors from across the country. A national fundraising campaign has raised 95 per cent of the project’s $40-million cost to date.
To learn more about the new museum or to donate, visit canoemuseum.ca/new-museum.
